Air purification device for air handling units

Abstract

An air handling unit having a unique air treatment device, and a method for retrofitting existing air handling units to include the air treatment device. The air handling unit comprises a casing defining a space for conditioning air, and forming an inlet and an outlet; a cooling coil supplied by a central chiller system and disposed inside the casing for cooling air therein; a sump located below the cooling unit for collecting liquid condensate on the cooling coil; and a supply air blower for drawing air into the casing, through the inlet, and forcing air through the cooling coil and outward through the outlet. The air handling unit further comprises a spray header secured inside the casing, adjacent the cooling coil; and a pumping system connected to the sump and to the spray header for delivering liquid solution from the sump and pumping the solution to and through the spray header, wherein the spray header flows the solution onto the cooling coil and the solution flows downward over the cooling coil and into the sump below, and the solution treats the air flowing through the cooling coil. In a preferred embodiment, the liquid solution is an anti-bacteria solution, and the solution kills bacteria in the air forced through the cooling coil structure. Also, in this preferred embodiment, the cooling coil is of the plate-fin type—that is, the coil is comprised of a serpentine shaped coil extending between two parallel end plates or supports, with a series of thin, parallel fins or plates mounted on the coil, and for example, these fins may be spaced apart from ⅛ inch to {fraction (3/32)} inch. With these features, the spray header and the cooling coil may be used to develop and to maintain continuously a liquid filter that forces contact between the liquid spray and even very small particulates in the air stream. As a result, the liquid spray air treatment device is able to kill even extremely small bacteria such as anthrax.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.