ENERGY AND WATER MANAGEMENT IN EVAPORATIVE COOLING SYSTEMS IN SAUDI-ARABIA

A mathematical model was developed to estimate water evaporation rate, airflow rate and cooling effect in an evaporative cooling system for farm structures. The model was only applied to evaporative cooling systems for greenhouses. The effect of ambient air temperature, solar radiation and system efficiency on water evaporation rate, airflow rate and the resulting cooling effect were studied. Generally, water flow rate and air flow rate are adjusted based on daily maximum temperature. However, a substantial saving in energy and water consumption in the cooling system would be achieved by regulating water flow rate and air flow rate to follow the diurnal variation on temperature. Improving the cooling efficiency and covering the roof of the greenhouse with an external shading would save an appreciable amount of energy and water consumption. The model could also be applied to other farm structures such as animal shelters.