Cooling device for the secondary cooling of a strand in a strand guide of a continuous casting installation , the cooling device comprising - a coolant distribution system with line segments (17.1 to 17.4) for conducting a coolant and a number of coolant outlets , distributed over the strand guide , respectively discharging an individual coolant stream (Q) onto the strand , - at least one switchover valve , with which at least one individual coolant stream (Q) can be switched on and off, - a control unit , which is designed for pulse width modulation of at least one individual coolant stream (Q) in a stream range (ΔQ) for a time average ( Q ) of the individual coolant stream (Q) by a pulse-width-modulated activation of a switchover valve - and a closed-loop control circuit for controlling the current pressure (P) or coolant stream in the coolant distribution system , - wherein, for time averages ( Q ) of individual coolant streams (Q) with 0 ≤ Q ≤ Q S , where Q S is a threshold stream of at least one individual coolant stream (Q), the closed-loop control circuit is designed to set the coolant pressure (P) in the coolant distribution system to a constant pressure value and the control unit is designed to activate the at least one switchover valve in a pulse-width-modulated manner, pulse-width-modulated with a duty cycle (D) dependent on the average ( Q ) to be generated, and - wherein, for time averages ( Q ) of individual coolant streams (Q) with Q > Q S , the control unit is designed to open the at least one switchover valve and the closed-loop control circuit is designed to control the coolant pressure (P) to a setpoint value dependent on the individual coolant streams (Q) to be generated. - a coolant distribution system with line segments (17.1 to 17.4) for conducting a coolant and a number of coolant outlets , distributed over the strand guide , respectively discharging an individual coolant stream (Q) onto the strand , - at least one switchover valve , with which at least one individual coolant stream (Q) can be switched on and off, - a control unit , which is designed for pulse width modulation of at least one individual coolant stream (Q) in a stream range (ΔQ) for a time average ( Q ) of the individual coolant stream (Q) by a pulse-width-modulated activation of a switchover valve - and a closed-loop control circuit for controlling the current pressure (P) or coolant stream in the coolant distribution system , - wherein, for time averages ( Q ) of individual coolant streams (Q) with 0 ≤ Q ≤ Q S , where Q S is a threshold stream of at least one individual coolant stream (Q), the closed-loop control circuit is designed to set the coolant pressure (P) in the coolant distribution system to a constant pressure value and the control unit is designed to activate the at least one switchover valve in a pulse-width-modulated manner, pulse-width-modulated with a duty cycle (D) dependent on the average ( Q ) to be generated, and - wherein, for time averages ( Q ) of individual coolant streams (Q) with Q > Q S , the control unit is designed to open the at least one switchover valve and the closed-loop control circuit is designed to control the coolant pressure (P) to a setpoint value dependent on the individual coolant streams (Q) to be generated. <EOS>