Evaporative air conditioner unit

Abstract

A self-contained air conditioner unit comprises an enclosure including a first intake aperture positioned to communicate with outside ambient air and a first outlet aperture positioned to communicate with a habitable space in which the air conditioner is placed, and a second intake aperture positioned to communicate with a habitable space in which the air conditioner is placed, and a second outlet aperture positioned to communicate with ambient air outside of the habitable space. A water reservoir is disposed at the bottom of the enclosure. A heat exchanger is disposed in the cabinet over the water reservoir, and comprises a plurality of vertically disposed, alternating wet air channels and dry air channels, the alternating wet air channels and dry air channels defined by substantially parallel opposing heat-transfer partitions. Each of the dry channels communicates with a pre-mixing chamber at intake ends thereof and a diverter at outlet ends thereof, and each of the wet channels communicates with the diverter at intake ends thereof and the second outlet aperture at outlet ends thereof. A wet partition comprising a capillary porous material is disposed in each of the wet channels, each wet partition oriented substantially parallel to the opposing heat transfer partitions and positioned so as to substantially bisect the volume of the wet channel in which it is disposed. Each of said wet partitions extends into the water reservoir and immersed in a volume of water contained therein. Air moving means, such as a blower, are provided for moving a volume of air from the first and second intake apertures through the dry channels and for moving air between the wet channels and the second outlet aperture.