Evaporative cooling

What is evaporative cooling?

Evaporative cooling is based on the thermodynamics of evaporation of
water. When water evaporates, it absorbs latent heat to gain energy and
change from liquid to vapor state. For evaporative cooling, the latent
heat required is absorbed from the unsaturated air surrounding the water
in sensible heat form which decreases the temperature of the air and the
required cooling effect occurs in expense of increasing the moisture
content (humidity ratio) of the air.

Evaporative cooler types, Applications and how they work.

Direct evaporative coolers: In direct evaporative coolers, hot air is blown
directly through a water-soaked pad or water is splashed by nozzles. As
the water evaporates, it cools the air. Direct evaporative coolers are very
efficient but increase humidity.
Applications: Cooling towers and some residential swamp coolers.

Indirect evaporative coolers: In an indirect evaporative cooling system,

hot outside air (or vapor refrigerant) is drawn into the system and passed
through a heat exchanger where it is cooled by a separate stream of
water that is evaporated on the outside of the exchanger. The heat
exchanger prevents the transfer of moisture between the two streams of
air, ensuring that the cooled air remains dry. They are more complex and
expensive but suitable for commercial and industrial applications: This
type is used in evaporative condensers to cool the refrigerant used in AC
systems.

Some indirect systems are adjusted and used as hybrid evaporative

cooling systems where cooling occurs on two stages.
Evaporative cooling compared to other cooling types
Evaporative cooling advantages
• High efficiency and low running cost: Evaporative cooling depends
on that the high value of the enthalpy of vaporization(hfg) of water.
This leads to a cooling system that is able to provide the required
cooling effect with minimum mass flow rate of water which ensures
low running cost and efficincy compared to water cooled systems
(like water cooled condensers ) and higher efficiency compared to
air cooled systems (like air cooled condensers).
• Clean the air: Filters are used to trap dust and particles.
• Compact size: Since a small mass flow rate of water is needed,
evaporative coolers are compact.
• No environmental impact: Since the refrigerant used is water, thus
avoiding the use of greenhouse refrigerants.
• Good for dry environment: Since it increases the humidity of the
air, it’s useful in areas where humidity is low.
Disadvantages
• Unlike air-cooled systems, a water source is needed.
• Needs regular cleaning for the pads and nozzles.
 • It is not a good choice for humid/wet climates.
• Complex design compared to simple air- and water-cooled
systems.
Applications
swamp coolers - These are used to cool homes and buildings.
Evaporative condenser.
Industrial evaporative cooling - Large evaporative coolers are used to
cool factories.
Evaporative cooling towers.
Portable evaporative coolers - Small portable units are available for spot
cooling.
 Air washers

What are air washers?

Air washers are special applications of the evaporative cooling process.
They are used to increase the humidity of air in AC cycles specially the
large ones in addition to purifying the air from dust and deposits.
Air washer components

Nozzles: nozzles are used to spray water droplets. As the air passes,
water evaporates adding humidity to the air.
Water Distribution System: A series of pipes, nozzles, and pump with a
motor.

Airflow System: This includes a fan or blower to create airflow, ductwork

to distribute the cooled air, and air filters to remove dust and other
particles from the air.

Drainage System: The drainage system is used to remove excess water

from the system. This typically includes a sump or collection tank to hold
the water, as well as a drain or pump to remove the excess water.
Controls: Controls are used to regulate the operation of the air washer
system, including the water distribution, airflow, and humidity levels. This
may include sensors to measure temperature and humidity, as well as
controllers to adjust the operation of the system.
Heater to control water temperature.
Housing or Casing.
How does it work?
Water droplets evaporate in the unsaturated air by absorbing heat from
the air and increasing it’s moisture content. The increase in humidity
compensates the lost heat from air to water so the process is adiabatic
and enthalpy of air doesn’t change (ideally).
Cases of operation

1) If the temperature of the water is equivalent to the wbt1 of air,

(Tw=wbt1) the condition of air passing through the washer is
represented by point “2” along the line 1-3 . This is known as
adiabatic saturation process (constant wet bulb temperature line
and constant enthalpy).

2) If the temperature of water less than wbt1of air (Tw< wbt1) and
greater than dpt1, then the heat transfer will take place from the air
to the water and the enthalpy of air will be reduced and the
condition of the air leaving the spray chamber is shown by the
point 2 ́ and will be along the line 1-3 .́
 3) If the water temperature (Tw) is greater that wbt1 ( Tw > wbt1),
then the heat will flow from the water to the air flowing through the
spray. The heat will be used to evaporate spray water and to
increase the enthalpy of the air passing through the spray. In this
case spray humidifier acts as heater as well as humidifier. The
process is shown along the line 1-3" and the final condition is
represents by the point 2".

Adiabatic Humidification Process (Process 1-2)

The Amount of Humidification= moair *(w1-w2) *3600 kg/hr

This also shall be equal the amount of make-up water.
Effectiveness of Humidification (Air Washer) , (εh)
Complete humidification of the air is not possible. To study the
performance of the spray chamber or the air-washer, effectiveness of
humidification process is defined as:
The humidifying effectiveness depends upon the number of banks of
tube used, the direction of water spray, and the contact time.
For optimal design of an air washer, there are several factors to
consider:

• Air flow rate - The air washer needs to be sized to handle the
volume of air needing cooling and humidification. Higher air flow
rates will require larger components.

• Ambient conditions - The air temperature and humidity have a

significant impact on air washer performance. It will work best in
hot and dry ambient air. In humid weather, its effectiveness is
limited.
• Nozzles selection and arrangement with sufficient and equally
distributed water supply.

• Recirculating water sump - A sump to collect water at the bottom of

the air washer and a pump to recirculate it back to the cooling
nozzles helps reduce water usage. The sump should be sized
based on the water flow rate.

• Fan staging and control - Using multiple fans at different speeds

allows different levels of cooling. Fan speed control based on air or
water temperature helps optimize energy efficiency and system
performance.

• Minimizing air pressure drop - An air washer inherently adds

pressure drop which reduces air flow. the unit should be designed
to minimize restrictions to air flow for maximum effectiveness.
Applications
• Commercial Buildings: Air washers can be used in commercial
buildings, such as offices, hotels, and hospitals, to provide efficient
and effective cooling while maintaining a comfortable humidity
level. They can also help improve indoor air quality by removing
dust and other particles from the air.
• Data Centers: Air washers can be used in data centers to cool and
humidify the air while removing static electricity, which can be a
problem in these environments. They can also help reduce energy
consumption and operating costs compared to traditional air
conditioning systems.

• Agriculture: Air washers can be used in agriculture to cool and

humidify livestock barns, which can help improve animal health
and productivity.

• Residential: Air washers can be used in residential settings to

provide efficient and effective cooling while maintaining a
comfortable humidity level. They can also help improve indoor air
quality by removing dust and other particles from the air.
 Frosting and Defrosting
What is frosting?

Due to low temperature of coils in refrigerators and freezers, the

moisture in the air that the evaporator is trying to cool condenses on the
evaporator coils as the temperature is lower than the dew point
temperature of the air. When that happens and for coils temperature of
evaporator equal to or less than 0 oC , the condensed moisture freezes
and starts to accumulate on the coils on the evaporator which leads to
reduction in the cooling efficiency as the contact area between the coils
and the air decreases as the accumulated ice starts to act as an
insulator. The ice can also damage the coils of evaporator the
components near them.
Frosting leads to increment in the power consumption and decrement in
the COP.
Factors that cause frosting
• Dirty air filter: A dirty air filter can restrict airflow through the
evaporator coils, causing them to become colder than they
should be. This can result in condensation and frosting on the
coils.
• Improperly sized equipment: If the refrigeration or air conditioning
system is not properly sized for the space it is cooling, the
evaporator coils may become too cold and frost over.
• High humidity: High humidity levels can increase the amount of
moisture in the air, which can lead to frost buildup on the
evaporator coils.
• Improper installation: If the evaporator coils were not installed
properly, they may be too close to other components or not angled
 correctly. This can cause moisture to collect on the coils and lead
to frosting.
Defrosting

To prevent frosting, many refrigeration systems are equipped with

defrost cycles. Defrosting is the process of removing the frost or ice
buildup from the evaporator coil to restore optimal performance.
Defrost methods:
Natural defrosting
• This method involves turning off the refrigeration or air
conditioning system and allowing the ice or frost to melt
naturally. This can take several hours, depending on the
amount of ice or frost buildup and the fridge temperature
which makes this method not practical.

Automatic electric defrosting:

• Electric defrosting uses an electric heater to melt the ice or frost on
the evaporator coil. This method is commonly used in commercial
refrigeration systems and requires a defrost timer or controller to
activate the heater. During the defrost cycle, the compressor and
evaporator fan are turned off, and the heating element is turned on
to melt any ice or frost buildup on the evaporator coil. The water
from the melting ice or frost is collected in a drain pan located
underneath the evaporator coil and is typically evaporated by a
condenser fan or used to cool the compressor. This method
 requires extra electric power than hot gas method which reduces
the COP.

Hot gas defrosting:

• Hot gas defrosting uses hot refrigerant gas from the compressor to
melt the ice or frost on the evaporator coil. This method is
commonly used in large industrial refrigeration systems and
requires a defrost timer or controller to activate the hot gas valve.

Water defrosting:
• Water defrosting involves spraying warm water onto the evaporator
coil to melt the ice or frost. This method is less common than other
defrosting methods and requires careful control of the water
temperature and flow rate.