Buffer Tank

A buffer tank is a storage tank used on the cold user side of an air-conditioning system. The tank is used as storage to cover peak loads or in situations when a surge in demand exceeds the capacity of the cooling system.

The system can be the secondary side of a traditional compressor-driven system or a free-cooling system, where perhaps cooling only occurs at night. The buffer tank is a container in which the cooled medium can be stored.

A buffer tank is typically used when there is a variable cooling requirement. In such applications the tank is used as storage to cover peak loads or in situations when a surge in demand exceeds the capacity of the cooling system.

When a cooling system starts up, it increases energy consumption and wear on the cooling compressor, in comparison to continuous operation. A buffer tank is well-suited to situations where cooling loads are small because it reduces the number of starts and thus decreases wear and energy consumption.

Grundfos supplies a broad range of circulator pumps for air conditioning and cooling applications.