Air conditioning apparatus

March 7, 1939

W. L. FLE1SHER

AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS

Filed Feb. 24, 1936

2,149,593

<img file="US2149593A_D0001.tif" />

<img file="US2149593A_D0002.tif" />

<img file="US2149593A_D0003.tif" />

<img file="US2149593A_D0004.tif" />

INVENTOR

Waiter L·. Fie is her

ATTORNEY

<img file="US2149593A_D0005.tif" />

Patented Mar. 7, 1939

2,149,593

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,149,593

AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS

Walter L. Fleisher, New York, N. Y.

Application February 24, 1936, Serial No. 65,315

Claims. (Cl. 261—29)

This invention relates to air conditioning apparatus.

An object of the invention is to provide a compact and self-contained air conditioning appa5 ratus, capable of cooling air under summer conditions and humidifying air under winter operating conditions.

Another object of the invention is to provide an efficient unitary air conditioning apparatus which is comparatively inexpensive and simple, and which is substantially noiseless in operation.

The invention contemplates the use of bundles of straight, parallel fllaments or fibres of non-absorbent, non-hygroscopic, non-corrodible, smooth U surfaced material, preferably glass threads. Each filament is relatively long compared to its thickness, the diameter of the filaments being so small that the bundle forms a great number of very fine, smooth, frictionless passages between 20 the fibres, of substantially uniform cross section. The surfaces of the filaments are neither water repellent nor absorptive or water occluding, but smooth glass-like surfaces, easily wetted and along which water is readily conducted by com25 bined gravitational and air current forces. Such a bundle or basket of oriented capillary thread glass wool is disclosed in my United States Patent No. 2,054,809, patented September 22, 1936. The vast surface provided by the filaments 30 insures intimate contact between air and water drawn therethrough. The air picks up water vapor and approaches saturation at its initial wet bulb temperature, so that the dry bulb temperature of air leaving the apparatus is sub35 stantially below the entering dry bulb. Thus, applicant accomplishes cooling without mechanical refrigeration.

To minimize resistance to air flow, the air and water are caused to pass concurrently through the 40 filaments, that is, in the same direction. Thus, the water is spread out thinner and does not tend to pile up and dam the passages; the two fluids assist one another to flow through the filaments with minimum friction loss, the vapor pressure 45 difference between liquid and air is increased, and evaporation is promoted since the thin layers of air and water are forced to travel in intimate contact.

_w The water, when in contact with the air, is always in the form of large, agglomerated particles, or else in the form of a film flowing lengthwise of the filaments. The water is never in the form of mist or very fine particles. Thus, there is no entrainment of moisture by the air passing through the conditioner and supplied to the enclosure.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of an inclined surface for receiving air and water issuing from the basket whereby the air is g routed through the apparatus in a desired course, and the splashing sound of water falling from the basket is reduced.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of removable baskets of different thick- io nesses, the thicker baskets being used for cooling under summer operating conditions, the thinner baskets being used for humidifying under winter operating conditions.

. Another feature of the invention resides in the 15 provision of a sump, water distributor means, and means for supplying water from the sump to the distributor means, including a pipe or tube, at least a portion of which is flexible. By bending the flexible tubing, water from the sump may be ₂₀pumped to’ a suitable drain receptacle when it is desired to empty the sump, the same pump being used for draining in this manner, and for supplying water to the distributor means during normal operation. ₂5

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of a casing comprising an upper section and a lower section, the upper section being supported on the lower section and being readily removable therefrom. This construction facili- ₃₀tates inspection and cleaning of the sump.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of air conditioning apparatus including a casing having separable upper and lower casing sections, a partition in the lower casing section ₃₅defining the extremity of a sump, a pump carried on the partition and a removable plate carried by the upper casing section for supporting a fan and its driving motor.

Other objects, features and advantages of the 40 invention will be more apparent from the following description to be read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of an embodiment of the invention; 45

Mg. 2 is a section on the line 2—2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 illustrates a modified basket arrangement.

Referring to the drawing, numeral 5 designates generally the casing of the apparatus. Applicant 50 does not limit himself as to the form of the casing nor with respect to its size. Thus, the apparatus may be permanently installed in a building, or, as is preferred, it may be portable. The casing 5 preferably comprises a lower portion 6 and an 55

I

3,149,593 upper portion 7 which is removably positioned upon and supported by the lower casing section 6. The upper casing portion 7 is preferably provided with suitable handles 8 or the like, to facilitate the ₅ removal of section 7 from the lower section 6, and the lower casing section is also preferably provided with handles 9 to facilitate the removal and placement of the apparatus. The upper part of the apparatus is divided by vertical partition 10 10 into two sections. One of these sections of the upper casing section is provided with suitable louvers I! for the admission of air into the casing. Below the louvers and in the same section of the apparatus is positioned basket 12 packed with ₁₅ glass wool or the like. Above the louvers i S and adapted to discharge water over the basket !2 is the water distributor 13, preferably comprising a pan provided with numerous openings (4 formed in its bottom. The pan 13 and the basket 12 are 2&lt;j preferably removably mounted within the casing in any desired manner.

In the upper casing section 7, on the opposite side of partition 10 from the basket 12, there is provided a suitable bracket 15 and an opposite 25 bracket i6 which together support a removable plate 17. Upon plate i7 is mounted motor 18 which drives a fan 19 adapted to discharge air upwardly through an opening 20 formed in the plate 17 and to discharge this air out of the unit 3Q through suitable louvers or the like 21, formed in the top thereof, this air being intaken through the louvers 11 and being drawn through the basket 12 by operation of fan 19.

In the lower casing section 6 and preferably 35 toward the end of the apparatus away from the basket 12, there is provided a partition 22 which serves to segregate a portion of the lower casing section interior 23 as a sump adapted to be suitably supplied with water in any desired man₄0 ner as through a suitable supply pipe or the like (not shown). Upon the partition 22 there is mounted a pump 24 driven by an electric motor or the like 25, mounted cn the opposite side of the partition 22 and hence unaffected by the _4g water in sump 23. The pump 24 is adapted to draw water from the sump 23 and to supply it through a flexible tube 26 to the distributor pan 13. The end of the flexible tube 26 may be provided, if desired, with a loosely tied cloth or the ₅0 like 27, to minimize the sound resulting from introduction of water into the pan 13. The water supplied to pan 13 drips downwardly therefrom through openings 14 and is thus uniformly supplied to all parts of the basket 12 through which 55 the water passes with air intaken within the apparatus the water conditioning such air in accordance with the teachings of U. S. Patent No. 2,054,809, patented September 22, 1936. Beneath the basket 12 there is preferably provided an in60 clined plate 28 which is preferably provided with a screen 29 at an angle thereto. The inclined plate serves to minimize the splashing sound of water so that this becomes scarcely audible, and the strainer 29 serves to remove from the water ⁶⁵ circulated in the system any particles of foreign matter which may be delivered from the basket

12.

According to the present arrangement no atomization of water is required. Thus, the ⁷⁰ pump 24 need develop only sufficient head to raise water from the sump 23 to the water distributor pan 13. Thus pump 24 and its driving motor 25 may be smaller and more quiet in operation than if they were parts of a conven tional air conditioning apparatus utilizing spray headers or the like.

Moreover, since the water in the apparatus is not atomized, but on the contrary is at all times in the form of large agglomerated particles, or in 5 the form of film flowing along the strands of glass in the basket 12, it is not entrained by the air passed through the unit. In consequence, there is no necessity to provide eliminators. The absence of eliminators reduces the weight of the 10 unit. Further, the static resistance to the flow of air through the unit is relatively low due to their absence, and the fan and its driving motor are smaller than they would have to be if eliminators were used. 15

When the unit is situated on the floor of the enclosure it serves, it may be inconvenient or impractical to drain the unit through a conventional drain connection, although such drain connection may be provided. Water may be re- 20 moved from the sump, if desired, by operating the pump 24 and bending tube 26 to discharge into a sink or other suitable receptacle. It is to be understood, of course, that the tube 2® may be adapted to receive an extension of any type, 25 if operating conditions should require one.

In operation, under summer operating conditions, air is drawn into the apparatus through louver ί I, and, on the vast surfaces provided by the glass wool basket 12, intimately contacts 30 water from the distributor pan 13. By virtue of this contact, in accordance with well-known psychrometric principles, the dry bulb temperature of the air approaches its entering wet bulb temperature, and the relative humidity of the se air approaches saturation. With baskets of moderate dimensions, applicant has achieved cooling of the air to within 1° or less, of the entering wet bulb temperature. Since wet bulb temperatures rarely exceed 78° in this country, the ap- ₄₀paratus insures delivery of air at a temperature below the average skin temperature of 83°. Comfortable conditions are thus assured, without recourse to mechanical refrigeration.

If desired, outdoor air may be supplied to the _4gapparatus through a duct leading from the outdoor atmosphere and, if desired, suitable ductwork may be supplied in connection with the air discharge outlet 21.

During the winter, the air in heated enclo- _5ftsures is relatively dry, and requires humidification. Applicant’s device may be used to. effect required humidification under such, conditions, operating in exactly the same manner as during the summer. Since the wet bulb tempera- 55 ture in the winter is relatively low, it is not desirable to saturate the air, however, because the dry bulb temperature of the air would then be too low for comfort. Accordingly, under winter operating conditions, applicant replaces the _eorelatively thick basket 12 used in summer, by a thinner basket, presenting less surface. The thinner basket provides for ample humidification and cleaning of the air, without reducing its dry bulb temperature to an uncomfortably low 65 point.

Applicant does not restrict himself, however, to the use of thinner baskets under winter operating conditions. It may, for example, be desirable to use thick baskets in the winter time 70 to introduce a relatively great amount of moisture into the air circulating through the apparatus, and then feed the humidified air to the initake of a hot air heating system. The air distributed by the system, then, will not only have

2,149,688 a greater moisture content, but will be at a suitably high temperature as well.

The arrangement shown in Fig. 3 is particularly suited for use in textile mills or other places 5 where air entering the unit carries with it a considerable quantity of lint, fly, or other foreign matter which might tend to mat and prevent the passage of air through the basket 8. In this arrangement the basket is made up of jq three sections. The central or main section of the basket is packed with glass wool, the oriented strands of which lie in substantially vertical planes. The upper section of the basket is provided with a layer 30 of glass wool, the oriented 15 strands of which lie in substantially horizontal planes. The horizontal strands collect the lint, fluff and foreign matter, and prevent it from passing to the main portion of the basket. The upper section may be removed, independently of 20 the lower section, as often as required for cleaning in any suitable manner, or for replacement. Preferably a layer 31 of horizontal fllaments is provided at the bottom of the vertical threads of the unit^-for supporting the vertical strands 25 and to prevent the entrainment of water by the air stream by causing the water passing from the basket to agglomerate into relatively large particles.

designates a resistor in the circuit includ30 ing pump motor 25. Electrical energy is supplied to the motors 25 and 18 through electrical supply line 33. The operation of the fan motor (8 is controlled by electrical switch 34 and the operation of the pump motor 25 is controlled 35 by electrical switch 35, the switches 34 and 35 being preferably mounted at the side of the cabinet. Access door 36 in the side of the casing section 7 enables an operator, prior to taking the apparatus apart, to break the joint 37 in 40 the tube 26 and to separate the two portions of the electrical connecting block 38 in the line leading to the pump motor 46. On removal of the cover of th.e apparatus, the electrical connecting block 39 in the circuit supplying the 45 fan motor 18 may be broken.

The fact that the various parts of the apparatus may readily be removed for inspection, repair or replacement renders the construction, highly desirable.

5Q In preferred forms of the invention, water and air are passed concurrently through, the conditioning basket. While it is possible to utilize applicant’s basket in a counter-flow arrangement, the concurrent flow arrangements 55 illustrated and described permit the use of baskets having comparatively small cross-sectional areas. Thus, for example, air may be circulated through a basket approximately 9 x 12 inches in cross-section and 6 inches deep, at the rate 60 of 300 cubic feet per minute when air and water flow concurrently. To circulate air at the same rate through a basket of the same depth when the counter-flow arrangement is used, a crosssectional area approximately three times as great eg would be required. Moreover, concurrent flow effects more efficient cleaning of the air than does countercurrent flow, since concurrent flow provides greater contact between air and water than does countercurrent flow.

Since many modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that the foregoing description, and the accompanying drawing, shall be regarded as illustrative only, applicant limiting himself 75 only as indicated in the accompanying claims.

In the claims, the expression “humidifying surface” is to be understood to relate to oriented glass wool threads, or any other means providing relatively great surface area, such as, for example, metallic turnings or the like. 5