Air blast coolers

The workhorses of the industry for the cooling of process fluids

An air blast cooler uses ambient air to cool process fluids (e.g.: lubricants). It is an extended surface heat exchanger and is sometimes known as a fin fan cooler.

Our air blast coolers are part of our range of coolers for industrial use. We produce coolers ranging from small products for ship stabiliser to units measuring more than 6 meters long and weighing several tons for high voltage direct current (HVDC) installations.


How air blast coolers work

Overview

Air blast coolers are used for process cooling. Ambient air is forced over a heat exchanger to remove unwanted heat from a closed circuit containing process fluids or intermediate coolant. Coolant return temperatures can be as low as 10°C above ambient air.

Design considerations

The header is the part of the cooler where the coolant passes into the heat exchanger tubes. Depending on the application, the design pressure and your requirements, the header can take various forms, including tubular, rectangular with cover plates, or plugged.

The coolant may pass several times down the length of the cooler in a crossflow or counter-flow arrangement. The positions of the baffles within the headers determine the number of passes. The best arrangement depends on the temperature differentials and overall flow rates of the tube side and ambient streams.

Air blast cooler designed and manufactured by Sterling Thermal Technology in front of the factoryThe airflow inside the heat exchanger, for which the product gets its name, is driven by fans. These can operate in either forced or induced draft mode and are powered by electric and occasionally hydraulic motors. The motors are used in a direct drive format for most applications, although we can supply belt-mounted arrangement.

At Sterling Thermal Technology, we work with you to design and manufacture the ideal air blast cooler for your requirements. Together, we discuss the primary considerations for your application and ensure your air blast cooler is suited to the purpose. Get in touch today.

Benefits

Air blast coolers can work in a closed-circuit arrangement, which is significantly better than an open cooling tower. By avoiding direct contact between air and water, a closed-circuit system creates a cleaner cooling system less prone to fouling and corrosion.

With this reliable system, we can reduce operational costs and avoid downtime.

Why choose air blast coolers from Sterling Thermal Technology?

Tough and reliable

We design and manufacture air blast coolers with a tube to tubeplate construction by roller expansion or seal welding. As a result, our coolers deliver exceptional levels of reliability and availability.

Flexible

We choose from a wide range of fin types and tube material, including titanium and duplex steel. We configure it with vertical or horizontal mounting to suit your site limitations. By utilising plate-fin matrices, we can build units in modular form to meet any of your cooling requirements.

Save money, cut waste

Air blast cooler designed and manufactured by Sterling Thermal Technology in the UKTo achieve low power usage and low levels of noise pollution, we carefully select the cooling air fans and fit them with louvred or flat fins. The resulting closed-circuit systems are more environmentally sustainable and cost-effective than open systems using evaporative technology. 

We design our plenum chambers to ensure optimum air distribution over the heat transfer surface while minimising air recirculation and leakage.

Optimised noise levels

The speed of rotation of the fan is the main variable that determines the noise level of the equipment. Noise is a major consideration in all designs. Our thorough design ensures the resulting operational noise levels meet contract requirements. In addition, for very low noise level requirements, we can offer cylindrical silencers.

Wide range of materials

Dependent on the properties of the coolant and the corrosion potential of the atmosphere, we offer a wide range of tube and fin materials.

Your heat exchanger partner

As an experienced cooler manufacturer, we design and produce air blast coolers for most industry sectors, including chemical, power generation, defence, oil and gas, food and beverage and marine.

Find out what we can do for you. Contact us today with your air blast cooler requirements.


Customised heat exchangers

Over 100 years of design & manufacturing knowledge

Your partner for the entire lifecycle of your business

The air blast coolers from Sterling have allowed us to cut our water use, reduce power consumption and lower our maintenance costs. They have also proved to be durable and reliable, which are vital considerations in our industry.

Talk to us..

We customise our heat exchange solution to meet your requirements, so contact us today to discover the right equipment for you.

Contact us