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The patented Coolerado heat and mass exchanger was developed to
economically take advantage of the Maisotsenko Cycle. A heat and
mass exchanger consists of several plates (the actual number varies
application to application) of a cellulose-blended fiber that is
designed to wick water evenly. The plates are stacked on each
other, separated by channel guides. One side of each plate is also coated with polyethylene.
The channel guides that are attached to the polyethylene sides of the
plate run along the length of the plate. The guides that are
placed on the cellulose fiber side of the plate run along the width of the
plate forming a
grid structure within the exchanger. These channel guides are
fabricated from an Ethyl Vinyl Acetate (EVA). Their
purpose is to provide structure to the exchanger as well as guide air
movement within the exchanger.
When assembled, the plastic coated side of the top
plate is placed
facing down, while the coated side of the second plate is placed facing up.
These two plastic-coated plates, when placed together form a dry channel.
Conversely, the underside of the second plate, which is uncoated cellulose, is placed with the third
plate, uncoated side-up, to form a wet channel.
The exchanger has a trough shape that directs water to drain holes in the
trough. The polyethylene coating prevents the dry channel from becoming wet
while the troughs guide the water to the non-coated surface of a wet channel
below. Through the natural capillary capabilities of the cellulose, the
water is evenly distributed through the wet channels resulting in
alternating wet and dry channels.
Within the exchanger, the cycle divides the incoming air stream into
product air and working air. The product air is always separate from the
working air. The product air remains within the plastic coated dry channels the entire length of
the exchanger.
The product
air is cooled sensibly (rejecting its heat
to the working air), and can be designed to cool below the wet bulb and near the dew point
temperature. The product air travels the distance of the exchanger and into the space
designated for cooling.
The working air channels (the inner-most channels) are blocked at the
opposite end of the inlet, preventing the air from ever reaching the
product air or cooling space. Upon entering the exchanger, the working
air
is pre-cooled sensibly in a dry channel. Then, through the design of the
heat and mass exchanger, the working air is fractioned into multiple
streams which are directed into wet channels.
The heat from the product air is rejected to the working air in the wet
channels and then exhausted out of the sides of the exchanger. The special
cellulous material used in the manufacture of the exchanger acts as a
natural capillary wick within wet channels. The natural wicking assures
uniform wetting within the heat exchanger with no excess water, thereby
focusing the energy removal on the cooling of the product air stream. The
wicking nature of the cellulose material also helps break down the surface
tension of the water, resulting in a higher mass and heat transfer rate.
Because the heat from the product air is rejected to the working air
through the heat exchange surface of the exchanger, only the product air
experiences sensible cooling. The product stream is completely separate from
the working air and never comes in contact with a wetted surface unless it
is desirable for the application. This cycle occurs multiple times in a
short physical space within the same exchanger, resulting in progressively
colder temperature as the product air continues to flow across the working
air.
The size and shape of the Coolerado Cooler is dependent on the user
requirements. With the Coolerado Cooler computer modeling program we can design for
specific needs. In addition, the product air to working air ratio can
be adjusted for a particular application.
For a more detailed explanation of the Maisotsenko Cycle and how the
Coolerado Cooler works, visit
www.Idalex.com.
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