Case Studies in Thermal Engineering 18 (2020) 100574

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Case Studies in Thermal Engineering

journal homepage: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/csite

Operational mode optimization of indirect evaporative cooling in

hot climates
Yousef Al Horr *, Bourhan Tashtoush, Nelson Chilengwe, Mohamed Musthafa
Gulf Organisation for Research and Development, Qatar Science and Technology Park, P.O. Box, 210162, Doha, Qatar

H I G H L I G H T S

� The primary and secondary air streams are initially at ambient conditions.
� The mode of operation impacts on the performance of the indirect evaporative cooling process.
� Indirect evaporative cooling working in hot climatic conditions saves more than 40% of the fresh air-cooling load.
� The difference in cooling performance of different modes can be as much as 41%.

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: This study experimentally investigates the performance of an indirect evaporative cooling fresh
Cooling load air-handling unit at different modes of operation under harsh climatic conditions experienced in
Effectiveness Qatar. Temperature and relative humidity are measured at various points within the fresh air
Energy saving
handling unit for each mode of operation and, the measured data are stored and analyzed.
Indirect evaporative cooling
Mode of operation
Cooling performance indices are evaluated in terms of temperature difference across the heat
exchanger, dry and wet bulb temperature effectiveness, thermal conductance, and cooling load.
Different modes of operation are achieved by pre-treatment of the secondary air using either mist
injection, water shower, or a combination of mist and water shower. It is found that indirect
evaporation can achieve reductions of up to 43% of the unit’s cooling capacity compared to dry
operation. A sequence of operations to sustainably optimize energy consumption and reduce
carbon emissions is determined.

1. Introduction

Traditional heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems account for the largest share of building energy usage in hot
countries. In the Middle East, for example, space air conditioning consumes up to 70% of the building energy use, and nearly 30% of
the total energy consumption [1]. The conventional vapor compression refrigeration cycles are widely used in air conditioning sys­
tems. However, their use is associated with high energy consumption required to drive the compressor, and the use of refrigerants
negatively impacts the environment. Many researchers have studied modifications on vapor compression refrigeration cycles to reduce
electrical energy consumption and enhance the performance of the machine. For instance, measures are taken by introducing an
ejector to the refrigeration cycle and utilize waste heat from the condenser [2,3].
Due to the increase in the energy efficiency and effectiveness of an AC system, a decrease in the consumption of energy can be

* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: alhorr@gord.qa (Y. Al Horr).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csite.2019.100574
Received 17 September 2019; Received in revised form 31 October 2019; Accepted 5 December 2019
Available online 7 January 2020
2214-157X/© 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Y. Al Horr et al. Case Studies in Thermal Engineering 18 (2020) 100574

Nomenclature

2 dbT Dry bulb thermal effectiveness

2 wbT Wet bulb thermal effectiveness
To1 Dry bulb temperature of ambient air at the inlet to heat exchanger(� C)
To2 Dry bulb temperature of ambient air at the outlet from heat exchanger (� C)
Te1 Dry bulb temperature of exhaust air at the inlet to heat exchanger(� C)
Te2 Dry bulb temperature of exhaust air at the outlet from heat exchanger (� C)
Twbe1 Wet bulb temperature of exhaust air at the inlet to heat exchanger (� C)
Q Supply air cooling capacity (kW)
m Mass flow rate of dry air (kg.s-1)
h01 Specific enthalpy of ambient air at the inlet (kJ.kg-1.K-1)
h02 Specific enthalpy of ambient air at the outlet (kJ.kg-1.K-1)
℧ Global heat transfer coefficient (W.m-2.K-1)
A Heat exchanger area (m2)
ΔTLM Log mean temperature difference
ΔT Temperature difference across heat exchanger (� C)

achieved and fuel saved.

The reduction of electrical energy consumption is achieved by the replacement of the compressor by an ejector, which uses low
grade heat such as solar energy as an input source [4,5]. Besides, the hybrid system with combined power and refrigeration was
investigated and extensively studied. The renewable solar energy was the source of input power for the system which generates power
and cooling effects simultaneously and with best environmental friendly refrigerants [6,7].
Evaporative cooling systems are a well-known promising technology that contributes to energy saving in buildings by reducing
energy usage associated with cooling fresh air required for ventilation purposes, [8,9]. These systems reduce harmful effects related to
the use of refrigerants in conventional vapor-compression air conditioning systems [10]. Evaporative cooling systems, if cleverly
designed, operated, and controlled by considering local climatic conditions, can generate sustainable benefits compared to conven­
tional mechanical refrigeration-based systems, [11].
Many studies have indicated that evaporative cooling is an excellent solution to provide thermal comfort, [12,13]; reduce cooling
energy consumption, [14–16]; reduce carbon emissions [17,18]; and lead to a clean environment, [19]. However, evaporative cooling
systems rarely used in the air conditioning of occupied spaces because of various limitations and drawbacks, such as the increase of
humidity of the supply air and water consumption [20]. Furthermore, it is known that the effectiveness of evaporative cooling
technology is heavily dependent on local ambient conditions [21].
Kim and Jeong [22] evaluated how an indirect and direct evaporative cooler based on a full-fresh air system performed concerning
energy consumption. Gomez et al. [23] reported on experimental studies to characterize the operation of two partial-indirect evap­
orative systems and considered two operating modes. They described the performance of their system in terms of cooling capacity,
thermal effectiveness, and thermal conductance relative to ambient air-dry bulb temperature at the inlet of the system.
Heidrinejad et al. [24] experimentally explored how a dual-stage indirect/direct evaporative cooling system performed in different
simulated ambient conditions to represent climatic conditions in various cities in Iran. Their results showed that their indirect
evaporative cooling unit achieved effectiveness varying over the range of 55–61%. The study of Costelloe et al. [25] presented details
of a meteorological analysis of the evaporative cooling potential for two cities in Europe (Dublin and Milan), which represented
different climatic conditions. They used experimental findings to analyze the cooling potential of their system based on corresponding
meteorological reference data for the two cities.
Tashtoush et al. [26] introduced simulation of a cooling cycle incorporating a combination of indirect/direct evaporative cooling
cycles to predict the performance characteristics of the system for a range of working conditions. The authors evaluated the impact of
design parameters on the COP of the system and found that the COP of the combined system was at least 1.2 times greater than those
attained by separate indirect evaporative cooling or direct evaporative cooling configurations. A study by Jafarian et al. [27] modeling
a dew-point evaporative cooler showed improvements in COP, of more than 36%, were achievable in some climatic conditions.
Lazzarin [28], described a method that could be executed in a control system to determine when it was feasible to take advantage of
evaporative cooling.
Patil et al. [29] reviewed various types of evaporative cooling methods to comprehend the different ways to achieve cooling by
indirect or direct evaporative cooling methods and provide alternatives. They concluded that these systems were more effective in
hot/dry climates and indicated that evaporative cooling systems if configured in heat recovery mode, could be applied in any climate.
Some researchers have explored the development of models for optimizing indirect evaporative systems. Sohani et al. [30] presented a
multi-objective model for optimizing various parameters, such as COP and cooling capacity of an indirect evaporative cooler for
diverse global climatic conditions. Tariq et al. [31] report on a detailed sensitivity assessment of the performance of a regenerative
evaporative humidifier, based on a model considering multiple criteria concerning ambient conditions, system geometry, and oper­
ating parameters.
Broadly, it is clear from the literature review that there is a lack of reported thoughts about how different modes of operation of an

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indirect evaporative cooling unit impact the cooling performance of the unit in hot and humid ambient conditions. Although some
researchers have previously addressed aspects of the performance of indirect evaporative cooling units in various climatic conditions,
this study extends the current knowledge base by also considering different modes of operation of an indirect evaporative cooling fresh
air handling unit integrated with a chilled water-cooling coil.
This study considers various operational parameters and calculates performance indices to compare the cooling performance of the
indirect evaporative cooling fresh air handling unit (FAHU). The uniqueness of this study is that experimental measurements in typical
Qatar ambient conditions, where it is common for high magnitudes of dry-bulb temperature to co-occur with high values of relative
humidity, are used to understand the actual situation of how the FAHU behaves. The study provides a tool that can be used to
determine the best mode of operation that would provide the most effective cooling performance in a variety of ambient conditions.
The main objective of the present work is to utilize the experimental data to calculate multiple indices, i.e., temperature difference
across the heat exchanger, temperature effectiveness, cooling capacity, and global heat transfer coefficient, and compare the cooling
performance of the indirect evaporative cooling fresh air handling unit operating at three assessment ambient conditions selected from
actual climatic conditions. Furthermore, the experimental results are used to determine which mode of operation: dry, mist injection,
water shower, or combination of mist injection and water shower will be the most effective mode in each of the selected assessment
ambient conditions.

2. Experimental set-up

Experimental measurements for the present study were carried out at GORD’s Technohub premises in Doha, Qatar. Fig. 1 shows a
schematic diagram of the experimental set-up. The FAHU cools the incoming primary air, at ambient conditions, to a desired pre-
determined supply air state by indirect evaporative cooling within the heat exchanger followed by direct cooling using a chilled
water-cooling coil. The secondary airflow is drawn into the FAHU at ambient conditions and is pre-conditioned using mist injection,
water shower, or combination of mist and water shower before it cools the primary air via indirect evaporative cooling in the crossflow
heat exchanger. The base dry operating mode is the one where neither mist injection nor water shower is used.
The schematic diagram also shows key locations of measurement sensors, numbered 1–7. These sensors are used to measure
temperature and humidity and transfer the acquired data continuously by wireless technology to GORD’s computer server for sub­
sequent retrieval and analysis. The main parameters of the FAHU and measurement sensors are given in Table 1 below.
In this study, it is assumed that the wet channels of the plate heat exchanger are thoroughly wetted by the water shower when it is in
use. Although the FAHU surfaces are internally insulated where possible, there may likely be heat exchange between surfaces at
different temperatures within the FAHU. These, together with any undesirable heat exchanges between airstreams, are neglected for
this study. It is also assumed that there is no infiltration/air leakage through imperfect joints of the FAHU, and any short-circuiting
between primary and secondary air streams are ignored.

Fig. 1. Schematic diagram of indirect/direct evaporative cooling unit.

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Table 1
Key parameters of FAHU test rig.
Supply airflow rate 5000CMH (rated)

Extract airflow rate 5000CMH (rated)

Chilled water coil 6 row coil, flow rate: 0.565 ft.s-1
Normal water coil Not used in this study
Plate heat exchanger Crossflow type, A ¼ 0.119m2, plate thickness ¼ 0.15mm, plate conductivity ¼ 220Wmk-1, 125 plates
Ultrasonic mist generator Mist Generation – 18 L.h-1, Power -0.75KW
Tank Dimension – 0.18 * 0.24 *0.7 m
Water pump P1 Flowrate 2.5 L.min-1
Water pump P2 Flowrate 20.66 L.min-1at 44 m head
Measurement sensors Aranet 4–20mA Current sensor. Measurement accuracy �0.5%. Range: 40 � C–60 � C, 0%–100% RH.

3. Methodology and measurements

In the present study, air conditions, represented by dry bulb temperature and relative humidity, were logged continuously at sensor
locations, during the experimental measurement period. Throughout the experimental measurement period, ambient conditions were
also recorded. A total of 30 FAHU operating tests involving some 800 measured data sets were used in the analysis of the experimental
data.
The measurements were undertaken to study the experimental characterization of the FAHU system operating in the following
modes: -

1. Mode 1: With no mist or water shower (dry mode).

2. Mode 2: With a mist injection.
3. Mode 3: With a water shower.
4. Mode 4: With mist injection and water shower.

Throughout the experimental measurements, chilled water through the cooling coil was pumped at a constant flow rate; however,
variations of up to 2.8 � C in the chilled water flow temperatures were observed.

3.1. Performance parameters

In the present study, the following indices, as found in Ref. [24], calculated from experimentally measured parameters, are used to
compare the performance of various modes of operation of the FAHU:

3.1.1. Dry bulb thermal effectiveness

To1 To2
2dbT ¼ (1)
To1 Te1

3.1.2. Wet bulb thermal effectiveness

To1 To2
2dbT ¼ (2)
To1 Twbe1

3.1.3. Cooling capacity of supply/primary air

Q ¼ m*ðho1 ho2 Þ (3)

3.1.4. Global heat transfer coefficient

Q
℧¼ (4)
A:ΔTLM
ðTo1 T
�e2 Þ ðTo2 �Te1Þ
Where ΔTLM ¼
ðTo1 Te2 Þ
Ln ðTo2 Te1 Þ

Thermal conductance is obtained by multiplying the global heat transfer coefficient with the area for heat exchange, [24].

4. Results and discussion

4.1. Assessment of ambient conditions

The experimental analysis of the performance of the FAHU is based on three ‘Assessment Ambient Conditions’ selected from actual

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climatic data measured at Technohub, in Qatar, over several months during 2018/19. It was found that the recorded ambient con­
ditions could be grouped into three distinct categories for analysis i.e., low dry bulb temperature/high relative humidity, high dry bulb
temperature/high relative humidity, and high dry bulb temperature/low relative humidity. A representative “average” ambient
condition was determined for each category. The three “average ambient conditions” thus determined is what is referred to, in this
study, as the ‘Assessment Ambient Conditions’ at which various cooling performance indices of the FAHU are compared. The
assessment ambient conditions were chosen to represent a variety of typical ambient conditions experienced in Qatar. It must be noted
that for this region, it is common to have high magnitudes of dry bulb temperature co-occurring with high values of relative humidity.
Key metrics of these assessment ambient conditions are given in Table 2 below.

4.2. Psychrometric processes and shapes of psychrometric process diagrams

The psychrometric processes of the FAHU were plotted for various modes of operation. A psychrometric chart for the mist injection
mode of operation, and relating to the three assessments ambient conditions, is shown in Fig. 2. The blue process lines represent the
primary air for each case, whereas the red, orange, and purple lines show the processes relating to the secondary air stream for each of
the three selected ambient conditions. The air state point labels, e.g., 1, 3w, 7 h, are assigned only for distinguishing between the
ambient conditions, i.e., low temperature and high relative humidity is labeled with digit only, high temperature and high relative
humidity is marked with a number followed by letter ‘h,’ and high temperature with low relative humidity is labeled with digit fol­
lowed by letter ‘w.’ A legend for the processes shown in Fig. 2 is provided below:

4.3. Calculated parameters and comparative assessments of various modes of operation

Several parameters were used to compare the cooling performance of the FAHU when operating in different modes against the
selected assessment ambient conditions. These parameters are temperature reduction across the heat exchanger, dry-bulb thermal
effectiveness, wet bulb thermal effectiveness, the chilled water-cooling load required to cool primary air from the condition at the
outlet to the heat exchanger, to a desired pre-determined supply air state; and, global heat transfer coefficient. These were calculated
from parameters measured at sensor locations within the FAHU, and a summary of the results is presented in Table 3.
It is plausible that temperature measurements recorded downstream of the heat exchanger may be lower because the sensor was
(unavoidably) located very close to the chilled water-cooling coil. The assumption that the wet channels of the heat exchanger are
thoroughly wetted could affect the condition of the air downstream of the heat exchanger if some of the secondary airflow channels are
not thoroughly wetted. If this is the case, air temperatures at the outlet of the heat exchanger may have been caused to increase since
the condition would be a mixture of air-cooled by the water shower and that flowing in the dry channels at a state equivalent to that
occurring at the inlet of the heat exchanger.
It is likely, there is either short-circuiting between primary and secondary flow streams or air leakage via infiltration, as can be seen
from the psychrometric plots, which show that in some cases, the moisture content of the primary air stream increases at the
downstream side of the heat exchanger. It is also possible that the observed increase of moisture content on the downstream of the heat
exchanger may be a result of the effects of condensation from the cooling coil.

4.3.1. Comparison of primary air stream temperature reduction (ΔT) across FAHU heat exchanger for various modes of operation
A comparison of the primary air stream dry bulb temperature reduction (ΔT) across the heat exchanger, for various modes of
operation in the different assessment ambient conditions, is shown in Fig. 3. The results show that pre-conditioning the secondary air
by evaporative cooling before it flows through the heat exchanger improves ΔT across the heat exchanger in the selected assessment
ambient conditions. It is found that the combination of mist injection and water shower mode achieves the highest ΔT of approxi­
mately 13 � C in ambient conditions of high dry bulb temperature and low relative humidity (42 � C and 25%RH).
While it is expected that, for the dry mode of operation, there would be no reduction of the temperature of the primary air stream,
experimental results show temperature reductions of up to 6.2 � C. The observed temperature reductions could be because, being

Table 2
Assessment ambient conditions used in the study.
Assessment ambient Conditions High dry bulb temp (� C) High moisture Content (kg. kg-1) Low dry bulb temp (� C) Low moisture Content (kg.kg-1)

26 C/55%RH
�
28 0.0120 25 0.0119
38� C/55%RH 39 0.0240 36 0.0203
42� C/25%RH 43 0.0147 41 0.0109

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Fig. 2. Experimental psychrometric processes for FAHU operating in mode with mist injection.

Table 3
Comparison of psychrometric parameters for various modes of operation
(M ¼ Mist Mode, W-Water Shower Mode).
Basis of Comparison 26 � C %/55%RH 42 � C/25%RH 38 � C/55%RH

Mode Mode Mode

No M W M&W No M W M&W No M W M&W

M&W M&W M&W

Dry Bulb Temp. after HEX, oC 22 21.85 20.32 19.53 34.3 31.68 33.13 29.82 32 29.41 30.28 31.05
Moisture Content after HEX, g. 11.62 11.53 14.30 14.2 12.88 12.86 13.81 13.34 21.55 18.69 18.13 22.78
kg-1
RH after HEX, % 70 70.1 95.1 99.14 37.8 43.7 43.3 50.43 71 71.7 66.2 79.07
Dry Bulb Temp. effectiveness 1.25 0.59 1.44 0.9 0.73 0.74 1.2 0.74 0.98 0.83 0.89 0.99
Wet Bulb Temp. effectiveness 0.52 0.55 0.77 0.84 0.73 0.59 0.59 0.68 0.57 0.55 0.77 0.84
Cooling load, kW 16.76 12.54 17.7 16.68 32.69 25.29 28.99 24.65 52.62 37.16 36.74 48.67
Thermal conductance, W.K-1 9.28 3.52 7.59 5.5 10.7 1.85 2.00 1.92 52.46 37.09 37.05 48.67

enclosed by insulated surfaces, the heat exchanger is at a lower temperature than ambient; hence, the incoming primary air stream is
cooled by the cooler surfaces of the heat exchanger. Thus, the dry mode of operation, which is the one without mist injection or water
spray, gives the lowest ΔT at each of the corresponding assessment ambient conditions. The lowest ΔT achieved by the dry mode of
operation is 3.9 � C. In ambient conditions of high temperature and high relative humidity, the mist injection mode performs better in
terms of ΔT than the water shower mode. The mist injection mode also outperforms the combined mist and water showermode, in
conditions of high ambient temperature and high relative humidity.

4.3.2. Comparison of thermal effectiveness of FAHU heat exchanger for various modes of operation
The values of the dry bulb temperature effectiveness of the various modes of operation of the FAHU heat exchanger, at each
assessment ambient condition, are given in Table 3. These are calculated from experimentally measured parameters using equation (1),
and a comparison between various modes of operation is shown in Fig. 4. It is found that the highest dry bulb temperature effectiveness
of the system is 1.42, achieved with the water shower mode operating in ambient conditions of low dry bulb temperature and high
relative humidity. Whereas the lowest dry bulb temperature effectiveness occurs with the mist injection mode working in the same
ambient conditions (i.e., low dry bulb temperature and high relative humidity). For the dry mode, the results show the dry bulb

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Fig. 3. Comparison of ΔT across FAHU heat exchanger.

temperature effectiveness decreasing with an increase in temperature, regardless of the variation in relative humidity. In conditions of
high dry bulb temperature and low relative humidity, again, the water shower mode achieves a better dry bulb temperature effec­
tiveness than the other three modes. For high dry bulb temperature and high relative humidity of the ambient condition, the combined
effect of mist injection and water shower, as well as the dry mode, perform better than the other two modes, mist injection and water
shower, operating separately.
Similarly, the results of the wet-bulb temperature effectiveness, calculated from experimentally measured parameters using
equation (2), are shown in Table 3 and Fig. 5. The highest wet-bulb temperature effectiveness of 0.82 is achieved with the mist in­
jection mode operating in ambient conditions of high dry bulb temperature and high relative humidity. Similar wet-bulb temperature
effectiveness is achieved by the combined mist injection and water shower modes operating in ambient conditions of low dry bulb
temperature occurring with high relative humidity. The dry mode operating in ambient conditions of low dry bulb temperature and
high relative humidity achieves the lowest wet bulb temperature effectiveness amongst the various modes of operation. However, in
ambient conditions of high temperature and low relative humidity, the dry mode achieved wet-bulb temperature effectiveness better

Fig. 4. Comparison of dry bulb temperature effectiveness.

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Fig. 5. Comparison of wet bulb temperature effectiveness.

than other modes.

4.3.3. Comparison of FAHU thermal conductance for various modes of operation

Experimental values of the thermal conductance of the FAHU, calculated using (4), are included in Table 3. For all modes of
operation, the thermal conductance of the investigated system is much higher in ambient conditions of high dry bulb temperature and
high relative humidity than that of the two assessment ambient conditions. The dry mode of operation achieves the highest thermal
conductance of 52, while the lowest thermal conductance of 1.9 occurs with the combined mist and water shower modes working in
ambient conditions of high dry bulb temperature and low relative humidity. In identical ambient conditions, the dry mode gives a
higher thermal conductance than other modes of operation. The mist injection and water shower modes achieve the same thermal
conductance in ambient conditions of high temperature and high relative humidity.

Fig. 6. Comparison of FAHU chilled water-cooling loads.

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Fig. 7. Illustration of a comparison of cooling performance.

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4.3.4. Comparison of FAHU chilled water-cooling loads for various modes of operation
Chilled water-cooling loads required to cool air from the air state, leaving the heat exchanger to a pre-determined supply air state of
15 � C and 85% relative humidity, are calculated from experimentally measured parameters using equation (3), for each mode of
operation under the selected assessment ambient conditions. The calculated cooling loads are included in Table 3, and a comparison
between various modes is shown in Fig. 6. For all modes of operation, as expected, the case of high dry bulb temperature and high
relative humidity requires the highest cooling load, with the dry operating mode registering the highest cooling demand of 52.62 kW.
The lowest cooling requirement across the various modes of operation and assessment ambient conditions, equalling 12.54 kW, is
observed with the mist injection mode – operating in the ambient conditions of low dry bulb temperature and high relative humidity.
The mist injection and water shower modes require the same cooling load to achieve the desired supply air temperature in the high dry
bulb temperature and high relative humidity. Whereas the mist injection and combined mist injection with water shower modes also
require approximately equal cooling loads to reach the desired supply air condition in ambient conditions of high dry bulb temperature
and low relative humidity.

4.4. Parametric analysis and comparisons of different modes of operation

Fig. 7 shows an illustration of comparisons conducted to determine which mode of operation of the FAHU is the most effective, from
an energy-saving point of view, for the selected assessment ambient conditions. The cooling performance of the different modes of
operation of the FAHU is compared from the perspectives of psychrometric parameters (dry bulb temperature and relative humidity at
the outlet from the heat exchanger and moisture content); thermal effectiveness; cooling load and; thermal conductance. Each of these
factors is assumed to have an equal influence on the overall cooling performance of the FAHU. The mode of operation with the highest
total score is taken to be the best performing system for the given assessment ambient conditions.
Table 3 shows various parameters, calculated or obtained from the psychrometric chart, which are used to compare the cooling
performance for the different assessment ambient conditions. The criteria of comparison for each of the three psychrometric pa­
rameters are as follows. The mode of operation with the lowest dry-bulb temperature has better cooling performance than those with
the higher dry-bulb temperature at the outlet from the heat exchanger. The mode of operation with either the lowest moisture content
has better cooling performance than those with higher moisture content at the outlet from the heat exchanger. The mode of operation
with the highest relative humidity at the outlet has better cooling performance than those with lower relative humidity at the outlet
from the heat exchanger. The criteria of comparison for the thermal effectiveness (dry-bulb or wet-bulb) is that in each case, the mode
of operation with the highest temperature effectiveness has better cooling performance than those with lower temperature
effectiveness.
The cooling load or cooling demand, for each mode of operation, is the amount required to cool primary air leaving the heat
exchanger to a pre-determined supply air condition of dry bulb temperature 15 � C with a relative humidity of 85%. The cooling
demand for each mode of operation is calculated from experimentally measured parameters, using equation (3). The resulting cooling
loads for each mode of operation are shown in Table 3. The criteria of comparison for the cooling loads is that the mode of operation
with the lowest cooling demand is the best performing mode of operation.
Values of thermal conductance are calculated from experimental parameters using equation (4), for each mode of operation in
particular assessment ambient conditions. The criteria of comparison for thermal conductance is that the mode of operation with the
lowest thermal conductance is the best performing mode. The resulting total scores of cooling performance comparisons for different
modes of operation, when operating in each of the three selected assessment ambient conditions, are summarized in Table 4. The four
main criteria used for comparisons are each assigned an equal weighting of 0.25. The total final score of the cooling performance of
each mode of operation is calculated by adding the overall weighted scores. The focus here is to compare different modes of operation
by applying a consistent, straightforward method.
It is found that the most effective mode to operate the FAHU in conditions of low ambient dry bulb temperature and high relative
humidity is the combined mist and water shower mode. In assessment ambient conditions of high dry bulb temperature and low
relative humidity, the mist injection mode performs better than the other modes. While in assessment ambient conditions of high dry
bulb temperature and high relative humidity, the water shower mode is the most effective.
It was observed from the experimental psychrometric chart that some of the process lines do not align with theoretical or ideal
expectations. This can be attributed to various reasons, for instance, condensation or moisture migration to a sensor location (such as
the one located unavoidably near the cooling coil) may have affected the air conditions measured after the heat exchanger. It is also
possible there may be short-circuiting between the primary and secondary air streams within the heat exchanger. The air leakage may
be a reason why some primary air process lines, which are expected to be horizontal, i.e., sensible cooling process within the heat
exchanger, show an increase in moisture content at the outlet from the heat exchanger. Furthermore, the psychrometric chart shows
that some of the secondary air stream experimental process lines expected to represent evaporative cooling deviate slightly from lines
of constant wet bulb temperature, resulting in an increase or decrease of the final wet-bulb temperature of the air at the outlet from the
heat exchanger. The deviation of process lines from the theoretical wet-bulb temperature line could be, for instance, because of the air
stream losing or gaining moisture at the location of the sensor.
Further, where the airstream is expected to have its temperature reduced to the saturation line, it was found that this is not so in all
cases. The shortfall can be a result of experimental errors, set-up imperfections, and various factors such as loss of moisture and heat
gain or heat loss, which may have affected air states at respective sensor locations. For experimental psychrometric processes that
achieved saturated air conditions, it is expected that humidification and heat gain process would occur along the saturation line (100%
RH line), but this is not the case from the results of the experimental measurements.

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Table 4
Comparison of weighted overall cooling performance scores.
Basis of Comparison Applied 26 � C %/55%RH 42 � C/25%RH 40 � C/50%RH
Weighing
Mode Mode Mode
Factor
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Psychrometric parameters 0.25 7 16 11 23 7 20 7 23 7 20 16 14

Temperature effectiveness 0.25 11 4 10 13 8 10 13 15 8 2 8 20
Cooling loads 0.25 3 10 1 5 1 5 3 10 1 5 10 3
Thermal conductance 0.25 1 10 3 5 1 10 3 5 1 5 10 3
Total/Avreage 1.00 5.5 10.0 6.25 11.5 4.25 21.5 6.5 13.25 4.25 8.0 11.0 10.0

For the same relative humidity, the results obtained show that temperature reduction in ambient conditions of higher dry bulb
temperatures was generally better than those in ambient conditions of low dry bulb temperatures. It is also found that for the tested
FAHU, a few cases resulted in dry bulb effectiveness greater than one, which can be attributed to further cooling of the primary air by
the adjacent cooling coil in addition to the temperature reduction through the heat exchanger. Alternatively, the temperature, Te1
being higher than that expected due to heat transfer through the heat exchanger, and this could result, for instance, from the air at
sensor location Te1 gaining heat from other sources such as surrounding surfaces.
For the assessment ambient conditions of high dry bulb temperature, the cooling load results show that the dry operating mode
requires the highest cooling load to achieve the desired supply air conditions. Although it was expected that the wet modes would
perform better than the dry mode in all ambient conditions, it is found that the water shower mode delivers a slightly worse cooling
performance than the dry mode in assessment conditions of low dry bulb temperature and high relative humidity (25 � C, 55%RH). The
poor cooling performance obtained for the water shower is perhaps due to experimental errors in the measurement of various pa­
rameters. In these assessment ambient conditions, it is found that the mist injection mode saves 25% of the cooling energy required by
the dry mode of operation.
An assessment of the ambient conditions of high dry bulb temperature and low relative humidity (42 � C and 25%RH) and high dry
bulb temperature and high relative humidity (38 � C and 55%RH), the water shower operating mode performs better than the other
modes. For the assessment ambient condition of low dry bulb temperature and high relative humidity (26 � C and 55%RH), the mist
injection mode of operation is the most effective. It is found that in assessment ambient conditions of high dry bulb temperature and
high relative humidity (38 � C and 55%RH), the wet modes of operation, i.e., mist injection, water shower and, combined mist and
water shower modes can save 29.4%, 30.2%, and 7.5% of the cooling energy required by the dry mode, respectively. Similarly, in
assessment ambient conditions of high dry bulb temperature and low relative humidity (42 � C and 25%RH), the cooling energy saved
by the wet modes (mist injection, water shower and, combined mist and water shower) amounts to 22.5%, 11.3%, and 24.6%,
respectively, compared to that required by the dry mode.
Broadly, these results support the case to incorporate indirect evaporative cooling systems into FAHU to save energy when the
FAHU operates in climatic conditions such as those experienced in Qatar.
From the studied ambient conditions, for the same relative humidity, it is noted that thermal conductance increases for higher dry
bulb temperatures. The calculated thermal conductance, for each mode of operation, was found to be highest in conditions of high dry
bulb temperature and high relative humidity (38 � C and 55%RH). For the wet modes of operation, the lowest thermal conductance was
determined to be in assessment ambient conditions of high dry bulb temperature and low relative humidity (42 � C and 25%RH).
However, for the dry mode of operation, the lowest thermal conductance occurred in assessment ambient conditions of low dry bulb
temperature and high relative humidity (26 � C and 55%RH).
One of the main limitations of this study relates to the assignment of equal weighting factors in the comparison of various pa­
rameters, i.e., psychometric properties, temperature effectiveness, cooling load, and thermal conductance. Perhaps an area of area for
further study would be the establishment of the relative importance of these factors and their influence on the overall cooling per­
formance of the FAHU, but this aspect is currently outside the scope of the present study.

5. Conclusion

The cooling performance of a FAHU integrating an indirect evaporative heat exchanger with a chilled water-cooling coil is
considered and compared at three assessment ambient conditions when the FAHU operates in different modes. It is found that the wet
modes of operation can save up to 43% of the cooling demand required by the dry mode. It is found that: -

� Cooling performance is a function of the mode of operation of the FAHU as well as ambient conditions. A given mode of operation
can perform better in one ambient condition and poorly in another.
� While there is little or no difference in cooling performance between different modes of operation in some ambient conditions, the
difference can be significant in other ambient conditions. For instance, in conditions of low dry bulb temperature and high relative
humidity, the cooling demand of the water shower mode is 41.1% greater than for the mist mode of operation. While in ambient
conditions of high dry bulb temperature and high relative humidity, the difference between the cooling demands of these two
modes of operation is only 1.1%.

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Y. Al Horr et al. Case Studies in Thermal Engineering 18 (2020) 100574

� Methods such as shown in this study could be adopted and incorporated in automatic control logics of indirect evaporative cooling
systems to optimize performance and maximize energy savings in various ambient conditions different.
� The use of indirect evaporative cooling can provide substantial cooling load reductions if incorporated in FAHUs operating in hot
climates.

Declaration of competing interest

None.

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