1595results about "Free-cooling systems" patented technology

The within invention improves on the indirect evaporative cooling method and apparatus by making use of a working fluid that is pre-cooled with and without desiccants before it is passed through a Wet Channel where evaporative fluid is on the walls to take heat and store it in the working fluid as increased latent heat. The heat transfer across the membrane between the Dry Channel and the Wet Channel may have dry, solid desiccant or liquid desiccant and may have perforations, pores or capillary pathways. The evaporative fluid may be water, fuel, or any substance that has the capacity to take heat as latent heat. The Wet Channel or excess cooled fluid is in heat transfer contact with a Product Channel where Product Fluid is cooled without adding any humidity. An alternative embodiment for heat transfer between adjacent channels is with heat pipes.

A roof top cooling unit has an evaporative cooling section that includes at least one evaporative module that pre-cools ventilation air and water; a condenser; a water reservoir and pump that captures and re-circulates water within the evaporative modules; a fan that exhausts air from the building and the evaporative modules and systems that refill and drain the water reservoir. The cooling unit also has a refrigerant section that includes a compressor, an expansion device, evaporator and condenser heat exchangers, and connecting refrigerant piping. Supply air components include a blower, an air filter, a cooling and/or heating coil to condition air for supply to the building, and optional dampers that, in designs that supply less than 100% outdoor air to the building, control the mixture of return and ventilation air.

The operating efficiency of indirect evaporative cooling processes and indirect evaporative cooling apparatus employing a dry side channel and a wet side channel separated by a heat exchange plate are improved by placement of holes in the heat exchange plate. Further improvements are obtained when the flow direction in the wet side channel is cross-current to the flow direction in the dry side channel. Placement of desiccant materials in the dry side channel also serve to improve the operating efficiencies of these processes and apparatus.

A multi-stage hybrid evaporative cooling system is described as having a direct evaporative cooling subsystem and an indirect evaporative cooling subsystem having one of a horizontal and a vertical set of heat exchanger channels. The multi-stage hybrid evaporative cooling system with a horizontal set of heat exchanger channels has a portion of the horizontal heat exchanger channels partially extended into a next stage of the multi-stage system. The multi-stage hybrid evaporative cooling system with the vertical set of heat exchanger channels includes a first set of vertical set of heat exchanger channels spanning a substantial vertical height of the stage of the hybrid evaporative cooling system, and a second set spanning approximately half the height of the stage. The multi-stage hybrid evaporative cooling system further includes a refrigeration system for lowering the temperature of the indirect evaporative cooling subsystem air without affecting its pressure flow.

Cooling systems for providing cooled air to electronic devices are described. The systems can include large storage tanks or waste treatment systems to improve the efficiency of the plant and reduce impact on the environment.

A low profile evaporative cooler housing for attachment to a building includes a front panel, and an opposing rear panel that may have an extension that extends into a wall of the building. A first and second louver may extend between the front and rear panels.

A fan assembly includes a nozzle and a body on which the nozzle is mounted. The nozzle has a rear section having at least one first air inlet, at least one first air outlet, and a first interior passage for conveying air from said at least one first air inlet to said at least one first air outlet; and a front section having at least one second air inlet, at least one second air outlet, and a second interior passage for conveying air from said at least one second air inlet to said at least one second air outlet. A first air flow through the first interior passage and a second air flow through the second interior passage are each generated within the body. At least one of the temperature, humidity, and electrical charge of the second air flow is changed before it enters the second interior passage.

A cooler for an air conditioning system or other system having a heated surface to be cooled has an array of nozzles for issuing a fine spray of liquid. A fan of the cooler induces flow of air over a surface to be cooled, the nozzles issuing into the flow of air the fine spray at a distance from the heated surface such that the liquid of the fine spray is fully evaporated prior to contact with the heated surface. Drop sizes of 20 to 30 microns are typical.

A system is disclosed that incorporates a generator for generating a liquid coolant. This invention provides a self-contained water (or similar liquid coolant) chilling system of suitable capacity to cool small to medium size structures, such as private residences and manufactured homes. The system utilizes an arrangement of heat-exchanging panels to pre-condition an ambient temperature air-stream, prior to passage through a pump-driven coolant spray. The system also provides several sub-systems for automatic coolant monitoring, chemical addition and periodic coolant replacement.

An energy-reducing method and apparatus for retrofitting a constant volume HVAC system, with or without an economizer, that provides heating, cooling, and ventilation to occupants within a building space. The present invention includes the introduction of a programmable logic controller and variable frequency drive (VFD) that takes control of the existing fan, heating, cooling, and optional economizer operation. The controller is programmed for the reduction of fan speed in the heating and cooling modes. The reduction of the fan speed in the ventilation mode when the 100% operation is not needed saves significant energy of the existing constant volume HVAC system where the fan motor is designed to run 100% of the time. The fan speed may be further reduced upon a reduction in sensed occupancy levels of the space, such as with a CO₂ sensor. Additionally, the fan speed may be reduced in the heating and/or cooling mode to further reduce energy consumption. The controller may also be programmed and equipped with sensors to allow simultaneous mechanical compressor cooling and economizer free cooling operation, for the operation of the economizer in response to the monitoring of outside air and return air to determine the preferred source for cooling operations, to keep the outside air damper closed during the unoccupied heating modes such as morning warm-up, and/or to provide fault detection. The retrofit method and apparatus may be employed in a stand-alone or networked version.

A system for providing liquid refrigerant subcooling by means of evaporative cooling utilizing the condensate water of said air conditioner, refrigeration/heat pump system and/or other water supply to wet the surface of the subcool heat exchanger and pass the dry exhaust air across the wetted surface of the subcool heat exchanger. A system for providing hot gas discharge refrigerant precooling into the primary condenser of an air conditioner, refrigeration or heat pump system by evaporative cooling utilizing the condensate water of said system and/or other water supply to wet the surface of the precool heat exchanger and then passing the cold, dry exhaust air across the wetted surface of the precool heat exchanger. A combination subcooler/precooler system where the cold dry building exhaust air is used to evaporatively subcool the liquid refrigerant in the water wetted (or dry) subcooler and then used to conductively cool the hot gas refrigerant.

The present invention relates to methods for indirect evaporative air-cooling with the use of plates, heat exchangers and feeder wicks—of the indirect evaporative type. Several components for an indirect evaporative heat exchanger described as follows: A plate for an indirect evaporative heat exchanger where the plate is made of laminate material having one sheet of wicking material for wet zone(s) and the other of a water proof plastic material for the dry zone(s). An evaporative heat exchanger is created by assembling the plates forming spacing for wet channels, (they are created by the wet zone of the plates,) and dry channels, (they are created by the dry zone of the plates,) with channel guides or corrugated plates. The spacing between the plates is defined to reduce pressure drop for increased airflow. A feeder wick system creates the wetting of the wet channels without excess water. Sometimes the wet zone of the plate can be made of a membrane material where the opposite side of this membrane material is covered by a solid desiccant creating the wet zone of this desiccant plate. An indirect evaporative heat exchanger that is created by assembling both wick coated with plastic plates and desiccant plates, can realize not only the evaporative cooling but also the dehumidification of air.

An improved method and apparatus for indirect evaporative cooling of a fluid stream to substantially its dew point temperature. Plate heat exchanger has perforations 11 and channels 3, 4 and 5 for gas or a low temperature for liquids on a dry side and wet side. Fluid streams 1 flow across the dry side 9, transferring heat to the plate. Gas stream 2 flows across the dry side and through perforations to channels 5 on wet side 10, which it then cools by evaporative cooling as well as conductive and radiative transfer of heat from plate. A wicking material provides wetting of wet side. In other embodiments, a desiccant wheel may be used to dehumidify the gas, air streams may be recirculated, feeder wicks 13 and a pump may be used to bring water from a water reservoir, and fans may be used to either force or induce a draft. The wicking material may be cellulose, organic fibers, organic based fibers, polyester, polypropylene, carbon-based fibers, silicon based fibers, fiberglass, or combinations of them. The device may be operated in winter months to scavenge heat from exhaust gases of a space and thus pre-heat fresh air, while simultaneously humidifying the fresh air.

A fan assembly includes a nozzle and a body on which the nozzle is mounted. The nozzle has a first air inlet, a first air outlet, and a first interior passage for conveying air from the first air inlet to the first air outlet. The nozzle also includes a second air inlet, a plurality of second air outlets, and a second interior passage for conveying air from the second air inlet to the second air outlets. The body generates a first air flow through the first interior passage and a second air flow through the second interior passage. A first air passageway conveys the first air flow to the first air inlet and a second air passageway conveys the second air flow to the second air inlet. One of the temperature, humidity, composition and electrical charge of the second air flow is changed before it is emitted from the nozzle.

A system and method for liquid-liquid free-cooling that may include a modular coolant distribution unit (CDU) is provided. CDUs can incorporate integral free-cooling or bolt on free-cooling switch modules. The free-cooling flow can be either direct or indirect. Units can interface with each other to provide scalable cooling for computer data centers. Embodiments of the system can integrate with electronics rack passive rear door liquid heat exchangers.

An indirect evaporative cooler includes a number of heat transfer plates. Each plate has a wet side and a dry side, and the dry sides of adjacent plates face each other. The plate dry sides have low permeability to an evaporative liquid. Input air flows over the dry sides from an input end to an output end. Part of the input air becomes product air and exits at the output end. The rest of the input air passes through perforations in the plates to the other side of the plates to become working air. The other side of each plate is a wet side, which is wet by an evaporative liquid. Working gas flows over the wet side, evaporating the evaporative liquid and cooling the evaporative liquid, the plate, and finally the product gas by heat transfer. The perforations are formed both toward the input end of the plate and toward the output end of the plate. Part of the wet side of the plate, toward the output end of the plate, has a plurality of barriers placed to cause the working gas at that end of the plate to flow in a direction generally counter to the input air.