Filipino inventor and entrepreneur Edgardo ‘Gary’ Vazquez has developed a bigger machine to suck heat from the air and repel pollution in industrial sites surrounded by communities.
“Other countries are already imposing a law against air pollution. Big industries such as chemical factories or coal-fired power plants need to have pollution or dust control, so that the dust or dirt released by their plants into the air would not fall on nearby communities,” Vazquez, 65, says in an interview in Makati City.
Vazquez, who develops his prototypes in China where there are abundant materials, says he will initially bring eight Turbo Kool units to the Philippines later this month to showcase what they can do to fight pollution.
“The design is now a reality. It is a remote-controlled, elevated dust suppression control system that can blow cool fine mist more than a hundred meters into the air that can capture dust and other particulates and bring them down to the ground. It can also lower temperature by 5 to 10 degrees Celsius,” says Vazquez, who based the design on his earlier innovation—the Misty Kool outdoor air-conditioning unit.
Misty Kool is a misting system that sprays ultra-fine microns of water to cool off any area. It conserves energy while offering an air-cooling effect and repels flying insects, dust, smoke and pollen.
He says that unlike the Misty Kool line system and electric fan-type machines, the Turbo Kool dust suppression control system is ideal for industrial areas, power plants, ports, materials handling facilities, construction sites, orchards and large gardens.
“You can even use it to freshen and cool off the atmosphere on an entire street. Imagine deploying Turbo Kool machines on top of the buildings along Ayala Ave. and simultaneously release cool fine mist into the air, it would substantially clean and cool off the air and make it more convenient for people walking on the street,” he says.
Vazquez earlier developed the Misty Kool machine—an outdoor cooling solution that consists of misting fan, high-pressure pumps, fine nozzles, switches, oil indicator, programmable timer, automatic shut-off mechanism, hose, 41-liter water tank and heavy-duty wheels with locking mechanism. A unit can cover an spray area of 85 square meters.
He offers the technology in two forms—a line machine and electric fan-type unit that can produce Baguio-like breeze instantly.
Misty Kool produces mist, which evaporates into the air, and this is sometimes called “flash evaporation” because it happens “quickly as a flash” and gives a stronger cooling effect. He says the air is cooled evenly and feels more like a fog.
The Philippine Arena complex in Bulacan uses the line system of Misty Kool to reduce temperature along its open walkway. It is also used in the country’s largest greenhouse and mushroom farm in the same area.
Misty Kool is also being used in the patios and gardens of exclusive subdivisions in Makati City, gardens, restaurants, resorts, greenhouses, parks, gas stations and other open areas. Among the popular clients is Gretchen Barreto who posts photos of the mists produced by Misty Kool in her garden on Instagram.
“In engineering, they call it the flash point. When you subject the water at a very high pressure, then extrude it through a very fine nozzle, it automatically becomes mist and floats in the air,” says Vazquez, who is also known as the inventor of the Vazbuilt modular housing technology in the Philippines.
Vazquez says for every pound of water that evaporates in the air, 1,100 Btu (British thermal unit) of heat is sucked out of the air. When heat is removed from the air, it becomes cooler. The Misty Kool machine can cool the air down to a comfortable 25 degrees Celsius, he says.
The Misty Kool system caught the attention of an executive of a materials handling port in Bataan province where dust control is a big problem. The port is the unloading area for silica, gypsum, coal and other raw materials.
“What happens is that dust builds up in the area. The dust starts to fly and the surrounding villages are affected. The owner of the port went to visit me and told me about the problem,” he says.
Vazquez says tackling the problem would require a bigger machine. He went back to China to develop the first prototype of Turbo Kool, which is much bigger and more powerful than the Misty Kool electric fan. “This is what I developed as a solution to control pollution and dust,” he says.
“With the first prototype that I designed, they were very happy, because the dust disappeared. But as the pile of materials at the port became higher, the first prototype could not reach the necessary height. That is why I redesigned the prototype, which now sits on an elevator type mechanism and is remotely controlled. “You can make the blower turn left, right, up or down,” he says.
“The new model also consumes less water and has stronger pressure. When I showed it to Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato dela Peña, he was happy about the development. But I said I am not yet contented with this. I still have to innovate. But I will initially bring eight units to the country in the third or fourth week of May,” says Vazquez.
Vazquez also tapped a Chinese contractor to build more units of Misty Kool electric fans, as his inventory in the Philippines was depleted at the onset of summer. He says aside from the outdoor Misty Kool electric fans, he is developing a new prototype for indoor use.
“You can use it inside your home, because it would not release as much mist as the original Misty Kool which can cover 80 to 85 square meters. This one will cover only about 30 meters, using the same technology and will be remotely controlled. It is a good alternative to traditional air-conditioning unit which consumes a lot of energy. The indoor Misty Kool consumes only 150 watts,” says Vazquez.