US1023260A - Air-treating apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

D. M. LUEHRS GL W. S. CONANT. m. TBBATING APPABATUS.

APPLIOATIOH PILED MAYIG, 19104 Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

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mmm mmmmmwmmmwm D. M. LUEHRS W. S. CONANT.

AIR TREATING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILE!) MA! 16, 1910.

1,023,260. Pateted Apr. 16, 1912.

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Envcntozd %imam D. M. LUEHRS &z W. S. CONANT.

m TRBATING APPARATUS.

APPLOATIOX ILED KAE-13, 1910. 1,023,260. Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

3 BHEETS-SEEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL M. LUEHBS, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, AND WILLIAM S. CONANT, OF DETROIT, MICHI- GAN, ASSIGNORS TO MCCBEERY ENGINEERING COMPANY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

AIB-TBEATING APPABA'I'US.

Specicatio of Letters Patenta.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

Application filed May 18, 1910. Serial No. 561,(591.

To all whom it' 'may concern:

Be it known that we, DANEEL M. LUEHRS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Toledo, Ohio, and, WILLIAM S. CONANT, a citizen-of the United States, residing at Detroit, Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Treating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for washing air and delivering the same at any desired temperature and at any desired degree of humidity, whether the desired temperature and humidity are secured by raisng or lowering the degree of temperature or humidity.

The objects of the invention are: First, to provide improved means for purifying the air. Second, to provide improved means of maintaining a regulated humidity for any fixed or regulated temperature.

Fill-ther objects relate to details of constrnction, whereby the air is most efi'ectively passed through the washing and humidify ing spray and to details of the apparatus.

We accomplish the objects of this invention by the devices and means described in the acconpaying specification.

The invention is clearly detined and pointed out in the claims.

A structure exemplifying preferred embodiments of our invention is clearly illust'ated in the accompanying drawing, forming i part of this specification, in which- F igure 1 is a sectional plan view through our improved apparatus, in position, taken on a line corresponding to the irregular line l l of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional elevation View, taken on the irregular line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical detail sectional transverse view on line 3-3 of Figs. 1 and 2, the humidity spraying Construction, and the foundation 2, it will be noted, may be somewhat modified' to receive the various parts of our improved air treating apparatus. A casing is provided, having side walls 3 and a top 4, which incases and forms a proper passageway for the advance through the device of either outside air, air drawn from the building, or a mixture of both.

The front end of the c'asing 5 is semicylindrical in form, terminating in a forwardly-projecting shelf 6. Conformed to this; so as to form a reverse passage, is a wall 7 terminating in a forwardly-projecting ledge 8 above and extending downwardly and thence toward the front of the apparatus, at 9, with a downwardly-turned flange 10. The lower edge of the fiange 10 projects into the top part of the tank 11. The temperature of the water in tank 11 is regulated by means of a coil 12 12, having a return 12. An injector or other device supplying a heating or a cooling medium could be used. The tank 11 is provided with a drain 13, controlled by a globe-valve or other suitable cock 14, and is provided with an over-flow 15, whereby the level of the water is maintained at that point. So, it will be seen that the downturned flange or ledge 10 extends into the water in the tank and closes the tank, so that air entering the apparatus must do so through the reversely curved passages 16 and 20, the passage 16 being the entrance part which s recurved upwardly at 20, this passage delivering into the chamber 21.

The tempering chamber 21 is heatcd or cooled by coils 22 22', the air being tempered as it passes this chamber, and meets a humidifying or dehumidifying spray delivered from the pipe 23, having the spray heads 24 which form a curtain of Water across the same. As the air passes this point, itcomes to the V-shaped eliminator plates 25, which are arrangedto collect the free Iroisture'which flows down at this point and passes into the sump-tank 30 at this point. The air is taken through this apparatus by means of the suction fan 26, which is driven by means of a suitable pulley 27, or by any othertmeans. As the invention does not relate to the details of the fan, the fan s merely indicated by an illustration of its casing. A thermostat 28 is shown in this air supply just in front of the fan 26, (but may be placed at any point in the building or space filled'by the air supply), and is connected by a suitable circuit to the valve 29, which is preferably of the diaphragm sort, which Controls the aclms sion to the coil 22', thereby regulating the rise or fall of the temperature of the air at this oint and controlling the same and maintaning a stationary temperature in the air supply.

It will be clear that the water delivered through the spray pipes 23 will be more readily absorbed by the air as its temperature is raised, and that it will be less readily absorbed as the water is cooled. Furthermore, that moisture will be abstracted from highly humidified air by a cooling spray. Heating and cooling of the spray water is accomplished by the regulation of the temperature of the water in the sump-tank 30, the pipe 31 delivering cold water to this sum -tank, and this pipe is controlled by the diap agm valve 32. 'This diaphragm valve is controlled by a hygrostat 35, which is arranged in the chamber in front of the fan 26. This hygrostat is set, for example, at 66% relative humidity for any desired temperature, and, whenever the humidity reaches 66%, the cold water pipe 31 is opened and the water in the snptank 30 is cooled. By hygrostat we mean an au-` tomatic device actuated by variations of the moisture content of the air and connected by suitable devices for the purpose of controlling the humidity of passing air by controlling evaporation or condensation.

Hot water or steam is supplied through the pipe 33, which is controlled by a suitable valve 34, and hot water or steam, when delivered through this pipe, of course, raises the temperature of the water in the sumptank 30. This valve 34 is controlled by a hygrostat 36, which is set, for example, at 65% relative hum dity for any required temperature, so that, whenever the humidity falls below 65%, the valve 34 will be opened and a quantity of hot water admitted through the pipe 33, into the sump-tank, which raises its temperature, and thus, when ever the humidity drops below 65%, increases the evaporation of the spray. Whenever the humidity goes above 66%, the cold water is turned in, as already mentioned, and thereby this pair of hygrostats effectively controls the humidity at this point, or at any other predetermined'point; and, as the temperature of the air supply is controlled by the thermostat, the exact hygrometric condition of the air at this point is effectively controlled, and the air, delivered by the fan 26 to the building or compartments requiring the treated air, is maintained at a constant point.

The water is pumped from the sump-tank by means of the pump 40, which is operated by the motor 39. Water is then taken through the suction pipe 41 and delivered through the delivery pipe 42 to control the humidity spray pipes 23. 4 To this same, or another, motor 39 is connected a pump 43, which draws water through the suction pipe 44 from the tank 11 and delivers it to the air washer pipes and sprays 17, 18 and 19, through the delivery pipe 45.

The admission to the coil 12 is controlled by thermostatic valves 37 and 37 connected to the thernfostats 38 and 38', respectively, in the heating chamber. The object of this is to supply sufiicient steam' to this coil to prevent the water from freezing and otherwise temper it, or to admit suflicient cold water, or coolin medium, to reduce the temperature of e air leaving the apparatus in warm weather. Steam is supplied through a pipe 57, which branches at 58 to this coil 12, and at 59 to the heater coils 22-22' 'within the heating' chamber 91. Cold water is supplied through an inlet pipe 58' controlled by the thermostatic valve 37.

The operation of our improved apparatus will be very readily understood b observing the direction of the entry o the air, indicated by the arrows at the left hand side of Fig. 2. The air enters at the lower part of the apparatus, either from the outside air, or from the building. It enters through the passage 16, which recurves and passes upwardly at 20 into the heating chamber 21. Within the lower part of this passage is a pipe containing spray heads for delivering a curtain spray transversely to the passage, so that all of the air entering must come in contact with the spray water and be deflectecl by the wetted surfaces within the spray chamber. A spray pipe 18 is at the reverse between these two reverse passages and delvers a double curtain at that point, which very efl`ectivel washes down the impurities in the air, inc uding dust, particles of scot, and the like, and a final Washer spray is provided by the spray pipe 19, delivering a curtain across the upper portion of the apparatus. Water descends from this apparatus and flows down and fills the tank 11 up above the ed e of the downwardly-turned flange 10, so t at the air must take this particular specified course.

When the air' enters the chamber 21, it comes in contact with the heating coils 22, which, when opened by hand, are Operating at full Capacity and the coils 22', which are controlled by a thermostatic valve, and the temperature of the air, as it passes these coils, is regulated, and these coils are the heating means which regulate the tempera ture of the air, the air not being subjected to tempering beyond this point. The air then comes to the curtain of humidifying spray, where it is completely moistened, the object of this spray being to thoroughly moisten the air, and it is then delivered against the eliminators 25, which take out all the free or entrained moisture. The spray delivered from the pipes 23 is regulated n its temperature, so that exactly the right amount of' moisture Will be evaporated or condensed, and the extent of the moisture is under the contro-l of the hygrostats 35 and 36, which are connected to vary the temperature of the water in the sump-tank 30, as an increase or decrease of the temperature of the water Will vary the amount of the evaporation, and, consequently, the humidity of the air. The air supply then passes through the fan to any point in the building desired.

In Fi 4 we show the apparatus considerably srnplified, for use where preliminary tempering of the air is unnecessary. Here we place the eliminator plates in conjunction with the washing spray,-(see eliminator plates 46),-which are in proximity to the air washing devices, the air washing devices being here exactly the same as in the first described apparatus. The humidity control, however, is also applied to same.

A steam heating coil 47 is provided beyond the coils to heat the air at that point. Steam is admitted thereto through the steam pipe 54, which is controlled by a thermostatic valve 55, which is regulated by the thermostat 56- located either in the air passage, just prior to the entry of the air to the fan 26, or elsewhere in the building. Hygrostats 35 and 36 are provided at this point, or elsewhere in the air delivery or space supplied, and are connected to control Valves 52 and 53, respectively. The valve 52 permits the admission of a heating medium through the pipe 51 to the pipe 50 to increase the temperature of the Water delivered through the sprays 17, 18 and 19.

The hygrostatic valve 53, controlled from the hygrostat 36, admits a cooling medium, as cold water, through pipe 51 to the pipe 50, -Which is delivered to the sprays 17, 18 and 19 and cools the air, thus lessening its hygroscopic properties, and, if it is saturatcd at a higher temperature, itgives up a part of its moisture and is thus dehumidified. The hygrostatic Valves perform the same function at this point that the hygrostatic valves 32 and 34, appearing in the structure illustrated in Fig. 1, perform. Their action is to admit steam or hot water to the suction pipe or to admit cold Water to the suction pipe 50, to decrease or increase the humidity of the air in the air'washer by these means. The steam or cold water could be delivered or injected into the circulation at any point.

The pump draws through the suction pipe 50 from the tank 11 and delivers to the spray pipes'through the pipe 45. The temperature of the water is thus regulated in the pipe 45, as clearly appears from a considera tion of said Fig. 4. Therefore, the operation of this apparatus is to heat or cool the spray as it is delivered, and thereby increase or decrease, by evaporation or condensation, the moisture content of the passing air, as controlled by the hygrostats 35 and 36. The temperature is controlled independently by the thernostat 56, and is kept above a predetermined point by that means.

During the cold season of the year, Where this apparatus is used for treating the air of dwellings or ottice buildings or factories generally, no provision will be needed for reducing the temperature of the air, and, in the main apparatus, under those circumstances, the principal need of the coil 12 will be to keep the contents of the tank 11 from freezing. This heating, very clearly, could be done by a great variety of means, which it will not be necessary to enumerate. The need for cooling means will occur only Where it is desirable to deliver air at a temperature below that of the general atmosphere.

While we have shown pairs of valves for certain services, We desire to remark that double seated valves, or three-way valves, or other devices, might be made for controlling the flow, other than the simple valves we have illustrated.. As the variety of such controls and connections are infinite, we have not attempted to illustrate them.

The humidifying spravs, appcaring in the main structure, will nee be varicd in their temperature to vary the degree of humidity, and have no other function than to supply the proper moisture. The temperature of the spray will have some slight effect on the air.

From this description, it Will be seen that the apparatus can be variously modified without departing from our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim a::. new and desirc to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In au air treating apparatus, the combination ot' a suitable casing; a reverse curved passage with an intake at the bottom with an upward arrangement of the passage whereby the air passcs upwardly; spray means for forming the curtains of water within the said recurved passage for Washing the air; a tcmpcring chamber to which said recurved passage delivers; thermostatic means in the trcated air supply to control the said tempering means; humidifying spray devices beyond the said tempering chamber; eliminator platesfor extracting the free water; a sump-tank to receive said water; means to pass air through the said apparatus; a heating pipe and a cooling pipe for delivering a heating and a cooling medium to the said sump-tank; a pump for pumping Water from the sump-tank to the humidifying spray devices; a hygrostat set at a predetcrmined point to control the cooling medium for cooling the contents of the sump-tank when the humidity rises above a certain point; and a hygrostat set at a predetermined point and connected to the heating pipe for controllin the heating medium to heat the contents ot the sump-tank when the moisture drops below a redetermined point all coacting substantial y as described and for the purpose specified.

2. In an air treating apparatus, the combination of a suitable casing; a reverse curved passage with an intake at the bottom with an upward arrangement of the passage whereby the air passes upwardly; spray means for ,forming the curtains of water within the said recurved passage for washing the air; a tempering chamber to which said recurved passage delivers; thermostatic means in the treated air supply to control the said tempering means; humidifying spray devices; eliminator plates for extracting the free water; a sump-tank to receive said water; means to pass air through the said apparatus; a heating pipe and a cooling pipe for delivering a heating and a cooling medium to the said sump-tank; a pump for pumping water from the sump-tank to the humidifying sp'ay devices; a hygrostat set at a predetermined point to control the cooling medium for cooling the contents of the sump-tank when the humidity rises above a certain point; and a hygrostat set at a predetermined point connected to the heating pipe for controlling the heating medium to heat the contents of the sump-tank when the moisture drops below a predetermined point all coacting substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

In an air treating apparatus, the combination of a suitable casing; a tempering cliamber with tempering means within said casing and formed thereby; a thermostatic means in the treated air supply to control the said tempering means; humidifying spray devices beyond the said tempering chamber; eliminator plates for extracting the free water; a sump-tank to receive said water; means to pass air through the said apparatus; a heating pipe and a cooling pipe for delivering a heating and a cooling medium to the said sump-tank; a pump for pumping water from the sump-tank to the humidifying spray devices; a hygrostat set at a predetermined point to control the cooling medium for cooling the contents of the sump-tank when the humidity rises above a certain point; a hygrostat set at a predetermined point and connected to the heating p'ipc for controlling the heating medium to heat the contents of the sump-tank when the moisture drops below a predetermined point all coacting substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

4. In an air treating apparatus, the combinaton of a suitable casing; a tempering chamber with tempering means within said casing and formed thereby; thermostatic means in the treated air supply to control the said tenperng means; humdfymg spray devices; eliminator plates for extract ing the free water; a sump-tank to receive said water; means to pass air through the said a paratus; a heating ppe and a cooling pipe or delivern a heatng and a cooling medium to the sai sump-tank; a pump for pumpin water from the' sump-tank to the humdi yng spray devices; a hygrostat set at a predetermined point to control the cooling medium for cooling the contents of the sump-tank when the humidity rises above a certain point; and a hygrostat set at a predetermined point and connected to the heating pipe for controlling the heating medium to heat the contents of the sump-tank when the moisture drops below a predetermined point, all coacting substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

5. In an air treating apparatus, the combinaton With suitable air washing means, of a heating means; a thermostatic means in the treated air supply for regulating the said heating means, whereby the temperature of the ,air is controlled; spray humidifyng devices beyond the said heating app-aratus; means for heating or cooling the spray Water to control evaporation thereof; and hygrostat means for controlling the heating and cooling means of the said spray water, coacting for the purpose specified.

6. In an air treating apparatus the combination with suitable air washing means, of a heating means; a thermostatic means in the treated air supply for regulating the said heating means, whereby the temper ature of the air is controlled; spray humidifying devices; means for heating or cooling the spray water to control evaporation thereof; and hygrostat means for controlling the heating and cooling means of said spray water, coacting for the purpose specified.

7. In an air treating apparatus, the combination with a suitable air Washer; spraying means to spray water to humidify or dehumidify the air; regulable means forcontrolling the temperature of said spray water; regulable heatin means for controlling the temperature of t e air; a thermostat located in the treated air supply for eontrolling the said air heating means; hygrostatic means located in the treated air supply and connected to control the regulable means for controlling the temperature of said spray water and thereby control the humidity of the air, coacting for the purpose specified.

8. In an air treating apparatus, the combination of a suitable intake with water spray means therein for washing the air; a heating chamber with means of heating the same; a thermostat in the treated air supply connected to control the air heating means;

a humidiying spray means for moistening the said air; regulableheating means 'for said humidifying spray means; hygrostatic means in the treated air supply connected to control the regulable heating means and the eonsequent evaporation of Water and the consequent humidity of the air, all eoacting substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

9. In an air treating apparatus, the combination of a suitable heating ehamber; recurved passages of uniform cross' section entering the same with the intake at the lower part of the said apparatus, the said passages being recurved upon themselves upwardly; washng spray devices within the said passages dis osed to spray water into each turn thereo and a tank beneath the same for collecting the surplus water,

coacting for the purpose specified.

10. In an air treating apparatus, the combination of a suitable heating chamber; recurved passages of uniform cross section entering the same with the intake at the lower part of the said apparatus, the said passages being recurved upon themselves upwardly; and w'ashing spray devices within the said passages dsposed to spray water into each turn thereof, coacting for the purpose specified.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL M. LUEHRS. WILLIAM S. CONANT. lVitnesses to the signature of Daniel M. Luehrs:

FRANK H. Fos'ma, LENORE H. WRIGHT. Witnesses to the signature of William S. Conant:

JOHN H. BIBELL, EVA ATWOOD.

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