Free-standing evaporative air cooling apparatus

A free-standing evaporative air cooling unit comprising:

• a base having a height, width, interior cavity and a bottom configured to rest on or near the ground;
• at least first and second air inlets and at least first and second associated respective cooling pads disposed within said base, said first and second air inlets disposed on opposite sides of said base and configured so that outside air may be drawn therethrough into said interior cavity of said base from opposing sides thereof and pass through said respective associated cooling pads to cool the air;
• at least one water distributor configured to provide water onto said cooling pads;
• an elongated neck extending upwardly relative to said base, said neck including an upper end, a lower end and at least one upwardly-oriented air flow passageway in gaseous communication with said interior cavity of said base, said neck having an average width that is less than the average width of said base;
• at least one air blower assembly disposed within said base and in gaseous communication with said interior cavity of said base and said air flow passageway, said air blower assembly configured to draw outside air into said air inlets from outside the air cooling unit and through said cooling pads and direct cooled air from said interior cavity of said base into said air flow passageway;
• a plurality of air outlets in gaseous communication with said air flow passageway and positioned at least 30 inches above said air blower assembly, said air outlets being configured to distribute cooled air from inside the air cooling unit to outside the air cooling unit in a downwardly-angled flow pattern allowing cooled air to be distributed from the air cooling unit in a downwardly-angled direction;
• and
• at least one air acceleration passage in gaseous communication with said interior cavity of said base and said air flow passageway and disposed between said air blower assembly and said air flow passageway, said air acceleration passage configured to increase the velocity of air travelling from said air inlets to said air outlets.