Patent Application
20190120509
n/a
n/a
The present invention relates to evaporative media pads for direct evaporative coolers and, in particular, to evaporative media pads that have a reduced internal spacing to increase cooling capacity.
Evaporative coolers reduce the temperature of air flowing therethrough by evaporation of water. One commonly used evaporative cooling system is a direct evaporative cooling system (sometimes referred to as a swamp cooler), in which dry warm air enters an inlet side of the system, flows through one or more wetted evaporative media pads, and exits as cooled humidified air from the outlet side of the system.
Direct evaporative cooling systems include a water distribution system for wetting the evaporative media pad(s). Most commonly, distribution components (for example, distribution bars or trays with nozzles or apertures) of the water distribution system are located above the evaporative media pad(s) such that water is gravity fed downward from the distribution components to the evaporative media pad(s). In some systems, the evaporative media pad(s) are composed of one or more materials that are capable of being saturated with water and are formed to include a plurality of air channels. The air entering the system (referred to herein as “supply air”) passes through the air channels and comes into contact with the water on and within the saturated evaporative media pad(s).
This contact between the flowing supply air and the water in the saturated evaporative media pad(s) causes the water to evaporate. The sensible heat in the supply air provides the energy required to change the water from a liquid to a vapor, and the resulting vapor has an equal amount of latent heat. As the supply air and the vapor have the same enthalpy, this process is referred to as an isenthalpic or adiabatic process. The resulting vapor (referred to herein as “exhaust air”) has more latent heat and less sensible heat, that is, it has a lower temperature, than the supply air. Put another way, the temperature of the exhaust air reduced without altering the total amount of heat in the air. As warmer air can retain more moisture than cooler air, the exhaust air also has a higher relative humidity than the supply air.
Factors that affect the efficiency of the direct evaporative cooling system include: surface area and/or thickness of the evaporative media pad(s); the material(s) from which the evaporative media pad(s) are composed; flow rate, temperature, and/or relative humidity of the supply air; volume of water used to wet the evaporative media pad(s); number of sheets or layers that make up each evaporative media pad; and flute height of each sheet or layer within each evaporative media pad. For example, it has been found that a paper evaporative media pad has a higher saturation efficiency than an evaporative media pad composed of metal or plastic. As a further example, it has been found that thicker evaporative media pads increase contact time between air and water, which can enhance cooling efficiency; however, thicker evaporative media pads produce an increased static pressure drop (that is, an increased resistance to air flow), which can require the use of more power or energy input to maintain optimal air flow volume and speed. Thus, a number of factors must be balanced to achieve effective cooling.
The present invention relates to evaporative media pads for direct evaporative coolers and, in particular, to evaporative media pads that have a reduced internal spacing to increase cooling capacity. In one embodiment, an evaporative media pad includes a plurality of sheets, each of the plurality of sheets including a plurality of flutes, each of the plurality of flutes having a flute height of at most 4.5 mm.
In one aspect of the embodiment, the flute height is between 3 mm and 4.5 mm. In one aspect of the embodiment, the flute height is between 3.5 mm and 4.25 mm. In one aspect of the embodiment, the flute height is between 3.75 mm and 4 mm.
In one aspect of the embodiment, each of the plurality of sheets is composed of cellulose paper.
In one embodiment, an evaporative cooling system includes air-water contact body includes a plurality of sheets, each of the plurality of sheets having a plurality of undulations, each of the plurality of undulations having a height of at most 4 mm. The evaporative cooling system also includes a fluid distribution system configured to deliver fluid to the air-water contact body.
In one aspect of the embodiment, the height is between 3 mm and 4 mm. In one aspect of the embodiment, the height is 3.5 mm and 4 mm. In one aspect of the embodiment, the height is between 3.75 mm and 4 mm.
In one aspect of the embodiment, each of the linear undulations extends in a direction that is at an angle from horizontal.
In one aspect of the embodiment, the air-water contact body is assembled such that alternating sheets of the plurality of sheets include linear undulations extending in a first direction and at a first angle from horizontal and intervening sheets of the plurality of sheets between the alternating sheets of the plurality of sheets include linear undulations extending in a second direction and at a second angle from horizontal.
In one aspect of the embodiment, the first direction and the second direction are different, and the first angle and the second angle are the same.
In one aspect of the embodiment, the first direction and the second direction are different, and the first angle and the second angle are different.
In one aspect of the embodiment, the air-water contact body is an evaporative media pad.
In one aspect of the embodiment, the evaporative media pad is composed of cellulose paper.
In one aspect of the embodiment, the plurality of sheets are assembled such that the plurality of linear undulations of adjacent sheets are in contact with each other.
In one embodiment, an evaporative media pad for use in a direct evaporative cooling system includes: a plurality of sheets, each of the plurality of sheets lying in a plane and including: a first plurality a plurality of flutes extending in a first direction from the plane, each of the first plurality of flutes having a zenith point; and a second plurality of flutes extending in a second direction from the plane opposite the first direction, each of the second plurality of flutes having a zenith point, the distance between zenith points of adjacent flutes being at most 4 mm.
In one aspect of the embodiment, the distance between zenith points of adjacent flutes is at least 3 mm. In one aspect of the embodiment, the distance between zenith points of adjacent flutes is at least 3.5 mm. In one aspect of the embodiment, the distance between zenith points of adjacent flutes is at least 3.75 mm.
A more complete understanding of the present invention, and the attendant advantages and features thereof, will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:
The system and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present disclosure so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.
As used herein, relational terms, such as “first” and “second,” “top” and “bottom,” and the like, may be used solely to distinguish one entity or element from another entity or element without necessarily requiring or implying any physical or logical relationship or order between such entities or elements.
Referring now to
Although one evaporative media pad 12 is shown in
Referring now to
Industry standards for currently known evaporative media pads are a flute height of approximately 5 mm or approximately 7 mm. In contrast, the evaporative media pad 12 of the present Application has a flute height HF of 4.5 mm or less and, in particular, a flute height HF of 4 mm or less. In one embodiment, the flute height HF is between 3 mm and 4.5 mm. In one embodiment, the flute height HF is between 3.5 mm and 4.25 mm. In one embodiment, the flute height HF is between 3.75 mm and 4 mm. The reduced flute height HF, and therefore reduced internal spacing, of the evaporative media pad 12, increases the saturation efficiency of the evaporative media pad 12. This increased volume of water retained by the evaporation media pad 12 allows for an increased amount of evaporation and, therefore, a higher cooling efficiency by the evaporative cooling system 10.
Further, the reduced internal spacing of the evaporative media pad 12 provides an increased surface area over which air and water are brought into contact, thereby increasing evaporation. Still further, the reduced internal spacing of the evaporative media pad 12 provides a reduced boundary layer thickness. The thickness of a boundary layer of air or vapor on the surfaces of the air channels 26 may impede or reduce heat transfer, and therefore affects the cooling efficiency and of the evaporative cooling system 10. The reduced internal spacing of the evaporative media pad 12 results in a slight increase in pressure drop within; however, the increased surface area and decreased boundary layer thickness nonetheless provide increased saturation efficiency and, therefore, cooling performance disproportionally to the power or energy required to overcome the increase in pressure drop. Put another way, the combination of the increased saturation efficiency, increased evaporation area (surface area), and reduced boundary layer thickness provide a multiplier effect that allows the evaporative cooling system 10 using the evaporative media pads 12 with decreased internal spacing to perform more efficiently than currently known systems operating at the same input power.
It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described herein above. In addition, unless mention was made above to the contrary, it should be noted that all of the accompanying drawings are not to scale. A variety of modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, which is limited only by the following claims.
