General

Service Bulletin

Surge Discussion and Checkout Procedure for

Inlet Guide Vane Wear on CenTraVac™ Chillers
Product Code: 0347 (CDHF, CDHG, CVHE, CVHF, CVHG)

ATTENTION: Warnings, Cautions, and Notices appear at appropriate sections throughout this literature. Read these
carefully:

Indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in death or
WARNING serious injury.
Indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in minor or
CAUTIONs moderate injury. It could also be used to alert against unsafe practices.

NOTICE: Indicates a situation that could result in equipment or property-damage only accidents.

SAFETY WARNING
Only qualified personnel should install and service the equipment. The installation, starting up, and servicing
of heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning equipment can be hazardous and requires specific knowledge and
training. Improperly installed, adjusted or altered equipment by an unqualified person could result in death or
serious injury. When working on the equipment, observe all precautions in the literature and on the tags,
stickers, and labels that are attached to the equipment.

October 2017 CTV-SVB085B-EN

 WARNING WARNING
Proper Field Wiring and Grounding Follow EHS Policies!
Required! Failure to follow instructions below could result in
death or serious injury.
Failure to follow code could result in death or serious
injury. All field wiring MUST be performed by qualified • All Trane personnel must follow Ingersoll Rand
personnel. Improperly installed and grounded field Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) policies
wiring poses FIRE and ELECTROCUTION hazards. To when performing work such as hot work, electrical,
avoid these hazards, you MUST follow requirements for fall protection, lockout/tagout, refrigerant handling,
field wiring installation and grounding as described in
etc. All policies can be found on the BOS site. Where
NEC and your local/state electrical codes.
local regulations are more stringent than these
policies, those regulations supersede these policies.
WARNING • Non-Trane personnel should always follow local
regulations.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Required! Copyright
Installing/servicing this unit could result in exposure to
electrical, mechanical and chemical hazards. This document and the information in it are the property of
Trane, and may not be used or reproduced in whole or in
• Before installing/servicing this unit, technicians
part without written permission.Trane reserves the right
MUST put on all PPE required for the work being
to revise this publication at any time, and to make changes
undertaken (Examples; cut resistant gloves/sleeves,
to its content without obligation to notify any person of
butyl gloves, safety glasses, hard hat/bump cap, fall
such revision or change.
protection, electrical PPE and arc flash clothing).
ALWAYS refer to appropriate Material Safety Data
Sheets (MSDS)/Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and OSHA Trademarks
guidelines for proper PPE.
All trademarks referenced in this document are the
• When working with or around hazardous chemicals, trademarks of their respective owners.
ALWAYS refer to the appropriate MSDS/SDS and
OSHA/GHS (Global Harmonized System of
Classification and Labelling of Chemicals) guidelines
Revision History
for information on allowable personal exposure • Rev. B, modified the first paragraph is the Control
levels, proper respiratory protection and handling Surge section.Also, added a note at the end of the
instructions. procedure on page 6.
• If there is a risk of energized electrical contact, arc, or
flash, technicians MUST put on all PPE in accordance Introduction
with OSHA, NFPA 70E, or other country-specific
requirements for arc flash protection, PRIOR to In some extended surge applications, field sites have
servicing the unit. NEVER PERFORM ANY identified premature wear and failures on some second
SWITCHING, DISCONNECTING, OR VOLTAGE stage inlet guide vane (IGV) blade systems in CenTraVac™
TESTING WITHOUT PROPER ELECTRICAL PPE AND chillers.The purpose of this general service bulletin is to
ARC FLASH CLOTHING. ENSURE ELECTRICAL provide a general overview of how a CenTraVac chiller
METERS AND EQUIPMENT ARE PROPERLY RATED compressor works and a condition known as surge.
FOR INTENDED VOLTAGE.
This general service bulletin describes possible effects of
Failure to follow instructions could result in death or surge on the compressor as well as applications that can
serious injury. increase the risks of operating in surge. It also includes a
recommended checkout procedure to aid in detecting
wear or failures of the IGV assemblies.
Important: It is NOT recommended to run a chiller in
prolonged periods of surge.
The action described in this bulletin is NOT being
taken to address a safety concern.
This is an INFORMATIONAL BULLETIN.

2 CTV-SVB085B-EN
Affected Units Figure 1. Pressure enthalpy curve
CenTraVac™ chillers, models CDHF, CDHG, CVHE, CVHF,
and CVHG, may be affected.

condenser
Discussion P3 5 4
compressor
economizer
3 (2nd stage)
Operation and maintenance information for CenTraVac™ 6
P2

Pressure
chillers are covered in this section.This includes both 50 compressor Lift
and 60 Hz centrifugal chillers equipped with theTracer evaporator (1st stage)
P1 1 2
AdaptiView UC800 control system. By carefully reviewing
this information and following the instructions given, the
owner or operator can successfully operate and maintain
a CenTraVac unit. If mechanical problems do occur,
however, contact aTrane service technician to ensure
proper diagnosis and repair of the unit. Figure 2. Refrigerant flow, 2-stage

Cooling Cycle
When in the cooling mode, liquid refrigerant is distributed
along the length of the evaporator and sprayed through
small holes in a distributor (i.e., running the entire length
of the shell) to uniformly coat each evaporator tube. Here,
the liquid refrigerant absorbs enough heat from the
system water circulating through the evaporator tubes to
vaporize.The gaseous refrigerant is then drawn through
the eliminators (which remove droplets of liquid
refrigerant from the gas) and the first stage variable inlet Economizer
Evaporator Condenser
guide vanes, and into the first-stage impeller. (Lower pressure) (Higher pressure)
P=Lift
2-Stage Compressor
Compressed gas from the first-stage impeller is
discharged through the second-stage variable guide
vanes and into the second-stage impeller. Here, the
refrigerant gas is again compressed, and then discharged
into the condenser. Baffles within the condenser shell
distribute the compressed refrigerant gas evenly across
the condenser tube bundle. Cooling tower water,
circulated through the condenser tubes, absorbs heat
from the refrigerant, causing it to condense.The liquid
refrigerant then flows out of the bottom of the condenser,
passing through an orifice plate and into the economizer.
The economizer reduces the energy requirements of the
refrigerant cycle by eliminating the need to pass all
gaseous refrigerant through both stages of compression
(see Figure 2). Notice that some of the liquid refrigerant
flashes to a gas because of the pressure drop created by
the orifice plate, thus further cooling the liquid refrigerant.
This flash gas is then drawn directly from the economizer
into the second-stage impellers of the compressor. All
remaining liquid refrigerant flows out of the economizer,
passes through another orifice plate and into the
evaporator.

CTV-SVB085B-EN 3
Compressor Assembly

Figure 3. Compressor assembly

4 CTV-SVB085B-EN
Surge and Stall Conditions
Figure 4. Surge and stall conditions

Surge
Differential Pressure

Stall

IGV=90
IGV=75
IGV=50
IGV=30

IGV=10 IGV=20
IGV=6

Gas Flow

Surge Additional noise and vibration are generated when

operating in rotating stall.The leaving evaporator water
A surge is a reverse flow in which refrigerant moves
temperature may begin to fluctuate.
backward from the condenser through the compressor to
the evaporator.This occurs when the pressure across the
compressor (lift) is greater than the gas flow through the Corrective Action
compressor.
The lift across the compressor corresponds to the
refrigerant saturation temperatures in the condenser and WARNING
evaporator.The saturation temperatures correspond to Live Electrical Components!
the leaving water temperatures.
Failure to follow all electrical safety precautions when
Non-condensables that are introduced to the chiller will exposed to live electrical components could result in
accumulate in the condenser.This raises the pressure in death or serious injury.
the condenser above the refrigerant saturation When it is necessary to work with live electrical
temperature to pressure relationship. components, have a qualified licensed electrician or
When a surge occurs, the lift needs to be reduced in order other individual who has been properly trained in
to get the compressor out of the surge condition.This is handling live electrical components perform these
accomplished in two ways: increase the evaporator tasks.
leaving water temperature, or decrease the leaving
condenser water temperature. If the chiller is equipped Control Surge
with a frequency drive, the hertz will be increased to get The control detects surge by monitoring the amperage to
the chiller out of surge; if the frequency reaches 60 Hz and the motor. When a surge occurs and there is a backwards
a surge is still occurring, then the lift will need to be flow of gas through the impellers, there is a large change
reduced. in the amount of work (lift) being done by the compressor,
which causes the compressor motor amperages to
Stall
fluctuate.
Rotating stall is an aerodynamic disturbance that can
The control has a setting called surge sensitivity.The
occur in centrifugal compressors. Rotating stall is not a
default is at 20 percent, meaning that if the amperages
design or manufacturing defect, but a result of the
fluctuate 20 percent from the average three-phase current,
aerodynamic flow through a centrifugal compressor.
the control will enter a surge mode for 1 minute and
Although rotating stall does not adversely affect the energize the head relief output contact. During this minute,
reliability of the rotating parts of the compressor, it does if the chiller is equipped with a frequency drive, the
change the operating characteristics of the chiller.
CTV-SVB085B-EN 5
frequency command to the frequency drive will increase During some process applications, the load on the
1 Hz every 5 seconds in order to get the compressor out of evaporator may change rapidly. Condenser water
the surge condition. temperature should be reduced along with the load.
If the control continues to detect a surge condition for 5. Variable flow.
7 continuous minutes, the control will shut the chiller a. Some applications use variable water flow on
down on an extended surge diagnostic.This is a manual evaporator and or condenser.The lift across the
reset diagnostic. If the chiller is in surge for less than compressor still needs to be reduced with the
7 minutes, it will not shut down on an extended surge. It is reduction in evaporator load.
possible for a chiller to go in and out of surge mode
without shutting down. It is not recommended to allow the b. When varying the flow on the evaporator, the actual
chiller to run over extended periods of time in this load on the evaporator is calculated as follows:
condition. (T * gpm) / 24.This process also applies following
compressor service such as IGV actuator
Corrective Actions replacement, compressor linkages repair/replace,
1. Monitor the head relief request relay.When energized, and with major compressor work after reassembly.
reduce the lift on the compressor by either reducing c. When varying the flow on the condenser, the
the leaving condenser water temperature or by leaving condenser water temperature will need to
increasing the leaving evaporator water temperature. be reduced with the load on the evaporator.
2. Reduce the entering condenser water temperature as 6. Automatic tube cleaning systems.
the load on the evaporator decreases.
a. It is recommended to reduce the load on the chiller
3. Check approaches on the evaporator and condenser to prior to running the tube cleaning system.The
see if the tubes are starting to foul. reversed water flow will cause a higher pressure in
4. Check for non-condensables in the chiller. Non- the condenser.
condensables will accumulate in the condenser and
increase the pressure above the normal refrigerant Annual/Routine IGV Inspections1
saturation pressure temperature relationship. Tools Needed to Perform Inspections
5. Check the water flow rates. Lower flow rates in the • Laptop withTracerTU version 8.4 or newer installed
condenser will increase the leaving water temperature.
• Stop watch or watch with second hand
Higher Risk Applications • Inch·pound torque wrench, Snap-on® Model Number
Applications with a greater chance of surge occurring TE25FUA, range 300 in·lb with 5 in·lb increments (or
include: equivalent)
1. Heat recovery chillers. Note: Do NOT use a click-style torque wrench.
In heat recovery applications, the leaving condenser • 3/4-inch socket with 3/8-inch drive
water temperature is elevated. As the load on the • Linear scale (ruler)
evaporator decreases, the leaving condenser water
temperature should also decrease. A misapplication is Perform the following steps during annual/routine
when the leaving water temperature remains high as inspections:
the evaporator load decreases. 1. Retrieve the UC800 data and review it thoroughly.
2. Ice-making chillers. Note: If needed, service training is available; contact
When the chiller is in an ice-making mode, the inlet your localTrane Service Agency for more
guide vanes (IGVs) are commanded to a full open information.
position.The IGVs will remain open until the ice mode a. Chiller Service Report
is terminated. It is expected that the entering
b. Chiller Data Logs: Retrieve data recorder file and
condenser water temperature will be reduced during
default files from UC800
the ice making process.
c. Chiller Events Log Report
3. No tower relief.
d. What is the operating water pressure drop (PD)
The usual ARI relief schedule is from 85°F to 65°F
across the evaporator while running?
degrees.The entering water temperature should reach
65°F when the load on the chiller drops to 50 percent or Note: Values noted in the test procedure should be
less. recorded for comparison with future
4. Process chillers.

1 This process also applies following compressor service such as IGV actuator replacement, compressor linkages repair/replace, and with major compressor work
after reassembly.

6 CTV-SVB085B-EN
 inspections to aid in identifying changes that
may indicate wear or part failure. Figure 5.

Inlet psig ________ Outlet psig _______ psid ________

e. What is the operating water pressure drop (PD)

across the condenser while running?
Inlet psig ________ Outlet psig _______ psid ________

Important: Place chiller into Local Stop until

you’ve completed performing the IGV
set points checkout and performing a
manual motion test of the 2nd stage
IGV.
2. Perform the IGV set points check out.
a. Record the initial full open step count for the
2nd stage actuator:
____________ steps

b. Using a stop watch, measure time to open and close

vane assembly and note time in space provided. Measure this distance
Start timing when the inlet guide vane actuator first Blades full open Actuator extended
begins to move.
Note: At full open, it should be possible to 3. Perform a manual motion test of the 2nd stage IGV.
remove the pin as the internal IGV must Check torque to stroke bellows shaft.
have some motion left without binding.
a. Disconnect actuator, install 1/2-inch bolt and nut at
Opening Time: ____________ seconds hole on end of the bellows shaft and tighten (up to
Closing Time: ____________ seconds 90 ft·lb). Install specified Snap-on® torque wrench
on 1/2-inch bolt head as shown in Figure 6.
c. Drive the stepper actuator to full closed position
Note: Because the angle affects the torque
(normal chiller off state).
reading to open the vanes, the wrench
d. With stepper actuator driven to full closed: must be as close to straight alignment with
i. Verify there is no closed position tightness or the shaft as possible.
binding of the stepper actuator attempting to
Figure 6.
close the 2nd stage IGV further than internal
travel allows.
ii. Check to see if the bolt can be removed easily; if
not, adjust the rod end.
e. Drive the stepper actuator to 100.0 percent open.
i. Check to see if the bolt can be removed easily.
f. If binding does occur at full open position of the IGV
stepper actuator, reduce the full open steps until the
pin can be inserted easily.
Blades closed
i. Record the final full open step count:
____________ steps
0°±20°
g. Remove pin and measure distance from 100% open
of IGV2 to the full open physical position of the 2nd
stage IGV tang operator hole (see Figure 5).
Measure the distance between hole centers during
100% full open test.
b. Slowly stroke vanes open over a 5–10 second
____________ distance period while monitoring the dial reading.

CTV-SVB085B-EN 7
 c. Record the highest torque reading in the space 4. If changes from previously recorded values are noted,
provided. Repeat while closing the vanes. contact your localTrane Service Agency for assistance
Any noticeable resistance when moved by hand? (Yes/No)
in determining necessary repairs.
Opening Torque: ____________ in·lb
Closing Torque: ____________ in·lb
Questions
Contact your localTrane Service Agency with questions
d. Reconnect the actuator to the 2nd stage IGV tang regarding this general service bulletin.
operator with 1/2-inch bolt and pin.

8 CTV-SVB085B-EN
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CT-SVB085B-EN 26 Oct 2017

Supersedes CT-SVB085A-EN 24 Jan 2017 ©2017 Ingersoll Rand