Purge units are necessary in chillers using low-pressure refrigerants to remove non-condensable gases that infiltrate systems operating below atmospheric pressure, thereby maintaining efficiency.
Chillers that use low-pressure refrigerants often operate below atmospheric pressure. Because of this, non-condensable gases such as air can infiltrate the system, which can lead to inefficiencies and higher operating costs. Purge units are used in these systems to remove these non-condensable gases.
The accumulation of air and other gases can cause the chiller to work harder, consume more energy, and reduce its cooling capacity. Therefore, the primary purpose of a purge unit in a chiller system is to maintain system efficiency and effectiveness by removing non-condensable gases, not to remove contaminated refrigerant or refrigerant from the oil sump.