Method of wetting evaporative cooler media through a permeable layer

Abstract

An evaporative cooler, and associated method, that includes an evaporative pad including a liquid coolant-receiving surface at which a liquid coolant distributed to the evaporative pad is received and thereafter passes into the evaporative pad. The evaporative cooler also includes a liquid coolant distribution container that includes an upper portion configured to hold liquid coolant and a lower portion contiguous with the upper portion. The lower portion includes an opening and a permeable bed in place over the opening through which the liquid coolant held in the upper portion of the liquid coolant distribution container passes and is distributed to the liquid coolant-receiving surface of the evaporative pad.

1 . An evaporative cooler including:
 an evaporative pad including a liquid coolant-receiving surface at which a liquid coolant distributed to the evaporative pad is received and thereafter passes into the evaporative pad; and   a liquid coolant distribution container including an upper portion configured to hold liquid coolant and a lower portion contiguous with the upper portion, the lower portion including an opening and a permeable bed in place over the opening through which the liquid coolant held in the upper portion of the liquid coolant distribution container passes and is distributed to the liquid coolant-receiving surface of the evaporative pad, thereby wetting essentially the entirety of the evaporative pad.   
     
     
         2 . The evaporative cooler of  claim 1 , wherein the evaporative pad further includes: an air-entry surface at which air delivered to the evaporative pad enters and passes through the evaporative pad, an air-exiting surface at which air passing through the evaporative pad exits from the evaporative pad, and a liquid coolant-exiting surface at which liquid coolant passing through the evaporative pad exits from the evaporative pad; the air-entry surface, the air-exiting surface, the liquid coolant-receiving surface and the liquid coolant-exiting surface being arranged so that air flowing from the air-entry surface to the air-exiting surface through the evaporative pad and liquid coolant flowing from the liquid coolant-receiving surface towards the liquid coolant-exiting surface through the evaporative pad come into contact with one another to cause the air flowing from the air-entry surface to the air-exiting surface through the evaporative pad to be cooled; and the upper portion of the liquid coolant distribution container is configured to hold liquid coolant so that the liquid coolant can flow only downwardly of the upper portion. 
     
     
         3 . The evaporative cooler of  claim 2 , wherein the perimeter of the outer boundary of the evaporative pad, the perimeter of the liquid coolant-receiving surface and the perimeter of the opening in the lower portion of the liquid coolant distribution container are substantially co-extensive with one another. 
     
     
         4 . The evaporative cooler of  claim 3 , wherein the upper portion of the liquid coolant distribution container is configured to maintain the liquid coolant at a selected depth in the upper portion of the liquid distribution container above the permeable bed, and the permeable bed has a permeability characteristic such that the liquid coolant is distributed to the liquid coolant-receiving surface of the evaporative pad through the permeable bed at a rate that is sufficient to cause essentially the entirety of the evaporative pad to be wetted by the liquid coolant flowing from the liquid coolant-receiving surface of the evaporator pad towards the liquid coolant-exiting surface of the evaporator pad but insufficient to cause an excessive amount of liquid coolant to exit the liquid coolant-exiting surface of the evaporative pad. 
     
     
         5 . The evaporative cooler of  claim 4 , wherein the liquid coolant is selected from the group consisting of untreated water, treated water and an aqueous solution. 
     
     
         6 . The evaporative cooler of  claim 2 , wherein the evaporative cooler is included as a component of an air-conditioning system that is operably associated with a gas turbine system to which air exiting the air-conditioning system is directed. 
     
     
         7 . The evaporative cooler of  claim 6 , wherein the perimeter of the outer boundary of the evaporative pad, the perimeter of the liquid coolant-receiving surface and the perimeter of the opening in the lower portion of the liquid coolant distribution container are substantially co-extensive with one another. 
     
     
         8 . The evaporative cooler of  claim 7 , wherein the upper portion of the liquid coolant distribution container is configured to maintain the liquid coolant at a selected depth in the upper portion of the liquid coolant distribution container above the permeable bed, and the permeable bed has a permeability characteristic such that the liquid coolant is distributed to the liquid coolant-receiving surface of the evaporative pad through the permeable bed at a rate that is sufficient to cause essentially the entirety of the evaporative pad to be wetted by the liquid coolant flowing from the liquid coolant-receiving surface of the evaporator pad towards the liquid coolant-exiting surface of the evaporator pad but insufficient to cause an excessive amount of liquid coolant to exit the liquid coolant-exiting surface of the evaporative pad. 
     
     
         9 . A method of cooling air including:
 passing a liquid coolant into an evaporative pad, which includes a liquid coolant-receiving surface at which a liquid coolant distributed to the evaporative pad is received and thereafter passes into the evaporative pad, of an evaporative cooler from a liquid coolant distribution container, which includes an upper portion configured to hold liquid coolant and a lower portion contiguous with the upper portion, the lower portion including an opening and a permeable bed in place over the opening through which the liquid coolant held in the upper portion of the liquid coolant distribution container passes and is distributed to the liquid coolant-receiving surface of the evaporative pad;   wetting essentially the entirety of the evaporative pad with the liquid coolant passing into the evaporative pad;   passing the air through the essentially entirely wetted evaporative pad; and   contacting essentially the entirety of the air with the coolant at the essentially entirely wetted evaporative pad, whereby essentially the entirety of the air passing through the essentially entirely wetted evaporative pad is cooled.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  including distributing the liquid coolant to the liquid coolant-receiving surface at the evaporative pad by passing the liquid coolant through the permeable bed prior to passing the liquid coolant into the evaporative pad. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  including distributing the liquid coolant to the liquid coolant-receiving surface at the evaporative pad from the liquid coolant distribution container prior to passing the liquid coolant into the evaporative pad. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the perimeter of the outer boundary of the evaporative pad, the perimeter of the liquid coolant-receiving surface and the perimeter of the opening in the lower portion of the liquid coolant distribution container are substantially co-extensive with one another. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  including maintaining the liquid coolant at a selected depth in the upper portion of the liquid coolant distribution container and the permeability characteristic of the permeable bed at a value such that the liquid coolant is distributed to the liquid coolant-receiving surface of the evaporative pad through the permeable bed at a rate that is sufficient to cause essentially the entirety of the evaporative pad to be wetted by the liquid coolant flowing from the liquid coolant-receiving surface of the evaporator pad towards a liquid coolant-exiting surface of the evaporator pad but insufficient to cause an excessive amount of liquid coolant to exit the liquid coolant-exiting surface of the evaporative pad. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the liquid coolant is selected from the group consisting of untreated water, treated water and an aqueous solution. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the evaporative cooler is included as a component of an air-conditioning system that is operably associated with a gas turbine system, and the method includes delivering to the gas turbine system the air passing through the air-conditioning system. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  including distributing the liquid coolant to a liquid coolant-receiving surface at the evaporative pad by passing the liquid coolant through the permeable bed prior to passing the liquid coolant into the evaporative pad. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  including distributing the liquid coolant to the liquid coolant-receiving surface at the evaporative pad from the liquid coolant distribution container prior to passing the liquid coolant into the evaporative pad. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the perimeter of the outer boundary of the evaporative pad, the perimeter of the liquid coolant-receiving surface and the perimeter of the opening in the lower portion of the liquid coolant distribution container are substantially co-extensive with one another. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  including maintaining the liquid coolant at a selected depth in the upper portion of the liquid coolant distribution container and the permeability characteristic of the permeable bed at a value such that the liquid coolant is distributed to the liquid coolant-receiving surface of the evaporative pad through the permeable bed at a rate that is sufficient to cause essentially the entirety of the evaporative pad to be wetted by the liquid coolant flowing from the liquid coolant-receiving surface of the evaporator pad towards a liquid coolant-exiting surface of the evaporator pad but insufficient to cause an excessive amount of liquid coolant to exit the liquid coolant-exiting surface of the evaporative pad. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the liquid coolant is selected from the group consisting of untreated water, treated water and an aqueous solution.