Adiabatic Cooling

Adiabatic cooling is the process by which air is cooled as water is evaporated. Each litre of water generates a cooling effect of 0.68kW. This is a positive side effect of humidification and can be utilized as a free additional cooling system. It is however limited as the air will reach saturation point and any further vapour will not evaporate but manifest as condensation.

The evaporation of water in the production room itself will cause the room temperature drop via direct adiabatic cooling. For example, this is an ideal solution for the printing or tobacco industries which generate a lot of heat by their production processes. It is vital to ensure that the process is legionella safe. All Cumulus systems are certified by the TÜV Nord, comply to VDI 6022, and are in accordance with ISSO 55.3 guidelines.

Adiabatic terrace cooling is often used abroad. It is more complicated to install this system in the Netherlands as Dutch mains water is very clean and contains almost no chlorides. This increases the risk of bacteria developing in the pipe work. Regulations require the installation of a filtration system such as a reversed osmosis filter or a UV-C to safeguard the system against legionella bacteria.

This is a system used often by air handling units. Humidification occurs in the return air flow. This cools the air and a heat exchanger returns the cold to the ingoing air flow. Cumulus has utilised this system for many years, starting with the air assisted humidifiers and now integrated into the high pressure systems. The following considerations should be made: the cooling capacity generated needs to be greater than the increase of warmth in the ventilated rooms. However, combining adiabatic cooling with an adiabatic humidification system can provide a very attractive investment.

Cumulus systems can also be used to increase the efficiency of dry coolers, significantly during the summer months, by decreasing the temperature of the roof. Many dry coolers are designed to work at a set temperature of 28 degrees Celsius. They may also fail to take into account the heat that may be generated by the roof structure, despite that in summer months the temperatures can escalate to 30-40 degrees Celsius. Dry coolers cannot function at these temperatures causing the entire cooling system to stop. A Cumulus adiabatic cooling system will prevent this. To ensure the highest safety levels we recommend working with a reversed osmosis water treatment system.

Data centers use a lot of energy in order to keep their data systems cool. The use of indirect cooling could reduce costs. However it should be taken into consideration that summers in the Netherlands may not just be hot, but can also be humid. This can reduce the efficiency of adiabatic coolers. A combination of cooling, with for example, thermal storage, can provide a cost-effective, low energy solution which is also environmentally friendly.

Cumulus can offer many solutions; from ultrasonic humidifiers for the smaller user, to high pressure systems for larger demand. Our advisors will gladly help with designing the right system for you.