US2364279A

US2364279A - Air-conditioning apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2364279A
Application number: US499180A
Authority: US
Inventors: Adiel Y Dodge
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1943-08-19
Filing date: 1943-08-19
Publication date: 1944-12-05
Anticipated expiration: 1961-12-05

Description

Dec. 5, 1944. A. Y. DODGE 7 AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 1 9, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet l 0 a M w E Q w Q i .1: M w 2.

3 WHHHHI IHHHI M //H/H Z fl m A k w m a 0&5, WM

Dec. 5, 1944. I A. Y. DODGE 2,364,279

I AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 19, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 5, 1944. DODGE 2,364,279

AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 19, 1943 s SheetsSheet 3 Patented Dec. 5, 1944 r UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE" AIR-CONDITIONING APPARATUS Adiel Y. Dodge, Rockford, Ill.

Application August 19, i943, Serial No. 499,180

Claims.

of humidity so that the air discharged into the.

space will be relatively dry. The most common way of accomplishing this is to cool the air below its dew point so that moisture therein will collect as condensate in the cooling apparatus. I have found that unless the condensate .is removed from contact with the air, satisfactory dehumidification cannot be accomplished since the air tends to pick up the condensate and carry it out of the apparatus.

It is accordingly one of the objects of the present invention to provide air conditioning apparatus in which moisture is removed from the air by condensation and the condensate is promptly removed from the cooling surfaces.

A further object is to provide an air impelling unit which serves to circulate the air and at the same time to cool and dehumidify it.

Another object of the invention is to provide air conditioning apparatus in which the air is cooled by a rotatable cooling member from which condensate is thrown by centrifugal force. Ac-

' cording to one feature of the'invention, the condensate is collected at the outer ends of the rotatable members and is conducted away from ditioned.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a cooling fan or blower having hollow blades through which a cooling medium is circulated and with condensate collecting means thereon to remove the condensate from the air stream.

The above and other objects and advantages will be more readily apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an axial section of a cooling fan embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a section of one fan blade on the line 2-2 of Figure 1; 1

Figure 3 is an axial section of a blower embodying a. modified form of the invention; and

Figur 4 is a transverse section on the line 4-4 of figured.

The fan of Figure 1 comprises a base or stand Ill rotatably supporting a tubular shaft II which may be driven in any desired manner as, for example, through a pulley I2. The shaft carries a series of hollow fan blades l3 having central partitions l4 therein terminating short of their outer ends. One side of the fan blades communicates with the interior of the shaft -ll through passage l5 and the other side of the blades communicates with the opposite end of the shaft H through openings I6.

Cooling fluid such as brine or any suitable refrigerant may be circulated through the blades from a supply pipe i1 communicating with the interior of the shaft at on end and may be conducted away through a similar pipe 18 communicating with the opposite end of the shaft. Cooling medium supplied through the pipe I! flows through the shaft H and the ports l5 into the blades at one side of the partition [4. The partition causes the cooling medium to circulate lengthwise of the blades over the outer end of contact with the moving air'stream to be coninlet 26.

the partition and inwardly through the passages l6 and the discharge pipe Hi. In this way, the entire surface of the blades is cooled so that air circulated by the fan will be cooled and moisture will be condensed on the blade surfaces.

Centrifugal force due to rotation of the fan will cause the moisture condensing on the blades to be thrown outwardly toward the blade ends where it may be collected by collecting means carried by the blades. As shown in Figure l, the collecting means comprises an annular channel shaped member I!) connected directly to the ends of the blades to rotate therewith and formed at a plurality of points throughout its circumference with condensate discharge openings 2|. The fan is enclosed by an annular housing 22 which is channel shaped in section with its sides open for circulation of air and which has at its lower portion a condensate discharge pipe 23. As moisturecondenses on the fan surfaces, it will be thrown outwardly into the ring I9 and will be discharged therefrom through the openings 2| into the housing 22. The moisture will be discharged from the housing through'the pipe 23 so that it is at all times, out of contact with the moving airstream and the blade surfaces are kept dry. Thus, with this construction the air is cooled and effectively dehumidified so that it may be dischargedinto the living space in the desired cool dry condition.

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate a centrifugal blower having a substantially circular housing 24 formed with a tangential air outlet 25 and an axial air A shaft 2'I rotatably supported on a base 28 extends through the housing and carries "a series of curved blades or vanes 29 for forcing.

air from the inlet through the outlet. While, the

blades are shown curved forwardly, in many cases it will be desirable to curve them backwardly, or in the opposite direction to that shown.

The blades 29 are hollow as seen in Figure 4 and are connected at one edge to an end plate 3|. Cooling medium is adapted to be supplied to the blades through a supply pipe 32 communieating with one end of the shaft 21 and through ports 33 therein with the blades. The cooling medium. flows outwardly in the blades and through openings 34 in the end plate 3| into a space 35 between the end plate and a cover 36 on the opposite side of the end plate from the blades. From the space 35 the cooling medium flows through ports 31 in the shaft 21 and through a bore 38 in the shaft into a discharge pipe 39. In this way, the blades and end plate 3| are cooled, the cover 36 being insulated as indicated at 4| if desired to prevent heat losses.

Condensate collecting on the blades 29 is thrown outwardly thereof by centrifugal force and may be collected by troughs 42 carried by the outer ends of the blades and which slope outwardly to the end plate 3|. The end plate is formed with openings 43 radially outward of the cover 36 and registering with the trough 42 through which condensate may be discharged. The condensate so discharged is received in a channel 44 formed in the housing from which it may be conducted'away through a drain connection 45.

In operation of thisapparatus, air is drawn in the inlet port 26 and is forced over the blade surfaces and out the outlet port 25. In passing over the blade surfaces and over the surface of end plate 3|, the air will be cooled and moisture will condense therefrom. The moisture condensing on the blades is thrown outwardly into the troughs 42 by centrifugal force and is caused to flow along the troughs through the openings 43 and into the collection channel 44 in the housing. Moisture condensing on the plate 3| may be collected in an annular trough 46 formed by rolling over the edge of the plate and may be discharged through openings 41 into the channel 44. Thus the moisture is effectively removed from contact with the air stream so that air will be discharged in the desired cooled dry condition. It will be noted that dehumidification occurs in this apparatus at the point where the air is at its highest pressure so that maximum condensation of moisture is accomplished.

While two embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail herein, it is understood that these are illustrative only and are not intended as a definition of the scope of the invention, reference being had for that purpose to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Air conditioning apparatus comprising a rotary air impelling unit having a series of spaced blades, means connected to the blades to cool them, and means carried by the radially outer ends of the blades to collect condensate forming on the blade surfaces and thrown outward thereof by centrifugal force.

2. Air conditioning apparatus comprising a 1'0- tary air impelliiig unit having a series of spaced blades, means connected to the blades to cool them, a housing enclosing the blades, means carried by the blades at their outer ends to collect condensate from the blades, and the housing being formed with means to receive condensate from the last named means and conduct'it away.

3. Air conditioning apparatus comprising s rotary air impelling unit having a series of spaced hollow blades, means forming connections to the blades for circulation of a cooling medium therethrough, and condensate collecting mean carried by the blades at their outer ends.

4. .Air conditioning apparatus comprising a rotary air impelling unit having a series of spaced hollow blades, means forming connections to the blades for circulation of a cooling medium therethrough, and an annular condensate collecting ring connected to the outer ends of the blades.

5. Air conditioning apparatus comprising a rotary air impelling unit having a series of spaced hollow blades, means forming connections to the blades for circulation of a cooling medium therethrough, and individual condensate collecting troughs carried by the outer end of each of the blades.

6. Air conditioning apparatus comprising a fan having a plura ity of hollow blades, means forming connections to the blades for circulation of a cooling medium therethrough an annular housing encircling the blades with its ends open for airflow, and condensate collecting means carried by the outer ends of the blades and communicating with the housing to discharge collected condensate into the housing.

7. Air conditioning apparatus comprising a fan having a plurality of hollow blades, means forming connections to the blades for circulation of a cooling medium therethrough an annular housing encircling the blades with its ends open for airflow, and an annular condensate collecting ring substantially channel shaped in section carried by the outer ends of the blades and having an opening therein for discharge of condensate into the housing.

8. Air conditioning apparatus comprising a rotary air impelling unit having a series of spaced blades, means connected to the blades to cool them, condensate collecting troughs carried by the outer ends of the blades and lying at an angle to the axis of rotation of the blades, and a housing enclosing the blades and formed with an annular channel communicating with the outermost ends of the troughs to receive condensate therefrom.

9. Air conditioning apparatus comprising a centrifugal blower having a series of hollow roa series of hollow rotatable blades, an end plate secured to one edge of the blades and formed with passages communicating with the interiors of the blades, means forming connections to the blades to circulate a cooling medium therethrough and through-the passages, and condensate collecting troughs carried by the outer ends of the blades and sloping outward to the end plate, the end plate being formed with openings registering with the troughs for passage of condensate therethrough.

11. Air conditioning apparatus comprising a centrifugal blower having a housing enclosing a series of hollow rotatable blades, an end plate secured to one edge of the blades and formed with passages communicating with the interiors of the blades, means forming connections to the blades to circulate a cooling medium therethrough and through the passages, a cover over the endplate forming therewith a flow passage for the cooling medium, and condensate collecting troughs carried by the outer end of the'blades and sloping outward to the end plate and the end plate being formed with openings registering with the troughs and radially outward of the cover through which condensate may flow from the troughs through the end plate into the housing on the opposite side of the end plate from the blades.

12. Air conditioning apparatus comprising a centrifugal blower having a housing enclosing a series of rotatable blades, an end plate secured to one edge of the blades, means to cool the blades and end plate, condensate collecting troughs carried by the outer ends of the blades, and an annular trough around the outer edge of the end plate to collect moisture condensing on the end plate.

13. Air conditioning apparatus comprising a centrifugal blower having a substantially circular housing having an axial air inlet and a peripheral air outlet, a hollow circular disc rotatable in the housing and substantially coaxial therewith, means to cool the disc, a series of blades annular trough.

on the side of the disc facing the air inlet, and condensate collecting means on the outer ends of the blades to collect condensate'forming on the blade surfaces and thrown outward thereof by centrifugal force.

14. Air conditioning apparatus comprising a centrifugal blower having a substantially circular housing having an axial air inlet and a peripheral air outlet, a hollow circular disc rotatable in the housing and. substantially coaxial therewith, means to cool the disc, a series of blades on the side of the disc facing the air inlet, and

an annular condensate collecting trough around the outer edge of the disc to collect condensate flowing outwardly on the disc under the influence of centrifugal force.

15. Air conditioning apparatus comprising a centrifugal blower having a substantially circular housing having an axial air inlet and a peripheral air outlet, a hollow circular disc rotatable in the housing and substantially coaxial therewith, means to cool the disc, a series of blades on the side of the disc facing the air inlet, an annular condensate collecting trough around the outer edge of the disc, and condensate collecting troughs on the outer ends of the blades sloping outwardly toward the disc to discharge into the ADIEL Y. DODGE.