Performance Evaluation of a Residential Indirect-Direct Evaporative Cooler (IDEC)

The purpose of this project was to conduct laboratory testing on the Indirect/Direct Evaporative Cooler (IDEC) to characterize its performance across typical cooling season weather conditions in climate zones 7 and 10.  The IDEC provides cooling very efficiently using only two sets of fans and water pumps. Relying on evaporative cooling eliminates the need for high global warming potential refrigerants, and the associated compressor which consumes much of the electricity used by a traditional air conditioner. This reduction in energy consumption, due to the elimination of the standard vapor compression equipment, allows the system to achieve much higher efficiencies in many California climate conditions compared to traditional cooling systems.