Counter-flow indirect dew-point evaporative cooler
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional counter-flow and cross-flow indirect dew-point evaporative coolers suffer from uneven airflow and high pressure drop, leading to reduced cooling performance and energy efficiency due to sudden shifts in airflow direction and inefficient heat exchanger configurations.
Innovation Solution
A counter-flow indirect dew-point evaporative cooler design with parallel working channels separated by a partition wall, allowing for uniform airflow without direction change, where dry and wet channels are oppositely arranged, and airflow guide members connect adjacent partition walls, ensuring uniform airflow and reduced pressure drop.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a cross-flow structure is used in indirect dew-point evaporative cooler, then cooling efficiency is improved compared to indirect wet-bulb cooler, but product air is not completely cooled and heat exchanger efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional cross-flow arrangement by implementing a counter-flow structure where treated air and working air flow in opposite directions through adjacent channels. This inversion allows the coldest working air (at dew-point temperature) to contact the coldest section of the treated air stream, maximizing the temperature differential and heat transfer efficiency throughout the entire heat exchanger length, thereby completely cooling the product air while maintaining high heat exchanger efficiency
2Temperature
If airflow direction changes suddenly in conventional counter-flow cooler, then cooling capacity is increased, but pressure drop increases and energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the heat exchanger into multiple adjacent working channels separated by partition walls, with each channel maintaining a consistent airflow direction. This segmentation allows the system to achieve counter-flow cooling capacity while avoiding sudden airflow direction changes within individual channels, thereby reducing pressure drop and energy consumption associated with airflow manipulation
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design achieves higher cooling performance and energy efficiency by maintaining uniform airflow and optimizing airflow ratios, resulting in improved cooling capacity and energy efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The evaporation of the water cools the air... In the indirect dew-point evaporative cooler, treated air 100 is cooled in a dry channel 101... A part of air 102 that has been cooled in the dry channel 101 is transferred to a wet channel 103 to become working air 104 to drive water evaporation
Implementation Method 2
treated air and water are separated by a separator that enables heat transfer but does not enable mass transfer
Data Source
AI summary
A counter-flow indirect dew-point evaporative cooler is provided, including a plurality of working channels provided parallel to each other, where adjacent working channels are separated from each other by a partition wall; in a gas flow direction, an interior of each working channel is divided into a dry channel and a wet channel; directions of airflow in the adjacent working channels are opposite, so dry channels and wet channels in the adjacent working channels are also oppositely provided, and thus the airflow in the adjacent working channels is in a counter-flow configuration; a product air outlet is provided at a junction of the dry channel and the wet channel; air to be treated enters the wet channel along a straight line from the dry channel to become working air, and obtained product air is discharged from the product air outlet.