Application Analysis of Evaporative Condensation Chiller in a Subway Station

Currently, the air-conditioning cold source system in underground subway stations typically adopts the combination of traditional water-cooled chillers and cooling towers. The chillers are installed in the dedicated machine room within the underground station, while the cooling towers are placed in the well ventilated outdoor areas. However, in practical project, there are challenges such as difficulties in finding installation locations for cooling towers on outdoor ground, difficulty in coordinating with ground landscapes, and operational noise, which is particularly prominent in urban center subway stations. This paper analyzes the specific problems existing in the application of conventional air-conditioning cold source scheme in a subway station based on the actual case of a subway project in China. Furthermore, it proposes replacing the traditional water-cooled chiller and cooling tower setup with an integrated evaporative condensation chiller solution. A comprehensive comparison is conducted between these two approaches considering factors like occupied area requirements, energy conservation, water conservation benefits, investment costs and payback periods; additionally discussing aspects related to operation and maintenance management. Finally, this study assesses the suitability of employing evaporative condensation chillers for subway engineering applications.