An indirect evaporative cooler installed with a rotary water distribution device which is driven by a low-speed motor, was proposed to solve the installation location problem of cooling tower in subway station. Single factor experimental method was used to investigate the heat transfer performance of indirect evaporative cooler under two types of arrangement. And under the optimal arrangement, the factors that affected the heat transfer performance were analyzed by orthogonal experimental method. The experimental results showed that the distance between nozzle and evaporative cooler and the distance between two sets of heat exchange coil under two types of arrangement both had optimal values. Rotating water on both sides was superior to rotating water on the one side. Heat exchanger arranged parallel to the air flow with nozzles rotating water on both sides was the better arrangement. And under this arrangement, heat exchange increased with the increase of spray water quantity, rotational speed, air velocity, cooling water flow rate and cooling water inlet temperature, and the decrease of spray temperature and air temperature. The cooling water inlet temperature had the most significant effect on heat transfer performance and other factors that affected the heat transfer performance from main to secondary were spray water quantity, air temperature, air velocity, spray temperature, rotational speed and cooling water flow rate.