With its dry air coolers providing adiabatic peak cooling, GEA Heat Exchangers, Bochum, Germany, help to reduce the weight, dimensions, cooling duty and cost of these units. For most of the year, adiabatic coolers operate as conventional dry air coolers – with benefits including those of a closed-process cycle. Support from adiabatic cooling is necessary only on especially hot days.

Evaporative cooling takes place when nozzles in front of the cooling ramp atomize water under high pressure. Evaporation of the tiny water particles reduces the temperature of the cooling air by a few degrees. The cooling system is closed, as with a conventional dry cooler, which eliminates contamination of the process medium and atmospheric contamination. Ultraviolet disinfection of the water prevents pathogens such as legionellae in the mist.

The adiabatic peak-load cooling assures low lifecycle costs, since these dry coolers do not need to be designed in accordance with maximum possible outdoor temperatures, allowing for smaller, lighter and more cost-effective coolers. In addition, smaller heat exchanger and fan surfaces contribute to quieter operation. The average water costs for operation of the adiabatic functions are relatively low because they are in use only on a few days of the year. Since these coolers require no collecting vessel for water and no water treatment systems, investment costs for peak-load cooling are low.