Title: Method for control of air relative humidity with reduced energy usage

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Claims: What is claimed is:

1. A method for reestablishing desired predetermined dry bulb temperature and relative humidity values in a spent air conditioning flow stream which has been subjected to a use resulting in addition or removal of sensible and/or latent heat to said flow stream, which method comprises

passing the spent air through a water spray curtain maintained at a predetermined temperature relative to the dew point temperature of the spent air and disposed transversely of the direction of the air flow, said water spray curtain presenting an area of heat exchange confrontation to said flow,

sensing the dry bulb temperature of the air downstream of the spray curtain and varying the spray curtain area responsive to variations of the sensed dry bulb temperature from said desired predetermined value thereby to correspondingly control the quantity of heat exchange effected to the air in said spray curtain,

sensing the dew point temperature of the air downstream of the spray curtain and controlling the temperature of the water supplied to said spray curtain responsive to variations of the sensed dew point temperature from a predetermined value thereby to control the dew point temperature of the air at said predetermined value whereby the air leaving said spray curtain is at said desired relative humidity value, and

returning the thus treated air to a point of use.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the spray curtain area is varied responsive to variations of the sensed dry bulb temperature by varying the volumetric flow rate of water supplied to said spray curtain.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the air flow stream passing from the water spray curtain is subjected to a mixing operation to equilibrate the dry bulb temperature and relative humidity values throughout said stream.

Other info:

Inventors: Knight, Jack B. (Richmond, VA, US)

Application Number: 699880
Filing Date: 1976-06-25
Publication_date: 1978-05-16
Assignee: Philip Morris Incorporated (Richmond, VA)
Primary Class(es): 62/91
Other Classes:
US Patent Ref:

RE20944	Dec, 1938	Baker	62/91.
1944146	Jan, 1934	Howry	62/91.
1986529	Jan, 1935	Ray	62/91.
2075036	Mar, 1937	Hollis	62/91.
2149990	Mar, 1939	Cook	62/91.
3232029	Feb, 1966	Evan, Jr.	62/91.
3247679	Apr, 1966	Meckler	62/91.
3812685	May, 1974	Brown	62/91.

Other Refs:
Primary Examiner: King, Lloyd L.
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney: Watson, Leavenworth, Kelton & Taggart