Pad and fan versus fogging versus mechanical cooling
Three ways to remove heat, three different humidity consequences.
Pad and fan
Cheapest per kW of cooling and effective in dry air. It raises humidity inside the house, needs water quality control and a pad area that stays wet evenly.
Fogging
High-pressure fog cools by evaporation without wetting the crop if the nozzles are right, and it distributes better than a pad wall. It needs demineralised water and maintenance discipline.
Mechanical
Chillers and coils hold temperature regardless of outside humidity, and can dehumidify. Capital and power cost are higher, but the control is tight and predictable.
Choosing
Design-day humidity decides: below roughly 40 % RH, evaporative options are strong; above 70 %, mechanical or hybrid. In between, a hybrid switched by season usually beats either alone.
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