Patent ID: 6931883

Claim:
A two-stage evaporative cooling device, comprising: an air mover for introducing air into the device; a housing disposed below the air mover; an indirect evaporative cooling stage disposed in the housing positioned downstream of the air mover, the indirect evaporative stage comprising a plurality of generally parallel vertical plates that define alternating dry passages and wet passages; a direct evaporative cooling stage disposed in the housing and positioned adjacent to the indirect stage; and a water distribution system that provides water to wet the wet passages and the direct evaporative cooling stage, wherein air introduced by the air mover flows generally vertically from the air mover into the dry passages of the indirect stage and turns from vertical flow to horizontal flow in the dry passages, and when leaving the dry passages, divides into a first air stream that continues horizontally through the direct stage before exiting the device, and a second air stream that, when leaving the dry passages, flows back through the wet passages of the indirect evaporative stage before exiting the device.