Control of Super-Efficient Dew-Point Evaporative Cooler

Most of the electricity consumed in buildings is used by heating, cooling, and air conditioning units. Many novel devices based on renewable energy were implemented for heating purposes in recent years. However, there are no devices based on renewable energy which have been widely applied in the cooling sector. One of the novel solutions is evaporative air cooling (IEC). Evaporative air coolers utilize the latent heat of the water to provide cooling energy and therefore are less dependent on fossil fuels. They are also characterized by much higher COP factors in comparison to mechanical compression systems. The most effective method of evaporative cooling is based on the technology called Dew-Point Cooling (DPC). However, traditional DPC systems have some limitations such as efficient operation in dry air, excessive water consumption, ineffective water distribution and the absence of temperature and humidity controls etc. In this research, control for a new DPC design, which overcomes all these disadvantages and takes cooling technology to a completely new level, is developed. In the proposed system, temperature and relative humidity are controlled to save energy without reducing the comfort of the environment. Sensor data obtained from the room, atmosphere and cooler are evaluated in the developed control software and control actions are sent to actuators such as fans, vacuum pump, and water pump. With this independent control strategy, more efficient energy use will be achieved in accordance with comfort criteria. Moreover, the proposed solution provides some other advantages such as COPs on the level of 12.5 in humid climatic conditions, no external water consumption, and a novel effective water distribution system for effective water supply. The system allows over 80% energy savings in comparison to traditional systems, while providing the same level of comfort for the occupants in a wide range of outdoor conditions. In this research, control logic for the proposed system is developed using MATLAB/Simulink and software results are obtained, a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test is then conducted, real-time results are obtained and compared to the results obtained from software testing. To further increase efficiency of the system, Internet of Things (IoT) technology is implemented in the control logic to allow for data analysis, data storage, and most importantly, data monitoring to correct any errors that may occur. It is worth noting that a total of two journal publications were published during this study and a lot of the text is used throughout this paper. Copy right and author permission will be attached in appendix.