Saving water with cooling technologies

Choosing the best industrial cooling system depends on several factors. Among them: the required cooling capacity.

Evaporative and adiabatic cooling both take advantage of air to lower the temperature of a process fluid (water, water and glycol, gas).

Both systems use water, but in different amounts, in different ways, and with different levels of efficiency. The direct evaporative

The structure and components of the two systems are, of course, a consequence of the two different operating principles.

Some main advantages can be enumerated, related to reduced water use and optimized operation during different seasons and times of the day.

Modern evaporative coolers use automatic blowdown systems controlled by conductivity sensors, partial recovery of discharge water, and optimized make-up strategies. Adiabatic systems, on the other hand—with the proper use of sensors and PLC-based parameter settings—use water only during periods of maximum thermal load, reducing overall consumption compared to traditional cooling towers (though with some loss of efficiency). The adoption of recovery circuits also allows part of the water to be reused in any cooling system that relies on this resource.

In an evaporative system, approximately 2% of the mass to be cooled evaporates and is released back into the environment.

Choosing the system best suited to your needs depends on several factors, mainly related to the specifics of the individual plant project to be developed: an exchange of information with a cooling consultant is often helpful.

The calculation of ROI in a cooling system is a percentage indicator that shows how much economic value is generated compared to the capital invested.

The Life Cycle Cost (LCC) is a calculation method used to evaluate the total cost of a cooling system over

This is not something to worry about: the cooling consultant knows the right questions to ask for the selection of the best cooler, supported also by advanced software for calculation, selection, and resource optimization.

Yes, there are calculation and sizing software: some manufacturers and cooling consultants use them in recent years to make a selection that is as tailored as possible to the needs of the individual project.

Selection software makes it possible to simulate thermal loads, climatic conditions, and design variables in order to determine the optimal configuration of cooling towers, dry coolers, or chillers. They provide comparative analyses of capacity, energy consumption, noise levels, and operating costs. The goal is to ensure the right balance between performance, energy efficiency, and operating expenses.

During the design phase, the use of selection and configuration software makes it possible to compare different solutions—chillers, cooling towers, adiabatic coolers, or dry coolers—by simulating their seasonal performance and heat loads. These digital tools also estimate energy and water consumption and help optimize system sizing.