Plate evaporative condenser and cooler

Abstract

An evaporator condenser has a condenser unit which has plural plate units separated from one another by air gaps. Each plate unit has first and second plates that are coupled together about a perimeter thereof. Each plate unit has a first edge and an opposite second edge. The first and second plates are coupled together along at least one line so as to form a first channel that extends from the first edge to the second edge in the second channel by communicates with the first channel and extends back to the first edge. The channels decrease in volume from an inlet to an outlet.

1 . An evaporative condenser, comprising:
 a) a condenser unit;   b) a water sprayer located above the condenser unit;   c) a fill section located below the condenser unit;   d) a basin located below the fill section;   e) at least one fan for flowing air through the condenser unit and the fill section;   f) the condenser unit comprising plural plate units, separated from one another by air gaps, with each plate unit comprising first and second plates coupled together about a perimeter thereof, each plate unit having a first edge and an opposite second edge, each plate unit having an inlet and an outlet, the first and second plates coupled together along at least one line so as to form a first channel that extends from the first edge to the second edge and a second channel that communicates with the first channel and extends back to the first edge, the first and second plates coupled together at spots located in the channel.   
     
     
         2 . The evaporative condenser of  claim 1  wherein the first channel extends from the inlet, further comprising a third channel that extends to the outlet, the first channel having a larger volume than the third channel. 
     
     
         3 . The evaporative condenser of  claim 2  further comprising an intermediate channel between the first and third channels, the intermediate channel having a smaller volume than the first channel and having a larger volume than the third channel. 
     
     
         4 . The evaporative condenser of  claim 1  wherein the at least one line extends from the first edge toward the second edge, the first channel bounded by the one line and an outside edge, further comprising a second line extending from the second edge toward the first edge, the second channel bounded by the one line and the second line. 
     
     
         5 . The evaporative condenser of  claim 4  wherein the one line and the second line are discontinuous. 
     
     
         6 . The evaporative condenser of  claim 5  wherein the one line has gaps that decrease in size from the first edge to the second edge and the second line has gaps that decrease in size from the second edge to the first edge. 
     
     
         7 . The evaporative condenser of  claim 6  wherein the one line has gaps of equal size and the second line has gaps of equal size, the gaps of the second line being misaligned with the gaps of the one line in a direction perpendicular to the first and second edges. 
     
     
         8 . The evaporative condenser of  claim 4  wherein the first channel extends from the inlet, further comprising a third channel that extends to the outlet, the third channel having a third line that extends from one of the first or second edges to the other of the first or second edges, the one line having a first gap for the second edge, the third line having a third gap with the other of the first or second edges, the first gap being larger than the third gap. 
     
     
         9 . The evaporative condenser of  claim 1  wherein the one line is continuous. 
     
     
         10 . The evaporative condenser of  claim 1  wherein the one line is discontinuous. 
     
     
         11 . The evaporative condenser of  claim 1  wherein the plates in each plate unit are coupled together at spots located in the first and second channels, the spots arranged in a triangular pattern, which triangular pattern has triangles with bases that are parallel to the flow of fluid through the first and second channels. 
     
     
         12 . The evaporative condenser of  claim 1  wherein the plates in each plate unit are coupled together at spots located in the first and second channels, the spots arranged in a triangular pattern, which triangular pattern has triangles with bases that are perpendicular to the flow of fluid through the first and second channels. 
     
     
         13 . The evaporative condenser of  claim 1  wherein the plates in each plate unit are coupled together at spots located in the first and second channels, the spots arranged in a rectangular pattern, which rectangular pattern has a side that is parallel to fluid flow through the first and second channels. 
     
     
         14 . The evaporative condenser of  claim 1  wherein the plates in each plate unit are coupled together at spots located in the first and second channels, the spots arranged in a rectangular pattern, which rectangular pattern has a side that is angled 15 to 60 degrees to fluid flow through the first and second channels. 
     
     
         15 . The evaporative condenser of  claim 1  wherein each of the plate units has sides, the plate units are oriented with respect to each other along adjacent sides, further comprising frames extending across the plate units and coupled thereto.