Combined wet and dry liquid cooling system and method

Claim 1

A system for cooling a liquid used in a liquid-heating machine, said system comprising: a conduit forming a fluid flow path passing through said machine and having a pair of ends; a pair of parallel branches interconnecting said ends and each having a respective upstream end portion connected to one of said ends of said path and a respective downstream end portion connected to the other of said ends of said path; pump means for circulating said liquid through said path and through said branches with a portion of said liquid passing through one of said branches and the remainder of said liquid passing through the other branch; a closed dry-type heat exchanger in said one branch between the respective upstream and downstream end portions thereof; a wet-type evaporative cooler in said other branch between the respective upstream and downstream end portions thereof; means for forming a pair of parallel streams of air; means for passing one of said air streams over said heat exchanger for cooling of the liquid therein by heat exchange through said exchanger; and means for passing the other of said air streams directly over said liquid in said evaporative cooler to directly contact said other air stream and said liquid in said other branch and thereby evaporatively cool said liquid in said other branch.

Claim 2

A system for cooling a liquid used in a liquid-heating machine, said system comprising: a conduit forming a fluid flow path passing through said machine and having a pair of ends; a pair of parallel branches interconnecting said ends and each having a respective upstream end portion connected to one of said ends of said path and a respective downstream end portion connected to the other of said ends of said path; pump means for circulating said liquid through said path and through said branches with a portion of said liquid passing through one of said branches and the remainder of said liquid passing through the other branch; a closed dry-type heat exchanger in said one branch between the respective upstream and downstream end portions thereof; a wet-type evaporative cooler in said other branch between the respective upstream and downstream end portions thereof; means for forming a pair of parallel streams of air; means for passing one of said air streams over said heat exchanger for cooling of the liquid therein by heat exchange through said exchanger; and means for passing the other of said air streams directly over said liquid in said evaporative cooler to directly contact said other air stream and said liquid in said other branch and thereby evaporatively cool said liquid in said other branch.

Claim 9

A method of cooling a liquid used in a liquid-heating machine by circulation of said liquid in a path passing through said machine and through a closed dry-type heat exchanger and a wet-type evaporative cooler, said method comprising the steps of simultaneously and concomitantly: subdividing said endless path passing through said machine at a location spaced from said machine into a pair of parallel branches in one of which circulates a portion of said liquid and in the other of which circulates the balance of said liquid; continuously circulating said liquid in said path so that on each circuit of said path a portion of said liquid passes only through said one branch and the balance circulates only through said other branch; passing the liquid in said one branch through the interior of said closed dry-type heat exchanger passing the liquid in said other branch through said wet-type evaporative cooler; forming a pair of parallel air streams; passing one of said air streams over said heat exchanger to cool the liquid in said one branch by heat exchange through said heat exchanger only; passing the other of said air streams directly over said liquid in said other branch to directly contact and evaporatively cool same; and picking up humidity in said evaporative cooler from the liquid therein with said other air stream.

Claim 10

A method of cooling a liquid used in a liquid-heating machine by circulation of said liquid in a path passing through said machine and through a closed dry-type heat exchanger and a wet-type evaporative cooler, said method comprising the steps of simultaneously and concomitantly: subdividing said endless path passing through said machine at a location spaced from said machine into a pair of parallel branches in one of which circulates a portion of said liquid and in the other of which circulates the balance of said liquid; continuously circulating said liquid in said path so that on each circuit of said path a portion of said liquid passes only through said one branch and the balance circulates only through said other branch; passing the liquid in said one branch through the interior of said closed dry-type heat exchanger passing the liquid in said other branch through said wet-type evaporative cooler; forming a pair of parallel air streams; passing one of said air streams over said heat exchanger to cool the liquid in said one branch by heat exchange through said heat exchanger only; passing the other of said air streams directly over said liquid in said other branch to directly contact and evaporatively cool same; and picking up humidity in said evaporative cooler from the liquid therein with said other air stream.