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Evaporative Cooling
Certification manual
Certification Manual
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Technical Certification Rules

Scope of the programme

New Programme

The programme for Evaporative Cooling covers units which aims to cool the “air” for air-conditioning purposes. It does not include adiabatic coolers which have an objective to reject heat to the ambient using evaporative techniques i.e. for Cooling Towers.  This programme is divided in three sub-programmes, as it applies to Evaporative Cooling units in the following groups:

-  Direct Evaporative Cooling (DEC)

-  Indirect Evaporative Cooling (IEC)

  • With primary outside air
  • With separation of external and room air

-   Evaporative Cooling Equipment (ECE)

  • Water spray system
  • Wet media
  • Ultrasonic unit

Companies may apply to participate in any of the above certification sub-programmes.

Direct Evaporative Cooling (DEC)

The following units are specifically excluded from the scope:

  • Units with an air flow less than 2 500 m3/h
  • Units with an air flow greater than 120 000 m3/h
  • Portable air cooling units

Indirect Evaporative Cooling (IEC)

The scope includes:

  • Indirect Evaporative Cooling units with primary outside air
  • Indirect Evaporative Cooling units with separation of the outside and room air

Indirect Evaporative Cooling units with direct evaporative cooling stage are accepted under the scope.

Indirect Evaporative Cooling units with DX coil (integrated in the unit) or chilled water coil (integrated in the unit) are accepted under the scope.

The following units are specifically excluded from the scope:

  • Units with an air flow less than 2 500 m3/h
  • Units with an air flow greater than 120 000 m3/h

Evaporative Cooling Equipment (ECE)

The following technologies are accepted under the scope of Evaporative Cooling Equipment:

  • Water spray system
  • Wet pads/media
  • Ultrasonic units

The following units are specifically excluded from the scope:

  • Units with an water flow less than 0.5 l/h
  • Units with an water flow greater than 5 000 l/h
  • ECE with integrated heat exchanger

Definitions 

Direct Evaporative Cooling

A self-contained unit, including a fan and fan motor, whose primary functions are the conversion of the sensible heat of unsaturated air passing through the cabinet to latent heat by the process of evaporating recirculating or non-recirculating water directly exposed to this air and the movement of this air through the unit.

Indirect Evaporative Cooling

Case A: An indirect evaporative cooler with integrated primary and secondary air passages and provided with both primary and secondary air-moving devices. Depending on product configuration a single air-moving device may be used for primary and secondary air. This device also includes the entire water distribution, collection, and might also include recirculation system with pump and piping. This type may have provisions for installation of other heat and mass transfer devices, such as a direct evaporative cooler and auxiliary heating and cooling coils. These additional devices are not covered by this certification programme. Primary air is always drawn from outside. Some discharged primary air may or may not be used as secondary air (from ASHRAE 143:2015 packaged indirect evaporative cooler (packaged IECU) definition, pg3).

Case B: A packaged indirect evaporative cooling unit with integrated primary and secondary air passages and provided with both primary and secondary air-moving devices. This device also includes the entire water distribution, collection, and recirculation system with pump and piping. This type may have provisions for installation of other heat and mass transfer devices, such as a direct evaporative cooler and auxiliary heating and cooling coils. These additional devices are not covered by this standard (definition from ANSI/ASHRAE standard 143-2015 page. 3 packaged indirect evaporative cooler)

Evaporative Cooling Equipment

In this certification programme for Evaporative Cooling an Evaporative Cooling Equipment is the device/product ensuring the evaporative cooling in a host system.

The evaporative cooling equipment can be:

  • A water spray system
  • A wet pad/media
  • A ultrasonic unit

Water spray system

A water spray system is a device connected to the water supply through an automatically or manually actuated flow control cabinet with or without pressurizing equipment (e.g. pump). Water is piped to specially designed nozzles which distribute water over a given area.

Wet pads/media

A wet media is a product made out of corrugated sheets of glass fibre paper, cellulose paper or other material. The incoming air going through the media is in contact with a wet surface and thus enabling the water to evaporate, cool and humidify the supply air.

Ultrasonic unit

One or more piezoelectric transducers immersed in a reservoir of water. The transducer converts an electronic signal into a mechanical oscillation. The mechanical oscillation is directed at the surface of the water, where it creates a fine mist.

Air flow

The rate of air discharged by an evaporative cooler, expressed in litres per second (l/s) or metres cubed per second (m3/s), corrected to standard temperature and pressure.

For Specifc definition of each sub-programme please refer to the relevant Rating Standard.

Certified characteristics

For Direct Evaporative Cooling

The following performance characteristics, as defined in this Rating Standard, declared by the applicant/participant shall be verified by tests:

  • Cooling Capacity [kW]
  • Air Flow [m3/h]
  • Evaporation Efficiency [%]
  • EER
  • Water Consumption [l/h]

For Indirect Evaporative Cooling

The following performance characteristics, as defined in this Rating Standard, declared by the applicant/participant shall be verified by tests:

Case A:

  • Total Cooling Capacity [kW]
  • Room Cooling Capacity [kW]
  • Air flow [m3/h]
  • Cooling Effectiveness [%]
  • Water Consumption [l/h]
  • Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER)

Case B:

  • Total Cooling Capacity [kW]
  • Air flow [m3/h]
  • Wet bulb approach effectiveness [%]
  • Dry bulb approach effectiveness [%]
  • Water Consumption [l/h]
  • Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER)

For Evaporative Cooling Equipment

The following performance characteristics, as defined in this Rating Standard, declared by the applicant/participant shall be verified by tests:

  • Cooling Capacity [kW]
  • Evaporation Efficiency [%]
  • EER
  • Water Consumption [l/h]
  • Wet Pressure drop [Pa]
  • Dry Pressure drop [Pa]
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