Understanding Your Different Choices in Fluid Cooling Solutions

Cooling systems for comfort, refrigeration, and industrial applications typically use one of three primary methods for heat rejection: air cooled, water cooled or adiabatic. Hybrid cooling, the rejection of heat using two or more of these methods, has also gained in popularity in recent years. To choose the optimal cooling system, the engineer must consider the climate, desired operating cost, water availability, cooling load, and any other potential site-specific objectives and constraints such as maintenance. Air Cooled Air-cooled systems use dry cooling. Air passes over a finned heat exchanger containing the process fluid. Sensible heat is transferred from the process fluid in the heat exchanger to the airstream flowing through the unit.