CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 63/426,259, entitled “AIR-COOLED HEAT EXCHANGERS AND EVAPORATIVE COOLING ASSEMBLIES,” filed November 17, 2022, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0002] This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

[0003] HVAC equipment and independent cooling devices, such as air handling units, localized air coolers, fan walls, and building systems, face many design constraints during their development. The air supplied through such equipment needs to match stringent design specifications, the footprint should be minimized to save space on-site, and the overall energy consumption should be optimized.

[0004] Accordingly, there has been an increased utilization of evaporative cooling technology in recent years due to its lower energy consumption compared to other cooling methods. Evaporative coolers lower the temperature of an airstream through the introduction and subsequent evaporation of water particles. These components prove especially useful when the inlet air conditions are dry and warm. Traditional evaporative coolers may generally include evaporative media, an assembly to hold the media in place, a supply water reservoir, and a water distribution system. Water may be piped from the reservoir to the top of the evaporative media. As water gravity drains downward, some water is absorbed into the evaporative media, and the rest falls back into the supply water reservoir. When air passes through this wetted media, water evaporates into the airstream, and it is this process which adiabatically cools the air.

[0005] Traditional evaporative coolers have several drawbacks. For example, traditional evaporative coolers are susceptible to water carryover. Water carryover is a process in which air passing through the evaporative media pulls excess water droplets out into the air, resulting in the unintentional accumulation of water in the downstream area. At high air velocities, this process becomes more pronounced. Further, the evaporative media of traditional evaporative coolers may be oriented generally perpendicular to an airflow passing over the evaporative media, such that pressure and velocity profiles across the media are substantially uniform. While this orientation may reduce water carryover, it increases a size of the traditional evaporative cooler. The relatively large size of traditional evaporative coolers may be compounded by the inclusion of a containment device below the evaporative media that collects water as it is gravity-fed downwardly, and by the use of a mist eliminator downstream of the evaporative media airflow and configured to absorb water carried through the air. The mist eliminator also generates a pressure drop that causes an increase in power requirements and corresponding decrease in overall efficiency of the traditional evaporative cooler. Water droplets may also contain biological contaminants such as Legionella bacteria.

[0006] Further, traditional evaporative coolers may require the use of relatively clean water to reduce mineral deposits, commonly known as “scale” build-up. The susceptibility of traditional evaporative coolers to mineral deposits may require time consuming maintenance techniques and/or excessive water replacement. Further, traditional evaporative coolers are limited in their ability to precisely control the supply air temperature and humidity. In general, the exiting air can be controlled by turning the traditional evaporative cooler ON or OFF depending on the temperature or humidity requirements. That is, delivery of water to the evaporative media may be enabled when the traditional evaporative cooler is ON and disabled when the evaporative cooler is OFF. However, the evaporative media may remain wet for a time period after the traditional evaporative cooler is switched to OFF, causing additional cooling and humidification to occur, which contributes to control latency of the traditional evaporative cooler. Once the media is wet, the amount of water that evaporates into the airstream is completely dependent on the incoming air conditions.

[0007] Further still, a versatility of traditional evaporative cooling media is limited by at least the above-described drawbacks, among others. That is, implementation of traditional evaporative cooling media may be limited to a relatively small number of applications that are capable of safe, cost effective, and energy efficient operation despite the above-described drawbacks. For the foregoing reasons, among others, it is now recognized that improved systems and methods employing evaporative cooling are desired.

SUMMARY

[0008] A summary of certain embodiments disclosed herein is set forth below. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a brief summary of these certain embodiments and that these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Indeed, this disclosure may encompass a variety of aspects that may not be set forth below.

[0009] In an embodiment, an air-cooled heat exchanger includes an airflow path, a fan configured to bias an airflow through the airflow path, a coil disposed in the airflow path and configured to receive a fluid such that the coil enables a first heat exchange relationship between the fluid and the airflow, and an evaporative cooling assembly. The evaporative cooling assembly is disposed in the airflow path upstream of the coil relative to the airflow. Further, the evaporative cooling assembly includes a number of microporous hollow fibers configured to receive an additional fluid such that the evaporative cooling assembly enables a second heat exchange relationship between the additional fluid and the airflow.

[0010] In another embodiment, a system includes a vapor compression circuit comprising a condenser coil configured to receive a refrigerant and establish a first heat exchange relationship between the refrigerant and an airflow. The system also includes an additional fluid circuit comprising an evaporative cooling assembly including a plurality of microporous hollow fibers configured to receive a fluid such that the evaporative cooling assembly establishes a second heat exchange relationship between the fluid and the airflow.

[0011] In still another embodiment, an air-cooled heat exchanger includes a fan configured to generate an airflow, a coil configured to receive a fluid and establish a first heat exchange relationship between the airflow and the fluid, and a sheet having microporous hollow fibers configured to receive an additional fluid and establish a second heat exchange relationship between the airflow and the additional fluid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Various aspects of this disclosure may be better understood upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which:

[0013] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an air-cooled heat exchanger having an evaporative cooling assembly, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0014] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the evaporative cooling assembly of FIG. 1 (e.g., in an unassembled state), in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0015] FIG. 3 is a magnified cross-sectional view of a microporous hollow fiber of the evaporative cooling assembly of FIG. 2, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0016] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a condenser corresponding to the aircooled heat exchanger of FIG. 1 , where the condenser includes a condenser coil and the evaporative cooling assembly configured to cool an airflow upstream of the condenser coil, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0017] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a staggered portion of the evaporative cooling assembly of FIG. 1 , in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure; [0018] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an inline portion of the evaporative cooling assembly of FIG. 1 , in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0019] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of the evaporative cooling assembly of FIG. 1 , the portion including pockets in a flexible sheet and anchor points (e.g., longitudinal rods) disposed in the pockets, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0020] FIG. 8 is a process flow diagram illustrating a method of operating the aircooled heat exchanger of FIG. 1 , in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0021] FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration of a modular header assembly for the evaporative cooling assembly of FIG. 1 , including a sacrificial layer of microporous hollow fibers, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0022] FIG. 10 is a schematic illustration of a roller assembly for the evaporative cooling assembly of FIG. 1 , where the roller assembly is configured to move a sheet of microporous hollow fibers, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0023] FIG. 1 1 is a schematic illustration of a sun shield of the evaporative cooling assembly of FIG. 1 , in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0024] FIG. 12 is a schematic illustration of a curtain of the evaporative cooling assembly of FIG. 1 , in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0025] FIG. 13 is a schematic illustration of a pleated skirt of the evaporative cooling assembly of FIG. 1 , in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0026] FIG. 14 is a schematic illustration of the air-cooled heat exchanger and the evaporative cooling assembly of FIG. 1 , where the evaporative cooling assembly includes an adiabatic coil adjacent an additional coil of the air-cooled heat exchanger, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure; [0027] FIG. 15 is a schematic illustration of the air-cooled heat exchanger and the evaporative cooling assembly of FIG. 1 , where the evaporative cooling assembly includes an adiabatic coil disposed between a free-cooling coil and microchannel coil of the air-cooled heat exchanger, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0028] FIG. 16 a schematic illustration of the air-cooled heat exchanger and the evaporative cooling assembly of FIG. 1 , including a winter inward fold, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0029] FIG. 17 is a schematic illustration of the air-cooled heat exchanger of FIG. 1 , including an evaporative cooling assembly, such as an adiabatic coil, employed for cooling of a variable speed drive (VSD) of an air-cooled heat exchanger, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0030] FIG. 18 is a schematic illustration of an evaporative cooling assembly employed for cooling inside a variable speed drive (VSD) cabinet, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0031] FIG. 19 is a schematic illustration of an evaporative cooling assembly employed to cool a fan motor, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure; and

[0032] FIG. 20 is a schematic illustration of an evaporative cooling assembly having anti-freezing features, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] One or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. These described embodiments are only examples of the presently disclosed techniques. Additionally, in an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers’ specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

[0034] When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Additionally, it should be understood that references to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features.

[0035] The present disclosure relates to air-cooled heat exchangers having an evaporative cooling assembly. The air-cooled heat exchanger may be employed in a vapor compression or mechanical cooling system (e.g., a chiller), a free-cooling system, a liquid immersion system (e.g., at a data center), a residential HVAC system, a commercial HVAC system, another type of suitable HVAC system employing an aircooled heat exchanger, or any combination thereof. In one embodiment, for example, the air-cooled heat exchanger corresponds to a condenser of a chiller, where the condenser includes a condenser coil configured to place a refrigerant in a heat exchange relationship with an airflow biased over the evaporative cooling assembly and then condenser coil via a fan of the condenser.

[0036] The evaporative cooling assembly may include a number of microporous hollow fibers configured to receive a flow of liquid fluid, such as liquid water, for cooling an airflow prior to delivery of the airflow to a component of the air-cooled heat exchanger, such as the condenser coil described above. Walls of each microporous hollow fiber are permeable only to fluid in the vapor form. In other words, liquid water cannot exit the walls of the microporous hollow fibers to directly mix with the airflow (or other ambient gas stream). As water vapor exits the walls of the microporous hollow fibers via pores in the walls, the water vapor comes into direct contact with the airflow, resulting in a transfer of mass and energy. An example of microporous hollow fibers employed in the context of a membrane-contactor panel can be found in 3M® media utilizing CELGARD®. This contrasts with traditional evaporative media whereby the liquid water wetting the media’s surface is exposed to and evaporates directly into the airflow.

[0037] In accordance with the present disclosure, the evaporative cooling assembly may include a sheet (e.g., a flexible sheet, such as a woven fabric sheet) containing, holding, embedding, or otherwise employing microporous hollow fibers. The flexible sheet may enable formation of a shape of the evaporative cooling assembly that is compatible with the air-cooled heat exchanger. Indeed, airflow velocities and/or airflow pressure drops generally associated with at least some air-cooled heat exchangers (e.g., condensers) may be relatively large. To handle the airflow velocities and/or the airflow pressure drops associated with the air-cooled heat exchanger, the evaporative cooling assembly may be shaped via the flexible sheet to increase a surface area of the face of the evaporative cooling assembly within a pre-defined space.

[0038] As an example, the pre-defined space may correspond to an airflow inlet associated with the air-cooled heat exchanger. The evaporative cooling assembly, including the flexible sheet having the microporous hollow fibers, may be disposed in (or extend into) the pre-defined space corresponding to the airflow inlet. Further, the flexible sheet may be wound about support rods (or otherwise manipulated) such that the evaporative cooling assembly forms an accordion, pleated, or zig-zag cross- sectional shape. In this way, the surface area of the face of the evaporative cooling assembly may be larger than a surface area across the pre-defined space corresponding to the airflow inlet. In some embodiments, the surface area of the face of the evaporative cooling assembly may be 2-10 times larger, 4-8 times larger, or 5- 7 times larger than the surface area across the pre-defined space corresponding to the airflow inlet. The shaping and/or sizing of the evaporative cooling assembly described above may improve cooling efficiency and/or cooling capacity of the evaporative cooling assembly while enabling the evaporative cooling assembly to handle or withstand expected airflow velocities and/or airflow pressure drops associated with the air-cooled heat exchanger. It should be noted that the accordion, pleated, or zig-zag shapes described above are merely examples in accordance with the present disclosure. Other shapes are also possible.

[0039] Further, the above-described sheet may employ multiple layers of the microporous hollow fibers. A thickness of the evaporative cooling assembly, which is a function of the number of layers of microporous hollow fibers employed in the sheet of the evaporative cooling assembly, may be selected based on one or more factors, such as the expected airflow velocities and/or airflow pressure drops associated with the air-cooled heat exchanger, desired cooling efficiency of the evaporative cooling assembly, desired cooling capacity of the evaporative cooling assembly, or any combination thereof. For example, the evaporative cooling assembly may include a thickness corresponding to 5-40 layers of microporous hollow fibers, 10-35 layers of microporous hollow fibers, 15-30 layers of microporous hollow fibers, or 20-25 layers of microporous hollow fibers. These and other features will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0040] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of an air-cooled heat exchanger 10 having an evaporative cooling assembly 12. The air-cooled heat exchanger 10 may be employed, for example, in a vapor compression or mechanical cooling system (e.g., a chiller), a free-cooling system, a liquid immersion system (e g., at a data center), a residential HVAC system, a commercial HVAC system, another type of suitable HVAC system employing an air-cooled heat exchanger, or any combination thereof. As an example, the air-cooled heat exchanger 10 may correspond to an aircooled condenser of a chiller. Alternatively, the air-cooled heat exchanger 10 may correspond to an air handling unit (AHU)

[0041 ] In general, the air-cooled heat exchanger 10 may include a fan 14 configured to bias an airflow 16 (or other ambient gas stream) through an airflow path 18 of the air-cooled heat exchanger 10. The evaporative cooling assembly 12 may be positioned in (or adjacent to) the air-cooled heat exchanger 10 and configured to cool the airflow 16 prior to delivery of the airflow 16 to a component of the air-cooled heat exchanger 10, such as a coil 20. For example, the evaporative cooling assembly 12 may include an inlet 22 configured to receive a first fluid 24, such as liquid water (or a mixture of liquid water and glycol), and place the first fluid 24 in a heat exchange relationship with the airflow 16. In the illustrated embodiment, the fan 14 is disposed downstream of the coil 20 such that the coil 20 is positioned between the fan 14 and the evaporative cooling assembly 12 relative to a direction of the airflow 16. However, the fan 14 may be disposed in a different location in other embodiments.

[0042] As will be described in detail with reference to later drawings, the evaporative cooing assembly 12 may include a number of microporous hollow fibers configured to receive the first fluid 24, where walls of each microporous hollow fiber are permeable only to the first fluid 24 in the vapor form. In other words, a liquid form of the first fluid 24, such as liquid water, cannot exit the walls of the microporous hollow fibers to directly mix with the airflow 16. As heat is rejected from the airflow 16 to the first fluid 24, the vapor form of the first fluid 24 may exit the walls of the microporous hollow fibers via pores in the walls, such that the water vapor comes into direct contact with the airflow 16, resulting in a transfer of mass and energy. Further, the liquid form of the first fluid 24 may be passed through an outlet 26 of the evaporative cooling assembly 12. In some embodiments, a pump 31 may be employed to circulate the first fluid 24 to and from the evaporative cooling assembly 12 (e.g., via a closed-loop circuit 28 corresponding to the first fluid 24). Further, in some embodiments, circulation of the first fluid 24 may rely at least in part on a thermosiphon.

[0043] As previously described, the evaporative cooling assembly 12 may be employed to cool the airflow 16 prior to delivery of the airflow 16 to the coil 20 (or other fluid flow path). The coil 20 may be configured to receive a second fluid 30, such as a refrigerant, and place the second fluid 30 in a heat exchange relationship with the airflow 16 cooled by the evaporative cooling assembly 12. In this way, the second fluid 30 may be cooled and/or condensed in the coil 20 via the airflow 16 cooled by the evaporative cooling assembly 12. Alternatively, such as in the context of certain AHUs, the second fluid 30 may cool the airflow 16 as the airflow 16 passes over the coil 20. It should be noted that the first fluid 24 may be substantially different than, or substantially the same as, the second fluid 30. For example, in one embodiment, the first fluid 24 may include water (or a mixture of water and glycol) and the second fluid 30 may be refrigerant. In another embodiment, the first fluid 24 and the second fluid 30 may be water (or a mixture of water and glycol). “Substantially different” may be used herein to mean that the first fluid 24 and the second fluid 30 include different basic chemical formulas, whereas “substantially the same” may be used herein to mean that the first fluid 24 and the second fluid 30 include the same basic chemical formulas (e.g., despite differences in trace amounts of certain chemical elements or compounds). One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize the meaning of the first fluid 24 and the second fluid 30 being “substantially different” in the present context, and one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize the meaning of the first fluid 24 and the second fluid 30 being “substantially the same” in the present context.

[0044] Because the air-cooled heat exchanger 10 may be disposed in an external space 34 (e.g., an outdoorspace), the airflow 16 may be relatively warm at least during certain seasons of the year. Cooling the airflow 16 via the evaporative cooling assembly 12 prior to delivery of the airflow 16 to the coil 20 may improve heat exchange efficiency and/or capacity at the coil 20. It should be noted that, in some embodiments, a compressor 33 (or other flow biasing device, such as a pump) may be employed to circulate the second fluid 30 to and from the coil 20 (e.g., via a closed- loop circuit 32 corresponding to the second fluid 30). As an example, the closed-loop circuit 32 may correspond to a vapor compression or mechanical cooling circuit of a chiller. The airflow 16 may then be output from the air-cooled heat exchanger 10 to the external space 34 (e.g., the outdoor space).

[0045] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a portion of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 of FIG. 1. The evaporative cooling assembly 12 may include a flexible sheet 40 having a number of microporous hollow fibers 42 configured to route the first fluid 24 therethrough. As described above and in more detail below with reference to later drawings, each microporous hollow fiber 42 is permeable only to a vapor form of the first fluid 24. In other words, a liquid form of the first fluid 24, cannot exit the walls of the microporous hollow fibers 42.

[0046] The flexible sheet 40 may include (or be formed by) a fabric material or any other suitably flexible material containing, holding, embedding, or otherwise employing the microporous hollow fibers 42. A flexible nature of the flexible sheet 40 may enable formation of various desirable shapes of the evaporative cooling assembly 12. For example, as described in detail with reference to later drawings, it may be desirable to shape the flexible sheet 40 such that a surface area of a face 44 of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 (or flexible sheet 40 thereof) is large enough to enable the evaporative cooling assembly 12 to handle relatively large airflow velocities and/or airflow pressure drops associated with the air-cooled heat exchanger having the evaporative cooling assembly 12.

[0047] The face 44, for example, may face or otherwise be traversed by the incoming airflow 16 associated with the air-cooled heat exchanger employing the evaporative cooling assembly 12. As shown, one or more anchors 46 (e.g., longitudinal rods) of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 may be employed to enable formation of various shapes of the flexible sheet 40. While the microporous hollow fibers 42 are illustrated as running transverse to a direction of the anchor point 46 in the illustrated embodiment, it should be understood that the microporous hollow fibers 42 may run parallel to the direction of the anchor point 46 in other embodiments. As described with reference to later drawings, the flexible sheet 40 may engage or otherwise interact with the one or more anchors 46 to include an accordion, pleated, or zig-zag cross- sectional shape. The shape(s) of the evaporative cooling assembly 12, in accordance with the present disclosure, may be selected to optimize cooling efficiency and/or cooling capacity of the airflow 16, while reducing or negating negative effects otherwise associated with the airflow velocities and/or airflow pressure drops corresponding to the air-cooled heat exchanger.

[0048] Another factor affecting cooling efficiency and/or cooling capacity and the ability of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 to withstand airflow velocities and/or airflow pressure drops associated with the air-cooled heat exchanger is a thickness 48 of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 (or flexible sheet 40 thereof). For example, the flexible sheet 40 may include a number of layers of the microporous hollow fibers 42 through the thickness 48 of the flexible sheet 40. Reducing the number of layers of the microporous hollow fibers 42 (and, thus, the thickness 48 of the flexible sheet 40) may reduce cooling efficiency and/or cooling capacity of the evaporative cooling assembly 12, while improving an ability of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 to handle airflow velocities and/or airflow pressure drops associated with the air-cooled heat exchanger. Increasing the number of layers of the microporous hollow fibers 42 (and, thus, the thickness 48 of the flexible sheet 40) may improve cooling efficiency and/or cooling capacity of the evaporative cooling assembly 12, while reducing an ability of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 to handle airflow velocities and/or airflow pressure drops associated with the air-cooled heat exchanger. Accordingly, the thickness 48 (and, thus, the number of layers of microporous hollow fibers 42) may be selected to strike a balance between cooling efficiency and/or cooling capacity of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 and design constraints associated with the airflow velocities and/or airflow pressure drops of the air-cooled heat exchanger. As an example, the thickness 48 may correspond to 5-40 layers of the microporous hollow fibers 42, 10-35 layers of microporous hollow fibers 42, 15-30 layers of microporous hollow fibers 42, or 20-25 layers of the microporous hollow fibers 42.

[0049] Before continuing with embodiments of the air-cooled heat exchanger and example shapes of the corresponding evaporative cooling assembly 12, FIG. 3 is a magnified cross-sectional view of an embodiment of one of the microporous hollow fibers 42 employed in the evaporative cooling assembly 12 of FIG. 2. A liquid phase of the first fluid 24 (e.g., liquid water, or a liquid mixture of water and glycol) moves through a microporous hollow fiber cavity 60 and is contained within the volume enclosed by microporous hollow fiber walls 62. Further, an unconditioned airflow 16a is directed toward the microporous hollow fiber 42. When ambient conditions permit, liquid water vaporizes into the airstream (external to the microporous hollow fiber walls 62) by undergoing a phase change. Water vapor 64 exits the microporous hollow fiber cavity 60 through a number of pores 66. Water vapor mixes with the unconditioned airflow 16a providing adiabatic cooling and/or humidification. This results in a cooled airflow 16b being conditioned from the surface of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 illustrated in FIG. 2, which employs the microporous hollow fiber 42. As previously described, the evaporative cooling assembly 12 of FIG. 2, for example, may employ a number of the microporous hollow fibers 42 in the flexible sheet 40 of the evaporative cooling assembly 12.

[0050] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a condenser (e.g., corresponding to the air-cooled heat exchanger 10 of FIG. 1 ), where the condenser 10 includes a condenser coil (e.g., corresponding to the coil 20 of FIG. 1 ) and the evaporative cooling assembly 12 configured to cool the airflow 16 upstream of the condenser coil 20. For example, the condenser 10 includes an airflow inlet 70 configured to receive the airflow 16 biased through the condenser coil 20 via one or more fans 14. The condenser 10 may be disposed in an outdoor space such that the airflow 16 received at the airflow inlet 70 is an outdoor airflow. In this way, the evaporative cooling assembly 12 may cool the airflow 16 upstream of the condenser coil 20.

[0051 ] In the illustrated embodiment, the airflow inlet 70 includes a cross-sectional area 72 (referred to in certain instances of the present disclosure as a face area of the airflow inlet 70) between a first leg 74 and a second leg 76 of the condenser coil 20, where the first leg 74 and the second leg 76 form a V-shape of the condenser coil 20. In certain embodiments, the V-shape may include equal lengths of the first leg 74 and the second leg 76. In other embodiments, the first leg 74 may include a first length, the second leg 76 may include a second length, and the first length may be different than the second length. Further, in some embodiments, the condenser coil 20 may include an inverted M-shaped cross-section formed by two V-shaped cross-sections joined together. That is, it should be understood that the V-shaped cross-section may form a part of (e.g., half of) an inverted M-shaped cross-section of the coil 20 in certain embodiments. Further still, in embodiments employing the M-shaped cross-section, the inverted M-shaped cross-section may include two joined V-shaped cross-sections oriented as shown in FIG. 4, or rotated 180 degrees to form an inverted version of the inverted M-shaped cross-section

[0052] In the illustrated embodiment, the evaporative cooling assembly 12 includes the flexible sheet 40 engaging various anchor points 46 of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 to form a shape. As previously described, the flexible sheet 40 may include a number of microporous hollow fibers configured to route a fluid (e.g., liquid water, or a liquid mixture of water and glycol) therethrough. For example, the evaporative cooling assembly 12 may include the fluid inlet 22 configured to provide the liquid fluid to the microporous hollow fibers of the flexible sheet 40 and the fluid outlet 26 configured to receive the liquid fluid from the microporous hollow fibers of the flexible sheet 40. As the airflow 16 passes through a face 77 of the evaporative cooling assembly 12, the airflow 16 may be conditioned (e.g., cooled and/or humidified) as described above with reference to FIGS. 1-3. As previously described, the condenser 10 may be disposed in an outdoor space. In some embodiments, the microporous hollow fibers of the flexible sheet 40 may be configured to receive a liquid mixture of water and glycol, where the glycol provides a level of freeze protection when ambient temperatures are low.

[0053] Further, various anchor points 46 may be employed to engage the flexible sheet 40 of the evaporative cooling assembly 12. A first subset of the anchor points 46a may be positioned adjacent the condenser coil 20 and a second subset of the anchor points 46b may be positioned adjacent the airflow inlet 70. That is, the first subset of anchor points 46a may be positioned further from the airflow inlet 70 than the second subset of anchor points 46b, and the second subset of anchor points 46b may be positioned further from the condenser coil 20 than the first subset of anchor points 46a. In some embodiments, the anchor points 46a, 46b (or a portion thereof) may be coupled to a wall 79 of the air-cooled heat exchanger 10 (e.g., defining a back of the air-cooled heat exchanger 10 in the illustrated embodiment).

[0054] Further, various anchor points 46a of the first subset may be disposed at different distances from the airflow inlet 70. For example, a first distance 78 is shown between the airflow inlet 70 and one anchor point 46a of the first subset, a second distance 80 is shown between the airflow inlet 70 and another anchor point 46a of the first subset, and the first distance 78 is less than the second distance 80. Likewise, various anchor points 46b of the second subset may be disposed at different distances from the airflow inlet 70. For example, a first distance 82 is shown between the airflow inlet 70 and one anchor point 46b of the second subset, a second distance 84 is shown between the airflow inlet 70 and another anchor point 46b of the second subset, and the first distance 82 is less than the second distance 84. The illustrated cross-sectional shape of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 may be referred to as an accordion shape, a pleated shape, or a zig-zag shape in accordance with the present disclosure. However, other shapes are also possible.

[0055] As previously described, the various anchor points 46a, 46b may be longitudinal rods about or around which the flexible sheet 40 is wound, engaged, or otherwise anchored. In this way, the flexible sheet 40 may be wound, engaged, or otherwise anchored about the various anchor points 46a, 46 to form a desired cross- sectional shape, such as the accordion, pleated, or zig-zag cross-sectional shape described above. Other cross-sectional shapes are also possible. In general, cross- sectional shapes in accordance with the present disclosure enable an increased surface area of the face 77 of the flexible sheet 40 of the evaporative cooling assembly 12. The flexible sheet 40 may be shaped such that the surface area of the face 77 of the flexible sheet 40 is greater than a threshold surface area, or such that a ratio between the surface area of the face 77 of the flexible sheet 40 and the cross-sectional area 72 of the airflow inlet 70 is greater than a threshold ratio. In some embodiments, for example, the surface area of the face 77 may be 2-10 times larger, 4-8 times larger, or 5-7 times larger than the surface area 72 across the airflow inlet 70. In this way, the evaporative cooling assembly 12 may withstand airflow velocities and/or airflow pressure drops associated with the airflow 16 corresponding to the condenser 10.

[0056] While FIG. 4 illustrates only one instance of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 corresponding to the condenser coil 20, it should be understood that the condenser 10 may include multiple instances of the condenser coil 20 and multiple corresponding instances of the evaporative cooling assembly 12. In some embodiments that employ multiple instances of the evaporative cooling assembly 12, a fluid circuit may be employed where the various instances of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 are disposed in parallel with respect the corresponding fluid (e.g., liquid water). Further, while FIG. 4 is one example of a shape that causes a relatively large surface area of the face 77 of the sheet 40 (or evaporative cooling assembly 12 employing the sheet 40), other shapes are also possible.

[0057] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a staggered portion 100 of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 of FIG. 1. In the illustrated embodiment, the evaporative cooling assembly 12 includes the sheet 40 of microporous hollow fibers, as previously described, where the sheet 40 engages various anchor points 46 to form a shape. The illustrated embodiment includes a staggered portion 100 of an accordion, pleated, or zig-zag shape. It should be understood that the staggered portion 100 in the illustrated embodiment may not represent the entire sheet 40, but instead a shape that is repeated multiple times across a pre-defined space (e.g., an airflow inlet of a condenser). In this particular case, the hollow tube fibers 42 will be oriented in the sheet 40 (e.g., as schematically illustrated in representative region 75 of the sheet 40 in FIG. 5). That is, FIG. 5 is provided to demonstrate a form factor of the staggered portion 100 of the sheet 40, as described in detail below.

[0058] Four face portions 77a, 77b, 77c, 77d of the staggered portion 100 of the sheet 40 are shown in FIG. 5. The first face portion 77a includes a first height 102 (hi) and a first width 104 (w-i), the second face portion 77b includes a second height 106 (/?2) and a second width 108 (1/1/2), the third face portion 77c includes a third height 110 (/?3) and a third width 112 (W3), and the fourth face portion 77d includes a fourth height 114 (h4) and a fourth width 116 (1V4). Further, a fifth width 118 (1/1/5) across all four of the first, second, third, and fourth face portions 77a, 77b, 77c, 77d may correspond to a portion of the airflow inlet 70 illustrated in FIG. 4 and described in detail above. Assuming the depth of the sheet 40 and the airflow inlet 70 are the same, a ratio between the surface area of the four face portions 77a, 77b, 77c, 77d and a surface area of the airflow inlet 70 (e.g., having the fifth width 118 [w ₅ ]) is represented by the following equation:

[0059] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, the surface area ratio may be between 5 and 9 (e.g., approximately 7). In otherwords, the combined surface area across the four face portions 77a, 77b, 77c, 77d (e.g., corresponding to the staggered portion 100 in FIG. 5) is substantially larger than the surface area across the fifth width (1V5) corresponding to the airflow inlet 70 in FIG. 4. However, as previously described, it should be noted the illustrated embodiment is provided merely to demonstrate a form factor of the sheet 40 of the evaporative cooling assembly 12. In general, the relatively large surface area of the four face portions 77a, 77b, 77c, 77d (e.g., corresponding to the staggered portion 100 in FIG. 5) improves a response of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 to airflow velocities and/or airflow pressure drops associated with aircooled heat exchangers. That is, the relatively large surface area of the four face portions 77a, 77b, 77c, 77d (e.g., corresponding to the staggered portion 100 in FIG. 5) may enable the evaporative cooling assembly 12 to handle or withstand the abovedescribed airflow velocities and/or airflow pressure drops. [0060] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of an inline portion 130 of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 of FIG. 1. In the illustrated embodiment, the evaporative cooling assembly 12 includes the sheet 40 of microporous hollow fibers, as previously described, where the sheet 40 engages various anchor points 46 to form a shape. The illustrated embodiment includes an inline portion 130 of an accordion, pleated, or zig-zag shape. It should be understood that inline portion 130 in the illustrated embodiment may not represent the entire sheet 40, but instead a shape that is repeated multiple times across a pre-defined space (e.g., an airflow inlet of a condenser). In this particular case, the hollow tube fibers 42 will be oriented in the sheet 40 (e.g., as schematically illustrated in representative region 85 of the sheet 40 in FIG. 5). That is, FIG. 6 is provided to demonstrate a form factor of the inline portion 130 of the sheet 40, as described in detail below.

[0061] Four face portions 77e, 77f, 77g, 77h of the inline portion 130 of the sheet 40 are shown in FIG. 6. Each of the first face portion 77e, the second face portion 77f, the third face portion 77g, and the fourth face portion 77h includes a common height 132 (/7 _C ) and a common width 134 (w _c ). Further, a total width 136 (wt) across all four of the first, second, third, and fourth face portions 77e, 77f, 77g, 77h may correspond to a portion of the airflow inlet 70 illustrated in FIG. 4 and described in detail above. Assuming the depth of the sheet 40 and the airflow inlet 70 are the same, a ratio between the surface area of the four face portions 77e, 77f, 77g, 77h and a surface area of the airflow inlet 70 (e.g., having the a total width 136 [ ]) is represented by the following equation:

4 h _c ² + w _c ² Equation 2 - w _t

[0062] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6, the surface area ratio may be between

6 and 10 (e.g., approximately 8). In other words, the combined surface area across the four face portions 77e, 77f, 77g, 77h (e.g., corresponding to the inline portion 130 in FIG. 6) is substantially larger than the surface area across the total width (w?) corresponding to the airflow inlet 70 in FIG. 4. However, as previously described, it should be noted the illustrated embodiment is provided merely to demonstrate a form factor of the sheet 40 of the evaporative cooling assembly 12. In general, the relatively large surface area of the four face portions 77e, 77f, 77g, 77h (e.g., corresponding to the inline portion 130 in FIG. 6) improves a response of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 to airflow velocities and/or airflow pressure drops associated with aircooled heat exchangers. That is, the relatively large surface area of the four face portions 77a, 77b, 77c, 77d (e.g., corresponding to the inline portion 130 in FIG. 6) may enable the evaporative cooling assembly 12 to handle or withstand the abovedescribed airflow velocities and/or airflow pressure drops. As previously noted, other shapes are also possible.

[0063] In FIGS. 5 and 6, the anchor points 46 (e.g., longitudinal support rods) are employed to shape the evaporative cooling assembly 12 are illustrated as being external to the sheet 40 of the evaporative cooling assembly 12. However, other arrangements are also possible. For example, FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a portion of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 of FIG. 1 , the portion including pockets 150 disposed in the flexible sheet 40 and the anchor points 46 (e.g., longitudinal rods) disposed in the pockets 150. The illustrated embodiment may improve durability of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 against airflow velocities and/or airflow pressure drops associated with the air-cooled heat exchanger employing the evaporative cooling assembly 12.

[0064] FIG. 8 is a process flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of a method 200 of operating the air-cooled heat exchanger of FIG. 1. In the illustrated embodiment, the method 200 includes operating (block 202) a fan to bias an airflow through an aircooled heat exchanger. As previously described, the air-cooled heat exchanger may be employed in a vapor compression or mechanical cooling system (e.g., a chiller), a free-cooling system, a liquid immersion system (e.g., at a data center), a residential HVAC system, a commercial HVAC system, another type of suitable HVAC system, or any combination thereof. Further, while certain of the presently disclosed embodiments include reference to a fan, multiple fans of the air-cooled heat exchanger may be employed. [0065] The method 200 also includes circulating (block 204) a first fluid (e.g., liquid water) through an evaporative cooling assembly. The first fluid may be circulated through the evaporative cooling assembly, for example, by a pump. In some embodiments, circulation of the first fluid through the evaporative cooling assembly may rely at least in part on a thermosiphon. In some embodiments, the evaporative cooling assembly may be integrated in the air-cooled heat exchanger. For example, the evaporative cooling assembly may be disposed in (or extend into) an airflow inlet associated with the air-cooled heat exchanger. Further, the evaporative cooling assembly may include, for example, a number of microporous hollow fibers forming or embedded, deployed, contained, or otherwise disposed in a flexible sheet (e.g., a flexible fabric sheet). The first fluid (e.g., liquid water) may be routed through the microporous hollow fibers, which include porous walls designed to enable a vapor form of the first fluid to escape flow paths of the microporous hollow fibers and block a liquid form of the first fluid from escaping the flow paths.

[0066] The method 200 also includes cooling (block 206) the airflow via the first fluid and releasing the vapor form of the first fluid from the evaporative cooling assembly and into the airflow. For example, the airflow may be biased through the flexible sheet such that the airflow comes into contact with outer surfaces of the microporous hollow fibers. A portion of the first fluid routed through the microporous hollow fibers may experience a phase change from liquid to vapor in response to the heat exchange relationship between the first fluid and the airflow. The vapor form of the first fluid may escape the microporous hollow fibers via pores thereof, such that the vapor form directly contacts the airflow, providing adiabatic cooling and/or humidification. As previously described, the flexible sheet having the microporous hollow fibers may be shaped and/or sized to enhance cooling efficiency and/or capacity and withstand airflow velocities and/or airflow pressure drops corresponding to the airflow generated by the fan of the air-cooled heat exchanger.

[0067] The method 200 also includes circulating (block 208) a second fluid (e.g., refrigerant) through a coil of the air-cooled heat exchanger. The second fluid may be circulated through the coil, for example, by a compressor. As previously described, the coil may be a condenser coil and the air-cooled heat exchanger may be a condenser. However, other types of air-cooled heat exchangers are also possible and described in detail above with reference to earlier drawings. The method 200 also includes passing (block 210) the airflow cooled by the evaporative cooling assembly over the coil. Further, the method 200 also includes extracting (block 212) heat from the second fluid via the airflow cooled by the evaporative cooling assembly and passing over the coil. In this way, the second fluid (e.g., the refrigerant) is cooled and/or condensed in the coil via the airflow. The airflow may be output to an external space (e.g., an outside space) and the second fluid may be circulated to other componentry, such as other componentry of a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system (e.g., an expansion valve and/or an evaporator).

[0068] FIGS. 9-20 illustrate a variety of features relating to the evaporative cooling assembly 12 of FIG. 1. In certain of these embodiments, the evaporative cooling assembly 12 may be employed in the context of the air-cooled heat exchanger 10 of FIG. 1 . In certain other embodiments, the evaporative cooling assembly 12 may be in other contexts. FIGS. 9-21 are described in detail below.

[0069] For example, FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration of an embodiment of a modular header assembly 220 of the evaporative cooling assembly 12. The modular header assembly 220 may include a first header 220a (e.g., an inlet header) and a second header 220b (e.g. , an outlet header). For example, the first header 220a may include a first inlet 222 configured to distribute a liquid (e.g., water, or a mixture of water and glycol) to a first layer of microporous hollow fibers 224, a second inlet 226 configured to distribute the liquid to a second layer of microporous hollow fibers 228, and a third inlet 230 configured to distribute the liquid) to a sacrificial layer of microporous hollow fibers 232. The second header 220b my include a first outlet 234 configured to receive the liquid from the first layer of microporous hollow fibers 224, a second outlet 236 configured to receive the liquid from the second layer of microporous hollow fibers 228, and a third outlet 238 configured to receive the liquid from the sacrificial layer of microporous hollow fibers 232.

[0070] In some embodiments, the evaporative cooling assembly 12 may be arranged to enable contraflow of the liquid through the various layers 224, 228, 232. For example, in another embodiment, the first header 220a may include the first inlet 222, an outlet in place of the second inlet 226, and the third inlet 230, while the second header 220b may include the first outlet 234, an inlet in place of the second outlet 236, and the third outlet 238.

[0071] In general, the evaporative cooling assembly 12 may be arranged such that the sacrificial layer of microporous hollow fibers 232 is exposed to an environment (e.g., sun or ultraviolet [LIV] exposure). That is, the sacrificial layer 232 may protect the first layer 224 and the second layer 228 from UV exposure. Further, the sacrificial layer 232 may be replaced after a threshold amount of time has lapsed. Indeed, UV exposure may degrade a performance of the sacrificial layer 232 over time. Accordingly, the sacrificial layer 232 may be replaced as described above. By orienting the evaporative cooling assembly 12 such that only the sacrificial layer 232 protects the first layer 224 and the second layer 228 from UV exposure, a cost of maintaining and/or repairing the evaporative cooling assembly 12 over time is reduced, and a performance of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 is improved, relative to traditional embodiments.

[0072] Other UV protection techniques are also possible. For example, FIG. 10 is a schematic illustration of an embodiment of a roller assembly 250 for the evaporative cooling assembly 12 of FIG. 1. The evaporative cooling assembly 12 may include the sheet 40 of microporous hollow fibers, as previously described. In the illustrated embodiment, the sheet 40 may form a closed loop belt. The roller assembly 250 may include a motor 251 engaged with the closed loop belt formed by the sheet 40, and may be configured to rotate the closed loop belt formed by the sheet 40. The roller assembly 250 may also include various anchor points 252 about which the closed loop belt formed by the sheet 40 is arranged. While the closed loop belt formed by the sheet 40 engages the anchor points 252 in the illustrated embodiment to form a number of V-shapes (e.g., following a shape of the coil[s] 20 of the air-cooled heat exchanger 10), other shapes are also possible (e.g., such as those illustrated in FIGS. 4-6 and described above).

[0073] By actuating the closed loop belt formed by the sheet 40 of microporous hollow fibers, different segments of the sheet 40 may be UV exposed at different intervals of time, thereby reducing an amount of time any one given segment is UV exposed. That is, the roller assembly 250 enables a distribution of UV exposure through an entirety of the sheet 40 of microporous hollow fibers, as opposed to allowing UV exposure to be concentrated on a given area of the sheet 40. Actuation of the motor 251 may be controlled by a controller 254 (e.g., having a processor 256 and a memory 258), in some embodiments, based on a timer or a sensor 260. For example, the sensor 260 may be a UV sensor, a light sensor, or any other sensor configured to measure a characteristic indicative of UV exposure. Still other features for protecting against UV exposure of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 are also possible. FIG. 1 1 , for example, is a schematic illustration of a sun shield 262 that may be employed in the evaporative cooling assembly 12 of FIG. 1 , where the sun shield 262 is arranged to block at least partially block the evaporative cooling assembly 12 (or a portion thereof) from UV exposure. As shown, the sun shield 262 may include a material 264 that is opaque or translucent. In some embodiments, the material 264 may be selected to allow an airflow to pass therethrough. It should be noted that the sun shield 262 may surround or encircle the evaporative cooling assembly 12 in certain embodiments. Additionally or alternatively, the sun shield 262 may be arranged to cover a portion of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 that would otherwise be exposed to the sun.

[0074] Other features of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 (e.g., employable in any of the previously described embodiments) are also possible. For example, FIG. 12 is a schematic illustration of an embodiment of a curtain 270 of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 of FIG. 1. The curtain 270 may form the sheet of microporous hollow fibers described above. That is, the curtain 270 may include the microporous hollow fibers embedded, contained, or otherwise integrated therein. The curtain 270 may be positioned around an air-cooled heat exchanger, such as the air-cooled heat exchanger 10 of FIG. 1 , as shown. Further, an inlet header 272 and an outlet header 274 may be coupled to the curtain 270 to provide the liquid to the microporous hollow fibers of the curtain 270 and to receive the liquid from the microporous hollow fibers of the curtain 270, respectively. While the inlet header 272 is illustrated at a top of the unit and the outlet header 274 is illustrated at a bottom of the unit in the illustrated embodiment, it should be understood that the position of the inlet header 272 and the outlet header 274 may be switched in another embodiment. Further, in certain embodiments, a blocker 276 may extend across a bottom of the air-cooled heat exchanger 10 such that the airflow through the air-cooled heat exchanger 10 is first forced through the curtain 270 (and, thus, over the microporous hollow fibers thereof) prior to delivery of at least a portion of the airflow to the coil(s) 20.

[0075] In accordance with the present disclosure, the curtain 270 may be flexible such that it can be lifted, rolled up, or otherwise removed from an airflow path of the air-cooled heat exchanger 10 during off-peak season. That is, the curtain 270 may be positioned to cool the airflow during peak season, but removed during off-peak season such that it does not generate an unnecessary pressure drop when its use is not desired or otherwise employed in the air-cooled heat exchanger 10.

[0076] FIG. 13 is a schematic illustration of an embodiment of a pleated skirt 280 of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 of FIG. 1. In the illustrated embodiment, and unlike the curtain 270 in FIG. 12, the pleated skirt 280 (e.g., having microporous hollow fibers) may be positioned underneath the coil(s) 20 of the air-cooled heat exchanger 10 (e.g., adjacent an inlet to the coil[s] 20). The pleated skirt 280 may increase a surface area of the evaporative cooling assembly 12. As shown, the inlet header 272 and the outlet header 274 may be fluidly coupled with the various microporous hollow fibers of the pleated skirt 280 for liquid distribution to and from the microporous hollow fibers. The blocker 276, as is the case in FIG. 12, may be employed to block off a bottom of the unit such that the airflow to the coil(s) 20 is first forced through the pleated skirt 280 of the evaporative cooling assembly 12. Additional blocker(s) 282 may be employed at each instance of the coil 20 such that the airflow does not bypass the pleated skirt 280 prior to delivery to the coil(s) 20.

[0077] FIG. 14 is a schematic illustration of an embodiment of the air-cooled heat exchanger 10 and the evaporative cooling assembly 12 of FIG. 1 , where the evaporative cooling assembly 12 includes an adiabatic coil 300 adjacent, for example, the coil 20 of the air-cooled heat exchanger 10. The adiabatic coil 300 may include the aforementioned mesh (e.g., sheet 40) of microporous hollow fibers coupled to input/output headers. As shown, the adiabatic coil 300 may contact the coil 20 of the air-cooled heat exchanger 10. In another embodiment, a gap may be disposed between the adiabatic coil 300 and the coil 20. As shown, an airflow 301 may pass over the adiabatic coil 300 and then the coil 20. [0078] Further, in some embodiments, a free-cooling coil may be employed in the air-cooled heat exchanger 10. For example, FIG. 15 is a schematic illustration of an embodiment of the air-cooled heat exchanger 10 and the evaporative cooling assembly 12 of FIG. 1 , where the evaporative cooling assembly 12 includes the adiabatic coil 300 disposed between a free-cooling coil 302 and the coil 20 (e.g., microchannel coil) of the air-cooled heat exchanger 10. The free-cooling coil 302 may be configured to receive a liquid, such as water or a mixture of glycol and water. Further, operation of the free-cooling coil 302 may be selective enabled and disabled based on ambient conditions near the air-cooled heat exchanger 10. Additionally or alternatively, a reliance on the free-cooling coil 302 may be modulated based on the ambient conditions (e.g., between full load, various partial loads, and no load). Further still, in the illustrated embodiment, the adiabatic coil 300 may be sandwiched between the free-cooling coil 302 and the microchannel coil 20. In this way, the adiabatic coil 300 may be protected from UV exposure. As shown, the airflow 301 may pass over the free-cooling coil 302, then the adiabatic coil 300, and then the coil 20.

[0079] FIG. 16 a schematic illustration of an embodiment of the air-cooled heat exchanger 10 and the evaporative cooling assembly 12 of FIG. 1 , including a winter inward fold 310. The winter inward fold 310 is formed, for example, by one or more adiabatic coils 300 of the evaporative cooling assembly 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the winter inward fold 310 is in a folded position such that the adiabatic coils 300 are gathered along a center-line 312 (e.g., of symmetry) corresponding to the coil 20. In this way, the adiabatic coils 300 may be removed from a flow path of air to and through the coil 20, for example, when ambient conditions are such that the evaporative cooling assembly 12 (and corresponding adiabatic coils 300) are not needed (e.g., during winter seasons). Dotted lines in FIG. 16 illustrate an operational position 314 of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 when ambient conditions are such that use of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 is desired (e.g., summer, fall, and/or spring seasons). That is, the operational position 314 illustrates circumstances where the winter inward fold 310 is actuated outwardly such that the adiabatic coils 300 reside in the flow path of air to and through the coil 20. In this way, in the operational position 314, the adiabatic coils 300 may receive the airflow prior to the airflow being delivered to the coil 20. It should be noted that the winter inward fold 310 may be actuated manually (e.g., via an operator), or automatically (e.g., via a control system). [0080] FIG. 17 is a schematic illustration of an embodiment of the evaporative cooling assembly 10 of FIG. 1 , including the evaporative cooling assembly 12, such as an adiabatic coil, employed for cooling of a variable speed drive (VSD) 312 of the aircooled heat exchanger 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the evaporative cooling assembly 12 includes the first header 272 (e.g., inlet header), the second header 274 (e.g., outlet header), and the sheet 40 of microporous hollow fibers extending between the inlet header 272 and the outlet header 274. The evaporative cooling assembly 12 is arranged to provide cooling to the VSD 312 corresponding to the fan 14 (e.g., the fan motor). It should be noted that, traditionally, glycol mini coils may be employed to cool VSDs. In accordance with the present disclosure, presently disclosed embodiments of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 may be employed to cool the VSD 312, either in lieu of traditional cooling features or in addition to traditional cooling features. Further, while only one instance of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 is shown in the illustrated embodiment, it should be noted that multiple instances of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 may be employed in the air-cooled heat exchanger 10 (e.g., one for each instance of the VSD 312).

[0081] Further, FIG. 18 is a schematic illustration of an embodiment of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 employed for cooling inside a variable speed drive (VSD) cabinet 314. As previously described with respect to FIG. 4-6, the anchor points 46 may be employed to arrange the evaporative cooling assembly 12, such as the sheet 40 of microporous hollow fibers corresponding to the evaporative cooling assembly 12, in a suitable shape (e.g., a zig-zag or accordion shape) for providing an adequate level or amount of cooling (e.g., to the VSD cabinet 314). The inlet 22 may provide the liquid (e.g., water, or a mixture of glycol and water) to the sheet 40 of microporous hollow fibers, and the outlet 26 may receive the liquid from the sheet 40 of microporous hollow fibers.

[0082] Still other uses of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 are also possible. For example, FIG. 19 is a schematic illustration of an embodiment of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 employed to cool a fan motor 320 having a shaft 322 configured to be coupled to a fan (e.g., one of the fans 14 illustrated in previous embodiments). The evaporative cooling assembly 12 may include the sheet 40 of microporous hollow fibers fluidly coupled with the inlet header 272 and the outlet header 274, as previously described with respect to certain embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be noted that the positions of the inlet header 272 and the outlet header 274 may be reversed or arranged elsewhere in other embodiments. For example, in another embodiment, the inlet header 272 and the outlet header 274 may both be positioned on a side of the motor 320 adjacent to the portion of the shaft 322 illustrated in FIG. 19. The evaporative cooling assembly 12 in the illustrated embodiment may be referred to as a cooling blanket. While the evaporative cooling assembly 12 forms the cooling blanket about the fan motor 320 in FIG. 14, the cooling blanket may be employed in other HVAC componentry, such as a compressor or a pump

[0083] As previously described, in wintertime or when ambient temperature is otherwise low, outdoor HVAC componentry in particular may be susceptible to freezing conditions, especially in the presence of liquid water. In the case of the presently disclosed evaporative cooling assembly 12, which may include a fabric material containing a plurality of microporous hollow fibers, freezing may cause the fabric material to harden and possibly break. FIG. 20 is a schematic illustration of an embodiment of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 having various features configured to protect against such freezing conditions. The evaporative cooling assembly 12 includes, for example, the sheet 40 of microporous hollow fibers (e.g., fabric material), a ribbon 330, and a cartridge 332. Before ambient conditions reach freezing conditions, the sheet 40 of microporous hollow fibers may be rolled up via the cartridge 332 and blocked from operation. When ambient temperature increases and/or the evaporative cooling assembly 12 is otherwise needed, the cartridge 332 and/or sheet 40 may be heated (e.g., via a heater 334, such as an electric heater) to ensure that any freezing is negated. After heating, the sheet 40 may be rolled out of the cartridge 332 into an operational position, as shown, and operation of the evaporative cooling assembly 12 may be subsequently enabled (e.g., a liquid may be provided to the sheet 40 of microporous hollow fibers).

[0084] Technical effects associated with presently disclosed embodiments include improved cooling efficiency and/or capacity of an air-cooled heat exchanger, such as a condenser, reduced energy consumption associated with operating the air-cooled heat exchanger, and the like. [0085] The present disclosure is not to be limited in scope by the specific embodiments described herein. Indeed, various modifications of the disclosure in addition to those described herein will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description. Such modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

[0086] While only certain features and embodiments of the disclosure have been illustrated and described, many modifications and changes may occur to those skilled in the art, such as variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters including temperatures and pressures, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc., without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter recited in the claims. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or resequenced according to alternative embodiments. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the disclosure. Furthermore, in an effort to provide a concise description of the exemplary embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not have been described, such as those unrelated to the presently contemplated best mode of carrying out the disclosure, or those unrelated to enabling the claimed disclosure. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation specific decisions may be made. Such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure, without undue experimentation.

[0087] The techniques presented and claimed herein are referenced and applied to material objects and concrete examples of a practical nature that demonstrably improve the present technical field and, as such, are not abstract, intangible or purely theoretical. Further, if any claims appended to the end of this specification contain one or more elements designated as “means for [perform]ing [a function]...” or “step for [performing [a function]... ,” it is intended that such elements are to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f). However, for any claims containing elements designated in any other manner, it is intended that such elements are not to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f).

[0088] All patents, applications, publications, test methods, literature, and other materials cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference.