Evaporative Heat Exchanger Cooling Without Indoor Humidity Gain
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Solution Overview
Problem
Evaporative air conditioning systems face issues such as excessive humidity introduction, susceptibility to mold and bacteria growth, excessive outdoor air introduction, and inefficiency, particularly in high-humidity areas.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an 'Accelerated Hyper-Evaporation' technology that creates a dense mist of microscopic water droplets, which is rapidly drawn through a metal heat exchanger under pressurized air or vacuum, isolating water from the conditioned space and using a control system to optimize performance and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If evaporative cooling pads are used to cool air, then cooling effect is achieved, but excessive humidity is introduced into the conditioned space
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the air stream into two separate streams: one that contacts the evaporative cooling medium (water or ice) and another that does not. The cooled air from the first stream is mixed with the untreated air stream in controlled proportions, allowing temperature reduction without excessive humidity addition to the final conditioned air.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the humidity addition process from the cooling process by using separate air streams. The evaporative cooling occurs in isolation in one stream, while the main conditioned air stream remains separate, allowing selective mixing to achieve desired temperature without forced humidity increase.
2Temperature
If large volumes of air are introduced into the conditioned space for evaporative cooling, then cooling is achieved, but drafts and dust particles are introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the air handling into separate streams: a small portion of air is used for evaporative cooling while the majority stream remains undisturbed. This minimizes the volume of air that needs to be moved through the conditioned space, reducing drafts and dust particle introduction while maintaining cooling effectiveness.
3Productivity
If air is recirculated through evaporative pads multiple times, then cooling efficiency is improved, but the cooling effect is reduced as air becomes saturated
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of recirculating air through the evaporative pads multiple times, the system inverts the approach by using fresh air for each pass through the evaporative cooling section. The segmented stream design ensures that air contacts the cooling medium only once at optimal conditions, maintaining maximum cooling effect per unit of water consumed.
4Use of energy by moving object
If evaporative pads are used for cooling, then energy consumption is reduced, but mold, mildew, and bacteria growth is promoted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the water application process from the air contact process. Water is applied to the cooling pads in a controlled manner separate from the air flow path, and the air streams are managed to minimize prolonged moisture exposure. This reduces the conditions favorable for microbial growth while preserving the evaporative cooling energy efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of the evaporative cooling process by using intermittent water application, controlling water pressure and flow rate, and managing air flow patterns to reduce moisture accumulation on pads. These parameter adjustments maintain cooling effectiveness while creating less favorable conditions for mold and bacteria growth.
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
This solution prevents excessive humidity in the conditioned space, reduces mold and bacteria growth, minimizes outdoor air introduction, and enhances efficiency by rapidly evaporating the mist to cool the heat exchanger, outperforming existing indirect evaporative systems.
Implementation Method 1
The heat exchanger has an inlet, an outlet, and a plurality of passageways between the inlet and the outlet
Implementation Method 2
This causes water in the mist to rapidly evaporate and cool the heat exchanger
Implementation Method 3
Evaporative cooling works by employing water's large enthalpy of vaporization. The temperature of air, especially when dry, can be dropped significantly through phase transition of water from a liquid to a vapor.
Implementation Method 4
rapidly draws or forces the mist and ambient air through a metal heat exchanger under the influence of pressurized air or a vacuum source
Data Source
AI summary
An evaporative air conditioner system includes a heat exchanger having an inlet and an outlet and a plurality of passageways between the inlet and the outlet; a pump and nozzle assembly for introducing pressurized air and water to the inlet of the heat exchanger to create a mist of water droplets suspended in air; a vacuum assembly for creating a partial vacuum near the outlet of the heat exchanger to draw the mist through the passageways and to the outlet of the heat exchanger to remove heat from the heat exchanger through evaporative cooling; and a transfer mechanism for moving a medium past the heat exchanger to remove heat from the air without permitting the medium to mix with the mist drawn through the heat exchanger.