Dry cooler
Also called: drycooler, radiator, fluid cooler
An outdoor heat exchanger that cools the liquid of a hydro circuit with ambient air, using a radiator and fans, without consuming water.
A dry cooler is a large radiator installed outdoors and fitted with fans. It cools the liquid circulating in a hydro or immersion mining setup. The hot liquid coming from the machines flows through a bundle of tubes and fins, the outside air blown by the fans takes its heat, and the cooled liquid then returns to the miners.
It is called “dry” because it does not evaporate any water, unlike a cooling tower. The circuit stays closed: no water consumption and little risk of deposits. Its efficiency depends on the outdoor temperature, because the liquid cannot get colder than the ambient air. In summer you therefore need a properly sized dry cooler, or a supplementary spray system, to keep the liquid at a temperature the machines can handle.
To choose a dry cooler, start from the heat load to be removed: it is roughly equal to the electrical power consumed by your miners. Take into account the liquid flow rate required by the machines, the maximum inlet temperature given on their product page and the local climate. Fan noise and placement also matter with regard to the neighbours.
Our Antminer Hydro page covers this type of installation in detail, and we can advise you on pairing machines with the right cooling.