Latent energy harvesting

Abstract

In one embodiment, an evaporative cooling system, comprising: at least one direct evaporative cooling system, comprising: at least one fan or blower that induces an air stream; at least one evaporator installed in the air stream, wherein liquid water is supplied to the at least one evaporator, the at least one evaporator configured to directly evaporatively cool and humidify the air stream; and one or plural latent energy harvesting systems (LEHSs) installed alone or in combination, respectively, in the air stream, wherein when alone, the one LEHS is installed in either the air stream downstream of the at least one evaporator and configured to dehumidify the directly evaporatively cooled and humidified air stream or the air stream upstream of the at least one evaporator and configured to dehumidify the air stream to be directly evaporatively cooled and humidified, and wherein when in combination, the plural LEHSs are installed, respectively, in the air stream downstream of the at least one evaporator and configured to dehumidify the directly evaporatively cooled and humidified air stream, and in the air stream upstream of the at least one evaporator and configured to dehumidify the air stream to be directly evaporatively cooled and humidified.

1 . An evaporative cooling system, comprising:
 at least one direct evaporative cooling system, comprising:
 at least one fan or blower that induces an air stream; 
 at least one evaporator installed in the air stream, wherein liquid water is supplied to the at least one evaporator, the at least one evaporator configured to directly evaporatively cool and humidify the air stream; and 
 one or plural latent energy harvesting systems (LEHSs) installed alone or in combination, respectively, in the air stream, 
 wherein when alone, the one LEHS is installed in either the air stream downstream of the at least one evaporator and configured to dehumidify the directly evaporatively cooled and humidified air stream or the air stream upstream of the at least one evaporator and configured to dehumidify the air stream to be directly evaporatively cooled and humidified, and 
 wherein when in combination, the plural LEHSs are installed, respectively, in the air stream downstream of the at least one evaporator and configured to dehumidify the directly evaporatively cooled and humidified air stream, and in the air stream upstream of the at least one evaporator and configured to dehumidify the air stream to be directly evaporatively cooled and humidified. 
   
     
     
         2 . The evaporative cooling system of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more additional direct evaporative cooling systems arranged in series with the at least one direct evaporative cooling system, the one or more additional direct evaporative cooling systems configured according to the at least one direct evaporative cooling system. 
     
     
         3 . A hybrid system, comprising: primary, supply air stream cooling and conditioning stages in series comprising a first upstream stage system of the evaporative cooling system of  claim 1 , followed downstream in the air stream by a vapor compression cooling system. 
     
     
         4 . An evaporative cooling method, comprising:
 for at least one direct evaporative cooling system:
 inducing an air stream; 
 directly evaporatively, using at least one evaporator, cooling and humidifying the air stream; and 
 dehumidifying the directly evaporatively cooled and humidified air stream or dehumidifying the air stream to be directly evaporatively cooled and humidified using a latent energy harvesting system (LEHS) installed in either the air stream downstream of the at least one evaporator or the air stream upstream of the at least one evaporator, respectively, or 
 dehumidifying the directly evaporatively cooled and humidified air stream and dehumidifying the air stream to be directly evaporatively cooled and humidified using plural latent energy harvesting systems (LEHSs), with one of the plural LEHSs installed in the air stream downstream of the at least one evaporator and another of the plural LEHSs installed in the air stream upstream of the at least one evaporator. 
   
     
     
         5 . The evaporative cooling method of  claim 4 , further comprising, using one or more additional direct evaporative cooling systems arranged in series with the at least one direct evaporative cooling system, the one or more additional direct evaporative cooling systems operating according to the at least one direct evaporative cooling system. 
     
     
         6 . An indirect evaporator cooling system, comprising:
 at least one fan or blower that induce a primary, supply air stream and a secondary air stream;   an evaporator installed in the secondary air stream, wherein liquid water is supplied to the evaporator installed in the secondary air stream;   a thermally conductive heat exchanger that transfers heat from a primary, supply air stream to an evaporatively cooled secondary air stream; and   one or plural latent energy harvesting systems (LEHSs) installed alone or in combination, respectively, in the secondary air stream,   wherein when alone, the one LEHS is installed downstream of the evaporator of the secondary airstream or upstream of the evaporator of the secondary airstream, and   wherein when in combination, the plural LEHSs are installed, respectively, downstream of the evaporator of the secondary airstream, and upstream of the evaporator of the secondary airstream.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the indirect evaporative cooling system is of a regenerative indirect evaporative cooling type. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the indirect evaporative cooling system is of a dew point indirect evaporative cooling type. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the indirect evaporative cooling system is of a Maisotsenko Cycle type. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein an additional LEHS, configured according to the each of the one or plural LEHSs, is installed in the primary, supply air stream upstream or downstream of the thermally conductive heat exchanger to dehumidify the indirectly cooled primary, supply air stream, or wherein plural additional LEHSs, each configured according to the each of the one or plural LEHSs, are installed respectively in the primary, supply air stream upstream and downstream of the thermally conductive heat exchanger to dehumidify the indirectly cooled primary, supply air stream. 
     
     
         11 . A two-stage indirect, direct evaporative cooling system, comprising:
 a first stage comprising an indirect evaporative cooling system of a primary, supply air stream, the indirect evaporative cooling system comprising:
 at least one fan or blower that induce a primary, supply air stream and a secondary air stream; 
 an evaporator installed in the secondary air stream, wherein liquid water is supplied to the evaporator installed in the secondary air stream; 
 a thermally conductive heat exchanger that transfers heat from a primary, supply air stream to an evaporatively cooled secondary air stream; and 
 one or plural latent energy harvesting systems (LEHSs) installed alone or in combination, respectively, in the secondary air stream, 
 wherein when alone, the one LEHS is installed downstream of the evaporator of the secondary airstream or upstream of the evaporator of the secondary airstream, and 
 wherein when in combination, the plural LEHSs are installed, respectively, downstream of the evaporator of the secondary airstream, and upstream of the evaporator of the secondary airstream; and 
   a second stage in series with the first stage, the second stage comprising a direct evaporative cooling system of the said primary, supply air stream, the direct evaporative cooling system comprising:   at least one direct evaporative cooling system, comprising:
 at least one fan or blower that induces an air stream; 
 at least one evaporator installed in the air stream, wherein liquid water is supplied to the at least one evaporator, the at least one evaporator configured to directly evaporatively cool and humidify the air stream; and 
 one or plural LEHSs installed alone or in combination, respectively, in the air stream, 
 wherein when alone, the one LEHS is installed in either the air stream downstream of the at least one evaporator and configured to dehumidify the directly evaporatively cooled and humidified air stream or the air stream upstream of the at least one evaporator and configured to dehumidify the air stream to be directly evaporatively cooled and humidified, and 
   wherein when in combination, the plural LEHSs are installed, respectively, in the air stream downstream of the at least one evaporator and configured to dehumidify the directly evaporatively cooled and humidified air stream, and in the air stream upstream of the at least one evaporator and configured to dehumidify the air stream to be directly evaporatively cooled and humidified.   
     
     
         12 . The two-stage indirect, direct evaporative cooling system of  claim 11 , wherein the indirect evaporative cooling system is of a regenerative indirect evaporative cooling type. 
     
     
         13 . The two-stage indirect, direct evaporative cooling system of  claim 11 , wherein the indirect evaporative cooling system is of a dew point indirect evaporative cooling type. 
     
     
         14 . The two-stage indirect, direct evaporative cooling system of  claim 11 , wherein the indirect evaporative cooling system is of a Maisotsenko Cycle type. 
     
     
         15 . The two-stage indirect, direct evaporative cooling system of  claim 11 , wherein an additional LEHS, configured according to the each of the one or plural LEHSs, is installed in the primary, supply air stream upstream or downstream of the thermally conductive heat exchanger to dehumidify the indirectly cooled primary, supply air stream, or wherein plural additional LEHSs, each configured according to the each of the one or plural LEHSs, are installed respectively in the primary, supply air stream upstream and downstream of the thermally conductive heat exchanger to dehumidify the indirectly cooled primary, supply air stream. 
     
     
         16 . A hybrid system, comprising: a primary, supply air stream cooling and conditioning stages in series comprising a first upstream stage system of  claim 15 , followed downstream in the cooled primary, supply air stream by a vapor compression cooling system. 
     
     
         17 . The two-stage indirect, direct evaporative cooling system of  claim 15 , wherein an additional LEHS, configured according to the each of the one or plural LEHSs, is installed in the airstream downstream of the direct evaporative cooling system to dehumidify the indirectly and directly cooled primary, supply air stream. 
     
     
         18 . A hybrid system, comprising: a primary, supply air stream cooling and conditioning stages in series comprising a first upstream stage system of  claim 17 , followed downstream in the cooled primary, supply air stream by a vapor compression cooling system. 
     
     
         19 . A hybrid system, comprising: a primary, supply air stream cooling and conditioning stages in series comprising a first upstream stage system of  claim 11 , followed downstream in the cooled primary, supply air stream by a vapor compression cooling system. 
     
     
         20 . The two-stage indirect, direct evaporative cooling system of  claim 11 , wherein the evaporative cooling system further comprises one or more additional direct evaporative cooling systems arranged in series with the at least one direct evaporative cooling system, the one or more additional direct evaporative cooling systems configured according to the at least one direct evaporative cooling system. 
     
     
         21 . An induced air, evaporative wetted surface air cooler or condenser system, comprising a closed, warm process fluid or a process vapor heat exchange loop, at least one fan and/or blower, liquid water, a liquid water stream cocurrent disbursing mechanism, an induced cocurrent flow of an airstream and a water stream traveling in a downward direction across and in contact with the closed process fluid or process vapor heat exchange loop, a sump that gathers warmed liquid water that has made contact with and had heat transferred from the closed heat exchange loop, a pump that flows liquid water to the liquid water stream cocurrent disbursing mechanism, a latent energy harvesting system (LEHS) configured according to the LEHS, that is installed in the airstream upstream of the induced cocurrent flow of an airstream and water stream to dehumidify at least a portion of the induced cocurrent flow of an air stream, and a pump that flows liquid water from the partial pressure condenser of the LEHS for cocurrent disbursement with the cocurrent flow of the airstream. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising an additional LEHS that recuperates at least a portion of the exhausted water vapor that derives from the cocurrent evaporative cooling of the closed process fluid or process vapor heat exchange loop. 
     
     
         23 . An evaporative cooling tower system, comprising:
 a latent energy harvesting system (LEHS) that is installed in the airstream upstream of the induction of an air draft into the evaporative cooling tower to dehumidify at least a portion of the air stream induced as an air draft into the evaporative cooling tower;   a mechanical draft mechanism and/or natural draft mechanism configured to induce an air draft;   the cooling tower;   a liquid water stream inducing mechanism; and   a sump to gather cooled liquid water.   
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , further comprising a latent energy harvesting system (LEHS) configured to harvest at least a portion of the exhausted water vapor in an airstream that derives from evaporation of liquid water induced in a cooling tower. 
     
     
         25 . The system of any one of  claim 23 , wherein the airstream of the air-to-water flow into the cooling tower is one of crossflow or counterflow. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the mechanical draft mechanism and/or natural draft mechanism comprises a draw through mechanical draft tower type with a fan at the discharge (at the top) which pulls air up through the tower. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the mechanical draft mechanism and/or natural draft mechanism comprises a forced draft mechanical draft tower with a fan or blower that pushes air at the air intake through the tower. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the mechanical draft mechanism and/or natural draft mechanism comprises a mechanical fan/blower assisted, natural draft tower type. 
     
     
         29 . An evaporative cooling tower system comprising:
 a LEHS enabled direct or indirect evaporatively cooled air system of  claim 1  that depresses the wet bulb temperature of an air stream, which lowered wet bulb temperature airstream is induced to flow downstream into an evaporative cooling tower system of  claim 21 .   
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 1  wherein parallel ducting of return air is incorporated so as to provide the use of a LEHS to be capable of dehumidifying an airstream that is upstream of an evaporator and an airstream that is downstream of an evaporator.