Device and Method for Evaporating Water from a Compressor

• US 20090173087A1
• Filed: 08/28/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parata Systems, LLC (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Parata Systems, LLC (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Daniels, Matthew P., Cora, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 8,113,492 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/115
• CPC Class Codes: F24V 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: F28C 3/08 with change of state, e.g. absorption, evaporation, condensation generating steam under pressure F22

Abstract

A system for evaporating excess water from a source includes a housing having: an air inlet, the air inlet directing air in a first direction; an air outlet; a plurality of channels arranged generally perpendicular to the first direction, the channels having undulations; and a water reservoir that feeds water into the channels. In some embodiments, baffles are created with walls that depend from the ceiling of the housing and that are interdigitated with dividers that separate the channels. This configuration can remove water generated by the source (such as an external compressor unit) in a quick and efficient manner.

Claims

1. A system for evaporating excess water from a source, comprising a housing having:

an air inlet, the air inlet directing air in a first direction;

an air outlet;

a plurality of channels arranged generally perpendicular to the first direction, the channels having undulations; and

a water reservoir that feeds water into the channels.

2. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the channels slope downwardly away from the water reservoir.

3. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the channels are separated from each other by dividers that extend generally parallel to the channels.

4. The system defined in claim 3, wherein the housing includes a ceiling with walls depending therefrom.

5. The system defined in claim 4, wherein each of the ceiling walls is located directly above a respective channel, such that the ceiling walls are interdigitated with the dividers.

6. The system defined in claim 1, further comprising a diverting section opposite the air inlet that reverses the direction of air flow to a second direction that is opposite the first direction.

7. The system defined in claim 6, further comprising a bifurcating wall generally parallel to the first and second directions that forces air to travel in the first direction from the air inlet to the diverting section and in the second direction from the diverting section toward the air outlet.

8. The system defined in claim 7, wherein the bifurcating wall includes flow apertures to allow water to flow from an upstream end of one of the plurality of channels to a downstream end of the channel.

9. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the undulations are between about ⅛

and ¼

inches in depth.

10. The system defined in claim 1, in conjunction with an automated pharmacy machine, wherein the water reservoir is configured to receive water extracted from a compressor unit of the automated pharmacy machine.

11. The system defined in claim 10, wherein the air inlet is configured to receive ambient air from the compressor unit.

12. A system for evaporating excess water generated by a compressor unit, comprising:

a housing having;

an air inlet, the air inlet directing air in a first direction;

an air outlet;

a plurality of channels; and

a water reservoir that feeds water into the channels; and

a compressor unit that generates air and water, the compressor unit being fluidly connected with the air inlet to supply ambient air thereto and fluidly connected to the water reservoir to provide water thereto, the water being extracted from pressurized air produced by the compressor unit.

13. The system defined in claim 12, wherein the channels are oriented to be generally perpendicular to the first direction.

14. The system defined in claim 12, wherein the channels include undulations.

15. The system defined in claim 12, wherein the channels are separated from each other by dividers that extend generally parallel to the channels.

16. The system defined in claim 15, wherein the housing includes a ceiling with walls depending therefrom.

17. The system defined in claim 16, wherein each of the ceiling walls is located directly above a respective channel, such that the ceiling walls are interdigitated with the dividers.

18. The system defined in claim 12, further comprising a diverting section opposite the air inlet that reverses the direction of air flow to a second direction that is opposite the first direction.

19. The system defined in claim 18, further comprising a bifurcating wall generally parallel to the first and second directions that forces air to travel in the first direction from the air inlet to the diverting section and in the second direction from the diverting section toward the air outlet.

20. The system defined in claim 19, wherein the bifurcating wall includes flow apertures to allow water to flow from an upstream end of one of the plurality of channels to a downstream end of the channel.

21. The system defined in claim 12, wherein the undulations are between about ⅛

and ¼

inches in depth.

22. An automated pharmacy machine, comprising:

a container dispensing station;

a container labeling station;

a tablet dispensing station, the tablet dispensing station being configured to utilize compressed air provided by a compressor unit;

a capping station;

a carrier configured to move a container between the container dispensing station, the container labeling station, the tablet dispensing station, and the capping station; and

an evaporation system, the evaporation system configured to receive ambient air and water from the compressor unit, the water being extracted from pressurized air produced by the compressor unit, and to evaporate the water utilizing the ambient air.

23. A method of evaporating water generated by a compressor unit, comprising the steps of:

pressurizing air with the compressor unit;

extracting water from the pressurized air;

passing the extracted water into an evaporation system;

passing ambient air generated by the compressor unit into the evaporation system at a rate sufficient to evaporate the water.

24. The method defined in claim 23, wherein the evaporation system and compressor unit are attached to an automated pharmacy machine.

25. The method defined in claim 24, wherein the automated pharmacy includes a tablet dispensing station, and wherein the tablet dispensing station utilizes air produced by the compressor to dispense tablets.