Night sky cooling system

Abstract

A cooling system that can be used to cool water and to cool an air supply to a building. The system employs a stand alone cooling tower and a night sky cooler. As a result, the water can be cooled below the ambient wet bulb temperature.

1 . An interconnected system for cooling the air supply to a building, the system comprising;
 (a) a heat exchange element;   (b) means for forcing the air supply over the heat exchange element;   (c) a pump for circulating water through the system;   (d) a cooling tower connected in series with a night sky cooler, the cooling tower being upstream of the night sky cooler; and   (e) storage means in fluid communication with the cooling tower, night sky cooler and heat exchange element, for storing cooled water and for storing warm water.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the system is interconnected by conduits having valve means for diverting the flow of water between components of the system. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2  wherein one of the conduits comprises a bypass conduit having valve means which may be configured such that water selectively flows directly from:
 (a) the cooling tower to the night sky cooler; or   (b) the cooling tower to the storage means for storing cooled water bypassing the night sky cooler.   
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 3  further comprising conduits having valve means which may be configured such that water selectively flows directly from:
 (a) the cooling tower to the heat exchange element; and   (b) the heat exchange element to the cooling tower.   
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the storage means comprises at least one storage tank for storing cooled water and at least one storage tank for storing warmed water. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the means for selectively forcing the air supply over the first heat exchange element comprises a duct, at least one bypass louver and a fan. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a second heat exchange element in series with the first heat exchange element, the second heat exchange element being interconnected to the system by conduits having valve means. 
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising control means for activating and deactivating all, or any of, the cooling tower, the pump means and the valve means. 
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the control means is automated and is responsive to any one, or any combination of, the following:
 (a) changes in cooling requirements;   (b) ambient air temperature;   (c) the amount of water contained in the storage means;   (d) the temperature of the water contained in the storage means; and   (e) changes in cooling requirements and ambient air temperature.   
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the heat exchange element comprises finned cooling coils. 
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the storage means comprises single stratified storage tank that is able to store both warmed and cooled water. 
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising an additional heat exchange element proximate to the first heat exchange element, the additional heat exchange element being connected to a conventional chiller. 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising an additional heat exchange element proximate to the first heat exchange element, the additional heat exchange element comprising the evaporator of a DX system. 
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising second evaporative system having a cooling tower, a pump and a heat exchange element, wherein the heat exchange element of the second evaporative system may be used to pre-cool the air supply to the cooling tower of the system of  claim 1 . 
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 14  further comprising a second heat exchange element in series with the first heat exchange element, the second heat exchange element being interconnected to the system by conduits having valve means. 
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 14  further comprising a third evaporative system having a cooling tower, a pump and a heat exchange element, wherein the heat exchange element of the third evaporative system may be used to pre-cool the air supply to the cooling tower of the second evaporative cooling system. 
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 16  further comprising a second heat exchange element in series with the first heat exchange element, the second heat exchange element being interconnected to the system by conduits having valve means.