Design and performance analysis of a regenerative evaporative cooler for cooling of buildings in arid climates. (September 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Boukhanouf, Rabah; Amer, Omar; Ibrahim, Hatem; Calautit, John
• Is Part Of: Building and environment. Volume 142(2018)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 10
• Publication Date: 2018-09
• Subjects: Regenerative evaporative cooling -- Building technology -- Computer modelling -- Porous ceramic materials; Buildings -- Environmental engineering -- Periodicals; Building -- Research -- Periodicals; Constructions -- Technique de l'environnement -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 696
• DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2018.06.004
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0360-1323

Abstract

Abstract: Evaporative cooling has been considered a low energy consumption process that often is associated with displacement ventilation and passive cooling strategies of buildings. While significant energy savings can be accrued from using evaporative cooling, there are many design challenges to improve the processes of heat and mass transfer and reduce design complexities. This paper seeks to advance the design of evaporative cooling through building and testing a novel regenerative evaporative cooler prototype. It proposes a design that integrates heat pipe and porous ceramic tube modules as an alternative to plate heat exchangers. The paper describes design arrangement of the cooler, a mathematical model and laboratory test results. Under controlled laboratory test conditions, the measured performance indices of wet bulb effectiveness, specific cooling capacity and coefficient of performance (COP) were determined as 0.8, 140 W per m 2 of wet ceramic surface area and 11.43 respectively. Furthermore, experimental results show that under typical ambient conditions commensurate with that prevailing in arid climates, the cooler air supply temperature was as much as 14 °C below that of the ambient air. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: Design of a regenerative evaporative cooler using heat pipe-porous ceramic tube modules. Computer model of heat and mass transfer of the regenerative evaporative cooler. Experimental testing of a small scale prototype under controlled laboratory conditions. Steady state and dynamic thermal performance evaluation of the regenerative evaporative cooler.