Adiabatic Cooler

Adiabatic coolers reject industrial heat without the year-round water draw of an evaporative cooling tower. They are closed-circuit by design, run dry for most of the year, and only switch into evaporative pre-cooling when ambient conditions need it. The result is reliable heat rejection with substantially lower water use, which is why adiabatic coolers are a growing choice for UK plants, data centres, and process cooling applications.

How Adiabatic Cooling Works 

Adiabatic cooling lowers the temperature of air before it reaches a cooling coil. Water is sprayed or pad-dampened in the air intake; the water evaporates and absorbs heat from the surrounding air, and the cooled air then crosses a closed-circuit coil carrying your process fluid. In cool weather, the system runs dry like a standard air-blast cooler. In warm conditions the adiabatic mode activates, lowering the fluid outlet temperature below the ambient dry bulb without ever immersing the process fluid in water.

The Carter WABC Adiabatic Dry Cooler from Franklin Hodge 

The Carter WABC series is Franklin Hodge’s adiabatic cooler, designed and manufactured at our Birmingham facility as part of the Carter Environmental cooling tower range. The WABC is a closed-circuit unit, which means the process fluid stays sealed inside the coil throughout. The adiabatic mode package sits on the air intake, pre-cooling the incoming air during warm periods, so the fluid outlet temperature drops below the ambient dry bulb when peak performance is needed. 

Coils, Fans and the Adiabatic Mode Package 

WABC coils are available in either copper or stainless steel, matched to the process fluid and the environment. Copper handles standard duties; stainless steel suits corrosive or contamination-sensitive applications. Fan and motor configurations are tailored to the heat load and the noise profile of the site. The adiabatic mode is a pre-cooling package on the air side that can be engaged or bypassed depending on ambient conditions, giving operators year-round flexibility. Ongoing cooling tower servicing keeps the unit and the adiabatic package performing across the asset’s life.

Where the WABC Adiabatic Cooler Performs Best 

The WABC is built for applications that need reliable heat rejection without the water draw of a traditional cooling tower. It is widely used in data centres, where uptime, water restriction, and energy ratings drive the cooling design, and it pairs well with chillers across industrial cooling installations. Manufacturing, power generation, and process cooling are all common fits, particularly on sites where water charges or restrictions make evaporative-only systems expensive to run. 

Cutting Water and Energy Use With the WABC 

The standout saving on a WABC is water. Running dry for most of the year and only adding water during peak conditions cuts consumption substantially. Energy use also drops in cooler months because the fans run at lower duty without the evaporative load. Combined with the recyclable construction across our sustainable cooling tower range, the WABC fits cleanly into industrial sustainability targets and lifecycle planning. 

Specify a WABC Adiabatic Cooler With Franklin Hodge 

If you are sizing an adiabatic cooler for a UK site, the right configuration depends on the heat load, the climate, and the site’s water position. Franklin Hodge designs, manufactures and supports the Carter WABC from our Birmingham facility. Tell us about your duty and we will come back to you with the right specification. Contact us for more information.