Improving efficiency and lowering operating costs of evaporative cooling

¹ Cracow University of Technology, Department of Power Engineering, Al. Jana Pawla II 37, 31-864 Cracow
² Cracow University of Technology, Department of Thermal Processes, Air Protection, and Waste Utilisation S-5, ul. Warszawska 24, 31-155 Cracow

^* Corresponding author: bartosz.jagiela@doktorant.pk.edu.pl

Abstract

Cooling towers, or so-called evaporation towers, use the natural effect of water evaporation to dissipate heat in industrial and comfort installations. Water, until it changes its state of aggregation, from liquid to gas, consumes energy (2.257 kJ/kg). By consuming this energy, it lowers the air temperature to the wet-bulb temperature, thanks to which the medium can be cooled below the ambient temperature. Evaporative solutions are characterized by continuous water evaporation (approx. 1.5% of the total water flow) and low electricity consumption (high EER). Evaporative (adiabatic) cooling also has a positive effect on the reduction of electricity consumption of cooled machines. Lowering the relative humidity (RH) by approx. 2% lowers the wet-bulb temperature by approx. 0.5°C, which increases the efficiency of the tower, operating in an open circuit, expressed in kW, by approx. 5%, while reducing water consumption and treatment costs. The use of the M-Cycle (Maisotsenko cycle) to lower the temperature of the wet thermometer to the dew point temperature will reduce operating costs and increase the efficiency of cooled machines.