Cooling towers dissipate waste heat generated in industrial or domestic processes

thereby reducing the temperature of circulating water. Compared to other cooling methods

it has the advantages of effective cooling

corrosion resistance

and low cost. This paper discusses the application and performance optimization of cooling towers based on a literature review of recent domestic and international studies. It summarizes and analyzes the applications and related research on cooling towers for industrial cooling and building cooling. It also extends and analyzes cooling tower’s application in carbon capture and waste heat recovery. Various methods have been reviewed for performance optimization

including model

structural

and operational optimization. This paper highlights the challenges that still exist in the state-of-the-art and discusses its future development directions

which will facilitate efficient

green

and stable operation for future cooling tower systems.