Evaporative Cooler With Dual Water Inflow

Abstract

An evaporative cooler includes an arrangement of a combination of fluid components including flow control valves, spray bars, spray bar orifices, spray bar distribution channels, and distribution caps that produce a water application profile on the media that is adjusted to match the heat load introduced to the media by the air to be evaporatively cooled. The water evaporation rate is a direct function of this heat load profile. Applying water in this profile takes advantage of the wicking rate and flow through time constant of evaporative cooling media to effectively distribute the water through the media. This results in a once through system that allows the volume of water being applied be the lowered such that water not evaporated and exiting the media is limited and does so at very high cycles of concentration while maintaining high levels of cooling effectiveness and scale free media.

1 . In an evaporative cooler system having a source of water, a media, a water distribution system for distributing water along the top of the media, a device for causing air flow through the media to evaporate the water flowing therethrough and cool the air, a sump and a drain for draining water from the sump, the improvement comprising in combination:
 a) a pair of hollow spray bars in fluid communication with the source of water;   b) at least a constant flow valve for controlling the flow of water to said pair of spray bars; and   c) a plurality of rows of holes disposed in each of said spray bars for discharging water onto the media.   
   
   
       2 . An evaporative cooler system as set forth in  claim 1  including a distribution cap for distributing water from each of said pair of spray bars onto the media. 
   
   
       3 . An evaporative cooler system as set forth in  claim 2  wherein said distribution cap includes an inverted trough disposed above said pair of spray bars and wherein said plurality of rows of holes are oriented to spray water at selected angles to impinge upon said trough to achieve a desired water distribution. 
   
   
       4 . An evaporative cooler system as set forth in  claim 3  wherein said plurality of rows of holes are equally spaced along the respective one of said pair of spray bars. 
   
   
       5 . An evaporative cooler system as set forth in  claim 1  including first and second sensors for sensing the temperature and humidity, respectively, of the air drawn into the media, third and fourth sensors for sensing the temperature and humidity, respectively, of the air drawn from the media, a microprocessor responsive to said first, second, third and fourth sensors for controlling the constant flow valve and the device causing air flow through the media. 
   
   
       6 . An evaporative cooler system as set forth in  claim 5  including a fifth sensor for sensing the speed of the air flow and a sixth sensor for sensing the media differential pressure, said microprocessor being responsive to said fifth and sixth sensors. 
   
   
       7 . An evaporative cooler system as set forth in  claim 6  including a seventh sensor for sensing the pressure differential of the air flow upstream and downstream of the media, said microprocessor being responsive to said seventh sensor. 
   
   
       8 . An evaporative cooler system, said system comprising in combination:
 a) a source of water;   b) a media;   c) a device for causing air flow through said media;   d) a water distribution unit in fluid communication with said source of water for distributing water onto said media;   e) a sump for collecting water from said media and including a drain for draining the collected water;   f) said water distribution unit including at least a pair of a spray bars, each spray bar of said pair of spray bars having a plurality of rows of holes for discharging streams of water, one of said row of holes discharging streams of water set at a first angle and another of said rows of holes discharging streams of water set at a second angle;   g) a distribution cap for diverting the streams of water set at the first angle onto said media; and   h) a distribution channel associated with each spray bar of said pair of spray bars for diverting the streams of water set at the second angle onto said media.   
   
   
       9 . An evaporative cooler system as set forth in  claim 8  including at least a constant flow valve for controlling the flow of water from said source of water to said pair of spray bars. 
   
   
       10 . An evaporative cooler system as set forth in  claim 9  including first and second sensors for sensing the temperature of the air flowing into said media and for sensing the temperature of the air drawn from said media, respectively, and a microprocessor for controlling the flow of water from said constant flow valve and the speed of the air flow in response to said first and second sensors. 
   
   
       11 . An evaporative cooler system as set forth in  claim 10  including third and fourth sensors for sensing the relative humidity of the air flowing into said media and for sensing the relative humidity of the air drawn from said media, respectively, said microprocessor being responsive to said third and fourth sensors. 
   
   
       12 . An evaporative cooler system as set forth in  claim 11  including a fifth sensor for sensing the speed of the air flow, said microprocessor being responsive to said fifth sensor. 
   
   
       13 . An evaporative cooler system as set forth in  claim 11  including a pressure differential sensor for sensing the pressure differential across said media, said microprocessor being responsive to said pressure differential sensor. 
   
   
       14 . An evaporative cooler system as set forth in  claim 10  including a water temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the water flowing to said at least two spray bars, said microprocessor being responsive to said water temperature sensor. 
   
   
       15 . An evaporative cooler system as set forth in  claim 10  including a differential pressure sensor for sensing the difference in pressure between the air downstream of said media and the air downstream of said device, said microprocessor being responsive to said differential pressure sensor. 
   
   
       16 . An evaporative cooler system as set forth in  claim 8  wherein said media includes a front surface and a rear surface, said distribution cap being oriented to cause water from the streams of water from one spray bar of said pair of spray bars to drip onto the top of said media essentially adjacent said front surface and to cause water from streams of water from another spray bar of said pair of spray bars to drip onto the top of said media essentially adjacent said rear surface. 
   
   
       17 . An evaporative cooler system as set forth in  claim 8  wherein said media includes a front surface and a rear surface, said distribution channel associated with one spray bar of said pair of spray bars causing water to drip onto said media at a first and at a second distance from said front surface, said distribution channel associated with another spray bar of said pair of spray bars causing water to drip onto said media at a third and at a fourth distance from said front surface. 
   
   
       18 . An evaporative cooler system as set forth in  claim 17  wherein said media includes a front surface and a rear surface, said distribution cap being oriented to cause water from the streams of water from one spray bar of said pair of spray bars to drip onto the top of said media essentially adjacent said front surface and to cause water from streams of water from another spray bar of said pair of spray bars to drip onto the top of said media essentially adjacent said rear surface. 
   
   
       19 . A method for operating an evaporating system, said method comprising the steps of:
 a) providing a source of water;   b) drawing air through a media with a device;   c) distributing water from the source of water to the media;   d) collecting water draining from the media and draining the collected water;   e) said step of distributing including the step of discharging a plurality of streams of water from each spray bar of a pair of spray bars, one of the spray bars having a plurality of holes, some of which holes are oriented to provide streams of water set at a first or a second angle, another of the spray bars having a plurality of holes, some of which holes are oriented to provide streams of water set at the second angle or a third angle;   f) diverting with a distribution cap the streams of water set at the first and third angles onto the front and back, respectively, of the media;   g) further diverting with a distribution channel associated with each spray bar the streams of water set at the second angle onto the media between the front and back of the media.   
   
   
       20 . The method as set forth in  claim 19  including the step of:
 a) sensing the temperature of the air flowing into and out of the media; and   b) controlling the flow of water distributed to the media with a microprocessor responsive to said step of sensing.   
   
   
       21 . The method as set forth in  claim 20  including the steps of:
 a) further sensing the relative humidity of the air flowing into and out of the media;   b) further controlling the flow of water distributed to the media with the microprocessor responsive to said step of sensing.   
   
   
       22 . The method as set forth in  claim 21  including the steps of:
 a) yet further sensing the differential pressure across the media; and   b) yet further controlling the flow of water distributed to the media with the microprocessor in response to said step of yet further sensing.   
   
   
       23 . The method as set forth in  claim 20  including the steps of:
 a) determining the temperature of the water flowing to the media; and   b) regulating the flow of water distributed to the media with the microprocessor in response to said step of determining.   
   
   
       24 . The method as set forth in  claim 20  including the steps of:
 a) determining the speed of the air flow urged by the device; and   b) controlling the speed of the device with the microprocessor in response to said step of determining.   
   
   
       25 . The method as set forth in  claim 20  including the steps of:
 a) determining the differential pressure of the air downstream of the media and the air downstream of the device; and   b) controlling the flow of water distributed to the media with the microprocessor in response to said step of determining.