Performance assessment of a high-efficiency indirect dew-point evaporative cooler through three-dimensional modeling

Abstract

The escalating demand for eco-friendly air cooling, driven by concerns over global warming, necessitates sustainable alternatives to air conditioners. Dew-point evaporative coolers offer a green alternative yet face challenges due to high flow resistances caused by the U-turn of the working air. Recently, we have developed a new compact counterflow dew-point cooler that eliminates the U-turn of the working air, mitigating flow resistance. In this paper, a precise three-dimensional simulation, based on fluid dynamics, heat transfer and mass transportation, is developed to assess the cooler's performance. The validation against experiments shows maximum 8 % deviation in input pressure and 3 % in product air temperature. The simulation provides insights into the cooler's operation, efficiency, and performance, which are not easily obtained experimentally. Optimal cooling coefficients of performance occurs at working ratios of 0.5–0.6. Notably, while metallic channel separator excels at higher flow rates, plastic ones like high-density polyethylene and polycarbonate match performance at lower rates. Furthermore, the cooler performs better in hotter, drier climates. In locales like Xian and New Delhi, the cooler is suitable for standalone use, while in regions like Dubai, Texas, Singapore, Beijing, and Monterrey, it can be coupled with air conditioners to enhance the ventilation and energy efficiency.