Energy-saving potential of an indirect evaporative cooler

In many parts of the world, large differences between the dry-bulb and wet-bulb temperatures during the summer season can be used advantageously to pre-cool fresh air for air-conditioned space using an indirect evaporative cooler (IEC). This paper presents an analytical evaluation using the field performance results of a 1180 L/s (2500 ft(3)/min) IEC unit and the recorded weather data in coastal and interior locations in Kuwait. Estimated cooling capacity of the IEC is 3.1 and 2.3 tons of refrigeration (RT, 1 RT = 3.517 kW of heat absorption), for the interior and the coastal areas, respectively. Furthermore, the power requirements of a conventional packaged unit air-conditioner (PU) to produce this cooling in these respective areas are 4.93 and 3.85 kW compared with only 1.11 kW needed by the IEC. Also, the seasonal energy savings of the IEC are 12,418 and 6320 kWh, for the interior and coastal areas, respectively. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.