System and method for humidifying homes and commercial sites

• US 8,128,069 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2007
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daniel J. Reens
• Original Assignee: Daniel J. Reens
• Inventors: Reens, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): BUSHEY, CHARLES S
• Application Number:
  US11/966,539
• Publication Number:
  US 20080157409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,530 Days
• Field of Search: 261/30, 261/76, 261/78.2, 261/81, 261/116, 261/118, 261/DIG.48
• US Class Current: 261/30
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 6/12 by forming water dispersions in the air
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 261/48 Sonic vibrators

Abstract

Various embodiments are described for humidifying an air stream in a duct are described. In one form the duct is part of a humidification system in a building such as a residence or commercial structure while in another form the duct is part of a standalone unit. The described embodiments use ultrasonic elements for generating a mist composed of droplets and fog and the fog is drawn or pushed by an air stream towards a duct. The duct utilizes a dispersal structure formed of one or a plurality of tubes with openings and distributed at least partly across the duct so that the air stream in the duct can entrain the fog and distribute this in manner whereby the fog can quickly dissipate and evaporate for humidification of the air stream.

Claims

1. An apparatus for applying a fog, formed primarily of fine non-vaporized liquid particles, to humidify a stream of gas passing through a duct, comprising:

a liquid container remotely mounted from said duct;

a plurality of liquid mist producing elements mounted in said container to produce a mist mixture of fog and droplets from liquid within the container at a pressure that is near ambient pressure prevailing outside said liquid container;

a fog dispersal structure being arranged in said duct to extend across at least a part of the stream of gas, said structure having an inlet manifold to receive fog and having fog output apertures in flow communication with said inlet manifold, said apertures in the aggregate being cross-sectionally distributed so as to expose a cross-sectional area of said gas stream to said fog;

a fog conveying conduit connected between said container and said fog dispersal structure, said fog conveying conduit having an inlet and an outlet, with said fog conveying conduit inlet located at said container to receive fog drawn from a plurality of said elements and with said fog conveying conduit being sized and its outlet being located to discharge fog into the inlet manifold of the fog dispersal structure;

said fog dispersal structure apertures being located to receive said fog from the inlet manifold and being further sized and distributed to facilitate said stream of gas within the duct to receive, entrain and absorb a flow of fog from inside the container through said fog conveying conduit to said apertures into and generally uniformly across a cross-sectional part of the gas stream for evaporation of the fog within a short distance from the fog dispersal structure;

wherein said mist producing elements comprise piezoelectric elements; and

drive circuits to energize said piezoelectric elements and a heat sink in heat removing relationship with said drive circuits, said heat sink being mounted to said duct for cooling by said humidified gas stream.

2. The humidification apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said conduit is sufficiently long to enable said container to be remotely spaced from said fog dispersal structure and said duct.

3. The humidification apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said fog dispersal structure comprises a dispersion tube having a passage in flow communication with said container and having a plurality of spaced apart apertures sized to enable the fog to pass through at effectively said duct pressure and be injected into the gas stream.

4. The humidification apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said fog dispersal structure comprises a plurality of dispersion tubes extending from said inlet manifold, said tubes having unobstructed hollow passages in flow communication with said inlet manifold and said fog conveying conduit outlet and having a plurality of spaced apart apertures sized to enable the fog to pass through the apertures at effectively said duct'"'"'s pressure for injection into the gas stream.

5. The humidification apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said container is sealed to prevent fog from leaking and a fan positioned on the container to elevate pressure within the liquid container above duct air pressure near the fog dispersal structure and move fog through said conduit towards the fog dispersal structure.

6. The humidification apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said heat sink is mounted downstream of said fog dispersal structure for enhanced cooling by fog injected into the gas stream.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said tubes have their passages sealed at an end to enhance the flow of fog from said openings.

8. An apparatus for humidifying an air stream passing through a duct with a fog formed of fine non-vaporized water particles, comprising:

a plurality of fog dispersion tubes arranged in said duct so that said tubes extend at least partly across the air stream, said tubes enclosing fog passages and being spaced from each other to enable said air stream to flow between them;

a water container mounted in gas flow communication with the passages of said tubes and mounted to said duct;

a plurality of water mist producing elements mounted to said liquid container to convert liquid therein to a mist;

said tubes having a plurality of openings spaced along said tubes and located so as to enable said air stream as it passes said tubes to impart an aspiration effect through said openings to entrain a flow of said fog from inside the tube passages through said tube openings into and across said air stream for its humidification;

a heat sink mounted inside said duct and located downstream of said tubes; and

a drive circuit coupled to said water mist producing elements, said drive circuit being in heat conducting relationship with said heat sink, whereby humidified air passes in heat exchanging relationship with said heat sink to remove heat from said heat sink and keep said drive circuit at a cooled temperature.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said water container has an input port located so as to be in air flow communication with said air stream at a location that is upstream of said fog dispersal structure to enhance the flow of fog to said tubes.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein said water container has a diverter facing said air stream to divert air flow into said water container from said duct.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 and further including a fan placed to supply air through said water container and into said tubes to drive fog through said tube openings into the air stream.

12. A method for humidifying a gas stream passing through a duct with a fog formed of fine non-vaporized liquid particles comprising the steps of:

forming a mist of a liquid with a plurality of mist producing elements and within a container that is at a location that is remote from said duct

accruing the mist within the container wherein the mist is formed of droplets and said fog;

moving said fog from the mist in the container through a common conduit to said duct to produce a flow of the fog from the container;

distributing said fog at least partly across the duct to directly and generally uniformly inject the fog into a cross-sectional part of the gas stream in the duct for fog vaporization therein within a short distance from where fog is injected into the duct

wherein said mist producing elements comprise piezoelectric elements; and

providing drive circuits to energize said piezoelectric elements and providing a heat sink in heat removing relationship with said drive circuits, said heat sink being mounted to said duct for cooling by said humidified gas stream.

13. An apparatus for humidifying a stream of gas passing through a duct with a fog formed of fine non-vaporized liquid particles, comprising:

a liquid fog sealed container remotely mounted from said duct;

a plurality of liquid mist producing elements mounted in said container to produce a mist mixture of fog and droplets within the container;

an elongate conduit coupling the container to said duct and being sized and connected to convey fog generated from a plurality of mist producing elements inside the container into said duct;

a fan mounted to drive air through said container at a pressure that is above static pressure in the duct and through said conduit to deliver said fog to the duct through said conduit;

a plurality of elongate fog dispersion tubes extending into said duct and having fog dispersion openings distributed along their respective lengths within said duct and being arranged in said duct so that said tubes are distributed at least partly across the air stream, said tubes enclosing unobstructed hollow fog passages and being spaced from each other to enable said air stream to flow between them;

with said conduit being in gas flow communication with said fog passages in said tubes and with said openings being distributed along said tubes so as to inject fog in a generally uniform manner across at least said part of the duct and thus enable said gas stream to absorb said injected fog within a short distance from the dispersion tubes;

wherein said mist producing elements comprise piezoelectric elements; and

drive circuits to energize said piezoelectric elements and a heat sink in heat removing relationship with said drive circuits, said heat sink being mounted to said duct for cooling by said humidified gas stream.