Expandable Evaporative Cooler Housing for Portable Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional evaporative cooling systems require a large amount of space for operation and storage due to their rigid structures, making them difficult to transport and store, especially for portable systems.
Innovation Solution
An evaporative cooling system with a collapsible and expandable housing that allows for compact storage and transportation, featuring a water reservoir, air inlet and outlet, evaporative media, and a water distribution subsystem connected to a collapsible support structure, which can be expanded for operation, and includes optional features like an ozone generator for disinfection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the cooling medium area is increased to provide more effective cooling, then the cooling effectiveness is improved, but the system becomes more difficult to store and transport
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is designed to be expandable and collapsible, allowing it to dynamically change its volume. During operation, the housing expands to provide a large cooling medium area for effective cooling. During storage and transport, the housing collapses to a compact size, reducing the volume occupied by the system. This dynamic transformation resolves the contradiction between needing large cooling area and needing compact storage volume.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid enclosure is used to support the cooling medium and funnel cooled air, then the structural stability is improved, but the ease of storage and transportation is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The housing transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic expandable-collapsible structure. The housing can maintain structural stability during operation when expanded, providing proper support for the cooling medium and air flow pathways. When collapsed, it becomes compact for easy storage and transportation. This dynamic capability allows the system to exhibit rigid characteristics when needed for stability and flexible characteristics when needed for mobility.
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 system effectively cools air through evaporation and can be easily stored and transported due to its compact design when not in use, while providing efficient cooling when expanded, and includes features for air disinfection and additional cooling using ice.
Implementation Method 1
As the air flowing over or through the evaporative media, the air is cooled by evaporation of water from the media
Implementation Method 2
The water distribution subsystem may include a pump that circulates water from the water reservoir through tubing within the enclosure to the evaporative media
Implementation Method 3
A fan is coupled to the enclosure so that when the fan is operated, it causes air to flow into the enclosure through the air inlet, through the one or more evaporative media and out of the enclosure through the air outlet
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for evaporatively cooling air wherein a cooling system enclosure is alternately expandable and contractible. The housing is expandable for operation and contractible for storage or transportation. A water distribution subsystem delivers water from a reservoir to evaporative media within the enclosure. Air is circulated over the evaporative media to cool the air. The enclosure may be expanded by creating a positive pressure differential between the interior and exterior of the enclosure. The water distribution subsystem and evaporative media may be configured to move from storage to operating positions within the enclosure as the enclosure moves from the contracted position to the expanded position. The enclosure may include substantially rigid portions that form a protective housing for the internal cooling components when in the contracted storage position. Wheels and stowable handles may facilitate transportation of the system.