How do evaporative condensers compare to air-cooled condensers in terms of capacity?

Evaporative condensers generally have higher capacities compared to air-cooled condensers. This is primarily because they utilize both the cooling effect of air and the evaporation of water to dissipate heat. In situations where ambient air temperatures are elevated, air-cooled condensers may struggle to maintain efficient cooling due to the limitations of air alone in transferring heat. On the other hand, evaporative condensers can effectively lower the refrigerant temperature by introducing additional cooling through water evaporation, allowing them to handle greater heat loads and operate efficiently in high-temperature environments.

This enhanced capacity makes evaporative condensers particularly advantageous in larger cooling applications and industrial settings, where effective heat dissipation is crucial. Thus, the comparison shows that the capacity of evaporative condensers typically exceeds that of standard air-cooled condensers.