Find Refuge From The Sun With Cool-Off: Understanding How Misting Fans Work
If you've ever been walking in the hot sun at a theme park, an open air concert, or a similar event, chances are good you've come across a misting fan before. Whether it was a misting tent that people could walk through/rest in, or just misting fans set up on a patio to keep the area comfortable for diners, these devices always lower the temperature by a significant degree. But why do they do that?
Most of us think we know the answer, but a majority of people don't actually understand how these fans work. Which is too bad, because the science behind their simplicity is something we can use to cool down practically any area.
Now, it is a common misconception to assume that these misters cool you off the same way your own sweat does... which is to say, by getting you wet. We all know that when your body temperature rises, you sweat, and that moisture sits on your skin. As it evaporates, it cools you off, thus regulating your internal temperature. It's the same process that happens when you get out of the pool, or the shower. Even if it's a hot day outside, you might get a bit of a chill as the moisture evaporates off of you.
Misting fans use a similar scientific process, but not the same one. While misting fans do use evaporation to cool the air, they use a process called flash evaporation. The water vapor is put in front of the fan, and the fan blows the vapor out into a fine mist. The water vapor evaporates while it's still in the air, and the energy exchange cools the surrounding area. This whole process happens so quickly that the water vapor doesn't even have time to reach you, unless you're standing directly in front of the fan. That means it's possible to have a bustling fairway full of guests, or an entire patio of diners, and no one is going to feel the slightest bit damp. They'll just get to enjoy the coolness, without the sheer amount of energy it would take to power an air conditioner big enough to cool the same space.
Find Refuge From The Sun With Cool-Off: How Misting Fans Work
Misting fans are fairly simple devices. The base is a simple fan, the same sort you have in your office or living room for when you need some relief from the heat. Attached to the basic fan is a mister. The mist puts water vapor in front of the fan, and the fan blows that vapor out over the immediate area. Most systems have several fans working in concert to ensure an entire area is equally coated in mist.
Now, it is a common misconception to assume that these misters cool you off the same way your own sweat does... which is to say, by getting you wet. We all know that when your body temperature rises, you sweat, and that moisture sits on your skin. As it evaporates, it cools you off, thus regulating your internal temperature. It's the same process that happens when you get out of the pool, or the shower. Even if it's a hot day outside, you might get a bit of a chill as the moisture evaporates off of you.
Misting fans use a similar scientific process, but not the same one. While misting fans do use evaporation to cool the air, they use a process called flash evaporation. The water vapor is put in front of the fan, and the fan blows the vapor out into a fine mist. The water vapor evaporates while it's still in the air, and the energy exchange cools the surrounding area. This whole process happens so quickly that the water vapor doesn't even have time to reach you, unless you're standing directly in front of the fan. That means it's possible to have a bustling fairway full of guests, or an entire patio of diners, and no one is going to feel the slightest bit damp. They'll just get to enjoy the coolness, without the sheer amount of energy it would take to power an air conditioner big enough to cool the same space.
