Adiabatic liquid cooler pump
Intelligent software for full-automatic water and energy savings according to actual thermal load and outdoor temperatures. Microprocessor control with digital monitoring of: Sophisticated alarm system and automatic equalization of working time of all components fans and pumps. Excellent quality of water, almost maintenance-free.
No scale accumulation on heat-exchangers and circuits. Cooling conditions governed by automatic microprocessor control.
Easy to maintain or repair. No process water consumption. No continuous chemical consumption for water treatment or heat exchanger cleaning. No contaminated fluid disposal. No overheating of equipment, constant efficiency of heat exchangers. Condensers of central or process water-cooled chillers. The circuits are designed for counter flow and staggered pitch configuration.
The 3DK features axial fans in die-cast aluminium, with brushless DC motors and automatic control of fans speed. A much more quiet operation. Increased reliability and durability. Stainless Steel Frame and Support Structure, with high resistant aluminium closed panels on sides. Electrical panel, installed inside the machine with door interlocked isolator and thermal switch protection for each fan; easily connectable to the remote control panel.
A device ensures its total evaporation in the air flow, before it reaches the aluminium pack. Hence, it will NOT produce scale accumulation on the fins. The product usually has left and right hand side heat transfer coils 16 and Coils 16 and 24 may be in the same or different refrigerant or fluid cooling circuits.
Coil 16 has an inlet pipe 17 and outlet pipe 13 as does coil 24 shown as 28 and 29 respectively. Adiabatic pads 14 and 25 are located outside of the coils 16 and 24 on the ambient fresh air entering the adiabatic condenser Fresh ambient air flows in through the adiabatic pads 14 and 25, then generally crossways and up through the coils 16 and 24 then out through the fan 21 and motor 22 assembly.
When ambient air temperature sensor 15 senses a temperature that is above a preselected set point, the water mode is energized regardless of the load on the adiabatic condenser 10 or whether the fans can produce enough cooling without water being used.
When the water mode is energized, pump 12 is turned on by the controller in control box Pump 12 pumps water from water sump 11 through spray branches 20 and out of nozzles or orifices 18 then onto the top of adiabatic pads 14 and The evaporative fluid, usually water then flows generally downward through the adiabatic pads and evaporates which cools the incoming air.
The optimum performance is the adiabatic pads to drop the adiabatic pad inlet dry bulb temperature to equal the wet bulb temperature. For example, if the ambient outdoor dry bulb temperature at the adiabatic pad inlet is 95F, and the outdoor ambient wet bulb temperature is 75F, then the coldest the adiabatic pads could reduce the temperature at the adiabatic pad outlet is 75F.
Figure 2, shows preferred embodiment of an adiabatic condenser or fluid cooler 40 with advanced controls Controller 45 selectively operates the speed and direction of variable speed motor 55 which drives fan 54 and brings on and off pump 42 to pump water from sump 41 when adiabatic cooling is desired, it should be noted that pump 42 can be replaced with a fresh water supply to supply fresh water to the adiabatic pads and is not a limitation of the invention, it should also be noted that some adiabatic pads are designed to wick water into them and therefore a pump may not be needed in this ease and s not a limitation of the invention.
It should also be noted that fan motors 55 may be staged so that they be selectively turned off and on separately when not required, A pressure sensor 49 is placed on the inlet or alternatively on the outlet of coil 48 to measure and feedback the pressure of the refrigerant via control line 56 back to controller 45, If coil 48 is a fluid cooler, sensor 49 may be a temperature sensor, if the refrigerant, in coil 57 is different than coil 48, then two pressure sensors, one for each coil may be used.
It should be recognized that units may have single or multiple refrigerant or fluid cooler circuits and is not a limitation of this invention. Temperature sensor location 50 is placed after meaning on the air inlet side the adiabatic pads 44 but before coils 48 and 57 to measure air temperature after meaning on the air outlet side the adiabatic pads while the temperature sensor 46 measures outdoor ambient air temperature before the adiabatic pads. Alternatively, sensors 46 and 50 may be any type of sensor known in the art, such as an RH sensor, to measure the condition of the air before and after the adiabatic pads.
It should be noted that in an effort to save water, even when the water pump could be operated, controller 45 may selectively choose to not operate water pump 42 during ambient conditions which are determined that evaporation is not beneficial, such as when it is raining. Or controller 45 may choose to change the water flow rate to the adiabatic pads or control which pads operate wet and which can operate dry depending on the if the heat exchange performance requirement is being met on one circuit compared to the other.
Conductivity or water quality sensor 43 measures the conductivity or quality of the spray water 52 inside spray water pipes 53 and feeds the signal to controller 45 via sensor wire Sensor 43 may alternatively be mounted in the sump. Controller 45 will control valve 61 via control wire 62 to selectively dump all or some of the water from unit 40 when the conductivity or water quality of the water is unacceptable.
Control panel 51 contains controller 45 which controls the operation and operating modes of unit Controller 45 may have one or more of inputs 47 energy cost 58 water cost 59 peak demand electricity charges 46 outdoor ambient temperature 49 coil 48 and coil 57 operating pressure and 50 air temperature entering coils 48 and 57 to determine which mode of operation to use.
Sensor 63, 64 and 65, typically known as pressure sensors, are used by controller 45 to sense when either the adiabatic pads or indirect coils are dirty. When either the pads or indirect coils are sensed as being dirty, controller 45 may send an alarm to the customer. Figure 3, shows an improved adiabatic condenser or fluid cooler embodiment 30 which includes a coil cleaning mode. In this embodiment, the airflow may be reversed so it enters through the fan 35 generally downward and is pushed out through the coils 34 and 39 so as to force accumulated dirt deposits back out of the coils.
There may also be coil spray washers 33 inside of the unit to spray water directly onto and through coil 34 to assist in washing the accumulated dirt and debris off of coils 34 and A water connection point 31 and a water valve 32 with control wire 37 are provided so fresh water can be piped to the spray washers 33 and controlled selectively with the fan 35 running backwards by reversing motor 36 via controller The coil cleaning mode may run during the cooling mode or can r n when there is no demand for cooling.
Figure 4, shows embodiment of an adiabatic condenser or fluid cooler 70 which includes swing away adiabatic pads 74 shown open and 82 show r n closed so that outdoor ambient air may bypass a majority of adiabatic pads 74 and pass directly to coils 76 and 77 when adiabatic pads 74 and 82 are not needed. Controller 75 selectively operates actuator 86 and 87 via control wires 83 and 84 to move linkages 79 and 80 which can open and close swing away adiabatic pads 74 and 82 when desired.
Adiabatic pads 74 and 82 may be opened with actuators, pistons or any other equivalent device it should be noted that the benefits of allowing air to bypass the adiabatic pads are to decrease air pressure drop the fan system sees, thereby increasing the efficiency of the unit during dry operating modes, and al so when the adiabatic pads are being bypassed, they will remain cleaner longer.
Figure 5, is another embodiment of an adiabatic condenser or fluid cooler 90 showing swing away pads 91 that shows the pads lifting up out. In this embodiment, adiabatic pads 91 may be swung away from coils 94 and 95 by piston actuator Adiabatic pads 92 are shown in the closed operating mode.
Hinge 93 keeps the top of adiabatic pads connected to embodiment Figure 6, shows another embodiment of an adiabatic condenser or fluid cooler that allows the bypass of a majority of outdoor ambient air around adiabatic pads when desired. In this embodiment, adiabatic pads are moved further away from the coils and such that air bypass louvers may be installed and selectively operated by controller During the air bypass mode, air bypass louvers may be selectively opened allowing fresh air to directly enter into coils and through openings Figures 4, 5 and 6 show embodiments to bypass fresh air around the adiabatic pads.
The adiabatic pads may also be flexible and folded like an accordion or mounted on a flexible track such as a garage door track where the pads are moved out of the way being driven on the track. Users in the art will recognize there are other methods to allow fresh air to bypass the adiabatic pads and is not a limitation of the invention. Figure 7, shows the energy saved when operating in energy savings mode. When the unit is not operating at full load it will utilize water passing through the adiabatic pads to cool the incoming air.
The cooler incoming air will allow the fan motors to run at a slower speed which will reduce electricity use. Figure 8, shows the water saved when operating in water savings mode. When the unit is not operating at full load it will turn the water off to minimize water use.
Figure 9, shows the energy savings by automatically switching modes. This chart shows an example where water costs stay the same in a day but energy costs rise in the afternoon. By switching to energy savings mode the unit can minimize the total, energy costs. Figure 10 shows another embodiment of an adiabatic condenser or fluid cooler that operates much like the embodiment in Figure 2 except instead of employing adiabatic pads, there is a water spray system, which sprays water to evaporate into the air entering the indirect heat exchanger and thereby reducing temperature lower than ambient temperature , In this embodiment, water it supplied to water inlet , Controller selectively operates valve to allow water to flow through water distribution pipe , to nozzles or orifice and to provide mist or spray 1 17 that evaporates into the air before it enters indirect coil 1 12 and As the case in the embodiment in Figure 2, controller receives inputs from , energy cost, , water cost and , peak demand, system operating condition 11 1 via sensor line Country of ref document: Kind code of ref document: Ref legal event code: Date of ref document: An adiabatic condenser or fluid cooler is provided, A condensing or fluid cooling col!
An adiabatic pad is provided wherein water can be used to cool the ambient air before entering or impacting the condensing or fluid cooling coil. Controls are provided that can adjust or eliminate the amount of water flowing over the adiabatic pad. The adiabatic pad may al so be physically moved to allow ambient air to directly impact, the condensing or fluid cooling coil. Adiabatic Refrigerant Condenser Controls System Background of Invention This invention relates to improvements in the design of an adiabatic condenser or fluid cooler.
With this information, the controls can determine the mode of operation that provides the lowest cost of ownership to the customer. The present water savings mode is different in that the entire pan water is dumped and flushed, and it is essential to not do this unless it is indicated by water conductivity for water savings.
The control system can control each side independently for systems that operate two separate refrigerant loops operating at different condensing temperatures or in tandem. Description of the Embodiments Referring now to Figure 1, a prior art adiabatic condenser or fluid cooler 10 is shown.
What is claimed is:. The method of operating the heat exchange assembly of claim 7 wherein the pads of the air cooler moisture absorbent material are hung from an upper swivel and are rotated about, the swivel. The method of operating the heat exchange assembly of claim 7 wherein the pads of the air cooler moisture absorbent material are supported at an upper edge and a lower edge, and the structural pads are moved laterally outwardly from a position adjacent the indirect heat exchange section.
The method of operation of the heat exchange unit of claim 1 wherein the air cooler and the indirect heat exchange section have air bypass dampers that are selectively operable to bypass air around the air cooler section to allow air to be drawn directly into the indirect heat exchange section.
The method of operating the heat exchange unit of claim 1 wherein the indirect heat exchange section is comprised of a coil assembly with thermally conductive tubing. The method of operating the heat exchange assembly of claim 1 further comprising. The method of operating the heat exchange assembly of claim 1 further comprising a seventh sensing control device that receives a signal with information that the cooler pads are dirty to provide for efficient operation of the heat exchange assembly.
A method of controlling the operation of a heat exchange unit comprising providing:. The method of operation of the heat exchange unit of claim 16 further comprising providing. The method of operation of the heat exchange unit of claim 19 wherein the fourth sensing control device al lows water to be supplied to the air cooler moisture absorbing material when the fan is operating at maximum speed and a heat exchange performance requirement of the heat exchange unit is not being me t. The method of operation of the heat exchange unit of claim 16 wherein the variable speed motor is operated in a reverse mode such that air is drawn by the fan into the heat exchange assembly thereby blowing accumulated debris and dirt from the indirect heat exchange section and from the air cooler.
The method of operation of the heat exchange unit of claim 16 wherein the air cooler moisture absorbent material is present in the form of pads, and that the pads can be moved from their position adjacent the indirect heat exchange section to allow air to bypass the air cooler and to be drawn by the fan into direct contact with the indirect heat exchange section.
The method of operation of the heat exchange uni t of claim 22 wherein the pads of the air cooler moisture absorbent material are hung from an upper swivel and are rotated about the swivel. The method of operation of the heat exchange unit of claim 22 wherein the pads of the air cooler moisture absorbent material are supported at an upper edge and a lower edge, and the structural pads are moved laterally outwardly from a position adjacent the indirect heat exchange section.
The method of operation of the heat exchange unit of claim 16 wherein the air cooler and the indirect heat exchange section are separated by a distance along a path of air flow from the air cooler to the indirect heat exchange section to reduce the likelihood of moisture in a liquid state passing from the moisture absorbent material of the air cooler and impinging upon the indirect heat exchange section.
The method of operation of the heat exchange unit of claim 16 wherein the indirect heat exchange section is comprised of a coil assembly with thermally conductive tubing. The method of operating the heat exchange unit of claim 16 further comprising a fifth sensing control device that receives a signal with information relating to the cost of electricity and in turn controls the variable speed motor to provide for efficient operation of the heat exchange unit.
The method of operating the heat exchange unit of claim 16 further comprising a sixth sensing control device that receives a signal with information relating to the cost of water and in turn controls the variable speed motor to provide for efficient operation of the heat exchange unit.
The method of operating the heat exchange assembly of claim 29 further comprising providing a fourth sensing control device for operating the heat exchange assembly in a water saving mode whereby the variable speed motor driving the fan is operated at up to maximum speed and the water distribution system is not supplying water to the air cooler water spray system.
The method of operating the heat exchange assembly of claim 26 wherein the variable speed motor is operated in a reverse mode such that air is drawn by the fan into the heat exchange assembly thereby blowing accumulated debris and dirt from the indirect heat exchange section.
The method of operating the heat exchange unit of claim 29 wherein the indirect heat exchange section is comprised of a coil assembly with thermally conductive tubing. The method of operating the heat exchange assembly of claim 29 further comprising a fifth sensing control device that receives a signal with information relating to the cost of electricity and in turn controls the variable speed motor to provide for efficient operation of the heat exchange assembly.
The method of operating the heat exchange assembly of claim 29 further comprising a sixth sensing control device that receives a signal with information relating to the cost of water and in turn controls the variable speed motor to provide for efficient operation of the heat exchange assembly.
US USA1 en CA CAA1 en EP EPA4 en CN CNA en Cooling apparatus and methods for re-cooling of liquids in closed hydraulic systems. Microbiological control of recirculating water in evaporative cooling systems at idle conditions.
System and method for controlling supply fan speed within a variable air volume system. Actuating unit for a heat exchanger, heat exchanger, and a method for controlling a heat exchanger. EP Kind code of ref document: BR Ref legal event code: