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Summary
What is evaporative cooling?
What’s so great about evaporative cooling?
What kind of temperature reduction can I expect with evaporative cooling?
Where can I use evaporative cooling?
How much tonnage can I save using supplementary indirect/indirect evaporative cooling?
Appendix A: Psychrometric chart 101
Summary
Evaporative cooling has made summers more bearable for thousands of years and with 21st century technology provides effective,
economical, environmentally friendly, and healthy cooling. Evaporative cooling comes in five flavors: direct, indirect, indirect/direct,
indirect/indirect, and indirect/DX. Evaporative cooling works well in the Pacific Northwest, alone or as a supplement to a chiller or DX
system.
These simple examples illustrate direct evaporative cooling. Modern technology has dramatically increased the efficiency and
effectiveness of direct evaporative cooling and made possible four other types of evaporative cooling: indirect evaporative cooling,
indirect/direct evaporative cooling, indirect/indirect evaporative cooling, and indirect/DX evaporative cooling.
With direct evaporative cooling, outside air is blown through a water-saturated medium (usually
cellulose) and cooled by evaporation. The cooled air is circulated by a blower.
Direct evaporative cooling adds moisture to the air stream until the air stream is close to
saturation. The dry bulb temperature* is reduced, while the wet bulb temperature** stays the
same.
Indirect evaporative cooling does not add moisture to the primary air stream. Both the dry
bulb and wet bulb temperatures are reduced.
During the heating season, an indirect system’s heat exchanger can preheat outside air if
exhaust air is used as the secondary air stream.
In the second stage, the water used in first-stage cooling passes through
the wet side of a coil. Additional sensible heat is removed from the primary
air stream, and no moisture is added to the primary air.
This unit is in beta release, and achievable energy savings are still being tested.
Economical
Evaporative cooling is economical because it:
Effective
■ Evaporative cooling actually becomes more effective as the temperature increases—just when DX air conditioning becomes
less effective.
■ Evaporative cooling works in all areas of the country, not just in hot, dry climates. Although the Pacific Northwest is certainly
damp in winter, it is dry in summer. In fact, humidity in this region of the country almost always decreases proportionally as the
temperature increases. So the cooling power of evaporative systems increases as the temperature increases.
Environmentally friendly
Because evaporative cooling does not use chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), it does not contribute to ozone depletion.
Healthy
Evaporative cooling is healthy and comfortable because it:
■ Brings in outside air and exhausts stale air, smoke, odors, and germs.
■ Helps maintain natural humidity levels, which benefits both people and furniture and cuts static electricity.
■ Does not need an air-tight structure for maximum efficiency, so building occupants can open doors and windows.
NOTE
With direct evaporative cooling, the dry bulb temperature is reduced while the web bulb temperature remains the same.
1. Temp drop achievable = (dry bulb - wet bulb ) x (efficiency* of the media)
Example: (86 degrees - 66 degrees) x .9 = 18 degrees
Refer to Appendix A for more information on using psychrometric charts to calculate temperature reduction using evaporative cooling.
NOTE
With indirect evaporative cooling, both the dry bulb and web bulb temperatures are reduced.
1. Temp drop achievable = (dry bulb – wet bulb) x (efficiency* of indirect module)
Example: (86 degrees - 66 degrees) x .7 = 14 degrees
1. Temp drop achievable = (dry bulb - wet bulb ) x (efficiency of indirect module)
Example: (86 degrees - 66 degrees) x .7 = 14 degrees
Then use the dry bulb/wet bulb values from step 3 to calculate the dry bulb/wet bulb temperatures achievable with direct evaporative
cooling:
4. Temp drop achievable: (dry bulb - wet bulb ) x (efficiency of the media)
Example: (72 degrees - 61.4 degrees) x .9 = 9.5 degrees
1. Temp drop achievable = (dry bulb - wet bulb ) x (efficiency of indirect module)
Example: (86 degrees - 66 degrees) x .7 = 14 degrees
Then use the dry bulb/wet bulb values from step 3 to calculate the dry bulb/wet bulb temperatures achievable with the second stage of
4. Temp drop achievable: (dry bulb - wet bulb ) x (efficiency of the media )
Example: (72 degrees - 61.4 degrees) x .5 = 5.3 degrees
You can add an indirect/indirect evaporative cooling unit to an existing system or design a new cooling system that incorporates the
indirect/indirect unit with the chiller or a standard roof-top DX system.
Formula
Tons saved = [1.08][1% Design Delta T][efficiency][CFM]/12,000
Examples
Oregon
Portland: [1.08][86-66][.90][10,000]/12,000 = 16.2 tons saved
Bend: [1.08][89-61][.90][10,000]/12,000 = 22.7 tons saved
Medford: [1.08][95-66][.90][10,000]/12,000 = 23.49 tons saved
Washington
Seattle: [1.08][81-64][.90][10,000]/12,000 = 13.8 tons saved
Spokane: [1.08][89-61][.90][10,000]/12,000 = 22.7 tons saved
WallaWalla: 1.08[[[95-65][.90][10,000]/12,000 = 24.3 tons saved
Idaho
Boise: [1.08][94-63][.90][10,000]/12,000 = 25.11 tons saved
Idaho Falls: [1.08][89-60][.90][10,000]/12,000 = 23.49 tons saved
Pocatello: [1.08][90-60][.90][10,000]/12,000 = 24.3 tons saved
Appendix A
Psychrometric Chart 101
Psychrometry is the study of moist air and the changes in its conditions. The psychrometric chart graphically represents the
relationship between air temperature and moisture content and is a basic design tool for mechanical engineers and designers.
You can represent psychrometric processes (that is, any changes in the condition of the atmosphere) on the psychrometric chart.
Common processes include:
The following sections explain using a psychrometric chart to calculate how much you can reduce dry bulb temperature using direct,
indirect, indirect/direct, and indirect/indirect evaporative cooling.
Using a psychrometric chart to calculate the dry bulb temperature possible with direct evaporative cooling
NOTE
With direct evaporative cooling, the dry bulb temperature is reduced while the web bulb temperature remains constant.
1. Start with the dry bulb (DB) and wet bulb (WB) design conditions for the location you are interested in. For example, Portland’s
1% design conditions are 86 degrees DB/66 degrees WB F.
2. Find where 86 degrees on the dry bulb line intersects with 66 degrees on the wet bulb line (see Figure 2). That is the starting
point.
3. Calculate the temperature drop achievable using the following formulas. Figure 3 graphically represents the process.
Temperature drop achievable = (dry bulb - wet bulb) x (efficiency of the media)
Example: (86 degrees - 66 degrees) x .9 = 18 degrees
Because cooling is achieved by adding moisture to the supply air stream, the new dry bulb/wet bulb temperatures are found on
the wet bulb gradient.
Using a psychrometric chart to calculate the dry bulb temperature possible with indirect evaporative cooling
NOTE
With indirect evaporative cooling, both the dry bulb and web bulb temperatures are reduced.
1. Start with the dry bulb (DB) and wet bulb (WB) design conditions for the location you are interested in. For example, Portland’s
1% design conditions are 86 degrees DB/66 degrees WB F.
2. Find where 86 degrees on the dry bulb line intersects with 66 degrees on the wet bulb line (see Figure 2 in the previous
section). That is the starting point.
3. The efficiency of the indirect module determines the percentage of the possible temperature drop you can achieve with indirect
evaporative cooling. Efficiency of the indirect module is usually 60% to 70%.
Calculate the new dry bulb temperature using the following formulas. Figure 4 graphically represents the process.
Temp drop achievable = (dry bulb – wet bulb) x (efficiency of indirect module)
Example: (86 degrees - 66 degrees) x .7 = 14 degrees
Because no moisture is added to the supply air stream, the new dry bulb/web bulb temperatures are found on the dry bulb
gradient.
4. Indirect evaporative cooling decreases the wet bulb temperature as well as the dry bulb temperature. Figure 5 shows how to
use the psychrometric chart to calculate the new wet bulb temperature.
Because no moisture is added to the supply air strean, the new dry bulb/wet bulb temperatures are found on the dry bulb
gradient.
Using a psychrometric chart to calculate the dry bulb temperature possible with indirect/direct evaporative cooling
First calculate the dry bulb and wet bulb temperatures achievable with indirect evaporative cooling:
1. With starting temperatures of 86 degrees DB/ 66 degrees WB, the achievable temperature using indirect evaporative cooling is
72 degrees DB/61.4 degrees WB (refer to the previous section).
Then use the dry bulb/wet bulb values from step 1 to calculate the dry bulb/wet bulb temperatures achievable with direct evaporative
cooling:
2. After being reduced by indirect evaporative cooling, the new starting point is 72/61.4.
3. From the new starting point, use the following formulas to calculate the temperature drop achievable with direct evaporative
cooling. Figure 6 illustrates the process.
Temp drop achievable: (dry bulb - wet bulb) x (efficiency of the media)
Example: (72 degrees - 61.4 degrees) x .9 = 9.5 degrees
Using a psychrometric chart to calculate the dry bulb temperature possible with indirect/indirect evaporative cooling
First calculate the dry bulb and wet bulb temperatures achievable with the first stage of indirect evaporative cooling:
1. With starting temperatures of 86 degrees DB/ 66 degrees WB, the achievable temperature using indirect evaporative cooling is
72 degrees DB/61.4 degrees WB (refer to the section on indirect evaporative cooling). Efficiency of 70% is used for the first
indirect stage.
Then use the new dry bulb/wet bulb values from step 1 to calculate the dry bulb/wet bulb temperatures achievable with the second
stage of indirect evaporative cooling:
2. After being reduced by indirect evaporative cooling, the new starting point is 72 degrees DB/61.4 degrees WB.
3. From the new starting point, use the following formulas to calculate the temperature drop achievable with the second-stage of
indirect evaporative cooling. Efficiency of 50% is used for the second indirect stage. Figure 7 illustrates the process.
Temp drop achievable: (dry bulb - wet bulb) x (efficiency of the media)
Example: (72 degrees - 61.4 degrees) x .5 = 5.3 degrees