Patent Application
20180299180
The present invention relates to a humidity generator, and more particularly to a humidity generator that uses mass transfer to impart air flowing through the humidity generator with a vapor.
Often, it is desired to add an amount of humidity to a volume of air. For example, humidity is sometimes added to air within an environment chamber in order to preserve its contents, such as leafy vegetables. By raising the humidity of the air, the vapor pressure in the air is increased, thereby reducing the loss of moisture from the contents. Accordingly, a need exists for a humidity generator that uses mass transfer to impart air flowing through the humidity generator with a vapor.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a humidity generator. The humidity generator includes a cooling pipe that includes a cooling pipe inlet, a liquid chamber, and a cooling pipe outlet. An airflow path is defined between the cooling pipe inlet and the cooling pipe outlet, such that air enters through the cooling pipe inlet, passes over water disposed in the liquid chamber, flows through the cooling pipe, and exits through the cooling pipe outlet.
Preferably, the cooling pipe inlet is defined in a sidewall of the cooling pipe at a location between the liquid chamber and the cooling pipe outlet. In a preferred embodiment, the humidity generator includes an inlet tube that includes an air inlet and an inlet tube outflow opening, and an outlet tube that includes an outlet tube inflow opening and an air outlet. The inlet tube and the outlet tube extend from the cooling pipe, and the airflow path is defined between the air inlet and the air outlet, such that air enters through the air inlet, passes through the inlet tube outflow opening and the cooling pipe inlet, passes over water disposed in the liquid chamber, passes through the cooling pipe outlet and outlet tube inflow opening, and exits through the air outlet. Preferably, the inlet and outlet tubes generally extend from the cooling pipe perpendicularly.
In a preferred embodiment, the cooling pipe includes an interior surface, and the humidity generator includes a cooling apparatus configured to cool the interior surface. Preferably, the cooling pipe includes an exterior surface, and the cooling apparatus is a cooling tube in contact with the exterior surface. Preferably, the humidity generator includes an air pressure generator for creating an air pressure differential between the cooling pipe inlet and the cooling pipe outlet. In a preferred embodiment, the air pressure generator is a heat exchanger unit in fluid connection with the air inlet. Preferably, the humidity generator includes a water level controller for maintaining a predetermined volume of water within the liquid chamber.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an environment chamber having a main body and a cooling pipe. The cooling pipe includes a cooling pipe inlet, a liquid chamber, and a cooling pipe outlet, and an airflow path is defined between the cooling pipe inlet and the cooling pipe outlet such that air enters through the cooling pipe inlet, passes over water disposed in the liquid chamber, flows through the cooling pipe, and exits through the cooling pipe outlet. At least a portion of the airflow path is outside of the main body.
In a preferred embodiment, the cooling pipe inlet is defined in a sidewall of the cooling pipe at a location between the liquid chamber and the cooling pipe outlet. Preferably, the environment chamber includes an inlet tube having an inlet and an inlet tube outflow opening, and an outlet tube having an outlet tube inflow opening and an air outlet. The inlet tube and the outlet tube extend from the cooling pipe, and the airflow path is defined between the air inlet and the air outlet, such that air enters through the air inlet, passes through the inlet tube outflow opening and the cooling pipe inlet, passes over water disposed in the liquid chamber, passes through the cooling pipe outlet and outlet tube inflow opening, and exits through the air outlet.
Preferably, the cooling pipe includes an interior surface, and the environment chamber includes a cooling apparatus configured to cool the interior surface. In a preferred embodiment, the cooling pipe includes an exterior surface and the cooling apparatus is a cooling tube in contact with the exterior surface. Preferably, the environment chamber includes an air pressure generator for creating an air pressure differential between the cooling pipe inlet and the cooling pipe outlet. In a preferred embodiment, the air pressure generator is a heat exchanger unit in fluid connection with the air inlet.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for humidifying a first volume of air enclosed within a main body of an environment chamber. Preferably, the method includes the steps of receiving a volume of water into a cooling pipe having a cooling pipe inlet, a liquid chamber, and a cooling pipe outlet, moving a portion of the first volume of air into the cooling pipe inlet and across the surface of the water, thereby generating a volume of humidified air, and expelling the volume of humidified air through the cooling pipe outlet and into the main body of the environment chamber.
In a preferred embodiment, the step of moving a portion of the first volume of air includes moving the portion of the first volume of air through an air inlet of an air inlet tube, through an inlet tube outflow opening of the air inlet tube, through the cooling pipe inlet, and across the surface of the water, thereby generating a volume of humidified air, and the step of expelling the volume of humidified air includes expelling the volume of humidified air through the cooling pipe outlet, through the outlet tube inflow opening, out of the air outlet, and into the main body of the environment chamber.
Preferably, the method includes the step of cooling an interior surface of the cooling pipe. In a preferred embodiment, the step of cooling the interior surface includes using a cooling tube in contact with an exterior surface of the cooling pipe. Preferably, the method includes moving a portion of the first volume of air comprises applying air pressure to create an air pressure differential between the cooling pipe inlet and the cooling pipe outlet. In a preferred embodiment, the step of moving a portion of the first volume of air includes using a fan to push air through the cooling pipe inlet.
The invention, together with additional features and advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference to the following description.
The following description and drawings are illustrative and are not to be construed as limiting. Numerous specific details are described to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosure. However, in certain instances, well-known or conventional details are not described in order to avoid obscuring the description. References to one or an other embodiment in the present disclosure can be, but not necessarily are, references to the same embodiment; and, such references mean at least one of the embodiments.
Reference in this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. Appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments. Moreover, various features are described which may be exhibited by some embodiments and not by others. Similarly, various requirements are described which may be requirements for some embodiments, but not other embodiments.
The terms used in this specification generally have their ordinary meanings in the art, within the context of the disclosure, and in the specific context where each term is used. Certain terms that are used to describe the disclosure are discussed below, or elsewhere in the specification, to provide additional guidance to the practitioner regarding the description of the disclosure. For convenience, certain terms may be highlighted, for example using italics and/or quotation marks: The use of highlighting has no influence on the scope and meaning of a term; the scope and meaning of a term is the same, in the same context, whether or not it is highlighted. It will be appreciated that the same thing can be said in more than one way.
Consequently, alternative language and synonyms may be used for any one or more of the terms discussed herein. Nor is any special significance to be placed upon whether or not a term is elaborated or discussed herein. Synonyms for certain terms are provided. A recital of one or more synonyms does not exclude the use of other synonyms. The use of examples anywhere in this specification including examples of any terms discussed herein is illustrative only, and is not intended to further limit the scope and meaning of the disclosure or of any exemplified term. Likewise, the disclosure is not limited to various embodiments given in this specification.
Without intent to further limit the scope of the disclosure, examples of instruments, apparatus, methods and their related results according to the embodiments of the present disclosure are given below. Note that titles or subtitles may be used in the examples for convenience of a reader, which in no way should limit the scope of the disclosure. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. In the case of conflict, the present document, including definitions, will control.
It will be appreciated that terms such as “front,” “back,” “top,” “bottom,” “side,” “short,” “long,” “up,” “down,” and “below” used herein are merely for ease of description and refer to the orientation of the components as shown in the figures. It should be understood that any orientation of the components described herein is within the scope of the present invention.
Referring now to the drawings, wherein the showings are for purposes of illustrating the present invention and not for purposes of limiting the same,
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In a preferred embodiment, as shown in
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In a preferred embodiment, as shown in
The operation of the environment chamber 10, as shown in
The humidified air then comes into contact with the interior surface of the cooling pipe 14, which is cooled below the dew point of the humidified air, causing the water in the humidified air to condense on the interior surface. When the amount of water condensed on the interior surface is sufficient to form a droplet, the droplet will then flow into the water 30, which cools the water 30. Thus, this cooling process can be used to remove water vapor from the humidified air in the cooling pipe 14, thereby lowering the humidity as desired. The remaining humidified air then flows through the cooling pipe outlet 38, through the air outlet tube 20, out of the air outlet 22, and into the interior space 12 of the environment chamber 10.
In a preferred embodiment, the environment chamber also includes a humidity sensor 32. The humidity sensor 32 senses the level of water vapor (humidity) in the interior space 12, and is connected to a controller, which can regulate the amount of cooling applied to the cooling pipe 14 by the cooling tube 24, and in turn, the amount of humidity generated by the humidity generator 36, based upon the level of humidity measured in the interior space 12. Preferably, the water supply and drain apparatus 28 is connected to a level control apparatus, which regulates the level of the water 30 within the cooling pipe 14 and/or the liquid chamber 48. In a preferred embodiment, the level control apparatus is a float valve having a float and an internal overflow weir, such that when the water 30 enters the cooling pipe 14 or the liquid chamber 48, the float rises until it reaches a predefined level, at which point the float valve closes and no additional water 30 is allowed to enter. However, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the use of a float valve is merely exemplary and that a float valve, a float switch combined with a solenoid valve, an electronic level sensing device in combination with a electric, pneumatic, or electronically actuated valve, or any other apparatus or method for regulating the level of the water 30 within the cooling pipe 14 and/or liquid chamber 48 may be used. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the use of a humidity sensor, controller, and level control apparatus is merely exemplary, and that any other apparatus or method for cooling the interior surface of the cooling pipe 14 or for regulating the level of water 30 in the cooling pipe 14 may be used. Those of ordinary skill in the art will also appreciate that apparatuses and methods for regulating the level of humidity created by the humidity generator 36 are not limitations on the present invention.
Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the arrangement of the preferred embodiments shown in
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense, as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of “including, but not limited to.” As used herein, the terms “connected,” “coupled,” or any variant thereof, means any connection or coupling, either direct or indirect, between two or more elements; the coupling of connection between the elements can be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” “below,” and words of similar import, when used in this application, shall refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of this application. Where the context permits, words in the above Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments using the singular or plural number may also include the plural or singular number respectively. The word “or” in reference to a list of two or more items, covers all of the following interpretations of the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list, and any combination of the items in the list.
The above-detailed description of embodiments of the disclosure is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the teachings to the precise form disclosed above. While specific embodiments of and examples for the disclosure are described above for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the disclosure, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. For example, while processes or blocks are presented in a given order, alternative embodiments may perform routines having steps, or employ systems having blocks, in a different order, and some processes or blocks may be deleted, moved, added, subdivided, combined, and/or modified to provide alternative or subcombinations. Each of these processes or blocks may be implemented in a variety of different ways. Also, while processes or blocks are at times shown as being performed in series, these processes or blocks may instead be performed in parallel, or may be performed, at different times. Further any specific numbers noted herein are only examples: alternative implementations may employ differing values or ranges.
The teachings of the disclosure provided herein can be applied to other systems, not necessarily the system described above. The elements and acts of the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments.
Any patents and applications and other references noted above, including any that may be listed in accompanying filing papers, are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Aspects of the disclosure can be modified, if necessary, to employ the systems, functions, and concepts of the various references described above to provide yet further embodiments of the disclosure.
These and other changes can be made to the disclosure in light of the above Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments. While the above description describes certain embodiments of the disclosure, and describes the best mode contemplated, no matter how detailed the above appears in text, the teachings can be practiced in many ways. Details of the system may vary considerably in its implementation details, while still being encompassed by the subject matter disclosed herein. As noted above, particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspects of the disclosure should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics, features or aspects of the disclosure with which that terminology is associated. In general, the terms used in the following claims should not be construed to limit the disclosures to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification unless the above Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments section explicitly defines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope of the disclosure encompasses not only the disclosed embodiments, but also all equivalent ways of practicing or implementing the disclosure under the claims.
While certain aspects of the disclosure are presented below in certain claim forms, the inventors contemplate the various aspects of the disclosure in any number of claim forms. For example, while only one aspect of the disclosure is recited as a means-plus-function claim under 35 U.S.C. § 112,¶6, other aspects may likewise be embodied as a means-plus-function claim, or in other forms, such as being embodied in a computer-readable medium. (Any claims intended to be treated under 35 U.S.C. § 112, ¶6 will begin with the words “means for”). Accordingly, the applicant reserves the right to add additional claims after filing the application to pursue such additional claim forms for other aspects of the disclosure.
Accordingly, although exemplary embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that all the terms used herein are descriptive rather than limiting, and that many changes, modifications, and substitutions may be made by one having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
