The present invention refers to a system for the vaporization
of liquids, in particular for cooling and/or humidifying environments.
Systems for cooling and humidifying environments by vaporization
of water are known. The water is brought to high pressure and supplied to the sprayers
which vaporize the water.
Normally the use of such systems requires the dimensioning
of the same based on the area of the environment to be conditioned and an installation
that is not simple to implement.
US-A-2003111746
,
US-A-6237896
and
WO-A-0218162
disclose liquid vaporization systems according to the preamble of claim
1.
In view of the state of the art herein described, scope
of the present invention is to provide a system for the vaporization of liquids
that has simple application and easy installation.
According to the present invention, such scope is attained
by means of a liquid vaporization system as recited in claim 1.
Owing to the present invention it is possible to provide
a liquid vaporization system with easy installation since not directly connected
with the water network. The tank filled with the liquid can easily be carried (owing
to the wheels) on site, possibly be connected with the power supply for the operation
of the pump, and put in operation. In this way the system can be placed in any environment
inside or outside and it can be moved easily. The tank is preferably filled with
the liquid for an autonomy of half a day or even one day and more.
In addition, the number of nozzles can be variable owing
to the opportune pressure/capacity control valve connected with the pump, which
allows its wide variation and therefore the preventive dimensioning of the system
based on the environment to be conditioned is not required. The control valve discharges
the excess liquid in the container, therefore a pump thus made has low electric
and water consumptions.
Favourably, when the liquid, which normally is water, is
added and/or replaced by scents or for example by products such as solar protections,
the system can also carry out other very interesting functions.
The characteristics and the advantages of the present invention
will become evident from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof,
which is illustrated as a non limiting example in the enclosed drawings, in which:
- Figure 1 shows liquid vaporization system which does not include all features
of an example of the present invention;
- Figure 2 shows an additional example of liquid vaporization system;
- Figure 3 shows a scheme of a traditional pumping system;
- Figure 4 shows a scheme of a pumping system according to the present invention;
- Figure 5 shows a liquid vaporization system according to a variation of the
present invention.
In figure 1 a container 10 is shown, with cylindrical,
parallelepiped or other shape, provided with wheels 11 and relative stopping brakes
12.
The container 10 comprises a bottom area 13 destined to
contain a liquid 14, and a top area 15 delimited by the bottom area 13 below, by
an interstice 16.
Toward the top end of the bottom area 13 (just under the
interstice 16) a valve 17 for the inlet of liquid 14 is placed, which is provided
with float 18 for the closing of the same valve 17.
A bottom valve 19 is connected, through a tube 20, with
a filter 21 and therefore with a pump 22, driven by a motor 23. The pump 22 and
the motor 23 are arranged in the top area 15, and rest on the interstice 16.
A delivery pipe 24, which exits the container 10, connects
the pump 22 with a distributor 25 and therefore with a plurality of nozzles 26.
The nozzles 26 diffuse vaporised water 27 in the environment.
The pump 22 comprises a manometer 28 for the control of
the pressure of output of the pump, and a governor of capacity 29 connected with
a pipe 30 for the discharge of the excess liquid in the bottom area 13.
The bottom area 13 of the container 10 gets filled with
liquid 14 through the head valve 17. Other systems for the charge of liquid 14 can
be used.
For example, the valve 17 is connected with the water network
for the charging, and once the bottom area 13 of the container 10 gets filled with
liquid, it gets disconnected from the water network.
The dimensions of the bottom area 13 are to be determined
based on the use that one wants to have. For example, if four nozzles 26 are used,
capable to supply vaporised water at a flow of 1,5 l/h, and the system is to be
used for 8 consecutive hours, the bottom area 13 must be capable to contain at least
48 1.
The liquid is taken from the bottom area 13, it passes
in the tube 20, into the filter 21 and therefore it gets to the pump 22. This brings
the liquid to high pressure and the delivery pipe 24 provides the high pressure
liquid to the nozzles 26, which can be from 1 to multiple, connected with the tube
24 through the distributor 25, which comprises an inlet and a plurality of outlets
to which the nozzles 26 get connected. Opportune tubes (shown) connected between
the distributor 25 and the nozzles 26 allow the space distribution of the same nozzles
26, for a better distribution of the vaporised water 27 in the environment.
Based on the number of nozzles 26 present in the system
and by controlling the manometer 28, the capacity/pressure through the governor
of capacity 29 is typically set at a pressure of 70 bars, (which however also depends
on the outlet hole of the nozzles 26). The excess liquid, in the pump 22, gets discharged
by means of the discharge pipe 30 in the bottom area 13.
The liquid 14 used is preferably water but it can be any
other liquid, and in particular it can be added with perfuming, disinfesting elements,
disinfectants, sun protectants, etc according to the use one wants to have.
The peculiarity of the system is that, once charged with
liquid, by temporarily connecting it to the water network, owing to the wheels 11
it can be carried in any environment without the need of any particular installation.
It only needs a supply for the motor 23. The motor 23 is preferably supplied by
power supply, but, given its low consumption, it can also be supplied by batteries
with opportune capacity.
An alternative example of liquid vaporization sytem is
the one shown in Figure 2 where the delivery pipe 24 does not come out of the container
10, as the distributor 25 and therefore the plurality of nozzles 26 is placed directly
on the container 10 in its top area 15. The number of nozzles 26 and their arrangement
are such so that the vaporised water 27 is directed towards one or more sides of
the container 10. Possibly the portion of the container 10 where the nozzles 26
are located can have a smaller diameter than the diameter of the entire container.
The pump 22 is a pump with pistons preferably with high
pressure having peculiarities as compared with traditional pumps.
In Figure 3 a scheme of a conventional pumping system is
shown. A delivery pipe 40 takes liquid to the pump 41. At the outlet (in some pumps
also inside) of the pump 41 a bypass valve 42 and therefore a non-backflow valve
43 is placed. The liquid in pressure is therefore supplied to the output tube 44.
The liquid backflowing from the bypass valve 42 is made recirculate in the same
pump 41 by means of a backflow tube 45.
This pumping system defines the outflow pressure by adjusting
the bypass 42. The adjustment of the pressure, in this case, can take place in limited
way. In addition, a quantity of liquid is made recirculate inside the pump with
the consequence of a greater effort on behalf of the same and therefore of increase
in temperature and a greater energy consumption.
According to the present invention a pumping system as
the one shown in Figure 4 has favourably been used.
A delivery pipe 40 takes liquid to the pump 41. At the
output of the pump 41, the liquid in pressure is supplied to the outlet tube 44.
A valve for the regulation of the capacity 46 is placed on the backflow tube 47.
In this case the bypass valve 42 and the non-backflow valve
43 are not present.
The bypass is not necessary any more since the pressure/capacity
of the liquid is now adjusted by the valve 46. The non-backflow valve 43 is not
necessary any more since even if there were backflow liquid, it would pass in the
backflow tube 47 and not in the pump 41.
The capacity regulation valve 46, comprises a micrometric
governor which allows the adjustment of the flow of the recirculation water in the
tube 47 and consequently the capacity/pressure in the outflow tube 44. The backflow
liquid from the capacity regulation valve 46 is made recirculate, not in the pump
41, but outside the same pump 41, by means of the backflow tube 47.
In Figure 4 the tube 47 takes the liquid back in the tube
40, that is in the part of the circuit at low pressure.
With reference to Figures 1 and 2, the discharge pipe 30
discharges in the bottom area 13 of the container 10, the excess liquid.
This pumping system defines the outflow pressure by adjusting
the capacity regulation valve 46, which by means of a micrometric adjustment makes
a setting within a wide pressure/capacity interval possible. In addition, since
there is no recirculation internal to the pump, the latter does not have the disadvantages
of the traditional pumps and therefore, in spite of the wide pressure/capacity setting
interval, it is possible to use a pump with smaller dimensions.
The container 10, which encloses both the liquid and the
pumping system, in the embodiment above described, has cylindrical appearance with
its height greater than its diameter. Containers 10 having other shapes are possible,
as for example with parallelepiped shape with a base with length greater than its
height. In this case the pumping system, beside the possibility to be placed on
the interstice 16, above the liquid 14, can also be placed next to a container for
the liquid.
According to a favourable embodiment of the present invention,
if a forced ventilation system is combined with the nozzles 26 the outflowing vapourised
jet is made faster and therefore capable to cover a greater distance. More in particular,
particular advantages are obtained if a tube with opportune diameter and for example
equal to approximately 0,5 cm is mechanically placed next to each nozzle 26, having
the open end at the same level as the outflow hole of the nozzle 26, and compressed
air is supplied to this tube for example with a pressure approximately comprised
between 2 and 5 bars.
The compressed air can be generated by a pump placed next
to the pump 22.
A liquid vaporization system according to the invention
is the one rendered in Figure 5.
A transportable undercarriage 50 comprising two wheels
51 and two legs 52 supports a bottom structure 53, not strictly necessary, which
contains liquid 54. On one side of the bottom structure 53 a valve 17 for the inflow
of liquid 54 is placed, followed by a filter 56 and a float 57 comprehensive of
a closing valve.
A top structure 58, is hinged on pins 59 of the bottom
structure 53, on which it can rotate. The top structure 58 contains a motor 60,
which drives a pump 61 and a fan 62. From the pump 61 a delivery pipe 62 for the
liquid at high pressure exits. Such tube 62 is connected with a distributor 63 and
therefore with a plurality of nozzles 64, which extend from the top structure according
to a preset direction. The pump 61 also comprises a manometer 65, a flow adjuster
66 connected with a discharge pipe 67. The discharge pipe 67 discharges the excess
liquid into the bottom structure 53. A tube for the intake 68 of the liquid gets
liquid from the bottom structure 53 and it supplies it to the pump 61. A tube for
the recovery 69 of the condensation or dripping liquid of the top structure 58 connects
the same with the bottom structure 53.
The fan 62 is positioned so as to supply a flow of air
according to the direction preset for the nozzles 64. The top structure 58, in proximity
of the nozzles 64, has an open zone, in order to make so that the flow of air increases
the speed of the flow of vapourised liquid outflowing from the nozzles 64.
The fan 62 is driven directly by the motor 60 and is located
on its same axis, preferably upstream of the motor 60 and of the pump 61. A single
motor 60 drives both the pump 61 and the fan 62.
Therefore, the fan 62, in addition to increasing the speed
of the flow of liquid outflowing from the nozzles 24, allows the cooling of the
motor 60.
