US 4,773,471 AGranted

Integrated water misting heating and cooling system for poultry buildings or the like

OwnerAce A. Grant, Vivian M. Grantinventors

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Abstract

A heating and cooling system for improving the environment in buildings having a large open area, such as poultry buildings, utilizes an electronic ignition to control the temperature and humidity environment. The electronic ignition controls, in a pulsating fashion, the flow of gas feeding a pilot and burner and electrical powwer feeding electro-mechanical relays powering an assortment of blower, circulating fans, as well as a water pump used to distribute water to a water misting cooling arrangement coupled to a main blower and circulating fans to aid in cooling a building. The system includes a set of emergency cooling fans, thermal shut-down switch activates an alarm device to assure a safe and controlled environment in the building.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A heating and cooling system for installation within a poultry building, said poultry building having an electrical source, a pressurized gas fuel source and a pressurized water source available for utilization by said system, said system comprising:

(a) a main forced-air heating and cooling means having an inlet port and outlet port for heating and cooling and forcing conditioned air into a mainstream airflow pattern within said poultry building;
(b) a plurality of booster fan means, having an inlet end and an outlet end, positioned in said mainstream airflow pattern for boosting said conditioned air along said mainstream airflow pattern;
1(c) a plurality of direct contact air cooling means operatively associated with said plurality of booster fan means for aiding in further conditioning said forced conditioned air in said mainstream airflow pattern, said plurality of direct contact air cooling means by hydraulically coupled to a water pump coupled to said pressurized water source;
and
(d) a control means for electronically controlling the actuation of:
(i) a plurality of gas valves coupled to said pressurized gas source and to said main forced-air heating and cooling means,
(ii) a plurality of electrical relays coupled to said electrical source and to said main forced-air heating and cooling means and said plurality of booster fan means and
(iii) said water pump.

5 more elements

(a) a main forced-air heating and cooling means having an inlet port and outlet port for forcing conditioned air into a mainstream airflow pattern within said poultry building, said main forced-air heating and cooling means comprises,
(i) a heater member, said heater member comprising:
a plurality of gas valves, including a gas pilot valve and a main gas burner valve, said plurality of gas valves coupled to said pressurized gas fuel source,
a gas pilot member coupled to said gas pilot valve,
a gas burner coupled to said main gas burner valve,
a gas pilot light ignitor,
a pilot light sensor, and
a main burner flame sensor,
(ii) a fan means for forcibly moving air through said outlet port, said fan means including
a primary electric motor,
a shaft directly coupled at one end to said primary electric motor,
a fan blade assembly directly coupled at other end of said shaft and a primary electric motor control relay member,
(iii) a cooling means, said cooling means being hydraulically coupled to said pressurized water source,
(iv) an enclosure means for housing said heater member, said cooling means and said fan means, said enclosure means including an exterior portion defining said inlet port and an interior body portion including said outlet port,
(v) a first electric cable harness means for electrically interconnecting said electric source to said main forced-air heating and cooling means, and
(vi) at least one thermal limit switch for powering off said heating and cooling system and simultaneously activating an alarm system, said at least one thermal limit switch being mounted to said enclosure;
(b) a plurality of booster fans means, having an inlet end and an outlet end, positioned in said mainstream airflow pattern for boosting said conditioned air along said mainstream airflow pattern, each of said plurality of booster fans means comprises:
(i) a second electrical cable harness means for electrically interconnecting to said electric source and to said first electrical cable harness means,
(ii) an electric motor and fan assembly,
(iii) a relay member, said electric motor and relay member being electrically coupled to said second electrical cable harness means,
(iv) a booster fan direct contact air cooling means, said booster fan direct contact air cooling means being hydraulically coupled to said pressurized water source, and
(v) a booster fan enclosure means, said booster fan enclosure means housing said second electric cable harness means, said electric motor and fan assembly, said relay member and said booster fan direct contact air cooling means, said booster fan enclosure means having a body portion defining said inlet end and said outlet end;
and
(c) a control means for electronically controlling the operation of said heating and cooling system, said control means comprising:
(i) a step down voltage source means coupled to said electrical source for supplying a control voltage to said control means,
(ii) a primary system control relay, said primary system control relay being electrically coupled to said electric power source for simultaneous actuation of:
said primary electric motor control relay, of each of said relay member in each of said plurality of booster fan means and also of a water pump relay member on a water pump coupled to said pressurized water source,
(iii) an electronic ignition control portion, said electronic ignition control portion being electrically coupled to said primary system control relay and to said heater member;
and
(iv) an electronic pulsating means coupled to said electronic ignition control portion for providing electrical power to said heating and cooling system according to a preset duty rate;
and
(d) an alarm system coupled to said thermal limit switch and said control means.

29 more elements

A method of conditioning air in a poultry building, said method comprising the steps of:

A. providing a heating and cooling system for said poultry building, said poultry building having an electrical source, a pressurized gas fuel source and a pressurized water source available for utilization by said system, said system comprising:
(a) a main force-air heating and cooling means having an inlet port and outlet port for forcing conditioned air into a mainstream airflow pattern within said poultry building, said main forced-air heating and cooling means comprises:
(i) a heater member, said heater member comprising:
a plurality of gas valves, including a gas pilot valve and a main gas burner valve, said plurality of gas valves coupled to said pressurized gas fuel source,
a gas pilot member coupled to said gas pilot valve,
a gas burner coupled to said main gas burner valve,
a gas pilot light ignitor,
a pilot light sensor, and
a main burner flame sensor,
(ii) a fan means for forcibly moving air through said outlet port, said fan means including:
a primary electric motor,
a shaft directly coupled at one end to said primary electric motor, and
a fan blade assembly directly coupled at other end of said shaft and a primary electric motor control relay member,
(iii) a cooling means, said cooling means being hydraulically coupled to said pressurized water source,
(iv) an enclosure means for housing said heater member, said cooling means and said fan means, said enclosure means including an exterior portion defining said inlet port and an interior body portion including said outlet port,
(v) a first electrical cable harness means for electrically interconnecting said electric source to said main forced-air heating and cooling means, and
(vi) at least one thermal limit switch for powering off said heating and cooling system and simultaneously activating an alarm system, said at least one thermal limit switch being mounted to said enclosure,
(b) a plurality of booster fans means, having an inlet end and an outlet end, positioned in said mainstream airflow pattern for boosting said conditioned air along said mainstream airflow pattern, each of said plurality of booster fans means comprises:
(i) a second electrical cable harness means for electrically interconnecting to said electric source and to said first electrical cable harness means,
(ii) an electric motor and fan assembly,
(iii) a relay member, said electric motor and relay member being electrically coupled to said second electrical cable harness means,
(iv) a booster fan direct contact air cooling means, said booster fan direct contact air cooling means being hydraulically coupled to said pressurized water source, and
(v) a booster fan enclosure means, said booster fan enclosure means housing said second electric cable harness means, said electric motor and fan assembly, said relay member and said booster fan direct contact air cooling means, said booster fan enclosure means having a body portion defining said inlet end and said outlet end,
(c) a control means for electronically controlling the operation of said heating and cooling system, said control means comprising:
(i) a step down voltage source means coupled to said electrical source for supplying a control voltage to said control means,
(ii) a primary system control relay, said primary system control relay being electrically coupled to said electric power source for simultaneous actuation of:
said primary electric motor control relay, of each of said relay member in each of said plurality of booster fan means and also of a water pump relay member on a water pump coupled to said pressurized water source,
(iii) an electronic ignition control portion, said electronic ignition control portion being electrically coupled to said primary system control relay and to said heater member, and
(iv) an electronic pulsating means coupled to said electronic ignition control portion for providing electrical power to said heating and cooling system according to a preset duty rate,
(v) a manual override switch means for manually powering off said water pump,
(vi) a thermostatic control means for controlling said plurality of gas valves, and
(d) an alarm system coupled to said thermal limit switch and said control means;
B. setting a desired on/off period on said electronic pulsating means;
C. positioning said manual override switch means to an on position;
D. setting said thermostatic control means according a desired environment temperature operating condition;
and
E. energizing said system by applying power to said control means.

34 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.