Author: Nasim TajmandPublisher:
ISBN: 9781369343182
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :
Book Description
The use of evaporative technology for cooling increases the demand for good water quality (e.g., treated municipal water). The problem is further aggravated in regions with poor water quality and where long-term droughts have decreased water availability. At the same time, energy savings achieved by new evaporative cooling technologies compared to conventional systems have attracted attention in hot and dry climatic zones. In this study, the balance between water consumption and energy savings, and concerns about adequate water quantity and quality, were examined in small-scale evaporative cooling systems. First, the trade-off between water use and energy savings was explored by comparing energy base and cost analyses for three different water resources (tap water, rainwater, and desalination water). Then, one laboratory study to understand the precipitation reaction mechanism in small-scale evaporative cooling systems, plus one field experiment, were conducted to understand water quality impacts and concerns raised by evaporative cooling technologies. The results of the study indicate that evaporative cooling technologies make sense in terms of energy and cost expended in hot and dry climates, even considering the high energy costs of desalination water. Mineral scale deposition formed for water of both low and high hardness (a range representative of municipal water resources) due to high degrees of mineral saturation. The use of rainwater could both mitigate the challenges of scale deposition from municipal tap water (by providing excellent water quality) and decrease water consumption by reducing bleed rate.
