CLOSED-CIRCUIT Cooling Tower – Hybrid/Dry Cooler: The Third Option
It’s worth noting a third common option that fits between these:
- Dry Cooler / Fluid Cooler: Uses only air (fans) to cool a sealed fluid in coils, NO water spray. Pros: Zero water use, no treatment, no Legionella risk. Cons: Much larger, higher energy use (fans), limited to cooling to near ambient dry-bulb temperature (less efficient than evaporative cooling).
Efficiency Spectrum:
Open Tower (cools to wet-bulb temp) > Closed Circuit Tower (cools close to wet-bulb) > Dry Cooler (cools to dry-bulb temp).