Linz AG / JKU Science Park & Merlin^®

 

LINZ AG / Linz Strom Gas Wärme GmbH, Heating and Cooling Division, is a leading energy supplier in Upper Austria. The company develops and operates innovative solutions for heating and cooling, thereby making an important contribution to a sustainable energy future in the region.

Johannes Kepler University Linz (JKU) is one of Austria's leading educational and research institutions. Science and industry work closely together in the modern Science Park Linz. This is where innovative solutions and technologies for the future are developed.

 

Initial situation and challenge

The four existing recoolers in the local cooling system at Science Park Linz were equipped with a conventional factory-installed spray system and had reached the end of their service life. The previous system sprayed water in large drops, which clogged the fins, increased air resistance, and significantly reduced cooling performance.

In addition, during temporary failures of the water softening system, untreated drinking water was repeatedly used, which led to deposits and damage to the fins. As a result, the existing adiabatic low-pressure atomizer was no longer usable.

As rising ambient temperatures and higher cooling requirements meant that the total cooling capacity was no longer sufficient, a new solution had to be found.

Enlarging the recoolers was not possible due to space constraints, so a technology was sought that would make the existing system more efficient, and this is where merlin^® high-pressure humidification systems came into play.

 

Area of application for the merlin^®system

The merlin^® ORBIT WING® system is used for adiabatic pre-cooling of the air drawn in by the four recoolers in order to optimize their performance and increase the efficiency of the entire local cooling system.

 

Areas supplied

The entire Science Park, which is part of the Johannes Kepler University Linz, is cooled.

The total installed cooling capacity is around 1,900 kW, which can be optimally utilized thanks to Merlin's precisely controlled adiabatic cooling.

 

Improvements since commissioning

Since the installation of the merlin^® ORBIT WING^® high-pressure atomization system, several significant improvements have been achieved:

Water consumption has been significantly reduced compared to the previous system.

The fine water mist generated at a pressure of 80 bar keeps the fins of the recoolers open, meaning that full cooling capacity is available at all times.

The air is pre-cooled adiabatically, which reduces the temperature by up to 11 °C

The intelligent control system measures the inlet and outlet conditions and prevents too much water from being sprayed. This prevents excess condensate from forming and keeps the fins clear.

The water treatment (softening, osmosis, pH control) supplied by merlin^® is precisely tailored to the requirements of the recoolers. This eliminates limescale deposits and significantly increases the service life of the system.

 

Operational reliability and control

The power control has been optimized and the amount of water sprayed is precisely matched to the additional cooling energy required. The spray volume can be finely adjusted. Upstream water treatment keeps the fins permanently free of limescale, ensuring high operational reliability and trouble-free continuous operation.

The so-called “fallout,” i.e., water loss due to excessively large droplets, has also been significantly reduced.

 

Satisfaction with merlin^®

The ORBIT WING system from merlin^® impresses with its high quality, reliability, and efficiency. We are very satisfied with its operation, service, and support; the system delivers what it promises.