Re: Cooling Tower/Solar Chimney & websites - Long -Reply

[Toby Anderson <anderstc@nv.doe.gov>]

	       -Reply

Hi DE,

I started this thread, on the concept of using both Cooling Towers & 
Solar Chimneys, so, I'ld like to respond.

U wrote:
>>>There are, I think, two separate concepts being discussed here as
though  they are the same thing.

I realize that they are 2 different concepts, & it sounds like it came
across like I was trying to use them as tho they were the same thing. So
I didn't communicate it very well and so here goes another attempt...

I am making a proposal to use both of thier concepts to help amplify the
total affect.

Cooling Tower - air goes down
Solar chimney - air goes up

FOr conceptual purposes only,  let's build a house with 2 towers - 1 for
a cooling tower, and 1 for a solar chimney. In reality, they would be
housed in the same structure to save $$, but they would be structurally
separated from each other - while in the same tower ... i.e. there are 2
passage ways for air flow, isolated from each other....

The air flow downdrafted from the cooling tower would enter into 1 end
of the house (or thru duct work thru ceiling vents or into the basement or
whatever). The cold air falls to the floor, and the hot air rises to the
ceiling from which it enters vents and ducts which bring it to the solar
chimney which sucks the hot air up thru it's own separate glass
chimney. The sun continues to heat up the air thru the glass and thus it
rises faster.... 

U wrote:
>>>The beauty of cool towers is that you  do away with the need to
run a 1/2 or 3/4 horsepower motor to power the  blower. 

That's neat, and I'm not saying it is not ever true,  but,
unless I misread something, the cooling tower in the URL which I
originally gave    
       http://stores.us.ohio-state.edu/%7Esteen/homepower/

uses a swamp cooler complete with 1/2  or 3/4 horsepower motor. If U
don't need it, that's gravy. 

U wrote:
>>>Air passing through the pads is cooled by the evaporation of the
water,  though this air picks up humidity in the process. 

This is the core of my argument: MORE air means more cooling. IF U have
ever run your swamp cooler at low fan speed versus high fan speed, U
will know the difference.

Theoretically, the solar chimney can be used to speed up air flow.
sucking the hot air out of the house faster, than if it was just pushed out
by the cool air falling down the cooling tower (and the hot air rising out of
some opening somewhere....).

>>>Mary Diamond's loadbearing sb house near Sierra Vista, Arizona
was built  with cool tower which has never been finished - because it
hasn't been  needed!  

That's neat. At Mary's place, do U know how many days each year are
above 100deg F? In Las Vegas, I'm told we get around 100 days each
year. Is Mary home during the day or at work (in an air conditioned
office). I''m not trying to be argumentative here, but I am trying to figure
out how close Mary's environment is to places like Las Vegas, Nv.;
Ridgecrest, Ca. Palm Springs, Ca. etc....

Dtt...