Overheating is one of the biggest threats to any sort of industrial activity. Heat can cause mechanical malfunctions, meltdowns, and in the worst case scenarios even fire. This, in turn, can result in great infrastructural damage and extinguished lives.

In response to the need for cooling, various mechanisms have been developed to prevent any heat-related damage from occurring. These sophisticated industrial devices can be found in locations such as factories, mines, power stations and transport depots.

Cooling mechanisms are a necessity, and if you are to notice a lack of this type of equipment in your workplace, you should raise the alarm with your line manager or big boss.

There are various types of cooling mechanism, all used for different applications so take a moment to familiarise yourself with the options to avoid kicking up a fuss about nothing just because you misidentified a piece of industrial equipment.

Chillers

The chiller is a machine that removes heat from a liquid. It works on a vapor compression-based system or an absorption refrigeration cycle. The resulting chilled liquid can be used to cool air or equipment by circulating it through a pipe system as and when required.

Typical applications include air conditioners where water is used in constant circulation to produce cool air. Chillers are also commonly present in laboratories where they are used to pump liquid through lab or process equipment. Industrial and commercial uses are very varied.

Cooling Towers

Most of us have seen at least one cooling tower in our lives. Where? Most commonly outside power stations. The huge big chimney-like structures that seem to be pumping a constant flow of fumes into the atmosphere are, in actual fact, cooling towers emitting vapour.

The largest cooling towers are used in power stations and on site at chemical or industrial plants, whereas smaller ones can be found forming part of air conditioning systems both at a commercial and industrial level.

Cooling Fans

Industrial fans for cooling are often employed in the power and petrochemical industries. The way they work is by ensuring air isn't allowed to remain static and get stuffy. The right amount of movement is caused by using a system of rotating blades.

Smaller scale cooling fans are often also employed for personal use during hot weather and in overly heated environments. There have been times when retailers have sold out of personal cooling devices due to popular demand!