Evaporative Fluid Cooler” vs. “Closed-Circuit Cooling Tower”
The difference is often one of marketing emphasis and industry preference:
- Closed-Circuit Cooling Tower (CCT): This name emphasizes the separation of circuits. It highlights the key advantage over an open tower: the process fluid is isolated in a closed loop, protecting it from contamination and scaling.
- Evaporative Fluid Cooler (EFC): This name emphasizes the operating principle and function. It clarifies that it’s a “cooler” (for fluids) that uses the “evaporative” method. This can be a more descriptive term for someone unfamiliar with cooling tower jargon.
In practical terms, they are the same equipment. You will often see the terms used interchangeably in product literature and by engineers.
Key Advantage Over a Dry Cooler:
A standard dry cooler (or fluid cooler) rejects heat using only a fan and a coil, much like a car radiator. Its cooling capacity is limited by the ambient dry-bulb temperature.
An evaporative fluid cooler uses evaporation, so its performance is limited by the ambient wet-bulb temperature, which is almost always significantly lower than the dry-bulb temperature. This allows an EFC to:
- Cool the process fluid to a temperature much closer to the ambient air temperature.
- Be significantly smaller and use less energy for the same cooling duty compared to a dry cooler.
Summary:
| Term | Emphasis | Key Feature |
| Evaporative Fluid Cooler | How it works (evaporation) and what it cools (a fluid). | Describes the function: cooling a fluid via evaporation. |
| Closed-Circuit Cooling Tower | System design (closed loop) and what it resembles (a cooling tower). | Describes the advantage: the process fluid is protected in a closed circuit. |