Several global trends are contributing to the desire for cooling system solutions that can save energy while also saving water. Heavy flooding in some regions, higher drought levels in other regions, and extreme temperatures and weather events have been driving the need for new solutions. In addition, the population is increasing in these regions, and emerging markets continue to see migration from rural areas to cities. As new trends have emerged, many customers, especially in California and the western United States, have been looking for solutions that save water while still maintaining the benefits of evaporative cooling equipment.

Since energy and water production are interrelated, it is important to select equipment that appropriately balances energy and water usage. Although air-cooled and water-cooled systems each have their tradeoffs, engineers often design water-cooled systems for lower energy consumption and a smaller footprint than air-cooled equipment. Water-cooled systems continue to free power grids from excessive strain while reducing water usage at power plants. However, some applications can benefit from additional flexibility to balance energy and water savings.

Now, a new hybrid cooler technology offers energy efficiency in addition to providing water savings. A combination of a high dry switchpoint and redundancy features contributes to reliable year-round operation. In addition, the new equipment has a crossflow design that reduces maintenance and operating costs while providing layout flexibility.

Comparing water and energy use in air-cooled and water-cooled systems

There are two types of cooling systems, air-cooled and water-cooled, and the difference between these two systems is related to design temperatures.

Air-cooled systems are designed based on the ambient dry bulb temperature, while water-cooled systems are designed based on the ambient wet bulb temperature. For example, the design wet bulb temperature in Baltimore, Maryland, is typically 78℉, which is significantly lower than the design dry bulb temperature of 95℉. Since water-cooled systems are designed around this lower temperature, water-cooled equipment has a smaller footprint and uses significantly less energy than air-cooled systems.

Energy savings and footprint reduction vary due to several factors, including the amount of heat to be rejected, geography, and jobsite conditions. Therefore, it is important to understand application needs and jobsite constraints in order to select the best system type for your application.

New hybrid cooler technology optimizes water and energy savings

For those applications that can benefit from more closely controlling resource utilization, owners look for the optimal balance between energy use and water consumption, especially if access to water is limited. A new hybrid heat transfer technology has been developed for applications where water is scarce or expensive. Applications that may benefit from hybrid technology include data centers, manufacturing, industrial, power and process, and HVAC applications.

One example of this hybrid technology is the HXV Hybrid Cooler, which offers both energy efficiency and water savings. This technology uses different operation modes to reduce water and energy consumption. The option to use dry operation and the equipment’s crossflow design results in up to 25% maintenance savings compared to traditional evaporative fluid coolers. A key part of the general maintenance cost savings is the 70% chemical savings, since the equipment can operate dry throughout much of the year.

By Ben Cohen, Manager of Product Marketing – North America, Baltimore Aircoil Company