Method and apparatus for dispelling fog
AssigneeEsmond & Clifford, Inc.
InventorsJack B. Esmond, Norihiko Fukuta
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Fog is dispelled from a site by passing fog-laden air into a drying unit where it is contacted with an aqueous solution of calcium chloride under conditions which effectuate absorption of the water particles and some water from the air effective to increase the temperature of the air and dry it to a predetermined relative humidity range, then discharging the dried heated air from the unit into fog-laden air at the site to effectuate vaporization of suspended water particles and associated cooling of the discharged air without development of thermals of the discharged air sufficient to create substantial circulation of fog-laden air into the site.
Claims18
Apparatus for dispelling fog from a site, which comprises
- a chamber having an inlet and outlet,
- a media disposed in the chamber between the inlet and outlet providing surface for contact of fog-laden air with an aqueous solution of calcium chloride,
- means operatively associated with said chamber for distributing an aqueous solution of calcium chloride onto said media, and
- means operatively associated with said chamber for moving fog-laden air into said chamber through said media and out said chamber outlet as dried discharge air.
A method of clearing foggy air, which comprises:
- providing (i) a chamber having an inlet and an outlet, and (ii) a media across said chamber between said inlet and outlet providing surface for contact of fog-laden air with an aqueous solution of calcium chloride,
- distributing an aqueous solution of calcium chloride having a temperature not cooler than said foggy air onto said media for gravity flow down said media,
- moving said foggy air into said chamber from said inlet and through said media for intimate contact with said calcium chloride solution on said media whereby particulate water and some water vapor is absorbed from said foggy air, thereby drying the air and releasing heat of absorption to said air, raising the temperature of said air, and
- moving heated, dried, fog-free air from said media through said outlet.
A method of clearing foggy air having a temperature in the range from about 10.degree. C. to about 20.degree. C. and containing from about 0.1 to about 0.5 grams per cubic meter of particulate moisture, which comprises:
- providing (i) an elongate chamber having an inlet and an outlet, and (ii) a media across the elongate direction of said chamber between said inlet and outlet, said media providing surface for contact of fog-laden air with an aqueous solution of calcium chloride,
- distributing an aqueous solution of calcium chloride having a temperature approximating and not cooler than the temperature of said foggy air, onto said media for gravity movement down said media,
- moving foggy air into said chamber from said inlet and through said media for intimate contact with said solution of calcium chloride on said media, whereby from about 5.1 to about 5.5 grams per cubic meter of particulate and vapor moisture is removed from the fog-laden air by absorption, thereby releasing heat of absorption to said air, raising the temperature of said air about 5.degree. C., and
- moving heated, dried, fog-free air from said media through said outlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.