What is a glycol cooler?

What is A Glycol Cooler?

A glycol cooler is a type of refrigeration system that uses a mixture of water and propylene glycol as the refrigerant. Propylene glycol is a non-toxic, food-grade antifreeze that is commonly used in refrigeration systems that require low temperatures, such as in food and beverage processing, medical facilities, and other industrial applications.

The glycol cooler works by circulating the glycol-water mixture through a closed loop system that includes a compressor, condenser, expansion valve, and evaporator. The compressor compresses the refrigerant, which raises its temperature and pressure. The high-pressure refrigerant then flows through the condenser, where it releases heat and condenses into a liquid.

Next, the high-pressure liquid refrigerant flows through an expansion valve, which reduces its pressure and causes it to expand rapidly. As the liquid rapidly expands, it changes phase back into a gas, absorbing heat from the surrounding environment, which cools the glycol-water mixture. The cold glycol-water mixture then flows through the evaporator, where it absorbs heat from the environment and the cycle starts again.

Glycol coolers are commonly used in applications where the refrigeration system needs to operate at very low temperatures, such as in food and beverage processing or medical facilities. The use of propylene glycol as the refrigerant allows for a lower operating temperature than traditional refrigerants, which can be important for certain applications.

Overall, glycol coolers are an effective and efficient method of refrigeration for applications that require low temperatures and a non-toxic refrigerant.