ʻO ka hale kiaʻi anuanu kahi mea hoʻolaki wela, ma loko o ia mea i huki ʻia ai ka wela mai ka wai e ka hoʻopili ʻana ma waena o ka wai a me ka ea. Hoʻohana nā hale kiaʻi anuanu i ka evaporation wai e hōʻole i ka wela mai nā kaʻina hana e like me ke anuanu i ka wai kahe e hoʻohana ʻia i nā refineries aila, nā mea kanu kemika, nā mea kanu uila, nā mea wili kila a me nā mea kanu hana meaʻai.

Kuhi kahi hale kiaʻi wai hoʻoulu wai i ka wela i ka lewa akā ʻo ke anuanu o kahi wai kahe i kahi mahana haʻahaʻa. ʻO nā hale kiaʻi e hoʻohana i kēia kaʻina i kapa ʻia nā hale kiaʻi hōʻoluʻolu evaporative. Hiki ke hoʻokō ʻia ka wela wela me ka hoʻohana ʻana i ka ea a i ʻole ka evaporation o ka wai. Hoʻohana ʻia ka ea kūlohelohe a i ʻole ka holo ʻana o ka ea e hoʻohana i ka pono o ka hana o ka hale kiaʻi a me nā pono hana i hoʻohana ʻia i ke kaʻina.

Kapa ʻia ke kaʻina hana he "evaporative" no ka mea e ʻae i kahi ʻāpana o ka wai e hoʻalili ʻia e evaporate i loko o kahi kahawai e neʻe ana, e hāʻawi ana i ka hōʻoluʻolu nui i ke koena o kēlā kahawai. ʻO ka wela mai ke kahawai wai i hoʻoili ʻia i ke kahawai ea hāpai i ka wela o ka ea a me kona ʻano pili i 100%, a hoʻokuʻu ʻia kēia ea i ka lewa.

Hoʻohana pinepine ʻia nā hāmeʻa hōʻole evaporative - e like me nā ʻōnaehana hōʻoluʻolu ʻoihana - e hāʻawi i nā mahana o ka wai me ka haʻahaʻa ma mua o ka hiki ke kiʻi ʻia me nā "hōʻano ʻoluʻolu" a "hoʻomehana" paha, e like me ka radiator i loko o kahi kaʻa, a laila loaʻa ka hana pono ikehu o nā ʻōnaehana i ka pono o ke anuanu.

Hoʻololi ka nui o nā hale kiaʻi wai ʻenehana i ka nui mai nā ʻāpana luna o luna a i nā hanana hyperboloid (hyperbolic) nui loa a hiki i 200 mika ke kiʻekiʻe a me 100 mika i ke anawaena, a i ʻole nā ​​kūkulu huinahā e hiki ke lōʻihi ma 15 mika ke kiʻekiʻe a 40 mika ka lōʻihi. Kūkulu ʻia nā hale kiaʻi liʻiliʻi (pūʻolo a modular paha), ʻoiai kūkulu ʻia nā mea nui aʻe ma ka pūnaewele i nā kumuwaiwai like ʻole.