New high-tech chilled water plant cools off U.

A labyrinth of multicolored pipes snakes deep within the new parking garage at 38th and Walnut streets. The pipes are part of a chilled water plant, perhaps the least known part of the new parking garage. Some might even argue that the plant does more for the University than the garage itself, or the spaces that will soon house stores such as Thrift Drug and Campus Copy Center. The plant was built to conserve energy and save money, centralizing the system by which University facilities are air conditioned, Physical Plant Director James Wargo said. The total cost of the plant has come to $24 million, but Wargo said it is a cost-effective and advantageous addition to the University. Although Wargo said it still has some "kinks," he added that the plant is working -- and within another month should be fully operational. Three of the chillers in the system are designed for chilled water and three for the ice system located in the back of the plant. The large, complex plant is made up of blue, gray and green pipes, color-coded to indicate their role in the air conditioning process. The green pipes hold condensed water while the blue ones carry chilled water, Wargo said. Glycol, an antifreeze, runs through the gray pipes. A 10-ton crane and a large empty area for trucks to pull in allow maintenance workers to keep the chiller plant working properly. When the plant is functioning as planned, it takes city water into its pipes, treats and filters it, and then sends it through compressors which cool the water. The water is then pumped through lines running under the streets to bring air conditioning into the buildings. Juan Suarez, associate director of utilities and engineering, said the plant holds 14,000 tons of water. That water leaves the plant at approximately 45 degrees after coming in at around 60 degrees, Suarez added. The heat is transmitted into the atmosphere through a cooling tower attached to the plant. Ice produced during the process is stored in two large vats, and although ice is not being produced right now, a test of the ice-making system showed positive results, Wargo said. But Wargo added that the ice production will not be deemed completely successful until his department can test it on a "design day" -- a day in which weather conditions call for 95 degrees Fahrenheit and a 78-80 percent humidity factor. "We have to be able to design it to take care of that situation but we've checked everything we could," Wargo said. Suarez said the plant is one of the most automated in the world, noting that computers run the entire system. Although the plant is run electronically, maintenance employees trained to understand the system can use the computers to change any part of the plant's operations.

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