Abstract: A cooling assembly includes an evaporator containing a primary cooling medium, a passive condenser, and a heat exchanger. When a secondary cooling medium is provided to the heat exchanger, the primary cooling medium in the gas phase switches from being received by the passive condenser to the heat exchanger without operating any valves located between the evaporator and the passive condenser and between the evaporator and the heat exchanger. The primary cooling medium circulates between the evaporator and the passive condenser and between the evaporator and the heat exchanger by natural circulation and gravity without a pump in the flow path of the primary cooling medium between the heat exchanger and the evaporator and between the passive condenser and the evaporator to circulate the primary cooling medium.

Abstract: A fan for use in agriculture includes a housing, a motor, a propeller, a damper, and a controller. The damper is connected to the housing and is movable between open positions and a fully closed position. The controller controls the motor to rotate in a first rotational direction to cause the propeller to generate airflow in a first airflow direction through the housing from an inlet to an outlet and, upon receiving an instruction to shut down, controls the motor to rotate in a second rotational direction, opposite to the first rotational direction, to cause the propeller to generate airflow in a second airflow direction, opposite to the first airflow direction, through the housing from the outlet to the inlet, before ceasing rotation.

Abstract: A cooling assembly includes an evaporator containing a primary cooling medium, a passive condenser, and a heat exchanger. When a secondary cooling medium is provided to the heat exchanger, the primary cooling medium in the gas phase switches from being received by the passive condenser to the heat exchanger without operating any valves located between the evaporator and the passive condenser and between the evaporator and the heat exchanger. The primary cooling medium circulates between the evaporator and the passive condenser and between the evaporator and the heat exchanger by natural circulation and gravity without a pump in the flow path of the primary cooling medium between the heat exchanger and the evaporator and between the passive condenser and the evaporator to circulate the primary cooling medium.

Abstract: A fan for use in agriculture which has a BLDC motor which allows for varying the speed of the fan to vary the airflow rate of the fan and vary the efficiency of the fan. A ventilation system for use in a livestock confinement building to maximize a rate of growth of the livestock. A process for maximizing the growth of livestock in a livestock confinement building by controlling the airflow in the livestock confinement building.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for conditioning air for an enclosure, a first ambient airstream is cooled by a cooling coil of a refrigerant cooling system to reduce temperature and humidity, passed through a segment of a rotating desiccant wheel to reduce moisture content and increase temperature, and then supplied to the enclosure. The desiccant wheel is regenerated by a second ambient airstream heated with a condenser coil of the refrigerant system and then passed through a regeneration segment of the desiccant wheel. A bypass plenum allows a third ambient airstream to be selectively heated and cooled independent of the evaporator coil and desiccant wheel in the first plenum. Heated air bypassed from the second ambient airstream or an independent heater can perform the selective heating in the bypass plenum. The airstream in the bypass plenum is then supplied with the air treated in the first plenum to the enclosure.

Abstract: A method and system can measure the weight of a bulk material within a container by applying excitation in the form of vibrational energy and interpreting the container's response to the vibration.

Abstract: A rotary sorption bed system includes a rotating sorbent mass of a regenerable sorbent material, in a cycle of operation, a given volume of the sorbent mass sequentially passing through first, second, third, fourth, and fifth zones, before returning to the first zone; a process fluid stream directed through the first zone; a regeneration fluid stream directed through the third zone; and an isolation fluid stream that recirculates in a closed loop independent of the process fluid stream and the regeneration fluid stream through the second and fourth zones. The regeneration fluid stream passes through the fifth zone before passing through the third zone.

Abstract: An airstream cooling assembly includes an evaporator and a first and second condenser. The evaporator is configured to have a first airstream directed over its outer surface and to change the phase of a primary cooling medium from liquid to gas. The first condenser is configured to have a second airstream directed over its outer surface, transfer heat from the primary cooling medium, and change the phase of the primary cooling medium from gas to liquid. The second condenser is configured to accept a secondary cooling medium, and when accepting the secondary cooling medium, to receive the primary cooling medium from the evaporator, transfer heat from the primary cooling medium, and change the phase of the primary cooling medium from gas to liquid. The evaporator is configured to receive the primary cooling medium in the liquid phase from at least one of the first condenser and the second condenser.

Abstract: A method of controlling an apparatus that removes specified substances from a process gaseous stream can control at least one fan and a rotary wheel that removes the specified substances. The method includes measuring a pressure difference of the process gaseous stream across upstream and downstream sides of the rotary wheel, comparing the measured pressure difference to a predetermined pressure range, and controlling the at least one fan to increase or decrease its speed if the measured pressure difference is outside of the predetermined pressure range so as to change the pressure difference so as to be within the predetermined pressure range.

Abstract: A heat exchanger assembly, an indirect evaporative heat exchanger including the heat exchanger, and methods of operating the same. The heat exchanger assembly includes at least one tube, a plurality of sections, and a plurality of nozzles. The at least one tube is configured to (i) have a process fluid flow therethrough in a first direction and (ii) have a scavenger cooling medium flow over the outer surface of the tube in a second direction. The second direction intersects the first direction. The plurality of sections is aligned in the first direction. The plurality of nozzles are located above the at least one tube. At least one nozzle of the plurality of nozzles is (i) located in each of the plurality of sections and (ii) configured to selectively discharge coolant onto the portion of the tube in that section of the heat exchanger.

Abstract: An air handling system includes a movable evaporative media section. The movable evaporative media section is movable between a closed position and an open position. When the movable evaporative media section is in an open position, the movable evaporative media section exposes an opening to the air flow and is positioned to allow at least a portion of the air flow in the volume to flow around the movable evaporative media section and through the opening.

Abstract: A cooling system includes a housing containing indirect heat exchange and active refrigeration sub-systems to provide cooled process air to a space. The indirect heat exchange sub-system includes a horizontal plate-type heat exchanger having scavenger passages that are longer in one direction than process air passages are in a transverse direction. One group of compressors and associated condensers is located within the housing near a right end wall and another group is located near a left end wall. Process air fans are provided for directing process air from the space, through the heat exchanger, and back into the space. Scavenger fans direct scavenger air through the heat exchanger. At least two condenser fans are provided, one at the top of the housing near the right end wall and the other at the top of the housing near the left end wall.

Abstract: In conditioning air for an enclosure, a first ambient airstream is cooled by the cooling coil of a refrigerant cooling system to reduce its temperature and humidity content. The thus cooled and dehumidified air is then passed through a segment of a rotating desiccant wheel to reduce moisture content and increase temperature and is then supplied to the enclosure. The desiccant wheel is regenerated by the use of a second ambient airstream which is first heated with the condenser coil of the refrigerant system and then passed through the regeneration segment of the desiccant wheel. A bypass plenum is provided in the apparatus that selectively allows a third ambient airstream to be cooled in the plenum independent of the evaporator coil and desiccant wheel in the first plenum. That airstream is then supplied with the air treated in the first plenum to the enclosure.

Abstract: An air handling system includes a movable evaporative media section. The movable evaporative media section is movable between a closed position and an open position. When the movable evaporative media section is in an open position, the movable evaporative media section exposes an opening to the air flow and is positioned to allow at least a portion of the air flow in the volume to flow around the movable evaporative media section and through the opening.

Abstract: A fan for use in agriculture which has a BLDC motor which allows for varying the speed of the fan to vary the airflow rate of the fan and vary the efficiency of the fan. A ventilation system for use in a livestock confinement building to maximize a rate of growth of the livestock. A process for maximizing the growth of livestock in a livestock confinement building by controlling the airflow in the livestock confinement building.

Abstract: An evaporative cooling system includes a primary cooling unit that utilizes a cooling fluid flowing through a primary heat exchange medium to cool supply air flowing past the primary heat exchange medium, a bleed line and a secondary cooling unit disposed upstream of the primary cooling unit with respect to a flow direction of the supply air. The primary cooling unit includes a supply line for supplying the cooling fluid to the primary heat exchange medium, a reservoir for collecting the cooling fluid supplied to the primary heat exchange medium, and a pump for recirculating the cooling fluid collected in the reservoir back to the supply line. The bleed line bleeds a portion of the recirculating cooling fluid from the primary cooling unit. The secondary cooling unit includes a secondary heat exchange medium that receives the cooling fluid bled from the primary cooling unit through the bleed line.

Abstract: A hybrid dehumidification system for controlling the humidity and/or both humidity and temperature in a space includes a cooling coil for first cooling, or cooling and reducing the humidity of, an airstream to be supplied to the space with an aqueous cooling medium, passing the thus cooled airstream through a desiccant adsorption means to further reduce the humidity of the airstream before supplying the airstream to the space, and regenerating the desiccant adsorption means by heating the desiccant with waste heat from a heat pump used to further cool the first aqueous cooling medium.

Abstract: A heat exchanger including a header having a plurality of header openings with rigid tubes that may be made of plastic are inserted in the openings. The tubes are sealed to the header to prevent leakage between the header and the tubes to prevent water and air leakage between the wet, scavenger air stream flowing through the tubes and a dry air stream flowing around the tubes. A method of making the heat exchanger includes providing the openings with a flange and uses an interference fit between the rigid heat exchange tubes and the header openings. A self-leveling sealant may be used to seal the heat exchanger tubes to the header using, for example, a paint roller and/or a paint sprayer.

Abstract: A heat exchanger including a header having a plurality of header openings with rigid tubes that may be made of plastic are inserted in the openings. The tubes are sealed to the header to prevent leakage between the header and the tubes to prevent water and air leakage between the wet, scavenger air stream flowing through the tubes and a dry air stream flowing around the tubes. A method of making the heat exchanger includes providing the openings with a flange and uses an interference fit between the rigid heat exchange tubes and the header openings. A self-leveling sealant may be used to seal the heat exchanger tubes to the header using, for example, a paint roller and/or a paint sprayer.