Cooling Tower

A cooling tower uses evaporative cooling to reject heat from the condenser water loop of a chiller plant. Warm water from the chiller condenser is distributed over fill media inside the tower; ambient air drawn through by fans causes a fraction of the water to evaporate, removing latent heat and cooling the remaining water before it returns to the chiller condenser.

Cooling towers are highly effective in hot climates but consume significant quantities of water — a major consideration for WUE. Drift eliminators limit water loss to atmosphere. Legionella risk management (dosing, blowdown, regular testing) is a legal requirement in the UK under the HSE Approved Code of Practice L8. In humid climates, dry coolers or adiabatic coolers are sometimes preferred to reduce water consumption.