Experimental study on a cross-flow regenerative indirect evaporative cooling system

The evaporative cooling is an energy-saving and environmentally-friendly air-conditioning method. A cross-flow regenerative indirect evaporative heat exchanger (IEHX) has been designed and fabricated. In the proposed IEHX, the working air is gradually diverted into the wet channels through the holes distributed along dry channels. This arrangement allows the working air to be pre-cooled before entering the wet channel. The experimental study was carried out to investigate the performance of the IEHX under specific inlet conditions. Measurements have been conducted during steady-state operating conditions. Experimental results have demonstrated that the product air can be gradually cooled along its flow direction by transferring its heat to the working air. In addition, the proposed cross-flow IEHX is able to reduce the air temperature below wet-bulb temperature.