Low-temperature brine refrigeration has become a very important way to cool things in factories and big plants. It gives exact, steady, and really cold temperatures for jobs that never stop running. Unlike direct expansion systems that send refrigerant straight into the machines that need cooling, brine systems use a second liquid—usually called brine—to carry the cold from one central chiller. This extra step makes everything safer, keeps temperatures more even, and uses much less refrigerant.
For more than sixty years, MOON-TECH has built strong and power-saving refrigeration units for customers all over the world. The company started in 1956 and offers complete cold-chain and process-cooling packages, from the first idea until the system runs for many years. Their equipment works in over 120 countries. They mix deep know-how with full support during the whole life of the equipment.
How Does Low-temperature Brine Refrigeration Work?
The whole idea is simple but clever. A main refrigerant gets very cold inside the chiller. Then it cools down the brine. After that, the cold brine travels through pipes to where the heat needs to be removed. Because the real refrigerant never leaves the chiller room, the system stays safer and easier to control. People love it for food factories, chemical plants, and other heavy industries.
Thermodynamic Cycle of Brine Cooling Systems
Most units run on a normal vapor-compression cycle. Inside the evaporator, the refrigerant turns into gas and pulls heat away from the brine. The brine can leave the chiller as cold as –5°C or even drop to –90°C. Pumps push this cold brine to heat exchangers near the process. There it picks up heat, warms up a little, and comes back to the chiller to get cold again. Nothing dangerous ever enters the production area.
Role of Secondary Coolant in Heat Transfer
Brine works like a big cold battery. It spreads cooling evenly over many places at once. It also lowers pressure loss in long pipes. You can lay out the pipes almost any way you want. Common choices are ethylene glycol for not-so-cold jobs and calcium chloride when you need really low temperatures. Because brine holds a lot of cold, the temperature stays steady even when the cooling load changes quickly.
Key Components Driving System Efficiency
The main parts are a strong compressor, a shell-and-tube evaporator, a condenser, an expansion valve, and pumps for the brine. In MOON-TECH units, they use open-type screw compressors. These have a special control for the content-volume ratio that runs from 2.6 to 5.0. The compressor changes itself when pressures go up or down. That saves energy at part load and keeps the brine temperature from jumping around.
Why Choose Brine Over Direct Refrigerant Expansion?
You might ask yourself why anyone would add an extra loop when direct expansion looks easier. The reasons are clear: safety, growth options, and staying legal for many years.
Enhanced Temperature Uniformity Across Large Loads
Brine holds a huge amount of cold energy. So small changes do not shake the temperature much. Many factories need the temperature to stay within ±0.5°C. Brine makes that easy. It helps a lot when you freeze food or run chemical reactions. Sudden temperature swings can ruin the product, and brine stops that from happening.
Reduced Refrigerant Charge and Safety Benefits
All the high-pressure refrigerant stays inside the chiller room. Almost none goes out to the factory floor. If a leak happens, it stays in one safe place. This matches the newest safety rules around the world. It also lowers the risk of big accidents and expensive fines.
Simplified Maintenance and Piping Flexibility
Brine pipes can be normal steel or stainless steel. You do not need special copper pipes or extra welding certificates. Fixing things becomes cheaper and faster. If you want to make the factory bigger later, you only add brine pipes. No need to touch the refrigerant again.
What Makes MOON-TECH’s Brine Chillers Stand Out?
Not every brine chiller works the same. MOON-TECH builds theirs using real experience gathered over many decades. They solve everyday problems in a smart way.
Siphon-Type Low-Temperature Brine Chiller Advantages
Siphon-Type Low-Temperature Brine Chiller uses thermosiphon flow. Cold liquid refrigerant moves by itself because of temperature differences. No extra pump is needed on the refrigerant side. That saves power and makes the unit more dependable. It works great down to –40°C and fits nicely into old buildings where space is tight.
Flooded Low-Temperature Brine Chiller Performance Metrics
When you need temperatures below –50°C, the Flooded Low-Temperature Brine Chiller shines. The whole heat-exchange surface sits inside liquid refrigerant. That gives much better heat transfer. The COP can reach 5.8, which is about 20% better than normal dry-expansion units at the same load.
Comparative Features of Both Technologies
| Evaporator Type | Siphon-assisted shell & tube | Flooded shell & tube |
| Typical Evap. Temp. Range | –40°C to –20°C | –50°C to –25°C |
| Refrigerant Efficiency (COP) | Up to 5.2 | Up to 5.8 |
| Ideal For | Medium-load stability | Ultra-low, high-capacity demands |
How Do These Systems Achieve High Energy Efficiency?
Electricity is usually the biggest bill you pay. MOON-TECH attacks every place where energy can be wasted.
Optimized Heat Exchange Through Brine Flow Design
They use big evaporators with wide spaces between tubes. Dirt has a harder time sticking, and pressure stays low. In flooded units, liquid refrigerant covers every inch of the tubes. That can raise heat transfer by as much as 30% over dry systems.
Integration With Compound Two-Stage Compression
For very cold jobs below –35°C, they fit compound two-stage compressors. These cool the gas in the middle and use an economizer. At –40°C the COP climbs to 6.4–6.8. That means 30–38% less power than old booster setups.
Natural Refrigerants Like Ammonia or CO₂ Compatibility
Both chiller styles can run on R717 (ammonia) or R744 (CO₂). Many countries are banning R22 and R404A soon. Ammonia carries a lot of cold in every drop, and CO₂ does not hurt the ozone layer at all. Both choices keep running costs low and the planet happy.
Can Existing Plants Retrofit to Brine-Based Cooling?
Yes, and it is quicker than most people expect. Lost production time kills profit fast. MOON-TECH plans every job to keep you running.
Skid-Mounted Design for Rapid Installation
Everything big sits on one steel base. Pipes and wires are already connected at the factory. On site, you only hook up power, water, and the brine loop. A job that once took months now takes just weeks.
Zero-Production-Downtime Transition Strategy
The new chiller can work side by side with the old one. You test everything while the plant still makes product. When tests are perfect, you switch in just a few hours—often during one weekend.
Full Lifecycle Support from Audit to Remote Monitoring
MOON-TECH starts with an energy audit. They use BIM to avoid clashes during design. After start-up, sensors watch the system day and night. If something looks wrong, you get a warning before anything breaks.
What Future-Proof Benefits Do Brine Systems Offer in 2026 and Beyond?
Energy prices jump up and down, and carbon taxes are coming. Good equipment must be ready for all of that.
Compliance With Global Refrigerant Phase-Out Regulations
MOON-TECH units need very little ammonia—sometimes only 35 kg for every 100 kW of cooling at –30°C. That stays inside every safety limit.
Carbon-Neutral Operation Through Waste Heat Integration
The heat taken out by the condenser does not have to be wasted. It can run an absorption chiller or warm up process water. Some setups make hot water at 65–85°C. That can replace gas boilers and cut your carbon footprint a lot.
Predictive Maintenance Enabled by IoT Sensors
Sensors check oil temperature, vibration, brine flow, and more—all in real time. The information goes to the cloud. Smart software spots tiny changes early. You fix small things before they turn into big shutdowns.
FAQ
Q1: What temperature range can low-temperature brine systems achieve?
A: MOON-TECH brine chillers can cool brine from –5°C all the way down to –90°C. It depends on the refrigerant and compressor chosen. Most factories use them between –25°C and –50°C.
Q2: How much refrigerant charge reduction can I expect with a brine system?
A: Because the refrigerant stays only in the chiller room, the total amount needed drops 60–80% compared to direct expansion. That is a huge help for safety and new laws about natural refrigerants.
Q3: Can I retrofit my existing plant without major downtime?
A: Yes. The skid-mounted units arrive ready to run. You install the new one while the old keeps working. Switching over usually takes less than 72 hours on reduced load.
