Though some facilities still call the local air conditioning repairman on occasion, that's usually not the whole answer. While HVAC technicians certainly can service the chiller, the advantage to a medical chiller specialist is knowledge of various modalities and how the chiller fits into their operational system.

Why Chillers Are So Important

MRIs, CTs, most major medical devices generate heat while in operation. With the advent of super conducting MRIs that rely on liquid helium, and high speed helical CT scanners that have powerful X-ray tubes, chilled water is the perfect solution to dissipate the heat that is produced.

Air-cooled chillers, meanwhile, with integrated tanks and compressors are the workhorse of the fleet and are available in many sizes, from one to 90 tons. Most medical MRI chillers, however, weigh in around two to 15 tons, costing from $8,000 to $50,000 brand new.

Manufacturing a chiller has become a specialized skill, one that the OEMs
have ceded to independent manufacturers.

The OEM matches the size of the chiller to the heat of the head load.
If an end user purchases a chiller that is too small in an effort to save
money, or a used machine that is overpowered to the heat load demand, then
a chiller can fail more quickly. An underpowered chiller will have to
work too hard, and a compressor can burn up. With an overpowered chiller,
the compressor turns on and off too quickly, and again the
compressor can burn up.

"All the OEMs have special applications for the large-scale image equipment that needs to be kept cool," King says. His company, in fact, is among the dominant players in manufacturing MRI chillers, shipping "hundreds annually."

Filtrine Manufacturing Company, another important chiller manufacturer, has been in the cooling business since 1901. Based in Keene, NH, it's forged close ties with the major medical equipment OEMs over the past seven years, says Mark Huston, director of marketing and communications.

"All the major OEM's work with us because everything we do is customized to their design," Huston says, adding, "and our chillers are backed by a lifetime guarantee."

And Turner Hansel, a Filtrine vp, points out, "The key issue when installing an MRI chiller is getting the start-up right. Doctors," he says, "hate to see scan time interrupted, because MRI's are cash cows."

Chiller Technology Simple Albeit Sophisticated

Chiller technology has not changed much over the years nor is it that
complicated. Still, chiller technology, and almost more important, chiller repair and refurbishing, whether air or water cooling, requires a host of special skills.

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