A centrifugal chiller utilizes the vapor compression cycle to chill water and reject this heat collected from the chilled water plus the heat from the compressor to a water loop cooled by a cooling tower.

A centrifugal chiller utilizes the vapor compression cycle to chill water and reject this heat collected from the chilled water plus the heat from the compressor to a water loop cooled by a cooling tower.

Evaporator 

The evaporator in a centrifugal water cooled chiller is usually a shell and tube heat exchanger that removes heat from the entering chilled water lowering its temperature in the process. The heat is used to boil the refrigerant changing it from a liquid to a gas. Chillers use a flooded type evaporator, which is very energy efficient. Flooded evaporators place the chilled water in the tubes and refrigerant in the shell completely submerging the tubes in refrigerant. Large chillers can have over five miles of tubing in their heat exchangers. 

Compressor

 The compressor assembly is made up of a prime mover and a centrifugal compressor. Chillers use liquid refrigerant cooled hermetic electric motors. The centrifugal compressor is a dynamic device similar to a centrifugal water pump. It raises the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant by converting kinetic energy into pressure. In this document we will refer only to centrifugal compressors. 

Condenser

 Like the evaporator, the condenser is usually a shell and tube heat exchanger. In this case, it removes heat from the refrigerant gas causing it to condense to a liquid. The heat raises the temperature of the cooling water often referred to as condenser water. The condenser water then carries the heat to the cooling tower where the heat is rejected to atmosphere.