NREL Improves On Swamp Cooler Tech to Create 90 Percent More Efficient Air Conditioner
It's a Cool, Cool Summer NREL senior engineer Eric Kozubal examines a prototype air flow channel of the DEVap air conditioner, which he co-invented. DEVap, which stands for desiccant-enhanced evaporative air conditioner, uses membrane technology to combine evaporative cooling with the drying potential of liquid desiccant salt solutions. The rainbow graph shows shows how hot humid air, in red, changes to cool dry air, in blue, as the air passes through the DEVap core. NREL/Pat Corkery When it comes to home comforts, few inventions can beat the air conditioner for its ability to help us tolerate the dog days of summer. The problem is, when it comes to energy-guzzlers, few inventions can beat the air conditioner. But the National Renewable Energy Laboratory has invented a new air conditioning system that uses 50 to 90 percent less energy than the best available units. The Desiccant-Enhanced eVaporative air conditioner --...