Cooling options for 38°C+ environments?
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- Issue Time
- Apr 20,2026
Short answer
For 38°C+ sites, the decisive number is the local maximum wet-bulb temperature, not the dry-bulb. Evaporation pads and misting or spray systems can pre-cool intake air; whether a dry cooler still suffices or a closed-circuit cooling tower is required follows from how close the wet-bulb gets to the equipment's maximum allowable inlet water temperature.
- Wet-bulb is the deciding metric
- Evaporation pads pre-cool intake air
- Misting or spray as added assist
- Dry cooler vs closed-circuit tower
Choosing between the two heat-rejection routes
| Option | When it works | The deciding condition |
|---|---|---|
| Dry cooler (+ evaporation pad) | Auxiliary heat dissipation where the equipment's fluid temperature differential allows it. | Wet-bulb stays safely below the maximum allowable inlet water temperature. |
| Closed-circuit cooling tower | When the site must exploit evaporative cooling to hold inlet water temperature in spec. | Wet-bulb approaches the equipment's maximum allowable inlet water temperature. |
How the assessment works
- Wet-bulb, not dry-bulb, decides. Evaporative performance is limited by moisture in the air, not air temperature alone.
- Pad and misting systems can be deployed to manage extreme ambient heat before it reaches the heat exchanger.
- The spec of your equipment matters. The allowable inlet water temperature and fluid temperature differential determine which route holds.
