What is the major difference between a cooling tower and an evaporative condenser?

The major difference lies in how the cooling process takes place for refrigerants in these systems. In a cooling tower, the primary function is to dissipate heat from water that has absorbed heat from a building or process. The water circulates through the cooling tower, where it is exposed to air, allowing it to release heat to the atmosphere. This means that the refrigerant does not come into direct contact with outside air; instead, heat from the refrigerant is transferred to water, which is then cooled in the tower.

Conversely, in an evaporative condenser, the refrigerant is directly cooled by the evaporation of water. As the refrigerant flows through the coils of the evaporative condenser, spraying or misting water onto those coils enables the refrigerant to lose heat directly through the evaporation process.

Understanding this distinction highlights the process of indirect cooling within a cooling tower, where the focus is on cooling water rather than directly cooling the refrigerant. This relationship between the different components of the system is vital for efficient heat exchange and system operation.