Water Recirculation System with Automatic Once-Through Backup Mode
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling systems that employ adiabatic evaporative materials for air cooling face challenges in maintaining efficient water recirculation, leading to water wastage and potential system failures when the recirculation pump fails, which can result in increased energy consumption and reduced cooling capacity.
Innovation Solution
A liquid distribution system that operates in both primary recirculation and once-through modes, controlled by a controller that monitors parameters like sump water level and pump operation, switching to once-through mode as a backup when recirculation fails, without requiring additional hardware, to ensure continuous wetting of evaporative pads and conserve water.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If a water recirculation system is used to pump run-off water back to the evaporative pads, then water is conserved, but the system complexity increases and pump failure risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between recirculation mode and once-through mode based on pump operational status. The controller monitors pump performance and automatically transitions to alternative water delivery methods when recirculation fails, optimizing water usage while adapting to system conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters by switching between two distinct modes: recirculation mode (pump on, water reused) and once-through mode (pump off, fresh water delivered). This parameter change allows the system to maintain water conservation benefits while eliminating the complexity and failure risk of the recirculation pump.
2Reliability
If a recirculation pump is used to maintain water flow, then evaporative pad wetting is maintained, but energy consumption increases when pump fails
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the weight of water in the elevated storage tank to naturally flow water through the evaporative pads via gravity, eliminating the need for continuous pump operation. This self-service approach maintains reliable cooling performance without the energy consumption associated with pump failure scenarios.
3Loss of substance
If a recirculation system with make-up water addition is used, then water is conserved, but the system requires additional monitoring and control components
Solution Approach 1:
The system combines the recirculation pump, water storage tank, and once-through water delivery system into an integrated hybrid architecture. This merging allows the system to achieve water conservation through recirculation when operational while simplifying control by having a built-in fallback mode that requires minimal monitoring.
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 conserves water by switching to a once-through mode when recirculation fails, maintaining evaporative pad wetting and preventing energy inefficiencies, thus ensuring reliable cooling performance and reducing hardware complexity.
Implementation Method 1
A pump is in fluid communication with the sump and the dispenser, and is configured to force liquid there between
Implementation Method 2
As air is forced through the adiabatic material, it is cooled by the action of evaporation. As this occurs, the amount of moisture absorbed into the adiabatic material reduces as the moisture in liquid form is vaporized hence cooling the air passing through the adiabatic material by extracting thermal energy from same in order to vaporize the water
Implementation Method 3
Moisture, usually water, is deposited on an upper portion of the evaporative pads and by the force of gravity, the moisture gradually descends across the evaporative pads
Data Source
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AI summary
A water recirculation system operates in a primary mode for evaporatively cooling air. When the water recirculation mode malfunctions, the controller switches a secondary once-through mode. The system includes a sump for collecting water run-off from the evaporative pads, and a pump in fluid communication with the sump. The pump transfers moisture from the sump to the distribution arrangement located at the top of the evaporative pads during the recirculation mode. An automatically operated make-up water valve delivers water to a distribution arrangement on the evaporative pads. A moisture distribution arrangement distributes moisture to the evaporative pads and an automatically operated sump drain valve retains water in the sump when closed and freely drains water from the sump when open. A water level control communicates the sump water level to a control system. A monitoring mechanism detects whether the water-recirculation system has malfunctioned or is operating correctly.