A holistic approach for solar-driven HVAC evaporative cooling system: Comparative study of dry and wet channel

Abstract

In HVAC, indirect evaporative cooling powered by renewable energy sources is the key factor for effectiveness with respect to thermal comfort, sustainability, exergy utilization, leading to a cooler and greener environment. In the cross-flow heat exchanger, the tubular wet channel is the main objective for analysis of 3E (exergy, economic, environmental) and sustainability, for dry and novel channels separately. In this research, both channels have been developed to evaluate exergy variations, sustainability, and specific total cost based on the influence of dead-state temperature, working air ratio, wet bulb depression, and the inlet flow parameters of working air. The results show that the wet channel's exergy efficiency is 18.8 % lower than that of the dry channel, and the exergy destruction of both channels is 0.08406 kW and 0.1311 kW, respectively. Moreover, the tubular wet channel demonstrates a significant economic advantage for cross-flow IEC device. The STC of the wet channel found to be 85.35 % higher, and value of sustainability was 25% lower than that of the dry channel. The values of annual emissions were found to be 4.09 kg/year for CO2, 0.304 kg/year for NOx, and 0.189 kg/year for SO2 for solar-drive device. A psychrometric chart has been drawn for thermal comfort assessment. The findings of the novel tubular channels have been presented in terms of sustainability, thermal comfort, and green energy solutions and the results of exergy variations have been compared with previous work in the literatures.