Architectural Technology Commons^™

Mathematical Modelling Of A Low Approach Evaporative Cooling Process For Space Cooling In Buildings, Medhi Nasrabadi, Donal Finn, Ben Costelloe

Conference Papers

This paper describes a mathematical model of a low approach open evaporative cooling tower for the production of high temperature indirect cooling water (14-16°C) for use in building radiant cooling and displacement ventilation systems. There are several potential approaches to model evaporative cooling, including: the Poppe method, the Merkel method and the effectiveness-NTU (ε-NTU) method. A common assumption, applied to the Merkel and ε-NTU methods, is that the effect of change in tower water mass flow rate due to evaporation is ignored, which results in a simpler model with reduced computational requirements, but with somewhat decreasedaccuracy. In this paper, a …

Thermal Performance Of Low Approach Evaporative Cooling Systems In Buildings, Ben Costelloe, Donal Finn

Conference Papers

Meteorological enthalpy analysis of temperate and maritime climates above 45˚N suggests that the water-side evaporative cooling technique has considerable unrealised potential with contemporary "high temperature" building cooling systems - such as chilled ceilings. As low approach conditions are the key to exploiting the cooling potential of the ambient air, thermal performance at such conditions needs to be investigated. To address the research issues a test rig, based on an open cooling tower and plate heat exchanger and designed to maximise evaporative cooling potential, has been constructed at DIT. A combination of experimental measurement and analysis is used in the investigations. …

Thermal Efficiency Characteristics Of Indirect Evaporative Cooling Systems, Ben Costelloe, Donal Finn

Conference Papers

Recent developments in enhancing heat transfer in cooling towers, together with the success of chilled ceilings, have prompted a review of the evaporative cooling technique. in temperate maritime climates. The thermal efficiency of such systems is a key parameter, as a measure of the degree to which the system has succeeded in exploiting the cooling potential of the ambient air. This paper presents the results of experimental research into the thermal efficiency of a water-side open indirect evaporative cooling test rig designed to achieve low (1-4 K) approach conditions. Secondary efficiencies in the range 0.24-0.76 have been achieved.

Earth Sheltered Housing In Warren County, Kentucky: Description Of Housing Units & Determinants Of Residents' Satisfaction, Peggy Wallace

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The known population of earth sheltered houses in Warren County, Kentucky were studied (a) to document building materials and techniques utilized, (b) to describe the residents demographically and document their attitudes regarding satisfaction with earth sheltered housing, and (c) to determine reasons for building and resources utilized in financing and planning, as well as problems encountered in regard to the earth sheltered house.

Data on 21 housing units were collected through personal interviews. Data analysis was accomplished using contingency tables, chi-squares, Pearson's product-moment correlation, and multiple stepwise regression.

The earth sheltered house found to provide residents with high satisfaction was …