Auxiliary watering system for cooling the ambient air supply of an air-conditioning unit

• US 6,655,162 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2001
• Issued: 12/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michael C. Mckee
• Original Assignee: Michael C. Mckee
• Inventors: McKee, Michael C.
• Primary Examiner(s): NORMAN, MARC E
• Application Number:
  US10/034,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20030121273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• Field of Search: 621/71, 623/04, 623/05, 622/71, 624/28, 261/131, 261/140.1
• US Class Current: 62/171
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/42 characterised by the use of the condensate, e.g. for enhanced cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/222 for evacuating condensate
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2013/225 by evaporating the condensate in the cooling medium, e.g. in air flow from the condenser
• CPC Class Codes: F28B 11/00 Controlling arrangements with features specially adapted for condensers control arrangements in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 5/00 Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, using the cooling effect of natural or forced evaporation

Abstract

An auxiliary watering system and methods for lowering the temperature of an ambient air supply to an air-conditioning unit that is controlled solely by an acoustic signal from the air-conditioning unit.

Claims

1. In an environment which includes an air-conditioning unit provided with a condenser, condenser coils, a fan for moving air over said condenser coils, and an ambient air supply for cooling the air-conditioning unit, an auxiliary watering system for cooling the ambient air supply comprising means for delivering cooling water along an air path to lower the temperature of the ambient air supply that responds to control signals which are independent of a fixtured connection to the air-conditioning unit or a housing associated with the air-conditioning unit,

whereby, operation of one of the condenser and the fan is sensed by the means for delivering cooling water to control cooling water being delivered to the ambient air supply.

2. The auxiliary watering system of claim 1, wherein the means for delivering cooling water comprises:

a. a cooling water supply valve operable between an opened position and a closed position;

b. a sensor for ascertaining whether the air-conditioning unit is operating and for generating control signals; and

c. a valve controller that receives the control signals, said valve controller being operably connected to the cooling water supply valve,

whereby, the cooling water supply valve is opened by the valve controller upon receiving a control signal from the sensor indicating that said air-conditioning unit is operating and the cooling water supply valve is closed by the valve controller upon receiving a control signal from the sensor that said air-conditioning unit is non-operational.

3. The auxiliary watering system of claim 2, wherein the sensor detects an acoustic pattern associated with the operation of the air-conditioning unit.

4. The auxiliary watering system of claim 3, wherein the sensor is disposed at a spaced distance from said air-conditioning unit.

5. The auxiliary watering system of claim 2, wherein the means for delivering cooling water further comprises a water nozzle with a discharge end directed toward the air path, said water nozzle being disposed downstream of the cooling water supply valve,

whereby, the discharge end of the water nozzle can release a stream of water into the ambient air supply to reduce the temperature of the ambient air supply and thereby produce increases in efficiency of the air-conditioning unit.

6. The auxiliary watering system of claim 5, wherein the discharge end of the water nozzle can release the stream of water in the form of a mist.

7. The auxiliary watering system of claim 5, wherein the discharge end of the water nozzle can release the stream of water in the form of a spray.

8. The auxiliary watering system of claim 2, wherein the sensor and the valve controller are each powered by a battery.

9. The auxiliary watering system of claim 2, wherein the sensor and the valve controller are each powered by a solar array.

10. The auxiliary watering system of claim 2, wherein the cooling water supply valve is operably connected to a cooling water source.

11. The auxiliary watering system for cooling an ambient air supply of claim 1, wherein the means for delivering cooling water further comprises a cooling water supply.

12. The auxiliary watering system for cooling an ambient air supply of claim 11, wherein the cooling water source comprises a flexible water hose extending from a feed valve and having a means for reversibly connecting to the cooling water supply valve disposed on a free end.

13. In an environment which includes an air-conditioning unit provided with a condenser, condenser coils, a fan for moving air over said condenser coils, and an ambient air supply for cooling the air-conditioning unit, an auxiliary watering system for cooling the ambient air supply comprising means for delivering cooling water along an air path to lower the temperature of the ambient air supply that responds to control signals which are independent of a hardwiring control connection to the air-conditioning unit, wherein the means for delivering cooling water further comprises:

a. a pattern recognition means for recognizing an acoustic pattern of at least one of the condenser and the fan of the air-conditioning unit, and for producing code signals with respect to each acoustic pattern from the result of said recognition, said code signals defining traits of the recognized acoustic pattern, said acoustic patterns defining attributes of the air-conditioning unit; and

b. a discrimination means having a pattern memory in which an initial set of code signals associated with an initial set of recognized acoustic patterns is stored, said initial set of code signals defining initial attributes of the at least one of the condenser and the fan of the air-conditioning unit, for comparing the code signals from the pattern recognition means with the initial set of code signals stored in the pattern memory, and for producing an identifying signal, said identifying signal defines a corresponding acoustic pattern with code signals that match the initial code signals from the result of the recognition of the initial acoustic pattern of the at least one of the condenser and the fan of the air-conditioning unit,

whereby, operation of one of the condenser and the fan is sensed by the means for delivering cooling water to control cooling water being delivered to the ambient air supply, and matching of the corresponding acoustic pattern with the initial acoustic pattern determines that the air-conditioning unit is operating.

14. The auxiliary watering system of claim 13, wherein the pattern recognition means includes means for filtering the acoustic pattern of one of the condenser and the fan.

15. In an environment which includes an air-conditioning unit provided with a condenser, condenser coils, a fan for moving air over said condenser coils, and an ambient air supply for cooling the air-conditioning unit, an auxiliary watering system for cooling the ambient air supply comprising means for delivering cooling water along an air path to lower the temperature of the ambient air supply that responds to control signals which are independent of a hardwiring control connection to the air-conditioning unit,

wherein the means for delivering cooling water comprises:

d. a cooling water supply valve operable between an opened position and a closed position;

e. a sensor for ascertaining whether the air-conditioning unit is operating and for generating control signals; and

f a valve controller that receives the control signals, said valve controller being operably connected to the cooling water supply valve,

whereby, operation of one of the condenser and the fan is sensed by the means for delivering cooling water to control cooling water being delivered to the ambient air supply, and the cooling water supply valve is opened by the valve controller upon receiving a control signal from the sensor indicating that said air-conditioning unit is operating and the cooling water supply valve is closed by the valve controller upon receiving a control signal from the sensor that said air-conditioning unit is non-operational,

further comprising a support on which the cooling water supply valve, the sensor, and the valve controller are mounted,

said support having at least one strap secured thereto, with at least one of a hook and a magnet disposed on a free end of said strap for attaching said strap to the air-conditioning unit.

16. In an environment which includes an air-conditioning unit provided with a condenser, condenser coils, a fan for moving air over said condenser coils, and an ambient air supply for cooling the air-conditioning unit, an auxiliary watering system for cooling the ambient air supply comprising means for delivering cooling water along an air path to lower the temperature of the ambient air supply that responds to control signals which are independent of a direct connection from the air-conditioning unit,

said means for delivering cooling water comprising:

a. a cooling water supply valve operable between an opened position and a closed position;

b. a sensor, including its housing, disposed at a spaced distance from the air-conditioning unit for ascertaining whether the air-conditioning unit is operating and for generating control signals;

c. a valve controller that receives the control signals, said valve controller being operably connected to the cooling water supply valve; and

d. a water nozzle with a discharge end directed toward the air path, said water nozzle being disposed downstream of the cooling water supply valve,

whereby, operation of one of the condenser and the fan is sensed by the means for delivering cooling water to control the cooling water being delivered to the ambient air supply, and the cooling water supply valve can be opened by the valve controller upon receiving a control signal from the sensor indicating that said air-conditioning unit is operating, whereby, the discharge end of the water nozzle can release a stream of water into the ambient air supply to reduce the temperature of the ambient air supply and thereby produce increases in efficiency of the air-conditioning unit, and the cooling water supply valve can be closed by the valve controller upon receiving a control signal from the sensor that said air-conditioning unit is non-operational.

17. A method for cooling an ambient air supply which moves along an air path for cooling an air-conditioning unit, comprising:

a. acoustically sensing whether the air-conditioning unit is operating independent of a fixtured connection to the air-conditioning unit or a housing associated with the air-conditioning unit;

b. generating a control signal;

c. receiving the control signal to operate a valve controller that opens a cooling water supply valve; and

d. delivering cooling water through the cooling water supply valve to the air path of the ambient air supply to lower the temperature of the ambient air supply.

18. A method for cooling an ambient air supply which moves along an air path for cooling an air-conditioning unit, comprising:

a. recognizing an acoustic pattern of at least one of the condenser and the fan of the air-conditioning unit;

b. producing code signals with respect to each acoustic pattern from the result of said recognition, said code signals defining traits of the recognized acoustic pattern, said acoustic patterns defining attributes of the air-conditioning unit; and

c. storing in a pattern memory an initial set of code signals associated with an initial set of recognized acoustic patterns, said initial set of code signals defining traits defining initial attributes of the at least one of the condenser and the fan of the air-conditioning unit;

d. repeating steps a and b;

e. comparing the code signals from the pattern recognition means with the initial set of code signals stored in the pattern memory; and

f. producing an identifying signal, said identifying signal defines a corresponding acoustic pattern with code signals that match the initial code signals from the result of the recognition of the initial acoustic pattern of the at least one of the condenser and the fan of the air-conditioning unit, whereby, matching of the corresponding acoustic pattern with the initial acoustic pattern determines that the air-conditioning unit is operating.

19. The method for cooling an ambient air supply of claim 18, which further includes filtering the acoustic pattern of one of the condenser and the fan so that only the acoustic pattern of one of the condenser and the fan is recognized.