INDIRECTEVAPORATIVE

COOLINGWITHHEATPIPES
ByTomBrookePE,CEM

__________________________________________________________________
INTRODUCTION
Indirect Evaporative Cooling is a wellproven psychrometric process that uses AirtoAir Heat Exchangers (AAHX).
Properlyapplied,itgreatlyincreasestheeffectivenessofHVACenergyrecoverysystems.ASHRAEStandard90.1defines
theminimumenergyefficiencyformostcommercialHVACequipment.JustastheminimumallowableEERsinunitary
equipment have inexorably risen (FIGURE 1), so too has the importance of energy recovery systems.
MinimumEffectivenessEnergyRecovery
MinimumEER,ASHRAEStandards
10TonAirConditioners

90.12010

0.50

189.12009

0.50

90.12004

90.12010

FIGURE1

A
H
R
I

GuidelineV2003

11.2

90.11999

11.5

189.1
2009

90.11989

10.3

90.12001

8.9

0.60
0.50

FIGURE2

Thedriveforenergyrecoveryimprovementhasfollowedabumpierpath(FIGURE2).Thetermeffectivenessisusedto
measurethepercentageoftheenergyactuallyrecoveredcomparedtoaperfectAAHX.Whiletheminimummandated
effectiveness hasnt increased at the same rate, other factors have muscled the performance of energy recovery to a
higherprofile:
1. In2003,AHRIissuedGuidelineVwhichaddedtheconceptofefficiencytoAAHXselection.Conceptually,this
wasahugeadvancebecauseitintroducedawelldefinedprocesstomeasure
out.
2. In2009,thelongawaitedHighPerformanceandGreen
Buildings ASHRAE Standard 189.1 was issued which
increased the minimum allowable effectiveness from
.50to.60andaddedmandatedASHRAEClimateZones.
3. In 2010, ASHRAE Standard 90.1 both extended the
airflow range in which energy recovery is to be used,
and broadened its mandated use to more ASHRAE
definedClimateZones(1A,2A,3A,4A,5A,6A,7,8)than
inpriorversions.

,ratherthanjustwatts

FIGURE3

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DISCUSSIONANDBENEFITS
WhilethetermsDirectEvaporativeCooling(DEC)andIndirect
EvaporativeCooling(formerlyknownasIDECandnowdefined
in ASHRAE Fundamentals as IEC) appear similar, they are
actually very different. DEC is not an energy recovery
technology as defined by ASHRAE or AHRI. Introducing water
directly into the airstream cools the air by an adiabatic
process.Itsusedmostlyinaridregions(generallydefinedby
theDRYBASHRAEclimaticzones)wherethe100%outsideair
usedintheprocesshasalowenoughabsolutehumidityratio
to allow for adding moisture while still supplying air to a
conditionedspaceforcomfortasdefinedbyASHRAEStandard
FIGURE4
55.Whilethedrybulbtemperatureisreduced,FIGURE4showsthatthe
enthalpy(totalheatcontent)remainsthesameandtheabsolutedewpointisincreased.
On the other hand, IEC introduces water into a
separate, counterflow airstream upstream of an AAHX
thatinthesummertransfersonlysensibleenergyfrom
the cooling airstream to an exhaust airstream.
Adiabatically evaporating the water upstream of the
AAHXreducesthedrybulbtemperaturewhichprovides
a larger delta T and additional heat sink for the heat
removed from the cooling airflow. For designers, it is
critical to note that the separate airstream can be
building exhaust, fresh outside air or process exhaust,
just so long as its evaporative cooled dry bulb is lower
than the primary cooling airflow. For any given AAHX,
the same effectiveness applied to a larger delta T will
increase the BTUH transfer. FIGURE 5 shows that both
the dry bulb temperature and enthalpy are reduced,
whiledewpointremainsthesame.Inthewinter,water
is not used so the system reverts to a simple sensible
BTUH exchange. Both DEC and IEC each have their
applicationsandtheprocessescanevenbecombinedin
serieswiththeoutsideairenteringtheIECfirst.

FIGURE5

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NowletsevaluateasimpleexamplewiththedesignconditionsshowninFIGURE6.Bothairflowsare10,000CFMand
forsimplicitywellneglectthemotorheat.ThereisspaceintheAirHandlingUnit(AHU)fora6row,12fpiheatpipe
AAHXandevaporativepadupstreamoftheAAHX.
AsmallpumpwithintheAHUeitherrecirculateswateroveranevaporativepad(preferred)upstreamoftheheatpipein
theexhaustairstreamoratreesprayswaterovertheheatpipe.Sincewaterisevaporatedintheprocess,amakeup
watersupplyisneeded,andprovisionshouldalsobemadeforchemicaltreatmentdependingonthelocalwaterquality.
Becausetheexhaustheatpipesareconstantlyexposedtonearsaturationconditions,theyshouldhaveastainlesscasing
and depending again on the local water quality possibly an anticorrosion coating. Just as in nonIEC applications,
provision must also be made for upstream exhaust air filtration and drainage within the compartment. Finally, the
designershouldremembertotaketheairsidepressuredropofthepadsintoaccountinthefanandmotorselection.All
othercomponentsintheAHUaretypical.
Pressure: 29.9213 inches of mercury

eg

50

80

HPSupply

EA Lvg

60

EA Ent
Reheat

CW Coil
%
60

40

40

13.5

10

(a)
.ft/lb
- cu
me
Volu
14.0

%
80

50

14.5

EvapCooled

20

50

OA

70

Humidity ratio - lb/lb(a)

Sa
tu

rat
io

-B
tu
/l b
lp
y
ha
En
t

30

0.020
15.0

(a
)

nt
em
pe
ra

tur
e

-d

40

0.010
40

12.5

13.0

20%

30

40

FIGURE6

50

60

70
80
Dry bulb temperature - deg F

90

100

110

120

FIGURE7

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Thesystemdesignerhastheabilityandtheresponsibilityofpresentingalternativestotheowner,andtoday,thesecond
questiontheownerwillaskisHowmuchwillitcosttooperate?(ThefirstquestionisHowmuchwillitcost?).When
dealing with coils and air flows, one traditional alternative is to reduce the coil face velocity, and we also want to
evaluateIEC,soFIGURE8summarizesthesealternatives.
Leaving
Conditions Effectiveness
Selection
SupplyAir (SupplyAir)
DB/WB
NoIEC 84.6/74.3
.52
StdPD
(500fpm)
IEC
79.6/72.9
.77
NoIEC 84.0/74.1
.55
LowPD
(400fpm)
IEC
78.7/72.7
.81

Total
Recovery MBHCooling
Airside Efficiency
Load
Pressure
Ratio
Reduction
Drop
(RER)
withIEC
1.27
16.1

1.42
19.9
56.7
.87
25.3

.96
29.6
56.2

Notes:Evaporativepadshave80%Effectiveness,fanandmotorefficienciesare.80and.90respectively

FIGURE8
Recovery Efficiency Ratio (RER) was introduced by AHRI Guideline V 2003, and is the premier metric by which to
compareHVACAAHX.WhereaseffectivenessmeasurestheBTUHtransferofaparticularAAHXagainstitstheoretical
maximum,RERisaratioofthepowersaved(BTUH)dividedbythepowerused(pressuredropandallotherauxiliary
power uses). Conceptually, RER is directly comparable to COP and is also dimensionless. In this example, both the
effectiveness and RER include, where applicable, the evaporator pad pressure drop and its pump wattage in their
calculations.
As expected, a lower face velocity provides a higher RER and a superior technical selection (without yet considering
economics).AddingthecapitalcoststoaLifeCycleCostAnalysiswillrevealthebettertotalselection.
HereweseethefirstkeybenefitofIEC:IECsavesoperatingcosts,increasesthesystemsefficiency,andcanbeusedby
itselforinconjunctionwithalowerfacevelocity.AppropriatemeasuringsticksaretheefficiencyasmeasuredbyRERfor
anAAHXandCOPforatypicalaircooledRTU.ItisimpressivethattheAAHXsefficiencyisalmosttentimeshigherthan
theRTU.ItisevidentthenthatwhiletheRERsareonlyfortheenergyrecoverysystem,thefactthatallalternativesare
higherthanthecompressordrivensystem,theHVACstotalsystemefficiencywillbeincreased.
Anothertrendsuggestsitself:ifspaceallows,dualAAHXcanbeusedtodecreasethefacevelocitystillfurther.Wecan
useAHRIStandard410whichspecifiesaminimumfacevelocityof200fpmforforcedcirculationcoilsasthelowerlimit
beforelaminarflowmustbeconsidered.
The second key benefit of IEC is the reduction in the peak load. The last column shows the reduction that the
compressordrivenportionoftheHVACsystemwithitslowerefficiencywillnothavetomeet.Themoretheloadcanbe
shiftedontootherdevicessuchasIEC,themoreholisticallyefficientthesystemwillbe.Andthefactthatpeakdemand
can be shaved (and therefore building a power plant can be delayed or eliminated) is the reason why many power
companies offer incentives for indirect, direct, and combined evaporative cooled systems. In the example above, IEC
stretchesthedryenergyrecoverysystemssavingsbyanother46%.Itsanicebonusthattheseconditionsoccurinthe
summerwhentheresalsosometimesademandsurchargeleviedbythepowercompany.
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ThethirdkeybenefitofIECisthatthesesystemsareinthe
midmature product life stage. The psychrometric
processes are well known. There is good competition
amongthemanymanufacturersofthecompletepackage.
The owner and engineer dont have to feel obligated to
onlyonemanufacturerbutinsteadcanresteasyknowing
theyllbegettingthebestvaluefortheirdollars.
The fourth key benefit of IEC is that it is applicable
throughouttheUS.Contrarytopopularbelief,aridregions
of the world arent the only places that can benefit from
IEC.Whilethesavingsarentasdramatic,say,inthehumid
southeastUS,theyarestillsignificant.

FIGURE8

ThefifthkeybenefitofIECisthatitsavesmoreenergyastheambientincreases.This is a characteristic of all sensible

AAHX because the BTUH transfer is dependent on the difference in dry bulb temperature between the air streams
enteringthetwoAAHXsurfaces;agreaterdifferencelinearlyincreasestheBTUHtransfer.Acompressordrivensystem
reducesitsBTUHcapacityastheambientincreases.
The sixth key benefit of IEC is that it is environmentally friendly. Not even HFCs are used, so IEC cant contribute to
climateproblems.
The seventh key benefit of IEC is that it is particularly suitable for those applications with a higher than normal load
SensibleHeatRatio.ThereasonisthatthereisntanydewpointdepressionintheIECprocessitself.Withouttheability
to remove moisture, its best for applications such as data centers, computer rooms and other selected high sensible
process applications. Sure, a local DX or chilled water coil from the central plant can be (and usually is) installed to
promotelatentcoolingandjustincase.

BARRIERS
ThesystemdesignershouldbeawarethattherearestillsomeresidualconcernsaboutIEC.Modelingsoftwareisnotas
easilyavailableorthirdpartyverified.WaterquantityisoftenrestrictedinthoseveryclimateswhereIECworksbest,
althoughitcanbearguedthatmorewaterisusedintheremotegenerationofelectricity.Whilelocalwaterqualitycan
behardorhavehighconcentrationsofmineralsandsalts,thereisalotofinterestinthissubjectandprobablythebest
answerscanbeobtainedlocallyfromtheoldtimers.BuildingcodesusuallydonotallowforthepeculiaritiesofIEC,
noraretherenationalstandards,regulationsorcertifyingagencies.
Firstcosttendstobealittlehigherthanacompressordrivenunitofthesametonnage.Typically,thehigherrequiredair
flowratesmeansmorespaceandamorerobustdesignisneeded.Thereisageneralperceptionthatmoremaintenance
isneeded,althoughthatsopenforquestion.Legionnairesdiseaseissometimesthoughttoberelatedtoevaporative
cooling,butASHRAEhaspublishedGuideline12torefutethat,especiallywithIECsystems.

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ADVANCESINIEC
TheseareexcitingtimesforIECandmanydesignersarequicklygraspingtheadvantagesofinnovativepractices.
FIRST, the old rules of thumb were that energy recovery applications should be split into those that can tolerate
contaminants flowing from the exhaust air back into the incoming fresh air from outside, and those that cannot. The
former uses an AAHX that transferred sensible plus latent energy like an enthalpy wheel or membrane plate. While
thereisinherentcontaminanttransferwithinthelatentexchange,theresalsogoodBTUvalueinthatlatentexchange;
thistradeoffisacceptableformanyapplications.
The latter uses an AAHX that transfers sensible energy only such as a heat pipe or sensible plate. These medical,
laboratoryandmanufacturingprocessapplicationsweresosensitivetocrosscontaminationfromtheexhaustairstream
totheincomingfreshairstreamthattheBTUgainfromthelatentexchangewasgivenup.However,theintersecting
interests of the new ASHRAE Climatic Zones, RER, first costs and concerns for keeping maintenance costs down are
upsetting that old paradigm. Designers are now using heat pipe AAHX in more applications once the sole domain of
energy wheels, especially in drier regions. Look for documentation supporting that in the near future at
www.heatpipe.com.
SECOND,themoreadvancedheatpipemanufacturershaveintroducedheatpipesthatgreatlyrelievetheoldphysical
buildinglimitationsofheatpipes.Inthepast,buildingdesignerscouldonlyusesensibleheatpipesandplateswhenthe
buildingdesignlocatedtheexhaustairstreamadjacentandcounterflowtotheoutsideairstream;nolonger!Advances
inthelasttenyearsnowallowenergyrecoverytobeusedinmanymorefacilities.Heatpipesarenowalsoinstalledwith
adjacentparallelairflows(FIGURE9),separatedandondifferentlevels(FIGURES10and11.

AIR
FLOW

AIR
FLOW

AIR
FLOW

AIR
FLOW

AIR
FLOW

AIR
FLOW

FIGURE9

FIGURE10

FIGURE11

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THIRD,IECisalsoused(FIGURE12)toenhancethesystemcharacteristicsoftheheatpipewrappedaroundacoolingcoil
toprovideadditionallatentremovaland/orreducedenergyusagebyusingtheheatpipestoprovidefreeprecoolingand
reheating. This system is well established as valuable system alternatives when the application suits. Like the indirect
and dry energy recovery examples above, this application requires an exhaust air stream to act as a heat sink in the
summer. Different from the wrap around heat pipe however, it provides a constant leaving dry bulb eliminating the
needforatrimmingreheatcoilincriticalapplications.

FIGURE12

CONCLUSIONS
IEC with heat pipes is routine, practical, growing, eliminates cross contamination, provides a higher efficiency and is
thereforeusuallyeconomicallyjustified.Becausetheycontainnomovingpartsandhaveinherentsimplicity,heatpipes
havebetterreliabilityandlowermaintenancecoststhannearlyanyothercomponentintheHVACsystem.

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