Multi-wash spray booth and method of capturing air borne particles

A multiple water wash spray booth comprising, in combination,

• a spraying section having an open-faced front user portal with grated flooring means, and air circulating means in the ceiling of the spraying section for circulating air from the open-faced front toward the rear of the user portal;
• an air cleaning section comprising
• first water wash means underlying the grated flooring means of the spraying section and comprising spillway means sloping downward from the front toward the rear of the spraying section, and means for introducing a continuous thin sheet of water uniformly across the spillway means;
• second water wash means at the rear of the spraying section having a plurality of baffle surfaces extending across the width of the spraying section from the top thereof toward the spillway means with a space therebehind, the bottoms of the baffle surfaces and surface of the spillway means defining a space therebetween, and means for introducing a continuous thin sheet of water across the baffle surfaces;
• third water wash means comprising deflector plate means and means for introducing a continuous thin sheet of water across the surface of the deflector plate, ramp means sloping downwardly from the space between the spillway means and the lower edge of the baffle surfaces, the surface of the ramp being in spaced relationship with the lower edge of the deflector plate to define a throat to increase the air flow velocity to lift water to form a mixture of air and water to wet air borne particles;
• water reservoir means below the water washes to collect the water flowing from the water washes and for contacting downwardly directed air;
• means defining an upwardly extending passageway for the air after the air has contacted the water reservoir means;
• means disposed in the upwardly extending passageway for removing moisture from the air, and
• means for circulating air through the spray booth.

In a spray booth for capturing air borne particles by wetting the same with a liquid, said spray booth comprising:

• a housing having a spraying chamber in which will be present air borne spray particles,
• a first vertical baffle wash means having a plurality of staggered baffle plates through which a first air stream flows rearwardly in a generally horizontal path from the spray chamber,
• water application means for flowing a cascade of water down the baffle plates for trapping air borne spray particles being carried by the first air stream,
• a ceiling in said housing and including air flow means associated therewith for blowing air across the ceiling and rearwardly toward said baffle wash means to join in the first air stream,
• a floor in said spray chamber having air flow passages therethrough through which a second air stream flows in a downward path through the floor passages, means for directing the first air stream downwardly and means for directing the second air stream rearwardly to converge, throat means for raising the velocity of the air streams sufficiently to lift water to wet air borne particles, and
• a turbulent liquid wash means for receiving the first and second air streams and for mixing the same turbulently with liquid particles to form a turbulent water and an air wash for removing air borne particles.

In a spray booth for capturing air borne particles by wetting the same with a liquid, said spray booth comprising:

• a housing having a spraying chamber in which will be present air borne spray particles,
• a first vertical baffle wash means having a plurality of staggered baffle plates through which a first air stream flows in a generally horizontal path from the spray chamber,
• water application means for flowing a cascade of water down the panels for trapping air borne spray particles being carried by the first air stream,
• a floor in said spray chamber having air flow passages therethrough through which a second air stream flows in a downward path through the floor passages,
• a second wash means for washing the second air stream for removing air borne spray particles from the second air stream,
• a turbulent liquid wash means for receiving the first and second air streams and for mixing the same turbulently with liquid particles to form a turbulent water and an air wash for removing air borne particles,
• an eliminator passage in said housing for receiving the air from the turbulent wash means and for eliminating liquid particles carried by air flowing prior to discharge of the air from the booth,
• said turbulent liquid wash means comprising an air flow throat into which flow the first and second air streams with the velocity of the combined air streams being raised to high velocity of at least about 4000 fpm and in which liquid from said first and second wash means flows into said throat and a substantial portion thereof becomes air borne by the high velocity air and the air borne liquid is swirled turbulently after leaving said throat to wet air borne spray particles,
• said second wash means comprising a downwardly inclined surface with liquid flowing therealong into the throat and in which water lift means are provided at the throat to cause the liquid to leave the inclined surface.