humidity and unisons

[Fred Sturm]

Avery Todd wrote:
> 
> Evaporative cooling? (Swamp coolers)
> 
> Avery
> 
> >> Just one more piece of evidence to confuse and confound the mind.
> 
> > Where can you possibly find 60% humidity in New Mexico?
> >
> >               Newton (hatched and growd there)

I guess people from the more humid parts of the country aren't familiar
with this. It's an air conditioner that operates on the principal that
evaporation of water pulls energy (in the form of heat) from somewhere,
thus lowers temperature. Same reason we sweat: if there's a breeze (and
it isn't so humid the air won't hold any more moisture), evaporation of
our perspiration cools us.
	Construction is quite simple: a metal box with its walls made of a
grating to which pads that will hold water are attached. Inside is a
turbine fan which pulls air in through the pads and pushes it into the
house via ductwork (or in a window mount unit, just blows it straight in
the window). A pump circulates water so it drizzles down the pads. Works
fine if the humidity isn't too high outside. But does have the side
effect of raising the humidity within the house.

Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico