Abstract: An airhouse for supplying conditioned air to the interior area of an enclosed building. The airhouse incorporates one or more blowers having variable speed controllers enabling them to be operated at variable volumetric flow rates. The airhouse housing includes variable area dampers for controlling the inlet of outside or building return air. A dedicated controller is provided for adjusting the inlet areas of the two inlet pathways to provide a constant flow velocity through a direct fire burner through a range of blower volumetric output settings. In addition the units may include variable area diffuser units which tend to maintain constant discharge velocity pressure at various blower volumetric flow rate settings. In addition various control and operating strategies are provided for the individual airhouse units and a distributed array of such units in a large building structure controlled by a central computer.

Abstract: An airhouse for supplying conditioned air to the interior of an enclosed building. Matched twin blowers symmetrically arranged within the airhouse enclosure are operated in unison to insure a balanced air flow into the airhouse and through the blowers. A burner unit mounted intermediate the blowers is flanked by matching outside air inlets having controllable dampers, preferably of a canister-type, operable in opposition. A building return air inlet located midway between the blowers likewise has canister-type dampers operable in opposition. The blowers may be independent and operated at the same speed by separate drive means, or they may be mounted on a common shaft operated by a single drive means. A controller may be provided for varying the speed of the drive means. In one embodiment dampers may be provided for the building air outlets along with dampered openings from the blower enclosures to the external atmosphere for rapidly expelling contaminated air from the building interior.

Abstract: An evaporative humidification unit of modular construction readily adapted for assembly in selected configurations is provided. The configuration or array required for a particular installation is determined, and a supporting framework for the configuration is assembled from a selection of standardized structural components. The framework defines an array of compartments for basket or container units containing discrete, randomly-oriented flow-diffusing packing elements. The front and rear faces and floor of the basket units are mesh covered whereby air may be drawn transversely through the mass of diffusing elements while water is flowing downwardly therethrough. Spray units are positioned above the baskets for spraying water onto the mass of diffusing elements, and a collection pan is located beneath each basket for collecting and carrying away water which flows downwardly through the mass.

Abstract: A system for maintaining atmospheric conditions in an enclosed building within desired parameters and rapidly evacuating abnormally high amounts of airborne pollutants from localized areas of the building. Conditioned air, including sufficient outside air, is continuously admitted to the building interior from a plurality of air handling units disposed about the building to maintain the interior of the building under a slight positive pressure throughout. The air handling units, at least in areas where concentrations of airborne contaminants are generated include, in addition to outside air and building air inlets and a building air outlet, an outlet exhausting to the outside. Sensors and/or scanning units located throughout the building monitor various atmospheric conditions and transmit signals indicative of the noted conditions to a central computer.

Abstract: Airhouses for supplying conditioned air in controlled amounts to the interior of large enclosed buildings. An improved air inlet, burner and damper construction adapted for utilization with both newly constructed and existing airhouses is provided. A burner assembly and an outside air inlet are incorporated in a unit adapted to be affixed to the airhouse. A building return air inlet provides communication between the airhouse and the interior of the building. Shear dampers or valves of equal flow capacity varying linearly between open and closed positions are provided in the outside and building return air inlets. The dampers are controllably interconnected to operate in opposition so as to admit a uniform combined volume of outside air and building return air to the airhouse. The burner assembly and outside air and building return air inlets are sized so that air entering the airhouse through the burner unit and the outside and return air inlets are at substantially equal velocities.

Abstract: In an industrial building housing a production operation utilizing a liquid material exposed to the atmosphere, a relationship is maintained between the plant atmosphere and the liquid material whereby the atmosphere is not receptive to vaporized or atomized portions of the liquid. The building is maintained under a slight positive pressure throughout to prevent random and uncontrolled infiltration of outside atmosphere. The temperature and relative humidity of the building atmosphere and the temperature of the liquid are closely monitored and maintained at levels relative to one another which assure that the building atmosphere is not receptive to evaporated or atomized liquid. Air handling units for supplying conditioned air to the building interior include heat exchangers and evaporators for regulating the wet bulb and dry bulb temperatures of the air being admitted to the building interior, and thus the temperature and relative humidity of the atmosphere within the building.

Abstract: An improved system for maintaining atmospheric conditions within prescribed parameters throughout the interior of a building. The building interior is essentially an enclosed system and sufficient outside air is admitted through air handling units to continuously maintain the interior of the building under a slight positive pressure throughout. Controllable vents are provided at strategic locations around the perimeter of the building, and sensing units are located throughout the building to continuously monitor atmospheric conditions such as temperature, humidity, and the level of particulates and pollutants. The sensing units or monitoring stations are periodically polled by a central computer, with signals from each station providing an indication of atmospheric conditions at that station. The signals representing existing atmospheric conditions are compared with stored data indicative of prescribed parameters for desired atmospheric conditions at the stations.

Abstract: An improved system for maintaining atmospheric conditions within prescribed parameters throughout the interior of a building. The building interior is essentially an enclosed system and sufficient outside air is admitted through air handling units to continuously maintain the interior of the building under a slight positive pressure throughout. Controllable vents are provided at strategic locations around the perimeter of the building, and sensing units are located throughout the building to continuously monitor atmospheric conditions such as temperature, humidity, and the level of particulates and pollutants. The sensing units or monitoring stations are periodically polled by a central computer, with signals from each station providing an indication of atmospheric conditions at that station. The signals representing existing atmospheric conditions are compared with stored data indicative of prescribed parameters for desired atmospheric conditions at the stations.