Experimental Investigation of vermicompost masses with initial and continuous water supply in a direct evaporative cooling system.

Evaporative cooling, an eco-friendly and energy-efficient technique, mitigates the environmental damage caused by mechanically driven air-conditioners. Recent studies have shown that rotating humidifiers are useful for large space cooling applications due to their higher efficiency. Despite the benefits, it leads to an increase in the electrical energy consumption. Vermicompost, an excellent water storage medium, replaces the pad of conventional air coolers, thereby eliminating the pump used for water circulation and the motor used in centrifugal humidifiers. However, the amount of water storage depends on the mass of the vermicompost. The supplied water should produce continuous cooling if the vermicompost is completely soaked and operated. If all the water evaporates over a period, vermicompost may dry, necessitating additional water supply. Hence, the need arises to study the influence of the mass of vermicompost and the water supply method on the performance of vermicompost-based direct evaporative cooling systems. The present study proposes to experiment with three different masses and two modes of water supply: initial and continuous. Experimental results showed that the system produced an average effectiveness of 82 % using '500 g' and '1000 g' of vermicompost through the continuous water supply, while the effectiveness augments to 85 % using '1500 g' of vermicompost with only the initial water supply. The studies reveal that a lower mass of vermicompost with a continuous water supply is preferable for cooling in small spaces. A higher mass of vermicompost with an initial water supply is helpful for large spaces like greenhouses and livestock buildings. Hence, the present system is energy-efficient, showing an energy savings of 69.43% by neglecting the pump and motor, as in centrifugal humidifiers. Moreover, it is eco-friendly as it eliminates the pump and sump that lead to the transmission of diseases like dengue and malaria caused by insect breeding in the sump. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]