M231content PDF

PDHonline Course M231 (4 PDH)
Principles of Evaporative Cooling System
Instructor: A. Bhatia, B.E.
2012
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Principles of Evaporative Cooling System

A. Bhatia, B.E.
Course Contents
Evaporative coolers, often called "swamp coolers", are cooling systems that use only water
and a blower to circulate air. When warm, dry (unsaturated) air is pulled through a water-
soaked pad, water is evaporated and is absorbed as water vapor into the air. The air is cooled
in the process and the humidity is increased.
The evaporator cooling technology is an energy-efficient alternative to compressor-based

cooling. In dry and arid regions, evaporative cooling can meet most or all building cooling
loads using one-fourth the energy of conventional equipment. It can also be applied cost-
effectively when integrated with conventional chiller systems, which can greatly improve a
facility's load profile. Unfortunately, evaporative cooling requires an abundant water source
and is only effective when the relative humidity is low, restricting its efficient use to dry
climates (most of the south-western USA and other dry-climate areas worldwide).
This course reviews the above criteria in detail.
SECTION 1 PRINCIPLES OF EVAPORATIVE COOLING

The rudimentary basis for understanding any air conditioning, dehumidification and
evaporative cooling is psychrometrics. Psychrometry consists of the interactions between
heat, moisture and air. It is basically the study of air-water mixtures and is an essential
foundation for understanding, how to change air from one condition to another. As air
temperature rises, its capacity to hold moisture rises also; and warmer air becomes less
dense. This makes moisture a very influential factor for heat gain, both for comfort and in
calculations. The knowledge of systems consisting of dry air and water vapor is essential for
the design and analysis of air conditioning devices, cooling towers, and industrial processes
requiring close control of the vapor content in air. Air moisture and heat interactions are
rather complex; fortunately, these interactions can be combined in a single chart (see figure
below). However before explaining the details of how to use the chart, some terms,
definitions, and principles used in the study of systems consisting of dry air and water must
be introduced.
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1) Dry Bulb Temperature (DBT): The Dry Bulb Temperature refers to the ambient air
temperature measured using a normal thermometer freely exposed to the air but shielded
from radiation and moisture. It is called "Dry Bulb" because the air temperature is
indicated by a thermometer not affected by the moisture of the air.
The dry bulb temperature is an indicator of heat content of the air. As the DB temperature
increases, the capacity of moisture the airspace will hold also increases. The dry bulb
temperature is usually given in degrees Celsius (C) or degrees Fahrenheit (F). The SI
unit is Kelvin (K). Zero Kelvin equals to -273oC.
2) Wet Bulb Temperature: The Wet Bulb temperature is the temperature measured by
using a thermometer whose glass bulb is covered by a wet wick/cloth.
The wet bulb temperature is indicator of moisture content of air. Wet bulb temperature is
very useful in evaporating cooling processes as the difference between the dry bulb and
wet bulb temperature is a measure of the cooling efficiency. At 100% relative humidity,
the wet bulb temperature equals dry bulb temperature.
3) Humidity: The term humidity describes the quantity of water vapor in air. If the air holds
50% of its capacity, the humidity would be 50%. If the humidity is low, then the capacity
to hold more water is higher, and a greater amount of evaporation takes place. It can be
expressed as an absolute, specific or a relative value.
4) Absolute humidity: Absolute humidity is the actual mass of water vapor in the air water
vapor mixture. Absolute humidity may be expressed in pounds of water vapor (lbs).
5) Specific humidity or (humidity ratio) is the ratio between the actual mass of water
vapor present in moist air - to the mass of the dry air. The humidity ratio is very useful in
evaporative cooling because it provides the measure of the amount of moisture absorbed
by the air stream and is useful in determining the spray water requirements. Specific
Humidity is normally expressed in grains of water vapor /lb of dry air and may also be
expressed in the units of pounds of water vapor/lb of dry air or grams of water vapor /kg
of dry air.
6) Relative humidity: Relative Humidity or RH is the actual amount of moisture in the air
compared to the total or maximum moisture the air can hold at a given temperature.
When air has 50 percent relative humidity (RH), we say it is 50 percent saturated (the
terms are numerically so close that we use them interchangeably). Obviously, as air
approaches 100 percent saturation, it can take on less and less water until at 100 percent
RH, the air cannot hold more water.
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Relative humidity is determined by comparing the "wet-bulb" and "dry-bulb" temperature

readings. Dry bulb and wet bulb temperatures are taken simultaneously and then plotted
on a psychrometric chart. Relative humidity is determined by the value at the intersection
of two temperature lines.
7) Dewpoint: The Dew Point is the temperature at which water vapor starts to condense
out of the air and becomes completely saturated. Above this temperature the moisture will
stay in the air. The dew point temperature is an indicator of the actual amount of moisture
in air.
The dew-point temperature is expressed in degrees and like humidity ratio; it represents
an absolute measure of the moisture in the air at a constant pressure. If the dew-point
temperature is close to the air temperature, the relative humidity is high, and if the dew
point is well below the air temperature, the relative humidity is low.
8) Grains of moisture: Term used to express the weight of moisture per pound of air (14
cubic feet). 7000 grains is the most that can be held in one pound of air. Since water
weighs 8.34 pounds per US gallon and since there are 8 pints in one gallon, 7000 grains is
equal to about 1 pint of water.
Grains of moisture per pound of air are most often referred to as "humidity ratio". 50
grains of moisture at 100F equals 12% relative humidity and 70F wet bulb at sea level.
9) Sensible Heat: The heat used to change the temperature of the air. Sensible heat will
always cause a change in the temperature of the substance.
10) Latent heat: Latent heat is the heat energy involved in the phase change of water. The
heat will only change the structure or phase of the material without change to
temperature.
Psychrometric Chart
The psychrometric chart is a graphical representation that describes the relationships between
the air temperature and relative humidity. Although complicated in appearance, this chart can
be used to establish state points and is used to calculate specific humidity, dew point and
vapor pressure.
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!" On the Psychrometric chart, the dry-bulb temperature is the horizontal axis of the
chart.
!" Lines of constant wet bulb temperatures run diagonally from the upper left to the
lower right in the Psychrometric chart.
!" The vertical axis represents humidity ratio, the moisture content of the air mixture. In
this chart, humidity ratio is expressed as grains of moisture per pound of dry air. Some
charts show humidity ratio as pounds of moisture per pound of dry air. Note that 7000
grains of moisture is equivalent to 1 pound of water.
!" The curved lines represent relative humidity expressed as %ages. The 100% relative
humidity line is the left most upward line shown as Saturation Curve. This
represents the maximum amount of water vapor that air can hold at a specific
temperature.
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The air holds increasingly more water vapor at increasing temperatures. As a rule of thumb,
the maximum amount of water that the air can hold doubles for every 11C (20F) increase in
temperature.
The Cooling Processes on Psychrometric Chart
The cooling processes in Psychrometric Chart are illustrated below:
Sensible Cooling In sensible cooling process, the temperature of air changes from a point
A to point C, maintaining constant humidity ratio. The temperature is reduced by [T (A) T
(C)] and the wet bulb temperature is also reduced. The humidity ratio remains same since
there is no addition or loss of moisture.
Evaporative Cooling In evaporative cooling process, both temperature and humidity of air
changes along the lines of constant wet bulb temperature (shown as line AB). There is no
change in heat content and the energy is merely converted from sensible energy to latent
energy.
In evaporative cooling process, changes occur in dry bulb temperature, specific volume,
relative humidity, humidity ratio, dewpoint temperature, and vapor pressure of the moist air.
No change occurs in wet bulb temperature and enthalpy. The evaporative cooling is constant
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enthalpy process (technically termed as adiabatic process).
Key Evaporative Cooling Terms
1) Wet Bulb Depression (WBD): The difference between the dry bulb and wet bulb
temperatures.
Example: If dry bulb is 100F and the wet bulb is 70F; the web bulb depression is [100 -
70 = 30F].
At 100% cooling efficiency, the temperature drop across the evaporative cooler would be
equal to the Wet Bulb Depression.
2) Range or Temperature Drop: The difference between the entering dry bulb temperature
and the exit dry bulb temperature.
Example: If the entering dry bulb temperature across an evaporator cooler is 100F and
the leaving dry bulb temperature is 73F, the range is 100 72 = 27F.
3) Saturation or Cooling Efficiency (SE or CE): The difference between the entering and
exit dry-bulb temperatures (i.e. range) over the wet-bulb depression.
Example: If the Wet Bulb Depression is 30F and the actual temperature drop measured
across the cooling media is 27F (as in the above example), the cooling efficiency is 90%.
(27/30 = .90).
4) Evaporative Cooling Performance Factors: The evaporative cooler performance is

directly related to its ability to evaporate water (cool) at a given relative humidity. The
dryer the air, the greater shall be the performance. In morning hours, the humidity may
be high, but as the day passes and the temperature increases, the relative humidity will
naturally decrease. The hotter the day, the dryer the air becomes, and the more cooling
that can take place through the evaporation of water.
The temperature of the water does not have a great effect upon the cooling produced
through evaporation. For example, a gallon of water at 50F would produce 9,000 BTU's of
cooling while a gallon of 90 F water would produce 8,700 BTU's of cooling, only 3%
differentials.
5) Evaporation Rate: Evaporation rate is measure of the capacity of air to absorb

moisture. The amount of absorption depends largely on four factors;
!" Humidity of the air: Dry air has greater ability to hold moisture. If the air already has
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high moisture content, it will have lower capacity to absorb further moisture.
!" Temperature of the air: The hotter the air, the more water it can evaporate.
!" Flow rate of the air: The molecules in motion promote evaporation. Stronger the flow
of air, the greater the evaporating power of air.
!" The saturation efficiency of the cooling media: The cooling pads should have high
thickness (12 inches) to ensure large contact area or low bypass.
For practical purposes, this rate is measured in gallons of water per hour (or minute)
5) Air Changes per hour (ACH): Air change is the number of times the air within a space is
replaced during a specified period such as hour or minute. It is usually expressed in
changes per hour or per minute. A good rule of thumb is to have 1 air change every 3
minutes in northern states, 1 air change every 2 minutes in the mid section and 1 air
change every 1-2 minutes in the southern states.
6) British Thermal Units (BTU): A British thermal unit, or BTU, is a unit used to measure
heat. The heat of vaporization (evaporation) of water is 1043 BTU/lb and evaporation of 1
gallon of water requires almost 8700 BTUs of heat (the 8700 conversion factor is based
on 8.34 lb. water/gallon and 1043 BTU/lb).
7) (Standard) Cubic Feet per Minute (S) CFM: It is a measure of air flow rate per minute.
Usually referred to as simply CFM. This is a necessary ingredient in any formula involving
evaporative cooling. The air volume can be calculated either by sensible heat load
equation or air change method. Both sensible heat and air change method are discussed
in subsequent sections
8) Face Velocity (FV): Expressed in feet per minute (FPM), it is the ratio of air flow (in
CFM) divided by face area of the cooling media.
Evaporative Cooling Example
Lets take a set of conditions and apply the process of evaporative cooling on a Psychrometric
chart.
Conditions of Air entering evaporative cooler (Point A on the chart)
1) Dry Bulb temperature 88F
2) Wet Bulb temperature 68F
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3) Relative Humidity 36%
With evaporative cooling system, the maximum reduction that is possible is the differential
between the dry bulb and wet bulb temperature (i.e. wet bulb depression). Since no
equipment is perfect, there will be certain losses in the evaporative cooler; these losses will
be on account of the efficiency of cooling media. If we say that the evaporative cooler is 90%
efficient then the process will take place over 90% of the distance from point A up towards
the saturation line (100% relative humidity) along a constant line of wet bulb temperature.
Numerically:
Temperature drop achievable = (dry bulb - wet bulb) x (efficiency of the media)
Example: (88 - 68) x .9 = 18 F
Achievable temperature = dry bulb - temp drop achievable

Example: 88 18 = 70 F
Point B represents the conditions of the air leaving the evaporative cooler.
Conditions of Air leaving evaporative cooler (Point B on the chart)
Dry Bulb temperature 70 F
Wet Bulb temperature 68 F
Relative Humidity 92%
The conditions achieved after evaporative cooling can be stated as low sensible heat energy
and high latent heat energy.
Final Conditions of Air in Area being cooled
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The final conditions of the air in the room being cooled by the evaporative cooler will depend
on the heat loading in the area. If the area is not affected by any other heat conditions then
the condition of the air in the room will be very close to the conditions of the air leaving the
evaporative cooler. If there are any additional heat loadings in the room (e.g. large number of
people or machinery) then the temperature of the air leaving the evaporative cooler will tend
to rise by a few degrees. This would be represented by a horizontal movement to the right
from the condition B to condition C on the psychrometric chart.
Conclusive Notes:
1) Evaporative cooling is represented on the Psychrometric Chart by constant wet bulb

temperature lines. With direct evaporative cooling, the dry bulb temperature is reduced
while the web bulb temperature remains constant.
2) Higher the differential between the dry bulb and wet bulb temperature, the more effective
shall be the evaporative cooling. Where the wet bulb temperature approaches dry bulb
temperature, the evaporative cooling effectiveness will drop.
3) Wet bulb temperature is the lowest air temperature that can be achieved at 100% cooling
efficiency. This corresponds to point D on the psychrometric chart. At this point the air is
fully saturated it has reached the dewpoint and can not hold any additional moisture.
At this point DBT = WBT.
SECTION 2 WHY CHOOSE EVAPORATIVE COOLING
Economy:
1) Evaporative coolers do not use compressors, condenser, chiller coils, cooling towers or
heavily insulated piping. Thus the cost of acquisition and operation is a fraction of
conventional air conditioning and mechanical refrigeration systems.
2) Initial cost is less than 1/2 the cost of refrigerated air conditioning and the operating costs
is less than 1/3 rd the cost of refrigerated air conditioning to run. Maintenance costs are
minimal requiring simpler procedures and lower skilled maintenance people.
Example:
A 1500 square foot home is located in Texas where the dry bulb temperature is 107F, the
wet bulb temperature is 71F, and the wet bulb depression is 36F.
!" Air Conditioner- Assuming air conditioning supplies 500 square feet of cooling per ton,
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3 tons of air conditioning would be required to cool a 1500 square foot home. Since an
air conditioner would probably run most of the time in this climate, its electric usage
would be approximately 3.6 kW per hour.
!" Evaporative Cooler- The only power consuming components of an evaporative cooler
are fans and small water pumps. Using an evaporative cooler with a minimum of 5000
CFM and horsepower motor, total power consumption (motor and pump combined)
would be approximately 0.991kW per hour.
Results- If the air conditioner and the evaporative cooler ran for a comparable period of
time, the ratio of energy for the evaporative cooler to the air conditioner would be
0.991kW per hour to 3.6kW per hour. This means the evaporative cooler would use 72
% less power than an air conditioner to cool the same area in the same environment.
Energy Cost Savings

Assuming energy costs of .14 per kWh, this comparison would result in a possible net
savings of ($362.88 - $99.89) = $262.99 each month!
Effective:
Evaporative air-cooling creates cooler temperatures a number of ways:
1) It lowers effective temperature - the temperature you feel - by at least an additional 4 to

6. In some cases, the temperature will be lowered more, depending on relative humidity.
The rapid motion of cool air increases skin surface evaporation resulting in body heat loss.
ASHRAE Handbook, 1995, chapter 47, Evaporative Air Cooling notes "...dry bulb
temperature reduction due to the evaporation of water always results in a lower effective
temperature, regardless of the relative humidity level" and that ". . . Evaporative cooling
can provide relief cooling of factories almost regardless of geographical location."
2) It reduces radiated heat- The constant flow of cool air absorbs heat from all exposed
surfaces and results in a reduction of the heat radiated to the human body.
Increased Comfort:
In a large number of industries, it is normal in hot weather to experience increased heat-

related illness, lower productivity and increased absenteeism among workers. Many of these
industries cannot afford the tremendous costs of conventional mechanical refrigeration or air
conditioning, while they can afford evaporative cooling. Quoting again from ASHRAE
Handbook, 1995, Chapter 47, Evaporative Air Cooling evaporative cooling can alleviate this
heat problem and contribute to worker efficiency with improved morale.
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Health & Environment Benefits:
Evaporative cooling is healthy and comfortable because it:
1) Brings 100% fresh outside air that is cooled & washed through filter pads
2) Comfort is improved with air movement- not stuffy & stale
3) Constant air movement of the evaporative cooler pushes hot air out removing dust,
pollen, smoke, odor, and pollution and replaces it with cool fresh air.
4) Helps maintain natural humidity levels, which benefits both people and furniture and cuts
static electricity.
5) Unlike air conditioning, evaporative cooling does not require an airtight structure to
operate at maximum efficiency. In fact, the building occupants can open doors and
windows.
6) Evaporative cooling is also an environmentally-friendly alternative to air conditioning since

it has no CFC's or HCFC's.
Summarizing, the evaporative coolers have a low first cost, use a lot less electricity than
conventional air conditioners, and do not use refrigerants, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
and hydro-chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) that can harm the ozone layer. It is economical,
effective and it provides much needed alternative to conventional mechanical refrigeration.
Limitations & Disadvantages:
The evaporative coolers have some limitations and disadvantages:
1) Evaporative coolers are not effective in the humid regions.
2) High humidity conditions decreases the cooling capability of the evaporative cooler.
3) The air supplied by the evaporative cooler is nearly 100% humid. Very humid air prevents
the evaporative cooling of sweaty or wet skin. High humidity in air accelerates corrosion.
This can considerably shorten the life of electronic equipment. High humidity in air may
cause condensation (which can be extremely hazardous, if it happens inside electrical
equipment).
4) Cooled air may bring dust and pollen into the space causing discomfort for allergy
sufferers. Growth of microorganisms such as molds on the cooler pads may cause allergy
problems in sensitive individuals.
5) Evaporative coolers use on-site water.
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6) Coolers are aesthetically unattractive and if not maintained the overflow of concentrated
salts can damage building envelope.
7) Compared to vapor compression systems, evaporative coolers require increased air flow
rates to compensate for higher supply air temperatures. Air velocity when operating on
high speed may cause annoying noise.
8) The vents that allow air to exit the building may pose a security risk.
Section -3 TYPES OF EVAPORATIVE COOLING SYSTEMS

Two principle methods of evaporative cooling are
1) Direct cooling: In direct cooling water evaporates directly into the airstream, thus
reducing the airs dry-bulb temperature while humidifying the air.
2) Indirect cooling: In indirect cooling, one stream of air called primary air is cooled
sensibly (without addition of moisture) with a heat exchanger, while the secondary air
carries away the heat energy from the primary air.
Direct and indirect processes can also be combined (indirect/direct). The effectiveness of
either of these methods is directly dependent on the low wet bulb temperature in the supply
airstream.
Direct Evaporative Cooling (open circuit)
Direct evaporative cooling introduces water directly into the supply airstream (usually with a
spray or some sort of wetted media). As the water absorbs heat from the air, it evaporates
and cools the air.
In direct evaporative cooling the dry bulb temperature is lowered but the wet bulb
temperature remains unchanged.
In operation, a blower pulls air through a permeable, water-soaked pad. As the air passes
through the pad, it is filtered, cooled, and humidified. A recirculation pump keeps the media
(pad of woven fibers or corrugated paper) wet, while air flows through the pad. To ensure
that the entire media is wet, more water is usually pumped than can be evaporated and
excess water drains from the bottom into a sump. An automatic refill system replaces the
evaporated water.
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The efficiency of direct cooling depends on the pad media. A good quality rigid cellulose pad
can provide up to 90% efficiency while the loose aspen wood fiber pad shall result in 50 to
60% contact efficiencies.
Indirect Evaporative Cooling (closed circuit)
Indirect evaporative cooling lowers the temperature of air via some type of heat exchanger
arrangement, in which a secondary airstream is cooled by water and which in turn cools the
primary airstream. The cooled air never comes in direct contact with water or environment.
In indirect evaporative cooling system both the dry bulb and wet bulb temperatures are
reduced.
Indirect evaporative coolers do not add humidity to the air, but cost more than direct coolers
and operate at a lower efficiency.
The efficiency of indirect cooling is in the range of 60-70%.
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Two-stage Indirect/direct Evaporative Cooling
Two stage evaporative coolers combine indirect with direct evaporative cooling. This is
accomplished by passing air inside a heat exchanger that is cooled by evaporation on the
outside. In the second stage, the pre-cooled air passes through a water-soaked pad and picks
up humidity as it cools. Because the air supply to the second stage evaporator is pre-cooled,
less humidity is added to the air, whose affinity for moisture is directly related to
temperature. The two-stage evaporative cooling provides air that is cooler than either a direct
or indirect single-stage system can provide individually. In many cases, these two-stage
systems provide better comfort than a compressor-based system, because they maintain a
more favorable indoor humidity range.
An advanced two-stage evaporative cooler uses 100 percent outdoor air and a variable speed
blower to circulate cool air. Two-stage evaporative coolers can reduce energy consumption by
60 to 75 percent over conventional air conditioning systems, according to the American
Society of Heating and Engineers (ASHRAE). Yet this relative improvement depends on
location and application.
Comparison of Direct, Indirect and Two - Stage Cooling
In the following examples, we will see the temperature reduction achievable through three
different approaches. These examples consider using a starting dry bulb (DB) temperature of
86o and wet bulb (WB) temperature of 66o. Assume cooling efficiency is 90% for direct cooling
and 70% for indirect cooling.
1) Temperature reduction achievable using Direct Evaporative Cooling
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A. Temp drop achievable = (dry bulb -

wet bulb) x (efficiency of the media)
Example: (86 - 66) x .9 = 18
B. Achievable temp = dry bulb - temp

drop achievable
Example: 86 - 18 = 68 DB
C. Results*
Starting DB: 86
Ending DB: 68
Note that with direct evaporative cooling,
Starting WB: 66
the dry bulb temperature is reduced while
Ending WB: 66 the web bulb temperature remains the
*Because cooling is achieved by same.
adding moisture to the supply air

stream, the new dry bulb/web bulb
temperatures are found on the web
bulb gradient.
2) Temperature reduction achievable using Indirect Evaporative Cooling
A. Temp drop achievable = (dry bulb

wet bulb) x (efficiency of indirect
module)
Example: (86 - 66) x .7 = 14
B. Achievable temp = dry bulb temp

drop achievable
Example: 86 14 = 72 DB/61.4
WB
C. Results*
Starting DB: 86 Note that with indirect evaporative
Ending DB: 72 cooling, both the dry bulb and web bulb
temperatures are reduced.
Starting WB: 66
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Ending WB: 61.4
*Because no moisture is added to the

supply air stream, the new dry
bulb/wet bulb temperatures are
found on the dry bulb gradient.
3) Temperature reduction achievable using Two-stage Indirect/Direct Evaporative

Cooling
First calculate the dry bulb and wet

bulb temperatures achievable with
indirect evaporative cooling:
A. Temp drop achievable = (dry bulb

- wet bulb) x (efficiency of indirect
module)
Example: (86o - 66o) x .7 = 14o
B. Achievable temp = dry bulb - temp

drop achievable
Example: 86o - 14o = 72o DB Note that with two stage evaporative
cooling, both the dry bulb and web bulb
Results after stage -1, indirect
temperatures are reduced.
cooling
Starting DB /WB: 86o / 66o

Ending DB / WB: 72o / 61.4o
Then use the dry bulb/wet bulb values

from step 3 to calculate the dry
bulb/wet bulb temperatures achievable
with direct evaporative cooling:
C. Temp drop achievable: (dry bulb -

wet bulb) x (efficiency of the direct
module media)
Example: (72o - 61.4o) x .9 = 9.5o
D. Achievable temp = dry bulb - temp

drop achievable
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Example: 72o - 9.5o = 62.5o DB
Results after stage -2, direct

cooling
Starting DB /WB: 72o / 61.4o

Ending DB / WB: 62.5o / 61.4o
Net results after stage-1 & 2

cooling
Starting DB /WB: 86o / 66o
Ending DB / WB: 62.5o / 61.4o
SECTION -4 SIZING THE EVAPORATIVE COOLING EQUIPMENT

Two principle method of sizing evaporative coolers are:
1) Air change sizing method
2) Sensible heat load removal method
Air Change Sizing Method
The "Air Change" method is a practical approach to assist in the determination of the size of
evaporative cooling equipment. The principle behind this method is to determine two factors:
1) Leaving air temperature from the evaporator cooler
2) Difference between the inside temperature of the space, when evaporative cooling is not
in use and the outside ambient temperature during its highest condition
Once the above two factors have been determined, refer to table below to determine the
proper number of air changes.
Leaving Air Temperature over

Air Changes/Hr NOTE 2
Temperature ambientNOTE1
Above 78(F) 20 degrees (F) 30 to 60
76 (F) to 78 (F) 15 to 20 (F) 20 to 40
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Temperature ambientNOTE1
74 (F) to 76 (F) 10 to 15 (F) 15 to 30
72 (F) to 74 (F) 5 to 10 (F) 12 to 20
under 72 degrees
less than 10 (F) 10 to 15
(F)
Note1 - Average indoor temperature over the outdoor temperature when evaporative cooling
is not in use. For example, say in an industrial building due to occupancy, lighting and
machinery heat load the indoor temperature may rise to 20F over ambient temperature
without any ventilation/evaporative cooling in place.
Note 2 - The air change column indicates a range of frequency and is used in determining air
volume requirements.
Procedure
Step 1: Determine the Cubic Capacity of the structure or that portion of the structure to be
evaporative cooled
Formula = Width X Length X Effective Cooling Height* = Capacity in Cubic Feet
*The actual height to be cooled i.e. in a 25' tall building, it is the usual practice to cool only to
about 16' to 20' based on the highest point the cooling is required. A heat stratification layer
will form at the roof level which will not adversely affect the cooling process provided that
space is not used. Remember cold air drops and hot air rises.
Step 2: Calculate the leaving dry bulb temperature
Using the formula: LDB = ODB [SE x (ODB - OWB)], determine the predicted discharge
temperature.
Where
LDB is the leaving dry bulb temperature
ODB is the outdoor dry bulb temperature
OWB is the outdoor wet bulb temperature
(ODB OWB) is the wet bulb depression
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SE is the saturation efficiency of the cooling media
It is first necessary to know the climate design conditions of Dry Bulb (ODB) and Wet Bulb
(ODB) for your location. This information is available from ASHRAE publications.
Step 3: Determine the number of air changes per hour required to maintain desired indoor
temperatures
The air changes can be determined from the column-3 of above table. This is an extremely
important determination. Too many air changes will result in unnecessary cost while too few
air changes will not achieve the indoor conditions desired. Experience has shown that
significant benefit can be achieved with 10-15 AC/Hr for 12 feet height. For a 24-foot-high
building, this would mean 5-6 AC/Hr for the entire volume. This will vary by application.
Sensible Heat Removal Sizing Method
Use the sensible heat load equation to determine the air flow rate:
Where
IDB = Desired indoor (Design) Dry Bulb
LDB = Leaving Dry Bulb from Cooler
Example:
A manufacturing facility located at 4000 feet elevation has a heat load of 144,000 BTUH. The
outside design conditions are 94 Dry Bulb and 64 Wet Bulb and the desired indoor
temperature is 800 F. Determine the capacity of an evaporative cooler. An Evaporative Cooler
with 12" cooling media @ 500 FPM velocity is to be used to remove this heat gain.
Solution:
The discharge temperature (Db) must first be determined. Using the formula of ODB - (SE x
(ODB - OWB)), the following result is reached. 94 - (.89 x (94 - 64) = 67.30 F LDB.
At 4000 feet elevation the Density Ratio is .87. [The Density Ratio* is determined from the
tables; refer annexure -1 at the end of this course].
To determine SCFM to offset this indoor heat gain we can now utilize the formula:
144000/ [1.08 x (80 - 67.3) x .87] = 12067 SCFM
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This result indicates we need at least 12,067 Cubic Feet per Minute of air flow @ 67.3F to
offset the indoor heat gain of 144,000 BTUH.
(*Note that the air change method does not take into consideration the density ratio which
would have to be considered in higher elevations).
Saturation Efficiency & Make up Water Requirements
Saturation efficiency is defined as the difference between the entering and exit dry-bulb
temperatures over the wet-bulb depression. On the Psychrometric chart, the process is
indicated below:
Where
Ti = Dry bulb temperature of air at the inlet of evaporative cooler
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To = Dry bulb temperature of air at the outlet of evaporative cooler
Twb = Wet bulb temperature of air at inlet of evaporative cooler
On the psychrometric chart, the moisture absorbed by air or the evaporation rate can be
calculated by: [wo wi] and is given by lbs per pound of air. Empirically, the evaporation rate
is given by equation:
Air flow rate in CFM x (Ti Twb) x Saturation Efficiency / 8700
Note without bleed off, the evaporation rate is equal to the make up water requirements.
RELEVANT FORMULAS:
(See abbreviations below)
1) Leaving Dry Bulb = ODB [SE x (ODB - OWB)]
2) Leaving Wet Bulb = normally considered same as entering WB (for direct evaporative
coolers)
3) Wet Bulb Depression = ODB OWB
4) Evaporation Rate (GPH) = CFM x WBD x SE/ 8700*NOTE1
5) Bleed - Off Rate = Evaporation Rate x .20 (.approximately 20% of evaporation rate)
6) (Recirculation) Water flow Rate = 3 times the evaporation rate (approx)
7) Standard CFM = Area Sensible Heat Gain / {1.08 * [IDB - LDB] x Density Ratio}
8) CFM = Standard CFM/Density Ratio
9) BTU = CFM X Delta T x 1.08
10) Density Ratio = 1.325 x Barometric Pressure/ [Temp. (F) + 459]/.07494
11) Water weight (US gallon) = 8.33 pounds per gallon (based on distilled water)
12) Water volume (US gallon) = 7.481 gallons per cubic foot
13) Water weight (US gallon cubic foot) = 7.481 x 8.33 = weight of cubic foot of water
(62.288#)
14) Face Area = Width x Height of open face area through which air will flow (expressed in
square feet.)
15) Face Velocity = CFM / Face Area (Sq Ft) (expressed in Feet per minute (FPM).
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16) Heat of vaporization = 1043 BTU/lb
17) Weight of water = 8.34 lb./Gallon
18) Sensible BTU = CFM *1.08 * [IDB - LDB]
Note # 1: 8700 conversion factor is based on 8.34 lb water/gallon and 1043 BTU/lb. water
Note # 2: Saturation efficiency from media supplier data (refer table 4 below)
Abbreviations and Definitions
!" AC............Air Changes
!" BTUH .......British Thermal Units per Hour
!" (S)CFM...... (Standard) Cubic Feet per Minute
!" GPH .........Gallons per Hour
!" IDB ..........Indoor (design) Dry Bulb temperature
!" LDB .........Leaving Dry Bulb temperature
!" LWB .........Leaving Wet Bulb temperature
!" ODB .........Outdoor (design) Dry Bulb temperature
!" OWB ........Outdoor (design) Wet Bulb temperature
!" SE ...........Saturation Efficiency of the evaporative media
!" Troom ......Temperature in space being controlled
!" WBD .........Wet Bulb Depression
OTHER DESIGN INFORMATION

Refer to the following design information tables presented in Annexure# 1 at the end.
Table#1 Psychrometric Chart
Table #2 Evaporation Rate (gallons per hour evaporated per 1000 CFM)
Table #3 Dry Bulb Temperature drop across media (@ 500 FPM face velocity)
Table #4 Saturation Efficiency
Table #5 Air Density Ratio (Density Ratio for Various Elevations and Temperatures)
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Table #6 Suggested air changes per hour and
Table # 7 Climatic conditions in USA in Annexure-1 at the end of this course.
EVAPORATIVE COOLER SELECTION EXAMPLES
Example #1: Sensible Heat Removal Method
A car manufacturing plant decides to install direct evaporative cooling for production areas.
The following information is available:
1) Location ............................................................Detroit
2) Elevation ..........................................................619 ft
3) Air Density Ratio.0.95
4) Summer Outdoor Design Conditions......................91F DB/73F WB (Refer to Table 7,

annexure #1)
5) Summer Indoor Design Conditions .......................80F DB
6) Summer Sensible Heat Gain................................600,000 BTUH (total sensible heat

generated from the equipment,
lighting, personal etc.)
7) 12 Evaporative Media Saturation Efficiency ..........88% (Refer to Table 4, annexure#1)
8) Evaporative Media Face Velocity ............................600 FPM
Determine: Leaving dry-bulb temperature; Cooling SCFM, Evaporation Rate and the Makeup
water requirements
Step #1: Equipment leaving dry and wet bulb temperatures
The leaving dry bulb temperature can be determined from the following equation:
Leaving Dry Bulb = ODB - (SE x (ODB - OWB))
= 91F - 88% x [91F - 73F]
= 91F - 15.8F = 75.2F DB
Leaving Wet Bulb remains unaffected at 73F
Step #2: Evaporative Cooling Module CFM
SCFM = Area Sensible Heat Gain / {1.08 * [IDB - LDB] x Density Ratio}
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= 600,000 / {1.08 * [80F - 75.2F] x .95}
= 121,832 or say 122000 SCFM
Step #3: Evaporation Rate
Wet Bulb depression = (91F 73F) = 18F
From Table 2 (refer to annexure -1) and interpolating the 88% efficiency column and 18F wet
bulb depression, the evaporation rate is approximately 2.0 gallons per hour per 1000 CFM. Or
alternatively you may use formula: Evaporation rate = CFM x Wet Bulb Depression x
Saturation Efficiency/ 8700
Step #4: Makeup Water Requirements
Evaporation Rate 2 GPH per hour per 1000 CFM
Total airflow - 122000 CFM
Evaporation water requirements 2 * 122000/ 1000 = 244 GPH
Bleed off rate 0.2 * 244 = 48.8 GPH
Total Makeup water requirements Evaporative water + Bleed off rate = 244 + 48.8 = 292.8
GPH
Example # 2: Air Change Method
A heat treatment workshop building 500 ft wide x 100 ft long x 20 ft high is to be evaporative
cooled. Determine:
1) Effective air volume to be cooled
2) Leaving Dry-Bulb Temperature
3) Number Air Changes Required
4) Evaporative Cooling CFM
The following design information is available.
Outdoor Design Conditions.......................................95F DB/74F WB
12 Evaporative Media Saturation Efficiency ...........88%
Evaporative Media Face Velocity .............................600 FPM
Step #1: Building Air Volume to be cooled
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For buildings with high ceilings, normally only the air space occupied by people up to a height
of about 12 above floor level needs to be considered as building volume. In addition, where a
large percentage of the air volume will always be displaced by stored goods or equipment, the
volume of the goods can be omitted from consideration of the air volume. This assumes that
normal stratification will occur between the warm upper part of the building and the cooler
discharge air from the evaporative cooling equipment.
Building Volume = Width x Length x Height Up To 12
= 500 x 100 x 12
= 600,000 Cubic Feet
Step #2: Equipment Leaving Dry and Wet Bulb Temperatures
Leaving Dry Bulb = ODB - (SE x (ODB - OWB))
= 95F - 88% x [95F - 74F]
= 95F - 18.4F = 76.6F DB
Leaving Wet Bulb = 74F
Step #3: Building Air Change Determination
Using the leaving dry-bulb temperature calculated in Step #2 and using air change sizing
table, select 25 building air changes. (Note: This method normally does not use a correction
for elevation.)
Step #4: Evaporative Cooling SCFM
Using the building volume established in STEP #1 and the number of building air changes
determined in STEP
#3, the evaporative cooling module SCFM is calculated to be:
SCFM = 600,000 cu-ft /AC x 25 AC/Hr / 60 Minutes/Hour
= 250,000 SCFM
Next, we need to answer the question of how many individual coolers and the location of the
equipment.
Do we want to put ten (10), 25000CFM coolers across the roof of the structure (on mounted
on the side or ground) or do we want to install three (3) 82000CFM coolers or perhaps five
(5) 50000CFM units? The answer to this question lies mostly in the consideration of costs.
Cost of acquiring the five (5) units in this example would cost less than either of the other
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options.
It is suggested that you compare the air volume required to provide comfort cooling by the
sensible heat removal method (see example #1) and the building air change method to
minimize equipment requirements.
Section 5 WHERE TO USE EVAPORATIVE COOLING

Before you invest in an evaporative cooling system, you must determine whether your
operation would benefit from evaporative cooling. The most important factor you should
consider is the temperature and humidity conditions in your location. You need to know how
hot the temperature gets and for how long it stays hot, as well as the humidity at your
location. If you live in a high temperature, low humidity region then evaporative cooling will
be more effective for you as the air has less water content to begin with and therefore can
hold more evaporating water. Some of the questions that should be answered are:
1) What is to be cooled? People, Equipment or other? If people, what are they doing.
Office, production, warehousing, etc. If Equipment, what type and operation? Does the
Equipment generate high heat loads, etc?
2) What kind of work is going to be performed? Certain kinds of operations can be better
served than others. An example is printing processes. Color printing cannot dry too
quickly or too slowly. Paper cannot be allowed to absorb too much moisture or it becomes
too limp so humidity control is very important.
3) What are the cost parameters? Can mechanical refrigeration be afforded even if it is
desired?
4) What is the structure capable of supporting? Are there other structural considerations? Is
it necessary to locate the equipment on the ground or roof or some other mounting
method?
5) What are the climate conditions? Is the climate hot and dry or mild conditions?
Qualifying the Application:
Answering the above questions will go a long way in the determination of whether or
not evaporative cooling will be the best type cooling system or not. Some of the following
considerations will help to provide some answers to these questions:
1) People in production or warehousing type jobs are prime users of evaporative cooling.
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Evaporative cooling not only cools by dropping the dry bulb temperature but it also cools
by the chill factor of air passing over the body. For people in office type work, it is usually
the practice to use mechanical refrigeration due to the need to maintain very low humidity
levels. In addition to human comfort it is also important to maintain humidity control and
cool equipment (like computers). Most mechanical equipment is best cooled by
evaporative cooling due to the need for large volumes of air passing over the equipment
and exhausting the air to the outside. Also production and/or warehousing type jobs are
usually best served by evaporative cooling. It is far easier to exhaust heat than it is to
recirculate it and treat it. Perishable goods usually require mechanical refrigeration.
2) The type of work being performed influences the selection of cooling equipment. For
example, the textile spinning plant has high sensible heat gain from machinery and
requires high humidity for production. Evaporative cooling is the best option.
Other types of work to be considered are those that require large volumes of air flow.
Some types of work are just the opposite. High volumes of air flow may adversely affect
the work (such as in some plastic film manufacturing).
3) Acquisition cost of mechanical refrigeration is usually about 3 times that of evaporative

cooling for a similar structure. Costs vary widely due to type of structure, climate and
other factors. Upkeep and maintenance costs are somewhat lower with evaporative
cooling partially due to the technical expertise required. Operating costs are usually much
higher for mechanical refrigeration. Sometimes 3 to 5 times higher in energy use alone.
4) Equipment selection must consider the ability of the structure to support it. It is not too
unusual to have to locate equipment on the ground or some other mounting
method because the roof will not support its weight. Structural integrity is a serious
consideration in selection and location of equipment.
5) The climate is a major consideration in the selection of cooling equipment. Evaporative

cooling is especially effective in hot dry climates. Temperature drops of 30 to 40 degrees
are rather easy to achieve. It is not too unusual to achieve lower temperatures with
evaporative cooling than with mechanical refrigeration during very low humidity periods
due the lowered performance of mechanical refrigeration equipment in these conditions.
In hotter areas or where cooling loads are high, such as in office buildings, one of the
most useful applications for indirect evaporative cooling is supplementing a chiller or DX
system. Evaporative cooling can be used during the hot dry periods and mechanical
refrigeration during high humidity periods. By cooling the air stream before it reaches the
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cooling coil, an indirect evaporative unit extends chiller life, cuts energy costs, and
provides the boost the chiller needs to function effectively on hot days. You can add an
indirect evaporative cooling unit to an existing system or design a new cooling system that
incorporates the indirect unit with the chiller or a standard roof-top DX system.
How to assess the potential for evaporative cooling in your climate?
Evaporative cooling performance is dynamic due to changes in external temperature and

humidity level. Under typical operating conditions, an evaporative cooler will nearly always
deliver to within 6F 8F of the wet bulb temperature. Some rough examples clarify this
relationship.
!" At 90F and 15% relative humidity, air may be cooled to nearly 60F
!" At 90F and 50% relative humidity, air may be cooled to about 75F
!" At 105F and 15% relative humidity, air may be cooled to nearly 70F
Figure below shows average July daily wet bulb and dry bulb temperature ranges for 13 U.S.
cities.
Daily average wet bulb and dry bulb temperatures in July for selected cities
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1) In five of the cities shown (Albuquerque, Boston, New York, Salt Lake City, and Tucson),
the average wet bulb range is fully below the dry bulb range, and in all these locations,
the wet bulb range is below 70 F.
The arid climates of Albuquerque, Salt Lake City, and Tucson make them excellent
locations for evaporative cooling.
In more humid locations like Boston and New York, evaporative cooling may be used in
dry weather, but will need to be supplemented by compressor-based cooling in hot,
humid weather.
2) Locations with average July wet bulb temperature ranges extending above 70F (Atlanta,
Houston, and Miami) are not good candidates for evaporative cooling in July.
3) Prospects for completely eliminating compressor-based cooling are best in high-altitude

climates that have dry air and lower summer daytime temperatures, as represented by
Denver in figure above.
Evaporative cooling work best in very dry climates like southwestern USA and northern
Mexico and are not effective for much of the east coast, Midwest and coastal US.
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Cities where the wet bulb range is fully below the dry bulb range are excellent candidates for
evaporative cooling. The five cities with wet bulb ranges extending to or below 55F are all in
the West. (However, Seattle's low dry bulb temperature range means cooling loads can
usually be satisfied with outdoor air).
Section - 6 DESIGN SPECS & FREQUENT ASKED QUESTIONS

1) What are the main differences between Air Conditioning and Evaporative
Cooling?
When most people say air-conditioning they are referring to refrigerated air conditioning
systems/equipment. There are three main differences between air-conditioning solutions
and using evaporative cooling; these are,
Cost: typically a modern evaporative cooling solution will cost less than one third of
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the installed cost of a refrigerated AC system, and the monthly running costs will
usually be far less than one tenth.
Operation: Refrigerated air-conditioning relies on recirculation the air inside a building

through chilled coils (a heat-exchanger) in order to cool the workplace - in many ways
it can be said to be fighting the heat - this is why an air-conditioning engineer will talk
about how many tons of air-conditioning you need to cool a given environment.
Evaporative Cooling on the other hand is a single-pass approach. It constantly replaces
the atmosphere in the workplace with fresh cool air and thats why an evaporative
cooling engineer will talk about the number of air-changes per hour you require for
your application
Precise Control: Refrigerated air-conditioning, if properly designed, can provide

precise control of both temperature and humidity. Evaporative cooling is a cost-
effective alternative in hot-dry regions and is associated with drop in temperature
while increasing humidity.
Design Limitations: There are certain limitations with evaporative cooling systems.
Evaporative cooling design will need to accommodate higher airflow because these are
designed for higher supply air temperatures compared to air-conditioning systems.
Larger ducts are required, which may be a consideration in the architectural and
structural design. Therefore, careful attention is necessary in locating and sizing supply
outlets. Direct evaporative cooling may also be not appropriate for spaces with
materials such as wood floors that might be damaged by high humidity.
2) Should you use evaporative cooling or mechanical cooling?
A common question asked by customers is should I install an Evaporative cooler or

Mechanical cooling. If you live in a coastal or tropical region, you probably never hear
this, because "evaporative' cooling is not very efficient when your ambient air is full of
humidity.
If your wet bulb temperature is around 60 % and higher, then mechanical cooling is the
correct answer. In lower wet bulb regions a properly sized evaporative cooler can be a
very cost- effective and comfortable choice.
3) Should you use both evaporative cooling and mechanical cooling together?
Evaporative coolers can be used as a sole cooling system in a home, as an alternative

cooling system to a conventional refrigerant air conditioner, or in combination with a
refrigeration system. However, conventional air conditioners should not be operated
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simultaneously with direct evaporative coolers, because air conditioners dehumidify while
evaporative coolers humidify, and the two systems will work in opposition.
4) What are the benefits and disadvantages of combined evaporative cooling and
mechanical cooling?
One advantage to having both systems is that you get the best of two worlds -
evaporative cooling during the dry months in spring and fall, and refrigeration in the hot
humid months.
Despite the convenience of the combined system, there are drawbacks. For example,
considerable air movement is required for comfort with evaporative cooling.
Refrigeration ducts are often too small for this and result in insufficient air flow and
more noise. For systems using shared ductwork, dampers must be installed to separate
the two units. Without dampers, refrigerated air will escape to the outside through the
evaporative cooler and, conversely, moist air from the evaporative cooler will enter and
corrode the refrigeration unit.
Also from the utility standpoint, the use of both systems results in an enhancement of
the peaking problem for both water and power suppliers and, therefore, contribute to
the need for additional capacity of these systems which are poorly utilized in off-peak
demand periods.
5) How does an evaporative cooler work?
The cooling process works on the principle of evaporation of moisture. The fan of the
cooler draws outside air through pads soaked with water. The evaporation of the water
lowers the temperature of the air passing through the wet pads of the cooler and is blown
through an opening into the building.
6) What are the major components of evaporative cooler?
Evaporative coolers typically consist of the following components:
!" A sheet metal or fiberglass housing
!" A centrifugal or propeller fan with drive motor and accessories (pulley and belts)
!" Wetted media through which the air passes
!" A means of keeping the media wet (often a pump, sometimes just a city water
connection)
!" A water reservoir
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!" A spray header and nozzles which disperse the water directly over the media
!" Float valve and other controls
!" Drift eliminators to prevent water droplets from blowing off especially for high face
velocity applications.
7) Specify the construction details for an evaporative cooler
!" The housing and sump shall be constructed from 304 stainless steel or galvanized
sheet. The top and sides shall be 16gauge with intermediate support channels and
welded construction. The sump shall be 14gauge with fully welded seams and joints.
!" The media support shall be the full width and depth of the media, with 1 1/2" diameter
perforations to allow unrestricted water flow into the sump.
!" Provide a vapor proof incandescent light, installed in the evaporative cooler section to
aid maintenance efforts. The switch should be mounted on the exterior of the cabinet
near the access door. A removable panel shall be provided for maintenance access.
!" A stainless steel baffle plate shall extend into the sump to prevent air bypass around
the media.
!" Lifting lugs shall be provided to simplify rigging.
8) What are the advantages and disadvantages of Evaporative Coolers?
Advantages
Power consumption is limited to the fan and water pump vs. compressors, pumps and
blowers in mechanical refrigeration. Coolers are economical to operate, using one-third
the energy of refrigerated air-conditioning.
Installing a new evaporative cooling system adequate for 1,500-square-foot home

costs about $700. For the same home, installing a new air-conditioning system, using
existing duct work, costs about $2,500.
Most cooler maintenance and repairs can be accomplished by the homeowner.
Most cooler replacement parts (pads, belts, etc.) are nominal in cost when compared
to air-conditioning system replacement parts.
Evaporative coolers can improve the indoor air quality inside a home by drawing a
large supply of fresh outdoor air through the home.
Disadvantages
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Evaporative coolers will not work well in humid climates--they will not cool air
significantly and cause discomfort by excessive humidity.
The air supplied by the evaporative cooler is nearly 100% humid. Very humid air
prevents the evaporative cooling of sweaty or wet skin.
Coolers use on-site water; the consumption varies between 3.5 and 10.5 gallons of
water per hour of operation depending on the size and geographical location.
Coolers are aesthetically unattractive, if not maintained and overflow of concentrated

salts from the cooler can damage building envelope.
Air velocity when operating on high speed may cause annoying noise.
High humidity in air accelerates corrosion. This can considerably shorten the life of
electronic equipment.
High humidity in air may cause condensation (which can be extremely hazardous, if it
happens inside electrical equipment).
The vents that allow air to exit the building may pose a security risk.
Cooled air may bring dust and pollen into the space causing discomfort for allergy
sufferers. Growth of microorganisms such as molds on the cooler pads may cause
allergy problems in sensitive individuals.
9) Does the evaporative cooler add humidity?

Yes evaporative cooling adds humidity but by maintaining a constant flow of outside air
and maintaining right exhaust rate, high humidity levels can be avoided.
10) What kind of temperature reductions can you expect with evaporative cooling?
How much temperature drop you experience depends largely on how much moisture is
already present in the air. The greater the difference between the wet bulb and dry bulb
temperatures, the greater shall be the achievable temperature reduction. In general an
8 to 28 degree drop, depending on the existing dry bulb temperature and humidity is
achievable.
11) How much water does an evaporative cooler use?
Data for evaporative cooler water use are scarce since little research on this topic has
been undertaken and many factors, from household composition to the geographical
location, influence cooler water use. The amount of water consumed by an evaporative
cooler is generally dependent on their size, air movement, temperature, humidity, and
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make-up water quality. It is estimated that a 4500 CFM (cubic foot per minute) cooler,
under certain weather conditions, uses 200 gallons of water per day. The water use is
split between evaporation and water being bled off or drained to reduce build-up of
solids and minerals in the sump. Bled off requirements is usually 20% of the
recirculation rate.
12) Does the cooler spray or mist water?

No, moisture is added to the air in a vapor state. Therefore, no puddles or wet spots are
created from the cooler.
13) How long do the cooling media pads last?

3 to 5 years depending on the care given to them. If you have hard water, use the water
softening conditioning tablets that will help prolong the pads life.
14) How effective is the cooler in humid areas?

The air temperature and relative humidity will determine the effective temperature drop.
Even in humid climates, you can expect around an 8 degree temperature drop, which
can still create a chill factor that equals effective cooling.
15) How much does it cost to operate an evaporative cooler?
Studies indicate that the average annual cooling energy usage for a 1,600 square foot
home is approximately 6,000 kilowatt hours for refrigeration and 1,500 kilowatt hours
for evaporative cooling.
If electricity costs were 10 cents per kilowatt hour (a sample cost), the average annual
cost would be $600.00 for a refrigeration system versus $150.00 for evaporative
cooling. However, the cost of water must be added to the electricity cost for evaporative
cooling. Based on the cost of $2.00 for 1 hundred cubic feet or 740 gallons, the use of
about 19,000 gallons of water by an evaporative cooler with a bleed-off system the
additional average annual cost for water would be $54.00 for an evaporative cooler
compared to $0 for a refrigeration system.
16) How much does a new cooler cost?
A new, completely installed 4500 CFM cooler costs about $700. Coolers are available for
less money and for more money. This is an average figure.
17) Where coolers are typically placed on a building?
Evaporative coolers can be classified according to the position of the cooler in relation to
the building. Generally, there are three types: (a) down-draft (roof mounted), (b) side-
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draft (typically eave or window mounted), and (c) up-draft (ground mounted). Roof
mounted, down-draft coolers (a) are sometimes preferred since they can usually be
more readily connected to duct systems. However, eave mounted or ground mounted
units can be more easily and safely serviced since the person doing the maintenance
does not have to use a ladder to inspect or repair the system. Access for maintenance
should also be considered when installing.
18) How do you size your evaporative cooler?
A good rule of thumb is to have 1 air change every 3 minutes in northern states, 1 air
change every 2 minutes in the mid section and 1 air change every 1-2 minutes in the
southern states. The formula for sizing your cooler is very simple; just multiply the
length by the width by the height of the area to be cooled and divide by your air change
factor.
For example a home in mid section that is 30' wide, 40' long 7' high has a total of 8400
cubic feet of area to be cooled. 30x40x7 = 8400
Using the factor two (for an air change every two minutes), divide 8400 by two to give
you the CFM required, in this case 4200 CFM.
CFM is usually clearly marked on the front of the cooler. Too large coolers are wasteful
of both water and energy and or too small coolers will not provide the comfort.
19) What is meant be bleed off of water?
Water (hard or soft) contains relatively large amounts of dissolved minerals. Since only
pure water evaporates, leaving behind the minerals, the concentration of those minerals
increases over time in the evaporative system. Eventually, the mineral concentration will
exceed the ability of the water to hold them in solution, and scaling will occur. Some
scaling is acceptable, even desirable, because it makes the media more rigid. Excess
scale, however, will restrict airflow and degrade performance. To reduce the formation
of excess scale, it is necessary to maintain the mineral levels below that point at which
scaling occurs.
20) Do the minerals in hard water affect the operation of evaporative coolers?
Mineral deposits and scale build-up caused by hard water can cause rust and corrosion
in metal coolers. Some estimates are that this rust and corrosion can shorten a coolers
life by 50 percent. Further, scale build-up on cooler pads can cause uneven distribution
of water, leading to hot spots on the pads and reduced cooling because of reduced air
flow. Some manufacturers recommend installing a bleed-off valve to the recirculation
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water line and this result in draining part of the recirculation water thus reducing buildup
of hard water minerals. Bleed-off valves are controversial because it is estimated that
they increase cooler water usage from 10 to 50 percent.
21) If I decide not to install a bleed-off valve because it increases water usage,
what can I do to prolong the life of the cooler?
Thorough cleaning of the cooler is suggested to remove mineral deposits and scale
build-up at least once during the cooling season. Additives to the water supply also are
available to help reduce scale build-up. Chemicals will not reduce scale build-up but they
can increase the solubility of calcium and other minerals, thus allowing a lower bleed-off
rate, or they can combine with the calcium and produce a softer scale that is easier to
remove. Some cooler manufacturers do not recommend their use because they may
damage the protective coating on the cooler. Caution should also be exercised about
what chemicals are used because these can be blown into the home during the normal
operation of the cooler. However, you may have to replace the cooler sooner than you
would if you used a bleed-off valve.
22) Can coolers be used to circulate air only, without water?
With cool air in the evening and nighttime hours, the cooler fan can be run with dry
pads. This brings cool air into the home and circulates it without using water.
If cooler pads have been allowed to dry out, either through non-use or by circulating air
only, it is advisable to run the pump and saturate the pads thoroughly before running
the cooler fan. This ensures that cooler air begins to circulate sooner and reduces the
introduction of dust and pollen into the home.
If you switch to air conditioning during the monsoon season and then switch back to
the evaporative cooler as the relative humidity decreases at the end of the rainy season,
remember that standing water in the cooler pan is a stagnant pool. This water can
become a good place for the growth of bacteria, even the bacteria that causes
Legionnaires Disease. For safety it is best to drain the cooler if it will not be used for
several days. Alternatively, the water in the cooler pan can be treated with chlorine for
at least 30 minutes before turning the cooler.
23) Why do you need to maintain a slight negative pressure in the space?
The direct evaporative cooling system cools 100% outside air and does not recirculate
any air. Therefore, it is imperative that the building's exhaust system must be
compatible with the supply airflow rate. If this is not done, the building will become
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pressurized leading to insufficient airflow; difficulty in opening/closing doors; air

whistling through stairwells and elevator shafts. A good design is to exhaust slightly
more air then your cooler is supplying.
24) What are ceiling vents?
Ceiling vents or open windows are required to permit the exhaustion of the air blown
into the home by the blower. Unlike refrigeration systems which recycle air within the
home, coolers blow large volumes of cooled outside air into the living areas, and this air
needs to be vented from the home. Ceiling vents make it possible to keep windows and
doors closed while the cooler is running. This is helpful for security.
25) What types of cooling media are available?
Cooler pads (sometimes called media) come in several alternatives.
The aspen wood fiber pads encased in chemically treated cheesecloth is widely used
option. Literally wood fibers are packed together loosely, which offer the least amount of
resistance to air flow through the cooler. This type of media was packed into 2" thick
slabs within a cloth mesh. This pad was held on a wire hanger frame to support it within
a metal frame. Water was introduced across the top of this pad and air was pulled
through it by a blower. The cooling efficiency was only about 50% which was relatively
poor. They may also produce debris in the water reservoir, increasing cooler
maintenance.
Some cooler manufacturers recommend a cellulose fiber media or a slab of expanded

paper to form a 2 thick media. This media is said to be uniform throughout, to provide
consistent cooling performance and to last for several seasons. They are superior to
spun aluminum and plastic pads available at hardware or do-it-yourself stores or
supermarkets. These are less expensive initially than aspen wood but may need to be
Page 38 of 55
changed several times in one cooling season. The newer single pad coolers require a
much thicker pad. This type of pad is more expensive than the traditional aspen wood
fiber pad but is designed to last for several years if the cooler is operated in compliance
with the owners manual.
The newest and most efficient media is Rigid Cooling Media. This media is usually used
in 12" thickness which performs at 90% efficiency. It is available in any thickness up to
24" which performs at (up to) 99% cooling efficiency. The construction of this media is
unique in that it has alternating, transverse flutes of 45 degrees and 15 degrees. The
45 degree flutes carry the water (introduced over the top of the media) to the front of
the media where the oncoming air forces it back into the media assisting in the thorough
wetting of the media. The air flows through the 15 degree flutes. This media is made
from a cellulose material with wetting agents and rigidifying saturants. The useful life of
this media is usually 2 to 6 or even more years. Refer to section on "Rigid Media" from
our home page for further information about this media.
26) Specify the design considerations for the selection of media pads
!" The thickness of the padding media plays a large part in cooling efficiency, allowing
longer air contact. The media shall be 12" thick for optimum saturation efficiency.
!" The most commonly selected evaporative media design face velocity is 500-600
FPM; however face velocities up to 750 FPM can be used. All selections with face
velocities over 600 fpm should be provided with PVC drift (air-borne moisture)
eliminator to prevent excessive carryover of moisture. Uniformly distributed air flow
across the media is essential for optimum equipment performance.
27) Specify the design considerations for air distribution
!" An evaporative cooling system requires higher airflow rates. Therefore, special
attention to duct design and sizing is required to avoid high fan energy costs.
Page 39 of 55
!" Proper air distribution and building relief is essential to maximize system
performance and operation. In addition, the total supply air volume should exceed
exhaust volume enough to slightly pressurize the building. [Ten percent (10%)
excess air minimum.]
!" A propeller or centrifugal fan (blower) provides the air flow across the wetted media.
The appropriate fan selection depends on the required static pressure, which is the
function of the resistance imposed to the airflow by the ductwork, wetted media,
filters and other fittings. For large scale distribution, requiring static pressure above
0.5 inch-WG, centrifugal fans is an appropriate selection.
28) Specify the design considerations for plumbing and recirculation pump
!" Recirculating Pump shall be a submersible pump(s) with a polypropylene body and
impeller, polypropylene base, polycarbonate cover, lifetime oil supply, non-clogging
impeller, and built-in overload protection. The pump shall be conservatively sized
typically three times the design evaporation rate.
!" Under upset conditions, the water level in the sump may fall below the level
necessary for safe (non-damaging) pump operation. The pump must shut off, if the
water level drops below a safe level. To accomplish this, install a water level switch
which monitors the sump water level and prevents pump operation until the sump
has filled to a safe operating level. An anti-siphon float valve shall be provided for
introducing makeup water to the sump.
!" All plumbing connections shall be stainless steel, welded to the housing or sump and
of the size scheduled on the drawings. Internal piping shall be copper for pressure
lines, PVC for recirculation pump discharge and header and overflow.
!" The distribution header should be of a cleanable design, with spray orifices designed
for complete and efficient water dispersal over the media.
!" Consider provision for bleeds off valve to drain a fixed amount of water so that the
mineral concentration is kept under control.
29) Specify the electrical and control options for evaporative coolers
Following controls need to be considered:
Low water level control consists of a float switch set to turn off the pump, if the sump
!"
water level drops to less than 6.
High water level control consists of a float switch to turn off the make up water inlet
!"
Page 40 of 55
and prevent unnecessary drainage of water through overflow.
Freeze protection control includes an outdoor air thermostat supply line fill and drain
!"
solenoid valves and a sump drain ball valve.
Conductivity controls to automatically control the bleed-off rate when the total
!"
dissolved solids (TDS) exceed permissible limits.
A Thermostat to shut-off the pump and/or fan, if the indoor temperature drops below
!"
the setpoint.
A Humidistat to shut-off the pump and/or fan, if the humidity exceeds the humidistat
!"
setpoint (normally about 90%).
All controls shall be 120 VAC or lower, routed through a single junction box. The
!"
wiring diagram for the evaporative cooling module shall be fully integrated with the air
handler controls.
30) Is there any advantage of using a thermostat with evaporative cooler?
A thermostat can be set to start the cooler when a certain temperature, for example 80
degrees, is reached in the home. When the cooler is not operating, it is using neither
water nor energy. Thermostats cost from $30.00 - $45.00. Timers can also be used to
start the cooler and begin the cooling of the home prior to the arrival of the family. The
use of 2 function thermostats starts the wetting of the cooler pads prior to air movement
and thus prevents the blowing of dry air into the residence.
31) Things to consider before deciding
The first is cost. Get at least three estimates from reliable cooling suppliers or
contractors, and dont forget to include the hidden costs, like installation, maintenance,
and operational costs of utilities (electricity and water).
Perhaps the greatest advantage of evaporative cooling is the low cost: about one-third
as much as refrigeration. The costs for operating a system will depend on the size and
number of units, and how homeowners choose to run the evaporative cooler or
refrigeration unit and the overall thermal properties of the home (insulation, thermal
mass, amount of window area, orientation of the structure).
The next consideration is comfort. Evaporative cooling cannot keep every home
comfortable all the time. A typical desert home will not be able to achieve temperatures
in what is usually considered the comfort range on days when the humidity is high.
Performance can be maximized, however, if all the windows are shaded from direct
Page 41 of 55
sunlight, the walls are properly insulated, and protected from direct sunlight, especially
on the east and west sides or passive solar concepts were used in the construction of
the home. Keep in mind that air movement, not just air temperature, contributes to
comfort: 82 feels like 75 in a moderate breeze.
32) What maintenance options needed for evaporative coolers?
A cooler should be inspected monthly and serviced as needed during operation. The
owners manual should be read to determine if more frequent servicing is required.
Before starting any maintenance operations, read all operating and maintenance
instructions and observe all cautions and warnings.
Since cooling efficiency is determined by how much water is evaporated, it is

important to see that the pads receive a uniform wetting and be thoroughly wet at all
times to provide the most cooling. Dry spots will greatly decrease cooling efficiency.
The more frequent pads are changed the better - don't try to get 2-3 years out of
pads. Twice a season is good (although seldom done, even at my house).
Water treatment - many types of cooler treatment tablets are available. These tablets
usually not only control corrosion but also freshen the air.
Oil the motor and bearings - Most evaporative cooler motors do have oil ports. Use
SAE #20 non-detergent oil.
Check for proper belt tension, and amp draw.
Water level in the reservoir should be checked periodically.
33) My cooler doesnt cool well and increases the humidity levels. Is there any
trouble shooting advice?
Follow the general trouble shooting advice for inadequate cooling:
PROBABLE CAUSE SUGGESTED REMEDIES
Cooler undersized Replace with larger cooler
Clogged or dirty filters Replace with pads
Dry pads or lack of water Check water distributing system for

while cooler is operating possible obstruction in tubing. Check
pump.
Insufficient air discharge Make sure there is adequate provision for
Page 42 of 55
openings or inadequate exhausting air from area being cooled.

exhaust from area being
cooled, causing humidity
building up and discomfort.
In some areas, there may be a few days

during the summer when the relative
Excessive humidity. humidity is high, resulting in complaints
(See also item above re: about poor cooling. The limitations of an
inadequate exhaust) evaporative cooler under conditions of
high wet bulb temperature should be
explained to the customer.
Blower turning backwards Reconnect motor for correct direction
Remove and reinstall blower wheel to

Blower installed backward
turn in correct direction
Check motor amps. If below name plate

Blower running too slow amperage, readjust variable pitch motor
pulley to increase blower speed.
34) What is the startup and commissioning requirements?
Check for correct airflow.
Check for correct water flow rate over the evaporative media.
Check the bleed-off rate of water from the evaporative system to ensure that it is
adequate to prevent mineral buildup but not too large to cause excessive water
consumption.
Verify all modes of operation.
35) Is there any specific code requirements?
System design and specifications must be reviewed and verified to assure that they
comply with all applicable local, state and federal codes. In general check the following:
!" In areas which require fireproof media, a UL-900-listed media can be used.
!" Some codes may place limits on the water volume allowed into the sanitary sewer
system. Consult your local municipality.
!" Most local codes permit the placement of PVC plumbing in an airstream entering the
facility. If the PVC piping is not acceptable, select the copper or stainless piping
option.
Page 43 of 55
Annexture-1
USEFUL DESIGN DATA

Table 1: Psychrometric Chart
Lbs
of
Temperature (Dry Bulb in F)
H2 O
per 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110
Lb
of
Dry Wb RH% Wb RH% Wb RH% Wb RH% Wb RH% Wb RH% Wb RH% Wb RH%
Air
.001 27 20 34 12 41 10 46 8 51 5 54 3 57 2 62 2
.002 32 40 36 28 43 19 47 12 53 10 57 7 60 5 63 4
.003 35 58 41 40 45 28 50 19 54 15 58 10 62 7 65 6
.004 36 75 43 51 47 38 52 26 56 19 59 13 63 10 66 8
.005 39 95 45 65 50 47 54 32 57 23 61 17 64 12 67 9
.006 x x 46 78 51 55 55 39 59 27 63 20 66 15 69 10
.007 x x 49 91 53 64 57 45 61 31 65 24 67 18 70 12
.008 x x x x 55 73 59 51 63 36 66 28 68 20 71 14
.009 x x x x 56 82 60 57 64 41 67 30 70 22 72 16
.010 x x x x 57 90 62 63 65 46 68 33 72 25 74 18
.011 x x x x 60 99 64 70 66 50 70 36 73 27 76 20
.012 x x x x x x 65 76 67 55 71 40 74 29 77 22
.013 x x x x x x 66 83 69 59 72 44 75 31 78 24
.014 x x x x x x 67 90 70 63 74 47 76 33 78 26
Page 44 of 55
Lbs
of
Temperature (Dry Bulb in F)
H2 O
per 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110
Lb
of
Dry Wb RH% Wb RH% Wb RH% Wb RH% Wb RH% Wb RH% Wb RH% Wb RH%
Air
.015 x x x x x x 69 95 72 68 75 50 77 36 79 27
.016 x x x x x x 70 99 73 72 76 53 78 39 81 29
.017 x x x x x x x x 74 76 77 57 79 42 82 31
.018 x x x x x x x x 75 80 77 59 80 45 82 33
.019 x x x x x x x x 76 85 78 62 81 47 83 35
.020 x x x x x x x x 77 90 80 65 82 49 84 37
.021 x x x x x x x x 78 95 81 69 83 51 85 39
.022 x x x x x x x x 79 99 82 72 84 53 86 40
.023 x x x x x x x x x x 83 75 85 55 87 41
.024 x x x x x x x x x x 84 78 86 58 88 42
.025 x x x x x x x x x x 85 81 87 60 89 43
.026 x x x x x x x x x x 86 85 88 62 90 44
.027 x x x x x x x x x x 87 88 89 65 91 46
.028 x x x x x x x x x x 88 91 90 67 92 47
.029 x x x x x x x x x x 89 95 91 69 93 49
.030 x x x x x x x x x x 90 99 92 71 94 51
Acronyms: Db is Dry Bulb temperature, Wb is Wet Bulb temperature, and #H2O is Pounds of
Page 45 of 55
moisture per pound of dry air which is a measure of absolute humidity. RH is Relative
Humidity.
Read the chart by finding the known elements, such as Dry Bulb and Relative Humidity and
move horizontal to find the Wet Bulb and pounds of moisture per pound of dry air i.e. the
weather forecast is for 100 at 15% Relative Humidity. You will find that the Web Bulb is 66
and the pound of moisture is .006 per pound of dry air. Knowing the wet bulb will allow you
to determine the Wet Bulb depression.
The Psychrometric chart will provide you the necessary information to design systems, predict
outcomes and many other useful applications of the information! This chart is digitalized to
make it simpler to use. It is necessary to interpolate and extrapolate accordingly for those in-
between conditions not directly covered in the above chart i.e. if 105 degrees was the
temperature to use, then it would be necessary to interpolate the available data to reach the
right conclusion. In this instance, the Wet Bulb would be 67.5 degrees. This chart is
intended to be reasonably accurate at sea level and should be within 5%. If greater
accuracy is required, it is recommended that you use the proper Psychrometric chart for the
elevation desired or make proper adjustments for elevation (barometric pressure).
Table 2: Evaporation Rate (Gallons per Hour evaporated per 1000 CFM)
Wet bulb Saturation Efficiency

Depression
(F) 0.80 0.82 0.84 0.86 0.88 0.90 .092 0.94 0.96 0.98
5 0.50 0.51 0.52 0.53 0.55 0.56 0.57 0.58 0.60 0.61
10 0.99 1.02 1.04 1.07 1.09 1.12 1.14 1.17 1.19 1.22
15 1.49 1.53 1.56 1.60 1.64 1.68 1.71 1.75 1.79 1.83
20 1.99 2.04 2.09 2.14 2.19 2.23 2.28 2.33 2.38 2.43
25 2.48 2.55 2.61 2.67 2.73 2.79 2.86 2.92 2.98 3.04
30 2.98 3.05 3.13 3.20 3.28 3.35 3.43 3.50 3.58 3.65
35 3.48 3.56 3.65 3.74 3.82 3.91 4.00 4.08 4.17 4.26
40 3.97 4.07 4.17 4.27 4.37 4.47 4.57 4.67 4.77 4.87
Page 46 of 55
Wet bulb Saturation Efficiency

Depression
(F) 0.80 0.82 0.84 0.86 0.88 0.90 .092 0.94 0.96 0.98
45 4.47 4.58 4.69 4.80 4.92 5.03 5.14 5.25 5.36 5.48
To determine Gallons per Minute divide by 60. Formula to determine evaporation rate is
shown in formulas section.
Table 3: Dry Bulb Temperature drop across media (@ 500 FPM face velocity)
Wet bulb Media Thickness

Depression
(F) 4" 6" 8" 12" 18" 24"
10.0 5.3 6.8 7.9 8.9 9.8 9.9
12.5 6.6 8.5 9.8 11.1 12.2 12.3
15.0 7.9 10.2 11.8 13.3 14.6 14.8
17.5 9.2 11.9 13.8 15.6 17.1 17.3
20.0 10.5 13.6 15.8 17.8 19.5 19.7
22.5 11.8 15.3 17.7 20.0 21.9 22.2
25.0 13.2 17.0 19.7 22.2 24.4 24.7
27.5 14.5 18.7 21.7 24.4 26.8 27.2
30.0 15.8 20.4 23.6 26.7 29.3 29.6
32.5 17.1 22.1 25.6 28.9 31.7 32.1
35.0 18.4 23.8 27.6 31.1 34.1 34.6
37.5 19.7 25.5 29.5 33.3 36.6 37.0
40.0 21.1 27.2 31.5 35.6 39.0 39.5
Page 47 of 55
Note: 12" thick media @ 500 FPM face velocity is the preferred design. This is the best
trade-off between performance and cost.
Table 4: Saturation Efficiency
The following table defines the saturation efficiency by media thickness and face velocity.
Efficiency & Pressure Drop Data is based on the field performance information and is
approximate.
Percent Media Efficiency at Media

Static Pressure Drop at Media Depth:
Face Depth:
Velocity
4 6 8 12 18 24 4" 6" 8" 12" 16" 24"
200 FPM 71% 86% 91% 98% 99% 99% 0.02" 0.03" 0.04" 0.06" 0.08" 0.09"
300 FPM 67% 81% 88% 96% 98% 99% 0.03" 0.05" 0.07" 0.10" 0.13" 0.19"
400 FPM 62% 77% 84% 94% 97% 99% 0.05" 0.09" 0.11" 0.18" 0.25" 0.31"
500 FPM 59% 72% 82% 92% 96% 99% 0.09" 0.12" 0.17" 0.26" 0.36" 0.50"
600 FPM 57% 70% 80% 91% 95% 99% 0.12" 0.18" 0.22" 0.36"
Note: Face velocities higher than 600 FPM are not recommended as it will lead to excessive
moisture carryover problems. Example: At air velocity of 500 FPM and media thickness of
12", the saturation efficiency will be 92%. Recommended design velocity is 500 - 550 feet
per minute. This is the best trade-off between performance and cost.
Table 5: Air Density Ratio (Density Ratio for Various Elevations and Temperatures)
Temp Elevation (ft)/Inches Hg

(F)
0/ 1000/ 2000/ 3000/ 4000/ 5000/ 6000/ 7000/ 8000/ 9000/ 10000/
29.92 28.86 27.82 26.82 25.84 24.90 23.98 23.09 22.22 21.39 20.58
68 1.00 0.97 0.93 0.90 0.87 0.84 0.80 0.77 0.75 0.72 0.69
70 1.00 0.96 0.93 0.90 0.86 0.83 0.80 0.77 0.74 0.71 0.69
Page 48 of 55
Temp Elevation (ft)/Inches Hg

(F)
0/ 1000/ 2000/ 3000/ 4000/ 5000/ 6000/ 7000/ 8000/ 9000/ 10000/
29.92 28.86 27.82 26.82 25.84 24.90 23.98 23.09 22.22 21.39 20.58
72 1.00 0.96 0.93 0.89 0.86 0.83 0.80 0.77 0.74 0.71 0.69
74 0.99 0.96 0.92 0.89 0.86 0.83 0.80 0.77 0.74 0.71 0.68
76 0.99 0.95 0.92 0.89 0.85 0.82 0.79 0.76 0.73 0.71 0.68
78 0.99 0.95 0.92 0.88 0.85 0.82 0.79 0.76 0.73 0.70 0.68
80 0.98 0.95 0.91 0.88 0.85 0.82 0.79 0.76 0.73 0.70 0.68
Table 6: Suggested Air Changes per hour

NOTE1
Temperature ambient
Above 78(F) 20 degrees (F) 30 to 60
76 (F) to 78 (F) 15 to 20 (F) 20 to 40
74 (F) to 76 (F) 10 to 15 (F) 15 to 30
72 (F) to 74 (F) 5 to 10 (F) 12 to 20
under 72 degrees
less than 10 (F) 10 to 15
(F)
Note1 - Average amount indoor temperature exceeds the outdoor temperature when
evaporative cooling is not in use. For example, say in an industrial building due to machinery
heat load the indoor temperature may raise to 20F over ambient temperature without any
ventilation/evaporative cooling in place.
Note 2 - The air change column indicates a range of frequency and is used in determining air
volume requirements.
Page 49 of 55
Table 7: Climate Design Conditions (USA)
The following table includes climate design conditions for selected cities around the USA. The
co-incident Dry Bulb/Wet Bulb temperatures are those not exceeded more than 1% of the
time for a four (4) month period, June through September. The Design Wet Bulb (DWb) is
representative of Wet Bulb alone not exceeding shown temperature more than 1% of the time
during the same 4 months and not co-incident with Dry Bulb temperature.
State & Station Elev Design Condition -- State & Station Elev Design Condition
- Feet Db Wb DWb -- - Feet Db Wb DWb
Alabama: - - - - -- Alaska: - - - -
Auburn 730 96 77 79 -- Anchorage 90 71 59 60
Birmingham 610 96 74 78 -- Fairbanks 436 82 62 64
Decatur 580 95 75 78 -- Arizona: - - - -
Dothan 321 94 76 80 -- Douglas 4098 98 63 70
Florence 528 97 74 78 -- Flagstaff 6973 84 55 61
Gadsden 570 96 75 78 -- Kingman 3446 103 65 70
Huntsville 619 95 75 78 -- Nogales 3800 99 64 71
Mobile 211 95 77 80 -- Phoenix 1117 109 71 76
Montgomery 195 96 76 79 -- Prescott 5014 96 61 66
Talladega 565 97 77 79 -- Tucson 2584 104 66 72
Tuscaloosa 170 98 75 79 -- Winslow 4880 97 61 66
Page 50 of 55
Arkansas: - - - - -- Yuma 199 111 72 79
Fort Smith 449 101 75 80 -- California: - - - -
Hot Springs 535 101 77 80 -- Bakersfield 495 104 70 73
Little Rock 257 99 76 80 -- Barstow 2142 106 68 73
Texarkana 361 98 76 80 -- Blythe 390 112 71 75
Colorado: - - - - -- Burbank 699 95 68 71
Boulder 5385 93 59 64 -- Chico 205 103 69 71
Colorado Springs 6173 91 58 63 -- El Centro -30 112 74 81
Denver 5283 93 59 64 -- Eureaka 217 68 60 62
Pueblo 4639 97 61 67 -- Fresno 326 102 70 72
Idaho: - - - - -- Los Angeles 99 83 68 70
Boise 2842 96 65 68 -- Needles 913 112 71 75
Idaho Falls 4730 89 61 65 -- Oakland A 3 85 64 66
Lewiston 1413 96 65 67 -- Palm Springs 411 112 71 76
Pocatello 4444 94 61 64 -- Pasadena 864 98 69 73
Page 51 of 55
Twin Falls 4148 99 62 64 -- Pomona 871 102 70 74
Illinois: - - - - -- Riverside 1511 100 68 72
Champaign 743 95 75 78 -- Sacramento 17 101 70 72
Chicago 594 94 75 79 -- San Bernardino 1125 102 70 74
Danville 558 93 75 78 -- San Diego 19 83 69 71
Joliet 588 93 75 78 -- San Francisco 8 82 64 65
Peoria 652 91 75 78 -- San Jose 70 85 66 68
Rantoul 740 94 75 78 -- Santa Ana 115 89 69 71
Indiana: - - - - -- Stockton 28 100 69 71
Anderson 847 95 76 79 -- Iowa: - - - -
Bloomington 820 95 76 79 -- Cedar Rapids 863 91 76 78
Columbus 661 95 76 79 -- Des Moines 948 94 75 78
Fort Wayne 791 92 73 77 -- Sioux City 1095 95 74 78
Indianapolis 793 92 74 78 -- Kansas: - - - -
Kentucky: - - - - -- Topeka 877 99 75 79
Page 52 of 55
Lexington 979 93 73 77 -- Witchita 1321 101 72 77
Louisville 474 95 74 79 -- Michigan: - - - -
Missouri: - - - - -- Detroit 633 91 73 76
Farmington 928 96 76 78 -- Grand Rapids 681 91 72 75
St Joseph 809 96 77 81 -- Pontiac 974 90 73 76
St Louis 465 98 75 78 -- Montana: - - - -
Nebraska: - - - - -- Billings 3567 94 64 67
N. Platte 2779 97 69 74 -- Butte 5526 86 58 60
Omaha 978 94 76 78 -- Great Falls 3664 91 60 64
Nevada: - - - - -- Helena 3893 91 60 64
Las Vegas 2162 108 66 71 -- New Mexico: - - - -
Reno 4490 96 61 64 -- Albuquerque 5310 96 61 66
North Dakota: - - - - -- Clovis 4279 95 65 69
Bismark 1647 95 68 73 -- Farmington 5495 95 63 67
Fargo 900 92 73 76 -- Gallup 6465 90 59 64
Page 53 of 55
Ohio: - - - - -- Los Alamos 7410 89 60 62
Akron 1210 89 72 75 -- Santa Fe 7045 90 61 63
Cincinnati 761 92 73 77 -- Oklahoma: - - - -
Cleveland 777 91 73 76 -- Norman 1109 99 74 77
Oregon: - - - - -- Oklahoma City 1280 100 74 78
Corvallis 221 92 67 69 -- Tulsa 650 101 74 79
Klamath Falls 4091 90 61 63 -- South Dakota: - - - -
Portland 57 90 68 69 -- Rapid City 3165 95 66 71
Tennessee: - - - - -- Sioux Falls 1420 94 73 76
Knoxville 980 94 74 77 -- Texas: - - - -
Memphis 263 98 77 80 -- Abilene 1759 101 71 75
Nashville 577 97 75 78 -- Amarillo 3607 98 67 71
Utah: - - - - -- Austin 597 100 74 78
Ogden 4455 93 63 66 -- Beaumont 18 95 79 81
Provo 4470 98 62 66 -- Brownsville 16 94 77 80
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Salt Lake City 4220 97 62 66 -- Dallas 481 102 75 78
Washington: - - - - -- El Paso 3918 100 64 69
Longview 12 88 68 69 -- Houston 158 97 77 80
Larson AFB 1183 97 66 67 -- San Antonio 792 99 72 77
Spokane 2357 93 64 65 -- Wyoming: - - - -
Yakima 1061 96 65 68 -- Casper 5319 92 58 63
(Based on ASHRAE Handbook 1981 Fundamentals Design Dry Bulb with Co-incident Wet Bulb
1% scale)
Note: Climate conditions above are shown for the convenience of the user and accuracy is
not guaranteed for system design.
Page 55 of 55

M231content PDF

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PDHonline Course M231 (4 PDH)

Principles of Evaporative Cooling System

Instructor: A. Bhatia, B.E.

PDH Online | PDH Center

An Approved Continuing Education Provider

Principles of Evaporative Cooling System

The evaporator cooling technology is an energy-efficient alternative to compressor-based

This course reviews the above criteria in detail.

SECTION 1 PRINCIPLES OF EVAPORATIVE COOLING

Relative humidity is determined by comparing the "wet-bulb" and "dry-bulb" temperature

The Cooling Processes on Psychrometric Chart

The cooling processes in Psychrometric Chart are illustrated below:

enthalpy process (technically termed as adiabatic process).

Key Evaporative Cooling Terms

4) Evaporative Cooling Performance Factors: The evaporative cooler performance is

5) Evaporation Rate: Evaporation rate is measure of the capacity of air to absorb

Evaporative Cooling Example

Conditions of Air entering evaporative cooler (Point A on the chart)

1) Dry Bulb temperature 88F

2) Wet Bulb temperature 68F

3) Relative Humidity 36%

Achievable temperature = dry bulb - temp drop achievable

Conditions of Air leaving evaporative cooler (Point B on the chart)

Dry Bulb temperature 70 F

Wet Bulb temperature 68 F

Relative Humidity 92%

Final Conditions of Air in Area being cooled

1) Evaporative cooling is represented on the Psychrometric Chart by constant wet bulb

SECTION 2 WHY CHOOSE EVAPORATIVE COOLING

Energy Cost Savings

Evaporative air-cooling creates cooler temperatures a number of ways:

1) It lowers effective temperature - the temperature you feel - by at least an additional 4 to

In a large number of industries, it is normal in hot weather to experience increased heat-

Health & Environment Benefits:

Evaporative cooling is healthy and comfortable because it:

2) Comfort is improved with air movement- not stuffy & stale

6) Evaporative cooling is also an environmentally-friendly alternative to air conditioning since

Limitations & Disadvantages:

The evaporative coolers have some limitations and disadvantages:

1) Evaporative coolers are not effective in the humid regions.

5) Evaporative coolers use on-site water.

Section -3 TYPES OF EVAPORATIVE COOLING SYSTEMS

Direct Evaporative Cooling (open circuit)

Indirect Evaporative Cooling (closed circuit)

The efficiency of indirect cooling is in the range of 60-70%.

Two-stage Indirect/direct Evaporative Cooling

Comparison of Direct, Indirect and Two - Stage Cooling

1) Temperature reduction achievable using Direct Evaporative Cooling

A. Temp drop achievable = (dry bulb -

B. Achievable temp = dry bulb - temp

*Because cooling is achieved by same.

adding moisture to the supply air

2) Temperature reduction achievable using Indirect Evaporative Cooling

A. Temp drop achievable = (dry bulb

B. Achievable temp = dry bulb temp

Starting DB: 86 Note that with indirect evaporative

Ending WB: 61.4

*Because no moisture is added to the

3) Temperature reduction achievable using Two-stage Indirect/Direct Evaporative

First calculate the dry bulb and wet

A. Temp drop achievable = (dry bulb

Example: (86o - 66o) x .7 = 14o

B. Achievable temp = dry bulb - temp

Starting DB /WB: 86o / 66o

Then use the dry bulb/wet bulb values

C. Temp drop achievable: (dry bulb -

D. Achievable temp = dry bulb - temp

Example: 72o - 9.5o = 62.5o DB

Results after stage -2, direct

Starting DB /WB: 72o / 61.4o

Net results after stage-1 & 2

Starting DB /WB: 86o / 66o

18) Sensible BTU = CFM 1.08 [IDB - LDB]