For closed loop cooling systems where the coolant temperature is at least 5oF warmer than the ambient temperature, a fluid cooler may be your best choice. Fluid coolers are typically used in applications that are too warm for a chiller or as an economizer when lower ambient temperatures are available. There are two types of fluid coolers and both will cool almost any non-corrosive fluid through a closed –circuit coil, minimizing the chance of contamination.

A dry air cooler has finned coils just like an air- cooled condensor. The coils are cooled by fans, drawing air across the coils and discharging the heat into the atmosphere. In many cases, the waste heat can be utilized to heat your facility during the winter. Optional fan cycling, fan speed controls and bypass fluid temperature controls provide tighter temperature control through a wider range of ambient temperatures. Dry air coolers require larger surface areas and higher air flows so they tend to be larger than other types of cooling equipment.

Like a dry air cooler, an evaporative cooler also utilizes a closed-circuit coil. The coil is continuously wetted on the outside by a recirculating water system. A fan forces air up over the coil, causing a small amount of the recirculated water to evaporate. The evaporation removes heat from the coil, cooling the fluid in the coil. The recirculated water lost during evaporation must be replenished. A heater may be required to keep the recirculating water from freezing. Optional temperature controls are also available for evaporative coolers.

Since the coolant in both types of fluid coolers is in a closed system, glycol solutions can be used to insure maximum cooling capacity in sub-freezing temperatures. Fluid coolers are not equipped with coolant storage tanks so an auxiliary tank-pump set or pumping unit is required. BluChill can design and build a tank-pump set or pumping unit to optimize the performance of your cooling equipment. So whether you’re installing a new cooling system or upgrading an existing system, let BluChill supply the best system for you.