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Activity (Hands-On)Grades 9 - 11

Swamp Cooler

Using a household fan, cardboard box and paper towels, student teams design and build their own evaporative cooler prototype devices. They learn about the process that cools water during the evaporation of water. They make calculations to determine a room's cooling load, and thus determine the swamp cooler size. This activity adds to students' understanding of the behind-the-scenes mechanical devices that condition and move air within homes and buildings for human health and comfort.

Two photos: A man sits in front of a desk fan blowing on his upturned face with eyes closed. Misting rooftop water sprayers cool a home.How can a fan cool you down without lowering the air temperature? How does the addition of water provide even more cooling?

Engineers design heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems to provide thermal comfort for people who spend time in buildings and homes, all of which require energy to operate. Engineers are also challenged to provide optimum conditions for equipment, such as year round cooling loads to counteract the heat emitted from computers and electronic devices. To minimize the amount of energy spent powering these systems, engineers strive for high-efficiency and/or alternative approaches that use less energy to accomplish the same objective. Swamp coolers, or evaporative coolers, provide an alternative to typical air-conditioning, using up to 75% less energy to operate because they only require the operation of a fan and circulating pump. Swamp coolers are effective in dry climates with a low relative humidity, but are less effective in climates with a higher relative humidity.

After this activity, students should be able to:

  • Explain the process that cools air during the evaporation of water.
  • Calculate a room's cooling load (with a swamp cooling system).
  • Explain how the engineering concepts in this design project can be applied to solve a real-world problem.

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