Christopher Newport University Central Chilled Water Plant
Newport News, Virginia
Building Type
Higher Education
Project Type
New Chiller
Team
Prime Contract
Services Provided
Mechanical Design
Overview
The Christopher Newport University Central Chilled Water Plant project expanded and modernized the University’s central cooling infrastructure to support campus growth and improve system performance. The project included replacement of major plant equipment, upgrades to pumping and piping systems, and complete replacement of plant controls. These improvements enhanced capacity, efficiency, and operational redundancy within the campus 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.
