Heater and controls for extraction of moisture and biological organisms from structures

• US 20100024244A1
• Filed: 07/22/2009
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gary J. Potter
• Original Assignee: Gary J. Potter
• Inventors: Potter, Gary J.
• Application Number:
  US12/460,648
• Publication Number:
  US 20100024244A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 34/474
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 1/025 using electrical or electromechanical means
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2225/12 room temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2227/28 Ignition circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 5/242 using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 19/005 Self-contained mobile devices, e.g. for agricultural produce movable devices with radiation means F26B3/28; small self-contained devices for drying objects at rest F26B9/003
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 23/02 using combustion heating F26B3/305, F26B13/186, F26B21/001, F26B23/10 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 25/06 Chambers, containers, or receptacles large containers having means for heating, cooling, aerating or other conditioning of contents B65D88/74

Abstract

A gas heater with specialized controls allows an operator to deploy a single device to heat and to dry when extracting moisture from a structure. The heater has a fan in a blow thru arrangement ahead of a burner. The burner uses either natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas. The heater has air flow, fan motor, temperature, and ignition controls and sensors. The heater delivers high temperature air to the structure that hastens evaporation as the heated air absorbs great concentrations of water vapor. Then the moisture laden heated air exits the building as the heater draws in fresh air, ducts it into a structure, and pressurizes the structure. This moisture laden air then leaks from the building through select windows using the energy imparted from the fan and then exhausts the moisture to the atmosphere, drying the structure.

Claims

1. A device to dry an enclosed space, said device having communication to the atmosphere outside of the enclosed space, comprising:

a frame generally rectangular and planar;

a cabinet upon said frame, generally hollow and prismatic in shape, having a first side and a spaced apart second side, a first end and an opposite second end, and a top opposite said frame;

an inlet into said cabinet through said first end admitting air from the atmosphere;

a fan within said cabinet driven by an electric motor also within said cabinet;

a burner within said cabinet wherein said burner combusts fuel in the presence of air supplied through said inlet from outside of the enclosed space and raises the temperature of the air and lowers the moisture concentration of the air following combustion, said burner combusts substantially all of its fuel so that combustion products remain below standards; and

,

said device delivering air after combustion by said burner at a significantly lower relative humidity than the air of the atmosphere outside of the structure and delivering the air outwardly from said second end into the enclosed space and thus drying the enclosed space.

2. The enclosed space dryer of claim 1 wherein said burner combusts one of natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, or propane at the selection of a user.

3. The enclosed space dryer of claim 2 further comprising:

said burner operating upon a variable frequency drive and having a high temperature limit.

4. The enclosed space dryer of claim 2 further comprising:

said fan having an airflow switch regulating the volume of air per minute delivered by said device.

5. The enclosed space dryer of claim 4 further comprising:

said fan locating proximate said inlet and before said burner wherein said fan blows air through said burner.

6. The enclosed space dryer of claim 4 further comprising:

said fan locating after said burner and before said second end wherein said fan draws air through said burner.

7. The enclosed space dryer of claim 5 wherein said fan admits air into said dryer within the temperature range of approximately 0°

F. to approximately 100°

F.

8. The enclosed space dryer of claim 6 wherein said fan discharges heated air from said dryer within the temperature range of approximately 120°

F. to approximately 200°

F.

9. The enclosed space dryer of claim 4 further comprising:

said device delivering dried air of at least 45 grains of moisture per pound of air into the enclosed space.

10. The enclosed space dryer of claim 9 further comprising:

at least one control, said control regulating operation of said device based upon the moisture content of air within the enclosed space, wherein said control deactivates said device when the moisture content of air within the enclosed space reaches less than 50 grains per pound.

11. A method of drying a structure, comprising:

collecting air from outside of the structure;

delivering the air proximate a burner;

operating said burner upon one of natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, or propane wherein said burner combusts substantially all of its fuel so that combustion products remain below standards;

heating the air using said burner such that the air has a significant reduction in its relative humidity compared to the air outside of the structure;

delivering the air heated by said burner into the structure wherein the heated air absorbs moisture from within the structure; and

,

discharging moisture laden air from the structure to the air outside of the structure.

12. The structure drying method of claim 11 further comprising:

said delivering of air including a fan positioned before said burner.

13. The structure drying method of claim 11 further comprising:

said delivering of air heated by said burner including a fan positioned after said burner.

14. The structure drying method of claim 11 wherein said method delivers air heated by said burner having a moisture content of at least 45 grains per pound of air.

15. A device drying a structure, said device communicating from the atmosphere outside of the enclosed space and into the enclosed space, comprising:

a rectangular planar frame;

a hollow cabinet upon said frame, having two spaced apart sides and two spaced apart ends, said ends being perpendicular to said sides, and a top opposite said frame and joining to said sides and said ends;

said cabinet including an inlet therein admitting air from the atmosphere into said device, and an electrically driven fan capable of handling air from approximately 0°

F. to approximately 200°

F.;

said cabinet also including a burner that combusts fuel in the presence of air supplied through said inlet from the atmosphere, raises the temperature of the air, and lowers the moisture concentration of the air to at least 45 grains per pound of air, and said burner combusts substantially all of its fuel so that combustion products remain below standards;

said device delivering air following combustion by said burner at a significantly lower relative humidity than the air of the atmosphere outside of the structure and delivering the air outwardly from said device into the enclosed space for drying thereof; and

wherein said device reduces the moisture concentration in the air following combustion thus encouraging drying of the enclosed space.