scholarly journals Experimental Investigation of the Potential of a New Fabric-Based Evaporative Cooling Pad

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 7070 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eloy Velasco-Gómez ◽  
Ana Tejero-González ◽  
Javier Jorge-Rico ◽  
F. Javier Rey-Martínez

Direct evaporative coolers are energy-efficient, economic solutions to supplying cooling demand for space conditioning. Since their potential strongly depends on air hygrothermal conditions, they are traditionally used in dry and hot climates, though they can be used in many applications and climates. This work proposes a new direct evaporative cooling system with a fabric-based pad. Its design enables maximum wetted surface with minimum pressure drop. Its performance has been experimentally characterized in terms of saturation efficiency, air humidification, pressure drop, and level of particles, based on a full factorial Design of Experiments. Factors studied are air dry bulb temperature, specific humidity, and airflow. Saturation efficiencies obtained for a 25 cm pad are above the values achieved by other alternative evaporative cooling (EC) pads proposed in the literature, with lower pressure drops.

2003 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. Camargo ◽  
C. D. Ebinuma ◽  
S. Cardoso

Air conditioning systems are responsible for increasing men's work efficiency as well for his comfort, mainly in the warm periods of the year. Currently, the most used system is the mechanical vapor compression system. However, in many cases, evaporative cooling system can be an economical alternative to replace the conventional system, under several conditions, or as a pre-cooler in the conventional systems. It leads to a reduction in the operational cost, comparing with systems using only mechanical refrigeration. Evaporative cooling operates using induced processes of heat and mass transfer, where water and air are the working fluids. It consists in water evaporation, induced by the passage of an air flow, thus decreasing the air temperature. This paper presents the basic principles of the evaporative cooling process for human thermal comfort, the principles of operation for the direct evaporative cooling system and the mathematical development of the equations of thermal exchanges, allowing the determination of the effectiveness of saturation. It also presents some results of experimental tests in a direct evaporative cooler that take place in the Air Conditioning Laboratory at the University of Taubaté Mechanical Engineering Department, and the experimental results are used to determinate the convective heat transfer coefficient and to compare with the mathematical model.


Author(s):  
James Walker ◽  
Shenguang Sheng ◽  
A. G. Agwu Nnanna ◽  
Lincang Li

. Energy consumption of HVAC&R could be reduced by integrating evaporative cooling device into air conditioning systems. Direct Evaporative Cooling (DEC) are suited for climates where the air is hot and humidity is low. In DEC, heat is absorbed whenever water is evaporated and converted to water vapor. By passing through or around a wetted surface, heat is removed from the surrounding air in the vaporization of the water. The process approximates the adiabatic-saturation process and the path lies on a constant wet-bulb temperature which is a constant enthalpy line. The wetted surface area in direct evaporative cooling depends on porosity and absorptivity of the media. This paper evaluates the effect of media porosity on performance of a Direct Evaporative Cooling system. In this experimental work, the porosity is varied by changing the packing density and volume of media. The packing material allows air and water to come in direct contact. Holding all other variables like mass flow rates and inlet dry-bulb temperature constant, the effect Porosity on DEC performance is studied. The performance of DEC system is a function of porosity, dry- and wet-bulb temperatures and relative humidity. Efficiency increases with porosity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
C.E. Ikechukwu-Edeh ◽  
M.C. Ndukwu ◽  
I.E. Ahaneku

Greenhouses simulate the "desired" environment for successful growth and development of plants. They, by design, achieve this desired environment by supplying the necessary climatic inputs needed by the plants to strive and at the same time exclude factors impeding the growth of plants, hence it is called a controlled environment. One of the common and most desired attribute of the greenhouse is its ability to provide effective cooling to the plants. This paper reviewed, extensively, the concept of evaporative cooling as applied in greenhouses. Factors like Vapor Pressure deficit (VPD), Relative Humidity, Ambient Temperature were also discussed with regards to its effects on the efficiency of the evaporative cooling system. The efficiencies of the Fan and Pad System and the Fog systems were reviewed and compared with their consequent dependence on factors like nozzle spacing, nozzle length, saturation efficiency of pad material etc. The Natural Ventilation method was also reviewed as a "stand alone " greenhouse cooling method and as an augmentation to other cooling systems. Factors like rate of air exchange, total area of vents, wind speed, vent opening angles etc. were also discussed in line with their effects on the effectiveness of the Natural ventilation method. The Nigerian Perspective on Greenhouses and its Cooling methods was also discussed with reference to local development of evaporative coolers as well as its importation, its affordability, management, availability and appliance to the Nigerian farming culture.


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