Description and experimental results of a semi-indirect ceramic evaporative cooler

Evaporative cooling is used in industrial and air conditioning processes to reduce temperature in different fluids. Direct evaporation systems can lead to environmental problems such as Legionnaire's disease, and indirect systems reduce system efficiency. This work presents the manufacture, test bed set up and trials carried out on a ceramic evaporative cooling system which acts as a semi-indirect cooler. Depending on air characteristics, it may act as a sensible or enthalpic exchanger. The water cooled in a cooling tower, using the return air coming from the conditioned room (22 degrees C and 50% comfort conditions) goes through the ceramic pipes, exchanging sensible and latent heat with a current of outdoor air. The use of this recovery system is mainly in climates with a high temperature and humidity such as tropical environments where the system yields a decrease in supply air humidity, using the cooling power of return air. The tests presented show the system behaviour for various supply air conditions. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd and IIR. All rights reserved.