Improving the Thermal Performance of Indirect Evaporative Cooling by Using a Wet Fabric Device on a Concrete Roof in Hot and Humid Climates

Abstract

This study investigated an indirect evaporative cooling system (IECS) to control latent heat loss on roof ponds by increasing the evaporation rates on wet fabric membranes. The cooling potential of the proposed system was experimentally tested in a real environment and it was compared against a roof pond and a floating fiber (gunny bags) to provide an efficient model for buildings in hot and humid climates. Dry bulb temperatures (DBT) are presented for four experimental models. Solar irradiance, ambient and indoor dry bulb temperatures, and relative humidity (RH) were measured for seven days in each of the following climate conditions: hot sub-humid (mean DBT 27.3 °C and mean RH 72%), hot humid (mean DBT 27.1 °C and mean RH 81%), and warm sub-humid (mean DBT 25.2°C and mean RH 68%). There were no significant variations in thermal performance between the examined devices under hot humid conditions; however, the wet fabric device had superior thermal performance under sub-humid conditions when compared to the other IECSs. In the three climatic scenarios where the proposed system was tested, the wet fabric managed to reduce the indoor air temperature by 6.6 °C, 5.3 °C, and 5.1 °C, respectively, as compared to the outdoor air temperatures.

Study on the thermal and wet coupling performance of prefabricated wall materials in Inner Mongolia based on low-carbon design

“…Combined with the actual situation, the prefabricated building wall panel can be regarded as a cube, so it is deduced under the rectangular coordinate system [5][6]. Take any microbody V in the prefabricated building wall board, the three edges of the microbody are parallel to the x, y and z axes, and there are:…”

Sustainability of Traditional, Historical Roofs in the Mediterranean: A Rediscovered Opportunity for a Carbon Neutral Future

“…In the Mediterranean, one way this has traditionally been addressed has been through the evaporative properties of the porous materials usually used for such roofs, a function which was discovered and exploited through indigenous knowledge when making use of locally available materials over the centuries; the advantages of having "cool roofs" is now being revived through modern day research [39][40][41][42]. Cool roof, green roof, and evaporative roof technologies are being researched [41,[43][44][45][46] and developed worldwide in hot climates to limit the negative impact of unsuitable roofs on the Urban Heat Island, reduce energy consumption, and promote internal comfort levels in a sustainable manner.…”

Sistemas de Enfriamiento Evaporativo para uso en elementos verticales: una revisión del estado del arte

“…El intercambiador tiene contacto con dos corrientes de aire, la que entra al interior (la no humectada) y con la corriente de aire de trabajo (la humectada) sin cruzarlas, se evita el contacto de estos dos flujos para que no aumenten los niveles de humedad al interior (Liberari et al, 2017). Los sistemas indirectos son mayormente utilizados en zonas con condiciones de clima cálido y húmedo; su efectividad es aproximadamente de 60-70% (Rafique et al, 2015;Esparza-López et al, 2018;Esparza-López et al, 2022).…”

“…Estos sistemas utilizan un doble flujo de aire dependiendo la cantidad de humedad que se desea en el espacio interior, el primer flujo entra como EEI al interior del modelo, ahí se humecta en caso de ser necesario con un sistema de EED en la cantidad requerida. Estos sistemas tienen una eficiencia aproximada de 70% (Duan et al, 2012;Esparza-López et al, 2022).…”