This study was prompted by the need to design towers for applications in which, due to salt deposition on the packing and subsequent blockage, the use of tower packing is not practical. In the previous model we presented [Qi Xiaoni, Liu Zhenyan, Li Dandan. Performance characteristics of a shower cooling tower. Energy Convers Manage 2007;48(1):193-203.], three critical assumptions were made to reduce the complexity and computational time, which can also reduce the models' accuracy. Accurate modelling of the operating process is a determining factor both for designing the shower cooling tower (SCT) and for optimising its operation. In this paper, we derive a new model without applying the three assumptions. According to the condition of the outlet air, the governing equations consider two cases, including the supersaturated and unsaturated states. This model is used to predict the performance of a full scale SCT located in China with different conditions for validation. The differences in the heat and mass transfer analyses of the two models are described at different atmospheric conditions. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.