It goes without saying that methane is a crucial and versatile chemical used all across the country. It’s used for heating homes, generating electricity, fertilizing soil, and a host of other applications. Manufacturers of methane gas must continue their operations to provide a consistent supply of the substance, which means that any potential disruption must be dealt with immediately.
One manufacturer in Arizona had purchased a new chiller a few years back, only to find that it was beginning to fail and might completely break down before the end of the summer. The chiller was used for process cooling, and without it they faced a potential halt in production that could spell disaster for their operations. After researching the merits of buying vs. renting a chiller, the manufacturer decided that they needed a reliable partner to provide a rental chiller and to handle everything else through a fully engineered solution. When they contacted Mobile Air & Power Rentals, we were more than prepared to design, install, and service the solution they needed.
Once the facility and its cooling needs had been assessed, a sales representative designed a solution that called for a 440-ton air-cooled chiller. The chiller was promptly delivered to the site, and a manager and two technicians installed the rental chiller and its ancillary equipment in less than a day. However, in addition to commissioning and startup of the equipment, the manufacturer also required a certain amount of glycol in the chiller’s water to keep the temperature even lower than usual for their process cooling. This required extra care and setup to prevent any spillage of glycol into the surrounding environment, but it was no challenge for MAPR’s experienced technicians.
The timing of the installation couldn’t have been better — by the time the rental unit was installed, the manufacturer’s permanent chiller had just broken down. Having saved their operations, the rental chiller is set to stay at the facility until the end of the season, when outside temperatures will begin to cool. The chiller will receive monthly service, although the plant’s proximity to a rather dusty farm and Arizona’s monsoon season may warrant more frequent service than usual. With the chiller installed and a service plan in place, Mobile Air & Power Rental demonstrated once again its ability to provide engineered solutions for any situation, regardless of the circumstances.
By Sebastian Kopacz