Vertical counterflow evaporative cooler

Abstract

An evaporative plate-type heat exchanger is provided having a plurality of alternating first plates and second plates positioned in side-by side relationship to form a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface and a rear surface. The first and second plates form a plurality of dry air flow passages, between first faces of the first plates and first faces of adjacent second plates, that are in communication with dry air flow inlet openings and dry air flow outlet openings formed in the front surface. The first and second plates form a plurality of dry air flow passages, between second faces of the first plates and second faces of adjacent second plates, that are in communication with wet air flow inlet openings formed in the bottom surface and with wet air flow outlet openings formed in the rear surface. A method of forming the plate-type heat exchanger includes forming alternating first plates and second plates in a continuous sheet, and folding the continuous sheet in a fan fold arrangement.

1 . An evaporative heat exchanger, comprising:
 a plurality of alternating first plates and second plates positioned in side-by side relationship to form a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface and a rear surface;   a plurality of dry air flow passages, each dry air passage being formed between a first face of one of the first plates and a first face of an adjacent second plate, and being in communication with at least one dry air flow inlet opening and at least one dry air flow outlet opening formed in the front surface; and   a plurality of wet air flow passages, each wet air passage being formed between a second face of one of the first plates and a second face of an adjacent second plate, and being in communication with at least one wet air flow inlet opening formed in the bottom surface and with at least one wet air flow outlet opening formed in the rear surface.   
   
   
       2 . An evaporative heat exchanger as described in  claim 1 , wherein
 each first plate has a front edge and a rear edge;   each second plate has a front edge and a rear edge;   the front edge of each first plate is hingedly connected to the front edge of an adjacent second plate; and   the rear edge of each first plate is hingedly connected to the rear edge of an adjacent second plate.   
   
   
       3 . An evaporative heat exchanger as described in  claim 1 , wherein each wet air flow passage is in communication with at least one water flow inlet opening formed in the top surface. 
   
   
       4 . An evaporative heat exchanger as described in  claim 3 , wherein the top surface forms at least one weir having at least one water flow inlet opening. 
   
   
       5 . An evaporative heat exchanger as described in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first plates and second plates is comprised of a porous material that allows moisture to migrate from the wet air passages to the dry air passages through the porous material. 
   
   
       6 . An evaporative heat exchanger as described in  claim 5 , wherein the porous material is infused with a desiccant. 
   
   
       7 . An evaporative heat exchanger as described in  claim 1 , further comprising a divider positioned in each dry air flow passage that separates the at least one dry air flow inlet opening and the at least one dry air flow outlet opening. 
   
   
       8 . An evaporative heat exchanger as described in  claim 1 , further comprising one or more vanes positioned in each dry air flow passage. 
   
   
       9 . An evaporative heat exchanger as described in  claim 1 , further comprising one or more drift eliminators positioned in each wet air flow passage. 
   
   
       10 . An evaporative heat exchanger as described in  claim 9 , further comprising a baffle positioned in each wet air flow passage. 
   
   
       11 . An evaporative heat exchanger as described in  claim 1 , further comprising alignment means for aligning the first face of the first plates with the first face of an adjacent second plate. 
   
   
       12 . An evaporative heat exchanger as described in  claim 11 , wherein the alignment means comprises at least one projection extending from the surface of the first face of the first plates and a receiver extending from the first face of an adjacent second plate that slidingly receives the projection. 
   
   
       13 . An evaporative heat exchanger comprising
 a plurality of alternating first plates and second plates positioned in side-by side relationship to form a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface and a rear surface,   a plurality of dry air flow passages, each dry air passage being formed between a first face of one of the first plates and a first face of an adjacent second plate, and being in communication with at least one dry air flow inlet opening and at least one dry air flow outlet opening formed in the front surface; and   a plurality of wet air flow passages, each wet air passage being formed between a second face of one of the first plates and a second face of an adjacent second plate, and being in communication with at least one wet air flow inlet opening and at least one wet air flow outlet opening formed in the rear surface.   
   
   
       14 . An evaporative heat exchanger as described in  claim 13 , further comprising a divider positioned in each wet air flow passage that separates the at least one wet air flow inlet opening and the at least one wet air flow outlet opening. 
   
   
       15 . An evaporative heat exchanger as described in  claim 13 , further comprising one or more drift eliminators positioned in each wet air flow passage. 
   
   
       16 . An evaporative heat exchanger as described in  claim 13 , further comprising a baffle positioned in each wet air flow passage. 
   
   
       17 . An evaporative heat exchanger as described in  claim 13 , wherein the divider forms a plurality of water passage openings. 
   
   
       18 . A method of forming a heat exchanger as recited in  claim 1 , comprising:
 forming alternating first plates and second plates in a continuous sheet, and   folding the continuous sheet in a fan fold arrangement.   
   
   
       19 . A method of forming a heat exchanger as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the continuous sheet is a polymer. 
   
   
       20 . A method of forming a heat exchanger as recited in  claim 18 , further comprising selectively sealing adjacent first and second plates along one or more of the top surface, bottom surface, front surface and rear surface. 
   
   
       21 . A method of forming a heat exchanger as recited in  claim 18 , further comprising collecting an stacking folded and sealed plates. 
   
   
       22 . A method of forming a heat exchanger as recited in  claim 18 , further comprising aligning adjacent first faces of the respective first plates and second plates. 
   
   
       23 . A method of forming a heat exchanger as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the aligning step comprises inserting at least one projection extending from the surface of the first face of the first plates into a receiver extending from the first face of an adjacent second plate that slidingly receives the projection. 
   
   
       24 . A method of forming a heat exchanger as recited in  claim 18 , further comprising selectively sealing adjacent first and second plates along a top surface and a bottom surface using heat fusion.