Reasonably than small silica beads, Blue Frontier’s cooling expertise depends on a salt answer that’s so concentrated, it will possibly pull moisture from the air.  

Right here’s how Blue Frontier’s cooling system works: first, a stream of air passes by means of a channel and over a skinny layer of desiccant, which pulls moisture out of the air. Subsequent, the now-dry air goes by means of an evaporative cooling step, which lowers the temperature of the air (principally the identical approach sweat cools your pores and skin). 

Within the evaporative cooling step, the air is break up into two streams. One runs previous a skinny layer of water, which absorbs vitality and drops the air’s temperature. That cooler, humid air is used to chill a metallic floor, which in flip sucks warmth out of the opposite stream of still-dry air. The humid air will get funneled exterior, and the cool, dry air is blown into the constructing.

Evaporation is an environment friendly cooling technique, one which’s employed in low-cost units known as air coolers (additionally known as swamp coolers or evaporative coolers), which may use 80% much less electrical energy than customary air conditioners. These units normally add moisture to the air to chill it, which solely works when beginning with dry air, so their use is often restricted to dry environments, just like the southwestern US. 

By pairing evaporative cooling with desiccants, Blue Frontier’s system can work in nearly any local weather, Tilghman says. Its operations could be tweaked to deal with modifications within the climate or within the thermostat set level, altering the stability between cooling and dehumidifying, which might assist unlock additional effectivity positive factors. The corporate’s method ought to have the ability to reduce annual electrical energy use by a complete of between 50% and 80% in contrast with a traditional air con system, relying on the surroundings, Tilghman says.  

On skinny ice

Liquid desiccants are typically used right this moment to dehumidify warehouses or factories that must maintain strict controls on moisture within the air, akin to in pharmaceutical or electronics manufacturing. However they haven’t been extensively utilized in cooling partly as a result of they’re costly. One business customary, lithium chloride, has been topic to cost hikes and provide limitations due to demand for it in lithium-ion batteries. The supplies will also be corrosive. (Blue Frontier is utilizing a brand new desiccant that ought to tackle these considerations, Tilghman says.)