https://www.finfancooler.com/Heat-Exchanger/Air-Cooled-Heat-Exchanger/ How Air Cooled Heat Exchangers Work? An air cooled heat exchanger works by forcing a heated fluid through tubes that have fans blowing air over them to cool them externally. Usually, the tubes have fins attached to them to increase the surface area in contact with the air. By facilitating more efficient heat transfer, this increases the heat exchanger's efficiency. After the heated fluid cools down and returns to the system, it releases its heat into the air. In petrochemical plants, oil refineries, power plants, and other industrial settings, this method is especially helpful for cooling process fluids and gases.