Evaporation panel systems and methods

Abstract

The present disclosure is drawn to systems and methods of treating or utilizing water, including water for cooling applications, using evaporation panels, evaporation panel systems, and evaporation panel assemblies. For example, the system can include an evaporation panel fluidly coupable to a body of water. The system can also include a fluid directing assembly to recirculate water from the body of water to an upper portion of the evaporation panel, wherein as water cascades down the evaporation panel and evaporates, evaporative cooling occurs. The system can further include a fan directed at the evaporation panel to push airflow through a plurality of open spaces of the evaporation panel, thereby generating humidified cooled airflow therefrom.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An evaporative cooling system, comprising:
 an evaporation panel fluidly coupable to a body of water, wherein the evaporation panel includes:
 a plurality of evaporation shelves that are laterally elongated, vertically stacked, spaced apart from one another, and horizontally oriented, 
 a plurality of vertical support columns positioned laterally along the plurality of evaporation shelves to provide support and separation to the plurality of evaporation shelves, and 
 a plurality of open spaces which are individually bordered by two evaporation shelves and two support columns; 
   a fluid directing assembly to recirculate water from the body of water to an upper portion of the evaporation panel, wherein as water cascades down the evaporation panel and evaporates, evaporative cooling occurs; and   a fan directed at the evaporation panel to push airflow through the plurality of open spaces generating humidified cooled airflow therefrom.   
     
     
         2 . The evaporative cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vertical support columns includes an evaporation fin oriented in parallel with the plurality of evaporation shelves. 
     
     
         3 . The evaporative cooling system of  claim 2 , comprising multiple evaporation fins between adjacent evaporation shelves, wherein the multiple evaporation fins are spaced apart at from 0.2 cm to 1 cm so that when water is loaded at the support column, the evaporation fins receive the water and form a vertical water column along the evaporation fins forms. 
     
     
         4 . The evaporative cooling system of  claim 3 , wherein the evaporation fins have a shape of a perpendicular cross-section of an airfoil taken from a leading edge to a trailing edge thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The evaporative cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the evaporation panel is a first evaporation that is part of an evaporation panel assembly, wherein the evaporation panel assembly also includes a second evaporation panel that is oriented in parallel with the evaporation panel. 
     
     
         6 . The evaporative cooling system of  claim 5 , wherein the first evaporation panel and the second evaporation panel are positioned such that the airflow passes first through the plurality of open spaces of the first evaporation panel followed by through the open spaces of the second evaporation panel. 
     
     
         7 . The evaporative coding system of  claim 6 , wherein the evaporation panel assembly includes panel space between the first evaporation panel and the second evaporation panel. 
     
     
         8 . The evaporative coding system of  claim 6 , wherein the evaporation panel assembly includes no panel space between the first evaporation panel and the second evaporation panel. 
     
     
         9 . The evaporative coding system of  claim 6 , wherein the first evaporation panel and the second evaporation panel are connected. 
     
     
         10 . The evaporative cooling system of  claim 5 , wherein the evaporation panel assembly further includes from 3 to 42 additional evaporation panels also oriented in parallel with the first evaporation panel. 
     
     
         11 . A method of generating humidified cool airflow, comprising:
 loading water on an evaporation panel, wherein the evaporation panel includes:
 a plurality of evaporation shelves that are laterally elongated, vertically stacked, spaced apart from one another, and horizontally oriented, 
 a plurality of vertical support columns positioned laterally along the plurality of evaporation shelves to provide support and separation to the plurality of evaporation shelves, and 
 a plurality of open spaces which are individually bordered by two evaporation shelves and two support columns; 
   flowing the water along a downward cascading flow path from evaporation shelf to evaporation shelf;   evaporatively cooling water as the water follows the downward cascading flow path;   recirculating the water from a body of water to an upper portion of the evaporation panel; and   generating humidified cooled airflow by pushing air through the plurality of open spaces while evaporatively cooling the water.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of vertical support columns include an evaporation fin oriented in parallel with the plurality of evaporation shelves. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , comprising multiple evaporation fins between adjacent evaporation shelves, wherein the multiple evaporation fins are spaced apart at from 0.2 cm to 1 cm so that when water is loaded at the support column, the evaporation fins receive the water and form a vertical water column along the evaporation fins forms. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the evaporation fins have a shape of a perpendicular cross-section of an airfoil taken from a leading edge to a trailing edge thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the evaporation panel is a first evaporation that is part of an evaporation panel assembly, wherein the evaporation panel assembly also includes a second evaporation panel that is oriented in parallel with the evaporation panel. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first evaporation panel and the second evaporation panel are positioned such that the airflow passes first through the plurality of open spaces of the first evaporation panel followed by through the open spaces of the second evaporation panel. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the evaporation panel assembly includes panel space between the first evaporation panel and the second evaporation panel. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the evaporation panel assembly includes no panel space between the first evaporation panel and the second evaporation panel. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first evaporation panel and the second evaporation panel are connected. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the evaporation panel assembly further includes from 3 to 42 additional evaporation panels also oriented in parallel with the first evaporation panel.