- Author
- Kao, J. Y.
- Title
- Evaluation of GSA Maintenance Practices of Large Centrifugal Chillers and Review of GSA Refrigerant Management Practices.
- Coporate
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
- Sponsor
- General Services Administration, Washington, DC
- Report
- NISTIR 5336, January 1994, 51 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Keywords
- refrigerants | evaluation | maintenance | chillers | visual inspection | nondestructive tests
- Abstract
- This study contains two major subjects involving maintenance of large centrifugal chillers in the General Services Administration (GSA) facilities. The first part is to use nondestructive testing (NDT) techniques for chiller testing and maintenance. NDT techniques investigated are visual inspection, leak testing, vibration analysis, infrared thermal testing, eddy current testing, oil analysis, and acoustic emission testing. With the expection of acoustic emission testing, all other techniques are recommended for GSA chiller maintenance. The second part of this study is about refrigerant management. It reviews the Clean Air Act, Environmental Protection Agency regulations, a recently issued Executive Order, and Standards from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, Air Conditioning Engineers on subjects associated with ozone depleting refrigerants. Also reviewed are GSA refrigerant handling practices and certain GSA retrofit specifications involving these refrigerants. Recommendations are made for refrigerant management including chiller retrofit/conversion.