Compact rotary evaporative cooler

A rotary evaporative cooler, comprising:

• a) a hollow elongated case,
• b) an elongated rotor in the case, mounted for axial rotation therein,
• c) a partition mounted for rotation with the rotor and separating the case longitudinally into a wetted chamber and a nonwetted chamber,
• d) a plurality of elongated Perkins tubes arranged in an annular array and mounted on the rotor for rotation therewith and each having opposite evaporation and condensing end sections,
• e) the Perkins tubes extending through the partition with the evaporation section registering with the nonwetted chamber and the condensing section registering with the wetted chamber,
• h) an air inlet in the case for introducing air into the nonwetted chamber for cooling the air, and
• i) an air outlet in the case for exhausting the cooled air from the nonwetted chamber to a space to be conditioned.

A rotary evaporative cooler, comprising:

• a) a hollow elongated case,
• b) an elongated rotor in the case mounted for axial rotation therein,
• c) a partition mounted for rotation with the rotor and separating the case longitudinally into a wetted chamber and a nonwetted chamber,
• d) a plurality of elongated Perkins tubes arranged in an annular array and mounted on the rotor for rotation therewith and each having opposite evaporation and condensing end sections,
• e) the Perkins tubes extending through the partition with the evaporation section registering with the nonwetted chamber and the condensing section registering with the wetted chamber,
• f) a first air inlet in the case for introducing air into the wetted chamber for humidifying the air,
• g) a first air outlet in the case for exhausting the humidified air from the wetted chamber,
• h) a second air inlet in the case for introducing air into the nonwetted chamber for cooling the air,
• i) a second air outlet in the case for exhausting the cooled air from the nonwetted chamber to a space to be conditioned,
• j) valve means for combining the air outputs from the first and second outlets for delivery to a space to be conditioned,
• k) valve means in the second air inlet for selectively introducing into the nonwetted chamber air from the atmosphere and from a space to be conditioned,
• l) valve control means operatively associated with the valve means in the first air outlet and second air inlet for adjusting the humidity of the air delivered to the space to be conditioned,
• m) a layer of porous metal bonded to the internal surfaces of the evaporation sections of the Perkins tubes in the nonwetted chamber of the case,
• n) a plurality of outwardly projecting heat conductive fins spaced apart along the length of an thermal contact with the outer surfaces of the Perkins tubes,
• o) water spray means in the wetted chamber of the case for supplying cooling water to the exterior surfaces of the fins on the Perkins tubes.

A rotary evaporative cooler, comprising:

• a) an elongated, hollow case,
• b) an annular array of a plurality of elongated Perkins tubes mounted in the case for axial rotation therein, each Perkins tube having opposite evaporation and condensing end sections,
• c) a partition in the case mounted for rotation with the annular array and separating the case longitudinally into a wetted chamber and a nonwetted chamber, the Perkins tubes extending through the partition with the evaporation end sections registering with the nonwetted section and the condensing sections registering with the wetted section,
• d) a first air inlet in the case for introducing air into the wetted chamber and a first air outlet in the case for exhausting air from the wetted chamber to a space to be conditioned,
• e) a second air inlet in the case for introducing air into the nonwetted chamber and a second air outlet in the case for exhausting air from the nonwetted chamber,
• f) the second air outlet being coupled to the first air inlet for combining exhaust air in the second air outlet with air in the first air inlet for introduction to the wetted chamber.