Experimental Investigation of an Indirect Evaporative Cooler Consisting of a Heat Pipe Embedded in Porous Ceramic

Abstract

An indirect evaporative cooler incorporating a porous ceramic and a heat pipe was described. Experiments were carried out to examine the effects of various ceramic properties, such as porosity, wall thickness, and outside diameter. Use of the cooler for a chilled ceiling in an environmental chamber was also investigated. A temperature drop of 3.8oC per square metre of ceramic surface area was achieved for an 18 m chamber.