Evaporative Cooling Design Guidelines Manual

A. Bhatia, B.E.

Course Outline

When warm air passes over cooler water, heat passes from the air to the water, causing water to evaporate and air is cooled. Evaporative coolers use this principle to "extract" heat from the warmer outdoor air by passing that air through a wetted media, thus causing the air to cool. This process increases humidity of the outlet air stream because moisture is added to air.
This 5 - hour course “Evaporative Cooling Design Guidelines Manual” is based entirely on the report funded by New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, Energy Conservation and Management Division (EMNRD-ECMD). The course discusses some of the pertinent design issues and guidelines for evaporative cooling systems.

This course  includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the  understanding of the course materials.  

  

Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this course, the reader will:

• Understand what the evaporative cooling is and where it should be used;
• Understand the principles of evaporative cooling – theory of operation;
• Apply fundamentals of psychrometrics in estimating evaporative cooling requirements;
• Learn the geographical locations, which will benefit from evaporative cooling;
• Understand the components and types of evaporative coolers;
• Learn how to calculate the cooling temperatures with direct and indirect evaporative cooling options;
• Learn how to size evaporative coolers using sensible heat and air change methods;
• Understand the factors which influence the performance of evaporative cooling equipment;
• Identify the basic equipment components found in evaporative cooling water equipment;
• Learn about the typical design information, specifications and key formulas for selecting appropriate equipment;
• Learn about the ventilation methods for direct and indirect evaporative cooling process;
• Understand how evaporative cooling affects water use;
• Understand operation and maintenance strategies for conserving water, while effectively cooling;
• Understand the specific safety, health and environmental concerns associated with the evaporative cooling water system; and
• Understand the HVAC terminology as applicable to the evaporative cooling systems.
  

Intended Audience

Architects, realtors, building owners, facility managers, consulting engineers, interior designers, landscape architects, construction managers, lenders, educators and other interested will benefit from this course.

Benefit to Attendees

Attendee of this course will get in-depth knowledge of the principles, design and selection of evaporative cooling system.

Course Introduction

Evaporative cooling is a method of converting hot air into a cool breeze using the process of evaporating water. There are two essential requirements for evaporative cooling: 1) a wetted surface (supplied by filter pads) and 2) A source of moving air (supplied by a blower powered by an electric motor). The technology is a versatile and energy-efficient alternative to compressor-based cooling. Compared to air-conditioning, the evaporative cooling can fully satisfy building cooling loads using one-fourth the energy of conventional equipment. Evaporative cooling is especially appropriate for spaces with high outside air ventilation requirements such as workshops, locker rooms, kitchens, or shops. Compressor cooling is often too expensive to operate for these applications.

While the basics of evaporative cooler design and operation are simple, there are a number of guidelines that govern cooler performance and life. To achieve the best possible performance and life, evaporative coolers must incorporate design features that are compatible with and perform to the limits of these principles.

Course Content

This course is in the following PDF document:

Evaporative Cooling Design Guidelines Manual

Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you still experience any difficulty in downloading or opening this file, you may need to close some applications or reboot your computer to free up some memory.

Course Summary

Evaporative cooling is a method of converting hot air into a cool breeze using the process of evaporating water. There are two essential requirements for evaporative cooling: 1) a wetted surface (supplied by filter pads) and 2) A source of moving air (supplied by a blower powered by an electric motor).
Evaporative cooling has following advantages:

1. Evaporative air cooling provides superior indoor air quality over vapor-compression systems since 100% outdoor air is used.
2. The use of evaporative cooling instead of vapor-compression systems also helps reduce global CO2, CFC and other greenhouse gas emissions.
3. The cost of powering an evaporative cooler's fan and a small water pump is far less than running air conditioning.
4. Evaporative cooled air is perceived to be more comfortable than dried-out, air-conditioned air.
5. Compared to other methods of cooling, evaporative cooling is very simple, very effective and inexpensive to purchase and operate.
   

The evaporative coolers have some limitations and disadvantages too. Evaporative coolers are not effective in the humid regions. Compared to vapor compression systems, evaporative coolers require increased air flow rates to compensate for higher supply air temperatures.

The choice of appropriate comfort system rests with the individual and it is recommended to investigate all of the alternatives and make a decision based on their lifestyle, needs and preferences.

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

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DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.

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