Patent Application
20210293420
The disclosure relates to humidifiers for adding humidity to an inside space of a building structure.
In dry or cold climates, it may be useful to add moisture to the air inside enclosed spaces to maintain humidity levels. There are many products on the market employing a variety of techniques to increase such humidity levels. An example product includes evaporative humidifiers, designed to add moisture to the air of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.
Some example evaporative humidifiers include a bypass evaporative humidifier. A bypass evaporative humidifier directs air from an air stream of the HVAC system, through a moistened humidifier pad, and back into an air stream of the HVAC system. Such humidifiers often include a housing mounted to the outside of an air duct, plenum, or the like of the HVAC system. The housing may include an internal cavity that houses the humidifier pad, an air inlet that directs an incoming air stream from the HVAC system to the humidifier pad, and an air outlet that directs a moistened air stream from the humidifier pad and into an air stream of the HVAC system.
Other example evaporative humidifiers include a fan-assisted humidifier. A fan-assisted humidifier uses a powered fan or blower to help force air from an air inlet to the air outlet and through the humidifier. In other humidifiers, a pressure differential created by the main circulating fan or blower of the HVAC system between the return air duct and the supply air duct is used to draw air from the supply air duct, through the humidifier pad of the humidifier, and to the return duct of the HVAC system.
In general, the disclosure is directed to a humidifier including a top humidifier housing and a bottom humidifier housing configured to hold an evaporative pad. More specifically, the humidifier may be configured to add moisture to an air stream of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system such as, for example, adding moisture to an air stream within a duct or network of ducts. In some examples, the humidifier includes a water source which supplies water to a top end of the evaporative pad. The evaporative pad may evaporate the water supplied by the water source as the water flows from the top end of the evaporative pad to a bottom end of the evaporative pad, and the humidifier may deliver the evaporated water to the air stream of the HVAC system in order to add moisture to the air stream. In some cases, the evaporative pad might not evaporate all of the water delivered by the water source to the humidifier. In at least some such cases, the bottom housing of the HVAC system may include a drain configured to evacuate the non-evaporated water from the humidifier without leakage.
In some examples, humidifier includes an air path which flows through the humidifier from an input port to an output port. In some examples, the input port and the output port represent stadium-shaped apertures which are configured to connect to one or more flanges which in turn connect to the HVAC system. It may be beneficial for the input port and the output port to be stadium-shaped in order to decrease a width of the humidifier as compared with humidifiers with input ports and output ports that are not stadium-shaped (e.g., square circular, or rectangular). For example, the input port and the output port may be located on a top end of the top housing of the humidifier. In this way, a width of the input port and a width of the input port may affect a width of the humidifier as a whole. Stadium-shaped ports may allow the humidifier to have large ports by surface area while maintaining a beneficial width.
In some examples, a device is configured to add moisture to an air stream of an HVAC system configured to regulate one or more parameters of a space within a building. The device includes a housing that defines at least part of an air path, where the air path is configured to carry the moisture to the air stream of the HVAC system, where the housing includes a bottom housing formed as a single unit. The bottom housing includes evaporative pad support rails configured to hold an evaporative pad in a fixed position such that the evaporative pad divides the bottom housing into an intake section and a discharge section, where the air path is constrained to direct air flow to the discharge section from the intake section and through the evaporative pad. Additionally, the housing includes a top housing configured to be attached to the bottom housing, where the top housing includes an intake flange defining an intake port, where the intake port is configured to mechanically connect to a first air duct, receive a portion of the air stream from the first air duct, and direct the portion of the air stream to the air path via the intake section of the bottom housing. Additionally, the housing includes a discharge flange defining a discharge port, where the discharge port is configured to mechanically connect to a second air duct, receive the portion of the air stream from the evaporative pad, and direct the portion of the air stream to the second air duct. Additionally, the system includes a water distributor support configured to position a water distributor above the evaporative pad.
In some examples, a method for adding moisture to an air stream of an HVAC system configured to regulate one or more parameters of a space within a building. The method includes carrying, by an air path defined by a housing of a device, moisture to an air stream of the HVAC system; holding, by a bottom housing of the housing of the device, an evaporative pad in a fixed position such that the evaporative pad divides the bottom housing into an intake section and a discharge section, where the air path is constrained to direct air flow to the discharge section from the intake section and through the evaporative pad, and where the bottom housing is formed as a single unit; attaching a top housing to the bottom housing; receiving a portion of the air stream from a first air duct by an intake port defined by an intake flange, where the intake port is configured to mechanically connect to the first air duct; directing the portion of the air stream to the air path via the intake section of the bottom housing; receiving the portion of the air stream from the evaporative pad by a discharge port defined by a discharge flange, where the discharge port is configured to mechanically connect to a second air duct; and directing the portion of the air stream to the second air duct, where the device includes a water distributor support configured to position a water distributor above the evaporative pad.
In some examples, a system is configured to add moisture to an air stream of an HVAC system configured to regulate one or more parameters of a space within a building. The system includes an evaporative pad; a housing that defines at least part of an air path, where the air path is configured to carry the moisture to the air stream of the HVAC system, where the housing includes a bottom housing formed as a single unit, where the bottom housing includes evaporative pad support rails configured to hold the evaporative pad in a fixed position such that the evaporative pad divides the bottom housing into an intake section and a discharge section, where the air path is constrained to direct air flow to the discharge section from the intake section and through the evaporative pad. Additionally the housing includes a top housing configured to be attached to the bottom housing, where the top housing includes an intake flange defining an intake port, where the intake port is configured to: mechanically connect to a first air duct; receive a portion of the air stream from the first air duct; and direct the portion of the air stream to the air path via the intake section of the bottom housing. Additionally, the housing includes a discharge flange defining a discharge port, where the discharge port is configured to: mechanically connect to a second air duct; receive the portion of the air stream from the evaporative pad; and direct the portion of the air stream to the second air duct. Additionally, the system includes a water distributor support configured to position a water distributor above the evaporative pad.
The summary is intended to provide an overview of the subject matter described in this disclosure. It is not intended to provide an exclusive or exhaustive explanation of the systems, device, and methods described in detail within the accompanying drawings and description below. Further details of one or more examples of this disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and in the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
This disclosure is directed to an evaporative humidifier including a humidifier housing configured to hold a humidifier pad. Evaporative humidifiers, in contrast to steam or other types of humidifiers, may direct air from an air stream of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system through a moistened humidifier pad. The humidifier pad may be replaceable. Air passing through the pad picks up moisture by evaporating water applied to the pad. The water may be applied by a water distributor on top of the pad. Humidifiers may be designed to supply a specific amount of moisture to the air and sized to accommodate the capacity of a HVAC system to which the humidifier would be attached. Accordingly, the replaceable humidifier pad may be sized for the designed capacity of the HVAC system. Additionally, the housing may be designed to drain water applied by the water distributor which is not evaporated by the evaporative pad. The housing may be connected to an output flange and an input flange. In some examples, the output flange of the humidifier may be connected to an inlet side of a distribution blower of the HVAC system. In the example of a bypass humidifier, the lower pressure of the inlet side of the distribution blower compared to the pressure in the supply duct provides a suction to help draw air from the humidifier air path into the HVAC system air stream.
Inlet air duct 102 and outlet air duct 104 (collectively, ducts 102, 104) may be a part of a duct system which carries an air stream throughout one or more rooms, wings, or regions of one or more buildings that are regulated by system 100. In some examples, ducts 102, 104, may include any one or combination of materials including aluminum sheet metal, plastic, steel sheet metal, other types of metals, or any combination thereof. The duct system including ducts 102, 104, in some cases, may form a circuit which cycles at least some of the air stream in a loop. In other cases, the duct system including ducts 102, 104 may form a line which carries the air stream from an ingress point to an egress point. The air stream carried by ducts 102, 104 may include an amount of moisture. Bypass humidifier 120 may supplement (e.g., add to) the amount of moisture within the air stream.
Air movement device 106 may cause the air stream to flow through the duct system from inlet air duct 102 to outlet air duct 104. In some examples, air movement device 106 may include any one or combination of an air handler, a blower, an air-handling fan, or another type of fan. In any case, air movement device 106 may establish an air pressure differential between inlet air duct 102 and outlet air duct 104, causing the air stream to flow through the duct system. For example, an air pressure within inlet air duct 102 bay be greater than an air pressure within outlet air duct 104. In some examples, ducts 102, 104 may be connected to bypass humidifier 120 via input connector duct 112 and output connector duct 114. For example, input connector duct 112 may connect bypass humidifier 120 to outlet air duct 104 and output connector duct 114 may connect bypass humidifier 120 to inlet air duct 102. Air may flow through bypass humidifier 120 in order to add moisture to the air stream of the duct system including ducts 102, 104.
Processing circuitry 108, in some examples, may include one or more processors that are configured to implement functionality and/or process instructions for execution within system 100. For example, processing circuitry 108 may be capable of processing instructions stored in a memory, such as memory 110. Processing circuitry 108 may include, for example, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or equivalent discrete or integrated logic circuitry, or a combination of any of the foregoing devices or circuitry. Accordingly, processing circuitry 108 may include any suitable structure, whether in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof, to perform the functions ascribed herein to processing circuitry 108.
In some examples, memory 110 includes computer-readable instructions that, when executed by processing circuitry 108, cause system 100 and processing circuitry 108 to perform various functions attributed to system 100 and processing circuitry 108 herein. Memory 110 may include any volatile, non-volatile, magnetic, optical, or electrical media, such as a random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), non-volatile RAM (NVRAM), electrically-erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, or any other digital media. In some examples, memory 110 stores instructions that, when executed by processing circuitry 108, cause bypass humidifier 120 to add moisture to an air stream which flows through ducts 102, 104.
Bypass humidifier 120, in some cases, may represent a device that is configured to evaporate water in order to add moisture to air passing through an air path of bypass humidifier 120. In some examples, the air path of bypass humidifier 120 may extend from input port 122 connected to input connector duct 112 to output port 124 connected to output connector duct 114. The air path travels through evaporative pad 126. In this way, as air travels from input port 122 to output port 124 through evaporative pad 126, evaporative pad 126 adds moisture to the air flowing through the air path of bypass humidifier 120. At a conclusion of the air path of bypass humidifier 120, bypass humidifier 120 delivers air to inlet air duct 102 via output port 124. As such, bypass humidifier 120 adds moisture to the air stream flossing through ducts 102, 104, where at least some of the added moisture represents water that is evaporated by evaporative pad 126.
In some examples, bypass humidifier 120 includes evaporative pad support rails configured to hold evaporative pad 126 in a fixed position within a housing of bypass humidifier 120. Evaporative pad 126 may divide the housing of bypass humidifier 120 into an intake section and a discharge section. The air path of bypass humidifier 120 may direct air flow to the discharge section from the intake section and through evaporative pad 126. In some examples, the housing of bypass humidifier 120 includes a top housing and a bottom housing. A bottom portion of the top housing may be configured to fit with a top portion of the bottom housing such that the top housing and the bottom housing connect to form the full housing. In some examples, the top housing firms input port 122 and output port 124, and the bottom housing includes drain 128. Water may flow from water source 116 into bypass humidifier 120 via an aperture in the top housing, and the bypass humidifier 120 may deliver the water to a top end of evaporative pad 126. Evaporative pad 126 may evaporate at least a portion of the water as it flows down from the top end of evaporative pad 126 to a bottom end of evaporative pad 126.
Evaporative pad 126 might not evaporate all of the water delivered by water source 116. In some examples, bypass humidifier 120 outputs water not evaporated by evaporative pad 126 via drain 128 formed by a bottom end of the bottom housing of bypass humidifier 120. Since the housing of bypass humidifier 120 may include the top housing and the bottom housing which forms drain 128, bypass humidifier 120 may be more effective at preventing water leakage as compared with bypass humidifiers which do not include a bottom housing configured to drain non-evaporated water. In some examples, drain 128 may output water to a floor drain within the building or another system configured to output excess water from a building without causing water damage to the building. The top housing of bypass humidifier 120 may be configured to at least partially separate from the bottom housing of bypass humidifier 120 such that evaporative pad 126 and/or other objects may be inserted or removed from the housing of bypass humidifier 120.
In some examples, the air pressure differential between inlet air duct 102 and outlet air duct 104 causes air to flow through the air path of bypass humidifier 120, thus adding moisture to the air stream which flows through ducts 102, 104. For example, the air path of bypass humidifier 120 may form a humidifier circuit with inlet air duct 102, outlet air duct 104, and air movement device 106, where air flow through the humidifier circuit is driven by air movement device 106 just as air flow within the duct system of system 100 is driven by air movement device 106. Air flow through the humidifier circuit may add moisture to the air path which flows through the duct system of system 100.
In some examples, the input port 122 and the output port 124 (collectively, “ports 122, 124) may represent stadium-shaped apertures formed on a top surface of the top housing of bypass humidifier 120, but this is not required. Ports 122, 124 may be formed by any part of the top housing or the bottom housing of bypass humidifier 120. Ports 122, 124 may be of any shape. In some cases, it may be beneficial for ports 122, 124 to be stadium-shaped so that a thickness of bypass humidifier 120 is decreased as compared with humidifiers that have input/output ports that are not stadium-shaped (e.g., circular). This is because a stadium-shaped aperture which defines input port 122 or output port 124 may include a first dimension and a second dimension, the first dimension being greater than the second dimension. Input port 122 and output port 124 may be formed on a top of the top housing of bypass humidifier 120. The second dimension of ports 122, 124 may be parallel with a width dimension of the housing. In this way, it may be beneficial to decrease the second dimension of ports 122, 124 while maintaining a surface area of ports 122, 124 in order to decrease a width of bypass humidifier 120 as compared with a humidifier having input/output ports with greater dimensions aligned with a width of the respective humidifier. Stadium-shaped ports 122, 124 may be more beneficial for preserving surface area while decreasing width as compared with one or more other shapes.
Processing circuitry 108 may be configured to control an amount of moisture added to the air stream flowing through the duct system including ducts 102, 104 by bypass humidifier 120. For example, processing circuitry 108 may output a control signal to a valve (not illustrated in
Additionally, or alternatively, processing circuitry 108 may output a control signal in order to regulate one or more parameters corresponding to air movement device 106. For example, processing circuitry 108 may control a rate in which air movement device 106 moves the air stream through the duct system including ducts 102, 104. In examples where air movement device 106 is a fan, processing circuitry 108 may regulate a rotational velocity of the fan. In examples where air movement device 106 is a blower, processing circuitry 108 may regulate a power of the blower. Processing circuitry 108 may be configured to turn on or turn off air movement device 106.
Bypass humidifier 120 may be configured to be mounted on a surface, such as a vertical surface or a near-vertical surface. In some examples, bypass humidifier 120 may be mounted directly on a surface of inlet air duct 102, outlet air duct 104, air movement device 106, or any combination thereof, but this is not required. Bypass humidifier 120 may be mounted on any surface such that input connector duct 112 connects outlet air duct 104 to input port 122 and output connector duct 114 connects output port 124 to inlet air duct 102.
The conceptual diagram of
Cabinet 105 may include one or more components (not illustrated in
System 200 is may include bypass humidifier 120. Bypass humidifier 120 includes a housing that is secured to a surface (e.g., a vertical or near vertical surface). In some examples, the housing of bypass humidifier 120 includes a top housing 142 and a bottom housing 144. The housing of bypass humidifier 120 defines at least part of an air path of system 200. Part of the air path is defined by a first hole (not illustrated in
In this disclosure, the term “air path” is used to refer to a path in which air moves through bypass humidifier 120 between outlet air duct 104 and inlet air duct 102. In some examples, the air path begins at the first hole in the outlet air duct 104, extends through the input connector duct 112 to input port 122, extends through bypass humidifier 120 to output port 124, and finally extends through output connector duct 114 to the second hole in inlet air duct 102. In this disclosure, the term “air stream” is used to refer to a route in which air moves though the duct system including ducts 102, 104 and cabinet 105, not including the “air path.” Thus, the “air stream” includes air moving through inlet air duct 102 (e.g., return air 132), through components of cabinet 105 and out of outlet air duct 104 (e.g., outgoing air 134).
In the example of
When flowing, water is provided to the evaporative pad (e.g., evaporative pad 126 of
The top housing 142 of bypass humidifier 120, as shown in
System 200 may include processing circuitry 108. Processing circuitry 108 may be configured to control one or more components of System 200. In some examples, processing circuitry 108 may control valve 118 in order to regulate the flow of water to the evaporative pad held by bypass humidifier 120. Additionally, or alternatively, processing circuitry 108 may control a damper on input connector duct 112 and/or a damper on output connector duct 114 in order to control a flow of air through the air path across bypass humidifier 120. Processing circuitry 108 may control other components (e.g., an air handler, a blower, or an air-handling fan) included in cabinet 105 in order to regulate the flow of return air 132 and/or outgoing air 134.
Examples of processing circuitry 108 include any one or combination of a microcontroller (MCU) (e.g., a computer on a single integrated circuit containing a processor core, memory, and programmable input/output peripherals), a microprocessor (μP) (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU) on a single integrated circuit (IC)), a controller, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a system on chip (SoC) or equivalent discrete or integrated logic circuitry. A processor may include integrated circuitry (e.g., integrated processing circuitry), and the integrated processing circuitry may be realized as fixed hardware processing circuitry, programmable processing circuitry and/or a combination of both fixed and programmable processing circuitry. Accordingly, the terms “processing circuitry,” “processor,” or “controller,” as used herein, may refer to any one or more of the foregoing structures or any other structure operable to perform techniques described herein.
As seen in
In some examples, input port 322 and output port 324 (collectively, “ports 322, 324”) may represent stadium-shaped apertures in top housing 342, but this is not required. Ports 322, 324 may be any one or combination of oval-shaped, circular-shaped, or ellipse-shaped. In some examples, ports 322, 324 may each include a long dimension and a short dimension. For example, input port 322 includes a first dimension 362 and a second dimension 364. In some examples, first dimension 362 may be within a range from 3 inches (in) to 9 in. In one example, first dimension 362 may be 6 inches. In some examples, second dimension 364 may be within a range from 0.5 in to 6 in.
In some examples, it may be beneficial for input port 322 and output port 324 to form a stadium shape, an oval, an ellipse, or another elongated shape such that a long dimension of the respective port is greater than the short dimension of the respective port. For example, bypass humidifier 320 may include a width dimension 366 and a depth dimension 368, where the width dimension 366 is parallel to the first dimension 362 and the depth dimension 368 is parallel to the second dimension 364. It may be beneficial for depth dimension 368 to be shorter than a depth dimension of a humidifier which does not have elongated input/output ports (e.g., the first dimension is not longer than the short dimension). A first humidifier with a first depth dimension may be easier to mount on a surface than a second humidifier having a second depth dimension greater than the first depth dimension, since the humidifier may need to be mounted between two vertical surfaces with a limited amount of clearance separating them. In some examples, width dimension 366 may be within a range from 12 in to 30 in. In some examples, depth dimension 368 may be within a range from 6 in to 24 in.
As seen in
Depth dimension 368 may extend from a front end 382 of bypass humidifier 320 to a back end 384 of bypass humidifier 320. In some examples, a back side of bypass humidifier 320 may be secured to a surface (e.g., a wall, a duct, and/or another surface), the back side corresponding to back end 384. As seen in
Bypass humidifier 120 is configured to receive a portion of an air stream from a first air duct of an air duct system (502). In some examples, the first air duct may represent outlet air duct 104 of
In some examples, the volume of water delivered by the water source 116 may flow from the top of evaporative pad 126 to a bottom of the evaporative pad 126 in the direction of gravity. The housing of bypass humidifier 120 may direct the portion of the air stream received by bypass humidifier 120 across evaporative pad 126 (508) as the volume of water travels from the top of evaporative pad 126 to the bottom of evaporative pad 126. In some examples, the flow of air across evaporative pad 126 may cause at least some of the volume of water delivered by water source 116 to evaporate, thus adding moisture to the air flowing through bypass humidifier 120. Subsequently, bypass humidifier 120 may deliver, via output port 124, the portion of the air stream received from the first duct to a second air duct in order to add moisture to the air stream of the air duct system (510). In some examples, excess water delivered by water source 116 and not evaporated off evaporative pad 126 may exit a housing of bypass humidifier 120 via a drain.
In one or more examples, the systems described herein may utilize hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof for achieving the functions described. Those functions implemented in software may be stored on or transmitted over, as one or more instructions or code, a computer-readable medium and executed by a hardware-based processing unit. Computer-readable media may include computer-readable storage media, which corresponds to a tangible medium such as data storage media, or communication media including any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another, e.g., according to a communication protocol. In this manner, computer-readable media generally may correspond to (1) tangible computer-readable storage media which is non-transitory or (2) a communication medium such as a signal or carrier wave. Data storage media may be any available media that can be accessed by one or more computers or one or more processors to retrieve instructions, code and/or data structures for implementation of the techniques described in this disclosure.
Instructions may be executed by one or more processors within the accelerometer or communicatively coupled to the accelerometer. The one or more processors may, for example, include one or more DSPs, general purpose microprocessors, application specific integrated circuits ASICs, FPGAs, or other equivalent integrated or discrete logic circuitry. Accordingly, the term “processor,” as used herein may refer to any of the foregoing structure or any other structure suitable for implementation of the techniques described herein. In addition, in some respects, the functionality described herein may be provided within dedicated hardware and/or software modules configured for performing the techniques described herein. Also, the techniques could be fully implemented in one or more circuits or logic elements.
The techniques of this disclosure may be implemented in a wide variety of devices or apparatuses that include integrated circuits (ICs) or sets of ICs (e.g., chip sets). Various components, modules, or units are described in this disclosure to emphasize functional aspects of devices configured to perform the disclosed techniques, but do not necessarily require realization by different hardware units. Rather, various units may be combined or provided by a collection of interoperative hardware units, including one or more processors as described above, in conjunction with suitable software and/or firmware.
Various examples of the disclosure have been described. These and other examples are within the scope of the following claims.
