Christopher Newport University Central Chilled Water Plant
Newport News, Virginia
Overview
Christopher Newport University’s Central Chilled Water Plant provides expanded, high-efficiency cooling capacity to support the University’s evolving campus needs. The project replaced an existing 450-ton multi-stack chiller with a 650-ton magnetic-bearing chiller, replaced two 450-ton cooling towers with a new 1,100-ton cooling tower, and added condenser water pumping capacity to strengthen overall plant performance. Thompson Consulting Engineers provided mechanical design services for the project, including piping modifications that improved system redundancy and a complete replacement of the plant controls. The modernized infrastructure provides increased cooling capacity, improved operational control, greater system reliability, and more efficient long-term performance for the University’s central chilled water system.
Challenges
- Replacing critical chiller plant equipment while maintaining continuous cooling service to campus facilities.
- Integrating higher-capacity equipment within the constraints of the existing plant infrastructure.
- Coordinating system modifications to improve redundancy and long-term reliability.
Goals
- Increase chilled water capacity to support expanding campus demands.
- Improve energy efficiency through installation of a 650-ton magnetic bearing chiller and upgraded cooling tower capacity.
- Enhance system reliability through added condenser water pumping, piping modifications, and complete plant controls replacement.
Project Team
- Owner: Christopher Newport University
- Structural: Lynch Mykins
Results
- Replaced the existing 450-ton multi-stack chiller with a new 650-ton magnetic bearing chiller.
- Replaced two 450-ton cooling towers with a new 1,100-ton cooling tower and added a condenser water pump to support increased capacity.
- Improved plant redundancy and operational control through piping modifications and comprehensive controls upgrades.
