An evaporative cooling tower is heat removal device that uses ordinary water to transfer process waste heat from building and equipment into the atmosphere. All cooling towers operate on the principle of removing heat from water by evaporating a small portion of water that is recirculated through the unit.
The mixing of warm water and cooler air releases latent heat of vaporization, causing a cooling effect to the water. Cooling towers are a key component of many refrigeration systems and can be found in industries such as chemical processing plants, power plants, steel mills, food processing plants, and many other manufacturing companies where process cooling is required. Cooling towers are also used to provide comfort cooling for large commercial buildings such as universities, government facilities, airports, schools, hospitals, and hotels.
The video below provides a short review of what cooling towers are and why they are important.