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fix #11512: evap cooler docs — constant wet-bulb, not constant enthalpy#11530

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mitchute merged 2 commits into
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fix/evap-cooler-doc-11512
Apr 24, 2026
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fix #11512: evap cooler docs — constant wet-bulb, not constant enthalpy#11530
mitchute merged 2 commits into
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fix/evap-cooler-doc-11512

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Summary

Fixes #11512. Docs-only.

The direct evaporative cooler docs claim the process follows a line of constant enthalpy and treat constant wet-bulb as a close-enough proxy. The physics is the other way around: an adiabatic evap-cooling process follows constant thermodynamic wet-bulb temperature by definition (this is the defining process for Twb), and constant-h is the approximation — the outlet enthalpy differs from inlet by the enthalpy carried in by the liquid water before it evaporates:

h_sup,out = h_sup,in + h_water * (w_sup,out − w_sup,in)

Code is already correct — doc was inverted

The implementation holds Twb constant and derives W, h from it:

  • src/EnergyPlus/EvaporativeCoolers.cc:1739CalcDirectEvapCooler (CelDekPad): OuletWetBulbTemp = InletWetBulbTemp
  • src/EnergyPlus/EvaporativeCoolers.cc:3164CalcDirectResearchSpecialEvapCooler (ResearchSpecial): OuletWetBulbTemp = TEWB

Both paths use OutletTemp = TEDB − (TEDB − TEWB) · ε (wet-bulb-depression, not enthalpy-depression) and compute outlet enthalpy as a result via PsyHFnTdbW. Inline comments at both sites already state "WET BULB TEMP IS CONSTANT ACROSS A DIRECT EVAPORATION COOLER". Governing equation at evaporative-coolers.tex:26 (ε·(T_odb − T_owb)) is also a Twb-depression formula.

Changes

doc/engineering-reference/.../evaporative-coolers.tex

  • Rewrite the inverted passage; add the enthalpy-balance equation and nomenclature
  • Drop "or the constant enthalpy line" from the later paragraph that contradicted itself
  • Fix two-stage section ("following a constant enthalpy line" → "constant wet-bulb temperature line")
  • Fig 198 caption/label: Constant EnthalpyConstant Wet-Bulb Temperature

doc/input-output-reference/.../group-evaporative-coolers.tex

  • Prose rewrite only (I/O ref stays user-facing; equation derivation lives in eng-ref)
  • Fig 145 caption/label updated to match

Image check

Examined image4790.png and image416.png. Diagonal lines on both are already labeled Wet-Bulb Temp [F] and the A→B process line is drawn along one of them. Images were already physically correct; only the captions were wrong. No image edits needed.

Label rename fig:psychrometric-chart-constant-enthalpyfig:psychrometric-chart-constant-wetbulb — grep confirmed no \ref{} uses the old label anywhere in the repo.

Test plan

  • Doc build: eng-ref LaTeX renders new equation block and updated caption
  • Doc build: I/O ref renders updated caption
  • Visual check: figure still appears correctly (only caption/label changed)

direct evap follows constant wet-bulb by defn of Twb; doc had it
inverted. code already const-Twb (EvaporativeCoolers.cc:1739, 3164).
fix prose, caption, add enthalpy-balance eqn. mirror in I/O-ref.
@brianlball brianlball added Documentation Related primarily on the LaTeX-based EnergyPlus documentation Defect Includes code to repair a defect in EnergyPlus labels Apr 16, 2026
@brianlball brianlball requested a review from mitchute April 17, 2026 15:40
@mitchute
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@brianlball I made a minor touch-up here: 32c0810

let me know if that's ok.

@brianlball
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@mitchute I like it

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⚠️ Regressions detected on ubuntu-24.04 for commit 675ae29

Regression Summary
  • ESO Small Diffs: 707
  • Table Small Diffs: 393
  • MTR Small Diffs: 525
  • Table String Diffs: 177
  • EIO: 397
  • JSON Small Diffs: 2
  • ZSZ Small Diffs: 72
  • Table Big Diffs: 36
  • ERR: 14
  • MTR Big Diffs: 2
  • EDD: 4
  • ESO Big Diffs: 10
  • SSZ Small Diffs: 13
  • JSON Big Diffs: 2

@mitchute
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More regression testing hallucinations... merging

@mitchute mitchute merged commit 7c3c38f into develop Apr 24, 2026
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@mitchute mitchute deleted the fix/evap-cooler-doc-11512 branch April 24, 2026 19:05
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Defect Includes code to repair a defect in EnergyPlus Documentation Related primarily on the LaTeX-based EnergyPlus documentation

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Correct minor factual error in docs: evaporative-coolers.tex

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