Numerical study of a novel, dew point evaporative cooling system

Dew point evaporative cooling system is an alternative to vapor compression air conditioning system for sensible cooling of ventilation air. This paper presents the theoretical performance of a novel dew point evaporative cooling system operating under various inlet air conditions (covering dry, moderate and humid climate) and influence of major operating parameters (namely, velocity, system dimension and the ratio of working air to intake air). A model of the dew point evaporative cooling system has been developed to simulate the heat and mass transfer processes. The outlet air conditions and system effectiveness predicted by the model using numerical method for known inlet parameters have been validated with experimental findings and with recent literature. The model was used to optimize the system parameters and to investigate the system effectiveness operating under various inlet air conditions. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.