Energy, Exergy, Economic, Environmental (4Es) comparative performance evaluation of dewpoint evaporative cooler configurations

Abstract

The performance of different configurations of Maisotsenko (M-cycle) based dew point evaporative cooler is significantly effected by operating range in a certain climate. Moreover, the system's economic and environmental aspects are equally important for its viability. In the current study, experimentation is conducted to explore the impact of the wide range of operating parameters on performance. The experimental results are further utilized for 4E (energy, exergy, economic and environmental) analysis of counter and cross flow configurations analysis along with resource consumption. Results show that supply temperature increases around 70% and 78%, cooling capacity increase about 87% and 60%, and energy efficiency ratio decreased 13.7% and 25.5% at low to high operating range. The maximum and minimum exergy efficiency of counter and cross flow are 46%, 18.23%, and 52%, 21.58%, respectively. Furthermore, counter flow configuration consumes 39% and 2.7%, 24.65% and 35%, 21.4%, and 38% more water and electricity consumption at low, medium, and high operating conditions. The decrease in present worth cost at low to high-interest rates is around 31.8% for counter flow and 29.6% for cross flow at a high range of operating parameters. The counter flow system at 13% interest rate has 48%, 34.6%, and 28% more life cycle cost than cross flow. Around 59%–34% more net present value with 1.3 years and 1.96 years of payback period at the high range of operating parameters. Moreover, the counter and cross flow configurations produce 158 to 342.57 kgCO2/month and 153 to 329 kgCO2/month, respectively when operated at low to high operating parameters range.