APCN-S Air-Cooled Screw Chiller

The APCN-S is the model in SKM's air-cooled screw range specifically rated to operate at ambient temperatures up to 55 °C (131 °F), three degrees higher than the standard 52 °C ceiling on the APCY family. That narrow margin is operationally significant in the Arabian Peninsula interior, where summer ground-level air temperatures regularly reach or exceed 50 °C and roof-deck conditions above machinery plantrooms can tip past 52 °C. The APCN-S closes that gap, allowing uninterrupted chilled-water delivery during peak heat events that would force competing chillers into protective shutdown.

The series runs 81 to 441 TR (285–1,547 kW) on R-134a. The condenser coil uses heavy-duty seamless Hi-X copper tubes bonded to aluminium fins, and the semi-hermetic screw compressor uses high-performance screw profiles with stepless capacity modulation down to 25%. Performance data from the Quick Selection Guide shows EER values in the 10.4–11.5 Btu/W·h range at standard 95 °F ambient, with solid capacity retention through 115 °F and 118.4 °F data points. AHRI 550/590 and 551/591 certification applies. BMS integration through BACnet, Modbus, and Modbus IP is standard.

Primary applications are facilities in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and UAE inland areas where ambient design conditions exceed 50 °C in the summer design month, including airport ground-side plant rooms, government building complexes, data centres, and industrial utilities. The APCN-S is also the natural specification upgrade path for projects initially scoped on the APCY series that later face revised local ambient design criteria.