Desiccant/evaporative cooling system

A method for conditioning an ambient airstream to provide cool and dry air to an enclosed structure, the ambient airstream being located outside the enclosed structure, comprising the steps of:

• removing an ambient airstream from a location outside an enclosed structure;
• cooling the ambient airstream to a point below the dew point of the ambient airstream which produces a first airstream which is cooler than the ambient airstream;
• forcing the first airstream into the enclosed structure;
• withdrawing a second airstream from the enclosed structure;
• drying the second airstream to produce a third airstream;
• and
• decreasing a temperature of the third airstream with one or more evaporative coolers to produce a fourth airstream, wherein the fourth airstream has a temperature lower than the dew point of the ambient airstream, wherein the cooling step includes the step of absorbing heat from the ambient airstream by using the fourth airstream and
• wherein moisture in the ambient airstream condenses during heat absorption.

A desiccant/evaporative cooling system for providing cool and dry air to an enclosed structure, comprising:

• means for intermittently drying a first airstream withdrawn from the enclosed structure so that a temperature of the first airstream is below a dew point for an ambient airstream;
• means for withdrawing the ambient airstream from a location outside of the enclosed structure;
• means for cooling the first airstream withdrawn from the enclosed structure so that a temperature of the first airstream is equal to or less than the dew point for the ambient airstream, wherein the cooling means includes at least one evaporative cooler;
• and
• means for absorbing heat and moisture from the ambient airstream by using the first airstream which is cooler than the ambient airstream.

A method for providing cool air to an enclosed structure, comprising:

• (a) removing a first airstream from the interior of the enclosed structure;
• (b) cooling the first airstream to provide a cooled airstream having a first temperature;
• (c) withdrawing an ambient airstream from a location outside of the enclosed structure;
• (d) transferring heat from the ambient airstream to the cooled airstream to form a cooled ambient airstream, wherein the ambient airstream has a dew point before the transferring step that is more than the temperature of the cooled airstream;
• and
• (e) introducing the cooled ambient airstream into the enclosed structure.