YORK YVFA Free-Cooling Variable-Speed Screw Chiller

The YORK YVFA combines a variable-speed screw compressor with integral free-cooling coils in a single packaged air-cooled unit covering 115 to 500 TR. The machine operates in three automatic modes: full mechanical cooling when ambient temperatures are high, hybrid free-cooling (partial mechanical assist) as conditions permit, and full free-cooling when ambient temperature drops sufficiently below the return chilled-water setpoint — all transitions managed by the unit controller without operator intervention.

The design eliminates the engineering complexity and hydraulic friction losses of separately piped dry-coolers or plate-and-frame heat exchangers typically required to add free cooling to conventional air-cooled chiller plant. Johnson Controls' modelling for facilities running 24/7 at steady cooling loads shows payback on the premium over a conventional YVAA in as little as two years. The refrigerant is R-134a; ambient operating range extends from -20°F to 131°F (-29°C to 55°C), covering the full GCC outdoor design range.

The YVFA was the first air-cooled screw chiller with integrated free cooling to receive AHRI 550/590 certification — a distinction that matters for procurement teams requiring independently verified performance data. For airport facilities, cargo cold-chains, or process plants with year-round cooling demand and access to even modest ambient temperature swings at night or in cooler months, the YVFA's automatic free-cooling engagement converts ambient temperature differentials into direct electricity savings with no operator action required.