Cover
Story
High Marks for
Chilled-Water
System:
Princeton
upgrades
and expands
Edward Borer, P.E., Energy Plant Manager,
Princeton University;
Jon Schwartz, P.E., Project Manager,
Carter & Burgess Inc.
Princeton
University has successfully operated a district cooling system for more than 40 years. When faced with a major
increase in campus cooling demand, Princeton took the opportunity to study and improve many areas of the system that
would not meet today's design standards. Some limitations
were discovered that involved
…[Princeton] is reduced cooling and distribution
taking proactive steps capacity, fluctuating supply tem-
to overcome capacity, perature and low return temper-
flow, and temperature ature – challenges familiar to
limitations and many district cooling system
optimize economic operators. These technical limita-
dispatch of equipment. tions, which can result in subop-timal economic operation, are
typically overcome by adding
pumps and chillers; this may not be the most cost-effective solution to install or to operate, however.
Since 2000, when Princeton began planning how to provide
additional cooling capacity, it has taken a broad, campuswide
approach to resolving system deficiencies and improving operational flexibility. At its central plant and distribution network, and
with local building improvements, it is taking proactive steps to
overcome capacity, flow, and temperature limitations and optimize economic dispatch of equipment.
