Reduction of scale build-up in an evaporative cooling apparatus

An indirect evaporative air cooler, comprising:

• an assembly of at least two plates, wherein the at least two plates are separated by one or more channel guides, the at least two plates comprising:
• a top surface comprising a wicking material with an exposed surface for receiving a liquid thereon, and a bottom surface opposite the top surface, the bottom surface comprising a sealed, impermeable barrier for the liquid;
• one or more masks lining at least a portion of the exposed surface, the one or more masks impermeable to the liquid thereby preventing the liquid from evaporating through the one or more masks, the one or more masks sized and shaped such that a wick rate of the liquid on the exposed surface exceeds an evaporation rate of the liquid;
• and
• one or more perforations in at least one of the at least two plates, wherein at least one mask of the one or more masks at least partially lines at least one perforation of the one or more perforations, the at least one mask relocating a dry-to-wet transition zone for the liquid from an edge of the at least one perforation to a junction between the top surface of the at least one plate and a bottom surface of the at least one mask.

A plate for an evaporative cooler, comprising:

• a wicking material with at least one exposed surface for receiving a liquid;
• one or more masks lining a portion of the at least one exposed surface, wherein the one or more masks comprise an impermeable material to the liquid thereby preventing the liquid from evaporating through the one or more masks, wherein the one or more masks comprise a strip of the impermeable material coupled to a flat area of the at least one exposed surface, wherein the one or more masks comprise a surface area sufficient such that a wick rate of the liquid through the wicking material exceeds an evaporation rate of the liquid, and wherein the one or more masks relocate a dry-to-wet transition zone for the liquid from a junction between the at least one exposed surface and a bottom surface of the one or more masks;
• and
• one or more perforations passing through the plate, wherein at least one mask of the one or more masks at least partially lines at least one perforation of the one or more perforations.