It’s true that some evaporative coolers do perform better than others. Early on, certain innovative manufacturing groups probably took a leaky cooler apart. By applying this reverse engineering procedure, they were able to see which systems worked efficiently and which ones could do with a little design makeover. The reservoir could maybe be a little larger but made of lighter materials, just as a for instance. All right, now we’re getting somewhere. What about those sponges?
Enhancing the Evaporative Media
If nature operates across all three dimensions, a design engineer should probably mimic that organically derived process blueprint. Mother Nature has been managing her evaporative mechanisms a lot longer than we have, after all. For example, leaves grow in groups. They form different shapes and alter their angle to take advantage of gaps. That way, they manage their water content. To emulate this clever little piece of evolutionary development, better performing evaporative coolers install high-efficiency cellulose cooling media. Cross-corrugated and fluted, the dimensional profile initially absorbs moisture, but the design also acts as a quick-release mechanism, too. Hence, the compact water pump in a superior evaporative cooler rapidly bridges the liquid-to-vapour release barrier.
Realizing Cooler Efficiency Boosts
Here’s a technology that can compete with air conditioning units. Actually, evaporative coolers are better than AC units when used in large spaces. They can even be used safely outdoors or inside a facility that contains livestock. Check out our past articles for more information on this topic. Anyway, having reached such a level of popularity, many industrial and commercial applications have turned to water cooling appliances. Because of the demand, big-ticket manufacturers have invested heavily in natural cooling technology. This means the full power of their research and development departments are available to improve the evaporative process. So far, then, multi-stage units and variable speed modes have vastly broadened the gap between last generations coolers and the models that are now coming to market.
Modelled by software and run through their paces in laboratories, larger fan blades and smarter blade angles are sending the cooling vapour further. Meanwhile, even though cutting-edge designs are pulling ahead of their substandard peers, they can run into trouble if they’re not properly looked after. Like a highly trained athlete, superior designs can stumble when they’re not properly looked after, so an exhaustively administered planned maintenance program should be introduced when a next-generation group of high-performing evaporative coolers are purchased. That fluted, corrugated cooling media can’t be left to become blocked, nor can the software-improved fans and variable speed electric motors can be left to fall into a state of disrepair.