Heat and mass transfer model optimization and annual energy efficiency analysis for energy recovery indirect evaporative cooling

摘要

Indirect evaporative cooling (IEC) is a kind of high efficiency, energy-saving and environmental protection cooling technology, which has been widely used in data centers and other fields in recent years. In this paper, the optimized two-dimensional non-condensation state model of indirect evaporative cooling was proposed. Meanwhile the computer program was updated to solve the developed mathematical model under variable fresh air conditions. The optimized model was verified by the experimental data, and the maximum deviation was only 4.6. Based on the modified model and the annual hourly meteorological parameters in Tianjin, China, it was analyzed the optimal heat transfer area of IEC used as fresh air pre-cooling unit under various air volumes to provide references for system design and equipment selection. Finally, taking an lEC-primary return air conditioning system of a gymnasium as an example, the hourly energy-saving effect of whole year was simulated by the developed IEC model. The simulation results showed that IEC could control the fresh air temperature below 27 ℃ and the moisture content below 18 g/kg throughout the year, and undertook 102.6 of the total fresh air cooling load. The findings are useful in future system optimization and design of IEC equipment.