What do evaporative condensers derive their heat rejection capability from?

Evaporative condensers utilize the evaporation of water to reject heat effectively. In these systems, warm refrigerant enters the condenser, where it flows over a coil that is continually wetted with water. As the warm refrigerant passes through the coil, it transfers heat to the water. The water then absorbs this heat, and as it does so, a portion of it evaporates into vapor. This evaporation process requires heat, which is drawn from the surrounding water and the refrigerant, resulting in a cooling effect.

This mechanism is highly efficient because the phase change from liquid to vapor allows for significant heat absorption. By expelling heat through the evaporation of water, these condensers can operate under lower temperatures and higher capacities than traditional air-cooled systems. Their ability to leverage both the cooling effect of evaporation and the ambient conditions makes them a practical choice for applications requiring effective heat rejection.