# US 10,760,797 B2 · Air or spray washer for air conditioning units > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,760,797 B2 - Document ID: US10760797B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/205,385 - Filed: 2018-11-30 - Published: 2019-05-30 - Granted: 2020-09-01 - Earliest claimed: 2017-11-30 - Applicants: Grahame Ernest Maisey; Beverly Milestone - Inventors: Grahame Ernest Maisey; Beverly Milestone - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10760797B2 ## CPC - F24F 3/1417: {with liquid hygroscopic desiccants} - F24F 5/0014: {using absorption or desorption} - F24F 6/14: using nozzles - F24F 12/001: {with heat-exchange between supplied and exhausted air} - F24F 2006/143: {using pressurised air for spraying} - F24F 2006/146: {using pressurised water for spraying} - Y02B 30/54: Free-cooling systems - F24F: AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING (removing dirt or fumes from areas where they are produced B08B15/00; vertical ducts for carrying away waste gases from buildings E04F17/02; tops for chimneys or ventilating shafts, terminals for flues F23L17/02) - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract A system for purifying and pre-conditioning intake air in an air conditioning unit comprises an energy exchange unit having an air inlet, an air outlet, a primary air flow running from the air inlet to the air outlet, and an active energy exchanging element or elements, and at least one spray washer having at least one nozzle, the spray washer positioned between the air inlet and the next active element, wherein the at least one spray washer is configured to dispense droplets of a fluid into the intake air from the at least one nozzle. A method for purifying and pre-conditioning intake air in an air conditioning unit is also described. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A spray-type system for pre-filtering, pre-purifying, and pre-conditioning intake air in a liquid desiccant air conditioning unit, comprising: an energy exchange unit having an air inlet, an air outlet, a primarily horizontal air flow running from the air inlet to the air outlet, and at least one next active energy exchanging element; and at least one spray washer having at least one nozzle oriented in a direction opposite the primarily horizontal air flow, the spray washer positioned between the air inlet and the at least one next active energy exchanging element; wherein the at least one spray washer is configured to dispense droplets of liquid desiccant in a direction opposite the primarily horizontal air flow into the intake air from the at least one nozzle, pre-filtering, pre-purifying, and pre-conditioning the intake air; wherein the at least one next active energy exchanging element is vertically oriented. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one eliminator element positioned between the spray washer and the at least one next active energy exchanging element, wherein the at least one eliminator element is configured to trap droplets of the liquid desiccant prior to the at least one next active energy exchanging element; wherein the at least one eliminator element is vertically oriented. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, further comprising at least one sump configured to catch the droplets of the liquid desiccant. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, the at least one sump comprising a first sump positioned below the spray washer and a second sump positioned below at least one of the next active energy exchanging elements. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the eliminator element or the spray washer is configured as a heat exchanger to change the temperature of the primary air flow. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the energy exchange unit is selected from the group consisting of a conditioner unit and a recovery/regeneration unit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a second fluid dispenser configured to dispense a second fluid, different from the liquid desiccant, to the at least one next active energy exchanging element. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: a second active energy exchanging element; a first fluid dispenser configured to dispense the liquid desiccant to the next active energy exchanging element; and a second fluid dispenser configured to dispense a second fluid to the second active energy exchanging element. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the next active element is positioned substantially perpendicular to a primary air flow path. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a vertically-oriented media pad positioned between the at least one spray washer and the at least one next active energy exchanging element. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the spray washer is positioned as the first element encountered by the horizontal airflow after entering the inlet. ### Claim 12 A method of purifying intake air in an LDAC, comprising the steps of: driving a flow of intake air into an air inlet of an LDAC; rinsing the flow of intake air with droplets of liquid desiccant dispensed in a direction opposite the flow of intake air, from a spray washer; collecting a first quantity of droplets in a sump, positioned below the spray washer and a next active element selected from the group consisting of an eliminator element, a media pad, a membrane, and a coil; and driving the rinsed air toward the next active element. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of catching remaining droplets with the next active element; wherein the next active element is an eliminator element. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of changing the temperature of the liquid desiccant in the spray washer with a heat exchanger. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of changing the temperature of an element selected from the group consisting of the eliminator, a media pad, a membrane, and a coil with a heat exchanger. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of filtering a liquid comprising the first quantity of droplets and recirculating the filtered liquid into the spray washer. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising, after the rinsing step, driving the rinsed air through a vertically-oriented media pad before driving the rinsed air toward the next active element. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the spray washer is positioned as the first element encountered by the flow of intake air entering the inlet.