Air Coolers

Applications of air coolers

A typical application of an air cooler might be in the power generation industry, for example, to cool the intake air for a gas turbine. An air cooler is advantageous here because the power generation of the gas turbine depends on the weight of the supplied air. Cooling the air increases its density, allowing the turbine to generate more power.

There are more specialised types of air coolers for specific applications. For example, Sterling Thermal Technology designs and manufactures closed-circuit air coolers, which can be essential for marine applications.  For example, in the process of recirculating marine breaking resistors.

Closed Circuit Air Coolers for Marine Applications

Closed-circuit air coolers are one type of closed-circuit cooler. Circulating air is the primary coolant, and water is usually the secondary coolant. The cooling water for the majority of marine applications is seawater. 

The quality of the cooling water determines the materials used in the closed-circuit cooler. Tube materials vary from copper through stainless steel to titanium. A standard tube material when using clean seawater is 90/10 cupronickel. If a lower weight is required, titanium can achieve this while adding corrosion and erosion resistance.

Why choose Sterling Thermal Technology as your air cooler partner?

As a leading designer, manufacturer and supplier of industrial air coolers (and other heat exchangers), Sterling TT is a name you can rely on:

• Design expertise: we have configured a wide range of industrial air coolers based on different process requirements and parameters. Our design engineers have a wealth of experience in cooling applications across all industry sectors. We follow an exacting manufacturing process for all our air coolers to ensure high quality and optimal outcomes.
• Considering the environment: where cooling air is drawn directly from the surrounding atmosphere, we review the environmental data of the site to recommend the appropriate materials for the individual application.
• Matching your requirements: we calculate a range of operating conditions. As a result, we ensure the equipment response is optimum, and we produce designs that respond to your process fluctuations.

If you are ready to talk to us about your air cooler needs, contact us today.

Design considerations

There are many variables we factor into our air cooler design and manufacturing processes.

For instance, the finned tube cooling coil can be located either upstream or downstream of the filters. If upstream, we must consider the environmental conditions: the airstream could contain insects or vegetable matter. These could foul the exchanger surfaces. With downstream positioning, the designer has more flexibility in configuring the most efficient finned surface.

Achieving an even outlet temperature across the cooler face, is another important factor in air cooler design for industrial use. We consider this in the design phase by carefully configuring the coolant flow paths. Computer analysis using CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) is one advanced tool we would use in confirming appropriate temperature distribution.

Though the configurations of industrial air coolers can be complex, our experts can make the design process painless. Whether you are an end-user or an original equipment manufacturer, we will arrive at the solution that suits you. Contact us today and find out what we can do for you.

If you feel you need another type of heat exchanger, visit our products and services page or contact us.