CDC Cooling update

In my last blog on the CDC, we were having a slow refrigerant leak in Bay 1, and we were waiting for parts. The new parts came, but they were wrong, then they came again, and they were wrong again. Eventually the right parts were delivered, so we took the CDC down yesterday morning to work on the cooling system.

Cole, from Hermanson, arrived at 7AM, and we proceeded to shuffle some of the chiller plumbing around, so I can always be able to restart the computer after a power fail, and it took about an hour, and seems to work fine!

The old compressor in the basement, showing where the power goes in.

A little later, Jeff Walcker, also from Hermanson arrived to install the new compressor parts that had arrived. We opened the 3phase 60Hz breaker for Bay 1, and Jeff started un-hooking the power. We had discovered that it was leaking where the compressor power wires go into the case. As Jeff was taking it apart, all the little bits were turning into powder. The compressor is 52 years old. It was decided that we needed a new compressor. Bummer!

Contrary to recent experience, not only was a replacement compressor available, it was in stock, IN SEATTLE! Jeff was back from getting it almost before we were done deciding that was what we should do! Compared to 102 days for the chiller, this is amazing.

He did a bunch of wrestling with the compressors to get the new one in, and we don’t have the motor cooling loop hooked up yet, because the pipe didn’t want to go on the new one quite the same as it came off the old one.

New compressor installed.

You can see the disconnected copper cooling loop wrapped around the compressor in the above picture. Jeff will bring a slightly longer hose when he comes for our quarterly maintenance next month.

The CDC is happy again, and hopefully not leaking!