US Patent 9243847 Hybrid heat exchange apparatus

Heat is indirectly transferred between a process fluid and ambient air in apparatus that includes an evaporative heat transfer cell operative in a wet mode or a dry mode, a dry heat transfer cell and a fan. The air may bypass the dry heat transfer cell to flow through a first air passage or may flow through a second air passage through the dry heat transfer cell and in either event, then through the evaporative heat transfer cell. The air may partially flow through and partially bypass the dry heat transfer cell, and then through the evaporative heat transfer cell. The evaporative heat transfer cell optionally may include a direct contact evaporative heat exchanger.