Key Reasons for Implementation

• Fine mist enables cooling without wetting, helping prevent compressor shutdowns during extreme heat.
• The cooling system allows automatic spray on/off operation based on timer and temperature–humidity settings.
• Optimized mist-spray layout provides effective indirect cooling across the compressor row.

Challenges Faced by the Customer

The customer operates a large-scale plant that manufactures large press dies and body assembly equipment for automotive plants.

Inside the plant, the machine room houses a row of large air compressors, which form a critical part of the infrastructure supporting the entire plant. Stable compressor operation is essential for keeping the plant running smoothly.

In recent years, however, increasingly frequent extreme heat and record-high summer temperatures have raised serious concerns about maintaining stable compressor operation.

When ambient temperatures rise, the compressor bodies heat up. If their temperature exceeds a certain threshold, a safety function automatically shuts the compressors down to prevent equipment damage.
Because such shutdowns could affect the entire production line, they posed an unacceptable risk to the plant.

Although no such shutdowns had occurred, the customer felt that the risk could become a reality at any time. To secure stable compressor operation, they consulted IKEUCHI about a mist-based cooling system for the machine room.

Solutions Proposed by IKEUCHI

IKEUCHI selected a mist fan equipped with spray nozzles arranged in a circular pattern around the front of a large industrial fan.
The specially designed nozzles generate fine mist with a mean droplet diameter of 10–30 micrometers. Carried by the fan’s airflow, the mist disperses into the air and evaporates quickly without wetting the surroundings, creating a cooling effect that lowers the ambient temperature across a wide area.

The proposed system was “CLJ-Dome,” a cooling system that incorporates the mist fan together with a pump unit that supplies pressurized water to the nozzles and a controller that automatically turns the spray on and off based on timer and temperature-humidity settings.

Instead of cooling each compressor individually, we designed the layout so that the mist would be sprayed horizontally in a straight line above the compressor row.

This arrangement allowed the cooled air to descend from above, delivering effective indirect cooling across the entire compressor row.

Benefits Achieved

One year after implementation, no compressor shutdowns have occurred, even on extremely hot days.
The system will continue to support stable compressor operation and contribute to more reliable plant operation through preventive maintenance.

Video: CLJ-Dome in Action at Another Site

SDG Contributions

Relevant SDG goals for this case.