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How to size a dry cooler

To size a dry cooler, fix the heat load, the fluid flow and temperatures, and the site design ambient. The leaving fluid temperature minus the ambient gives the approach, and the approach sets the coil size.

Updated

  1. Get the heat load

    Use the rejected heat in Btu/h or MBH, not the cooling capacity of the machine upstream. For water, heat load in Btu/h equals 500 times GPM times the temperature drop in °F.

  2. Fix the fluid, flow and temperatures

    State water or glycol and the glycol percentage, the flow in GPM, and the entering and leaving temperatures. Glycol carries less heat per gallon than water, so it needs more flow or more coil.

  3. Pick the design ambient

    Use the site's design dry-bulb, not the average. ASHRAE climatic design data lists the 0.4% dry-bulb for each location: the temperature exceeded only 35 hours a year.

  4. Check the approach

    Approach is leaving fluid minus design ambient. A tight approach needs a large coil and more fan power. If the approach is near zero or negative, add adiabatic pre-cooling or move to a tower.

  5. Set the limits

    Note the sound limit at the property line, the footprint and the supply voltage. Those decide flat bed or V-bank, fan size and EC fans or a VFD.

Design temperatures for most sites are published in the ASHRAE climatic design conditions.

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Send us the heat load.

Fluid, flow, ambient and the space you have. A sized selection comes back.

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