Indirect Evaporative Cooler Layout With Sequential Wetting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing indirect evaporative coolers face challenges in size and shape compatibility for domestic use, with issues related to space constraints, water distribution, and thermal performance, particularly in maintaining effective cooling while minimizing water flow and salt accumulation.
Innovation Solution
A counter-flow indirect evaporative heat exchanger design with horizontally oriented and stacked wet and dry passages, using corrugated sheets with alternating corrugation angles and a vertical water distribution mechanism to efficiently wet and flush the wet passages, allowing for compact cooler construction and enhanced cooling capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the heat exchanger core uses traditional vertical stacking with horizontal passages, then the cooling capacity is improved, but the device width and handling difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional horizontal passages stacked vertically to vertically oriented passages arranged in a vertical stack. This dimensional reorientation allows the heat exchanger to achieve increased cooling capacity through vertical stacking while maintaining a compact width suitable for handling and installation, effectively moving the scaling dimension from horizontal to vertical.
2Productivity
If the heat exchanger core increases in height to improve capacity, then the cooling performance is enhanced, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the heat exchanger core into multiple identical or similar passage modules stacked vertically. Each module contains a consistent pattern of wet and dry passages with standardized construction. This segmentation into repeatable units simplifies manufacturing by allowing modular assembly, reduces design complexity through standardization, and enables scaling of cooling performance simply by adding more identical modules to the vertical stack.
3Reliability
If water flow through wet passages is increased to improve flushing of salt accumulation, then the cleaning effectiveness is enhanced, but the thermal performance degradation increases due to excessive water consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a periodic wetting cycle where water is applied to the wet passages at intervals rather than continuously. During operation, the wet passages are allowed to evaporate moisture naturally, maintaining good thermal contact with the dry passages. Periodically, water is applied to flush out salt accumulation, then excess water is removed. This periodic action balances the need for salt removal with the need to maintain optimal thermal performance by minimizing excessive water flow during cooling operation.
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
Enables the creation of a compact, efficient, and practical indirect evaporative cooler that meets size and shape requirements while maintaining effective cooling performance and minimizing water flow-related compromises.
Implementation Method 1
indirect evaporative heat exchanger wherein vertically adjacent counter flow wet and dry passages are, when in situ, horizontal or near to horizontal and the wet passages are adapted to be wetted by wetting means which sequentially applies water elongately to the wet passages across the height of the heat exchanger
Implementation Method 2
counter flow indirect evaporative heat exchanger wherein vertically adjacent counter flow wet and dry passages
Data Source
AI summary
A counter flow indirect evaporative heat exchanger (10) having vertically stacked alternate counter flow wet (14) and dry (12) passages where the wet passages are wetted during operation of the heat exchanger by wetting means (50, 52, 53, 54, 70, 72, 74, 76) travelling vertically of the stack. Elongately wetting of a small plurality of the total number of passages (14, 12) of the heat exchanger (10) occurs at a time during vertical travel of the wetting means.