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How to choose a laser chiller?

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Hydrocooling
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03-01

In addition to the basic exterior structural components, the laser chiller system mainly includes two aspects: its internal refrigeration system and control system: the refrigeration system generally consists of four major components: compressor, condenser, throttle valve, evaporator, etc; The control system includes the control of the refrigeration system compressor, throttle valve, circulating water pump, auxiliary heating rod, etc., as well as the control of supporting monitoring parts such as liquid level, flow rate, environmental temperature, and even external communication system.

Hydrocooling

Firstly, the cooling capacity of the laser chiller needs to match the heating capacity of the laser. Most equipment manufacturers choose chillers, and generally prioritize those with high cooling capacity when they do not know how to choose them, to ensure sufficient cooling capacity. However, in reality, high-power chillers have a large volume and heavy weight, which brings various inconveniences to transportation, testing, and handling. The refrigeration capacity of the compressor varies with the evaporation temperature, condensation temperature, etc. Therefore, the refrigeration capacity of the laser chiller varies greatly in different seasons and external environmental temperatures (such as whether air conditioning is installed indoors during actual use). Choosing an appropriate laser chiller should consider the refrigeration capacity comprehensively according to the actual situation, and should not be too small or redundant.

 

Next is the head (or pressure) and flow rate of the chiller. Currently, most laser equipment manufacturers specify parameters such as pressure and flow rate when choosing a chiller. Generally speaking, the head and flow rate of the water pump are relatively large, which is beneficial for laser heat dissipation. However, increasing the head and flow rate makes it very difficult to select the chiller water pump, especially as it greatly increases the volume, weight, and power consumption of the chiller. From the perspective of laser manufacturers, increasing head and flow parameters can not only reduce the design difficulty of the internal cold plate of the laser, but also avoid risks. As a laser equipment factory, when choosing a laser chiller, the parameters provided by the laser manufacturer should be used as a reference, but should not be superstitious. Instead, based on the actual test results, choosing a suitable head and flow rate chiller can to some extent reduce the cost of the chiller and improve the overall competitiveness of the laser equipment.

 

The third is temperature control, and different lasers have different requirements for temperature control accuracy. Fiber laser mainly needs to take away heat, and the accuracy requirement is generally ± 1 ℃. In fact, it can be used within ± 2 ℃ or even water temperature of 35 ℃. However, for ultraviolet lasers and other devices, the accuracy requirement is very high, up to ± 0.1 ℃ or even higher. Laser with high precision requirements have very strict requirements for the selection of matching chillers, which is also a test of the technology of laser chiller manufacturers. Therefore, laser chillers with high precision requirements will also be more expensive.

 

The fourth is to push the selection of laser chillers backwards by end users. Currently, some manufacturers are still using R22 refrigerant to develop laser chillers in order to save costs, and R22 refrigerant has gradually been replaced due to its damage to the ozone layer, which has been banned in developed countries. If the entire set of laser equipment is exported to relevant countries, then the selection of chillers also needs to consider environmental protection issues. Of course, there are also issues with the voltage standards of corresponding countries. In this regard, we advocate using DC variable frequency compressors as much as possible within the possible range, because DC power supply is used. Different countries can use AC-DC power modules for modulation, and AC-DC power modules have strong universality. The use of DC variable frequency compressors is not only beneficial for high-precision temperature control, but also the main direction for energy conservation and emission reduction in the future.

 

The fifth is the demand for communication. At present, many laser chillers only work on a single machine, with at most one alarm signal connected to the upper computer. When the chiller is abnormal, the laser equipment at most knows that there is a problem with the chiller, but does not know the specific problem and how to troubleshoot it.

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