Mist & Fog Resources

How do high pressure misting systems work?

Simple Science!

The secret behind a quality misting system is really no secret at all. High-pressure misting systems use evaporative cooling to lower the ambient air temperature in a designated area.

What is evaporative cooling?

Evaporative cooling is the process of liquid water evaporating from a surface, which decreases the surface’s temperature. Water can hold a lot of heat without changing temperature. The heat stored in water is called latent heat. Water absorbs the heat from other surfaces, making them cooler. When water absorbs enough heat, it evaporates, or changes from a liquid to a gas. The gas leaves the surface, taking the extra heat with it. The result is a decreased amount of heat and thus, decreased temperature in the surface. This is how evaporative cooling works.

How is evaporative cooling used in a mist system?

A high-pressure pump is connected to the water source, which increases the water pressure by up to 10x its normal rate. By increasing the water pressure above 700 psi, the water molecules are atomized, pushing the smallest possible droplets through the nozzles.

As the water droplets are introduced to the hot outside air, they flash evaporate. The process of evaporation requires a source of energy: in this case, the hot air molecules. When the air molecules expend energy to evaporate the water droplets they begin to cool. This process is repeated for each droplet and, as the misting system continues to spray, the surrounding air can be cooled by more than 30° Fahrenheit.