Swamp Cooler (or How it Used to be Done)

[tbutler]

Back in the day, there were an awful lot of cars that didn't have air conditioning; like the VW Beetle here, the engine often didn't have enough power to run one. Enter the swamp cooler.

The basic idea (which I've seen used all the way up to a two-meter-tall version) is fairly simple: When water evaporates, it sucks some of the heat out of the air to gain enough energy to change state. So by pushing air through a damp filter, the air grows cooler as the water in the filter evaporates, and the cooler air is diverted onto people. :) A water reservoir keeps the filter damp.

It's kinda cool, seeing how ingenious people can be when they're trying to fix stuff.

EDIT: And doesn't it kinda look like a jet engine? :)

Comments

[yhlee]

Oh, neat!

I am so grateful for AC even though I probably shouldn't be. :]

[tbutler]

Yeah... well, see, the biggest problem with swamp coolers is that they don't work too well in humid environments. So when a company I used to work for bought one for the warehouse, it wasn't much help; KC is not exactly dry in summer. From what I've heard, Louisiana is kinda in the same boat. ^^;;