Evaporative cooling system for poultry houses and the like

An evaporative cooling system for poultry houses and the like, comprising:

• a reservoir disposed adjacent to an open portion of an associated poultry house, and configured to communicate with a source of cooling water, and flow cooling water through at least a portion of said system;
• at least one evaporative pad configured to flow cooling water generally vertically therethrough and ambient air generally horizontally therethrough;
• said pad having a lower end thereof disposed directly above said reservoir to drain cooling water from said lower end of said pad into said reservoir, and an upper end thereof configured to receive cooling water thereon;
• a fan disposed on one side of said pad and adapted to flow ambient air through said pad in a generally horizontal direction to evaporate a portion of the cooling water flowing generally vertically through said pad, and thereby lower the temperature of the ambient air, and subsequently flow the cooled ambient air into an interior portion of the poultry house;
• a header disposed above and along said upper end of said pad, and including
• a water distribution conduit configured to flow cooling water longitudinally therethrough, and including a plurality of orifices positioned along the length of said conduit and shaped to emit streams of water cooling therefrom in a generally outwardly direction;
• a deflector extending generally above and outwardly of said conduit, and having a generally hood-shaped, predetermined configuration which deflects the streams of cooling water emitted from said orifices, and disburses the same in a predetermined pattern onto and across said upper end of said pad;
• and
• a base disposed generally below said conduit and having a first connector thereon;
• and
• a pad retainer having a first portion thereof operably connected with an upper portion of said pad, and a second portion thereof having a second connector configured to mate with said first connector on said base to securely, yet detachably, mount said pad retainer on said base of said header and thereby retain said pad in a generally vertical orientation.

A method for making an evaporative cooling system for poultry houses and the like, comprising the steps of:

• forming a reservoir with a configuration adapted to communicate with a source of cooling water, and flow cooling water through at least a portion of the system;
• providing a plurality of first evaporative pads having upper and lower ends, a first predetermined thickness measured between opposite side faces thereof, and a configuration which permits cooling water to flow generally vertically therethrough and ambient air to flow generally horizontally therethrough;
• providing a plurality of second evaporative pads having upper and lower ends, a second predetermined thickness measured between opposite side faces thereof which is different than the predetermined thickness of the first pads, and a configuration which permits cooling water to flow generally vertically therethrough and ambient air to flow generally horizontally therethrough;
• forming a header with a water distribution conduit configured to flow cooling water longitudinally therethrough, and including a plurality of orifices positioned along the length of the conduit and shaped to emit streams of water cooling therefrom in a generally outwardly direction, and a deflector extending generally above and outwardly of the conduit, and having a generally hood-shaped, predetermined configuration which deflects the streams of cooling water emitted from the orifices, and is adapted to disburse the same in a predetermined pattern onto and across the upper end of at least one of the first and second pads;
• forming a flexible living hinge along the deflector at a location which permits the predetermined configuration of the deflector and the predetermined spray pattern to be varied to accommodate use of either one of the first and second pads with the header;
• forming a plurality of first pad retainers with first portions thereof configured to engage upper portions of the first pads, and lower portions thereof configured for operable connection with the header to retain the first pads in a generally vertical orientation;
• forming a plurality of second pad retainers with first portions thereof configured to engage upper portions of the second pads, and lower portions thereof configured for operable connection with the header to retain the second pads in a generally vertical orientation;
• mounting the reservoir adjacent to an open portion of an associated poultry house;
• communicating the reservoir with a source of cooling water;
• selecting at least one of the first and second pads in accordance with predetermined cooling requirements of the poultry house;
• positioning the selected pad generally above the reservoir, such that the lower end of the selected pad is positioned directly above the reservoir to drain cooling water exiting from the lower end of the selected pad into the reservoir;
• mounting the header along the upper end of the selected pad;
• selecting at least one of the first and second pad retainers according to the predetermined thickness of the selected pad;
• operatively connecting the upper portion of the selected pad retainer with the upper portion of the selected pad, and operatively connecting the lower portion of the selected pad retainer with the header to retain the selected pad in a generally vertical orientation above the reservoir;
• flexing the deflector along the living hinge into a predetermined configuration which deflects the streams of cooling water emitted from the orifices, and disburses the same in a predetermined pattern onto and across the upper end of the selected pad;
• and
• operably connecting the deflector with the selected pad retainer to retain the deflector in the predetermined configuration.

A method for making an evaporative cooling system for poultry houses and the like, comprising the steps of:

• forming a reservoir with a configuration adapted to communicate with a source of cooling water, and flow cooling water through at least a portion of the system;
• providing a plurality of first evaporative pads having upper and lower ends, a first predetermined thickness measured between opposite side faces thereof, and a configuration which permits cooling water to flow generally vertically therethrough and ambient air to flow generally horizontally therethrough;
• providing a plurality of second evaporative pads having upper and lower ends, a second predetermined thickness measured between opposite side faces thereof which is different than the predetermined thickness of the first pads, and a configuration which permits cooling water to flow generally vertically therethrough and ambient air to flow generally horizontally therethrough;
• forming a header with a water distribution conduit configured to flow cooling water longitudinally therethrough, and including a plurality of orifices positioned along the length of the conduit and shaped to emit streams of water cooling therefrom in a generally outwardly direction, and a deflector extending generally above and outwardly of the conduit, and having a generally hood-shaped, predetermined configuration which deflects the streams of cooling water emitted from the orifices, and is adapted to disburse the same in a predetermined pattern onto and across the upper end of at least one of the first and second pads, and a base disposed generally below the conduit and having a first connector thereon;
• forming a plurality of first pad retainers with upper portions thereof configured to engage upper portions of the first pads, and lower portions thereof with second connectors configured to mate with the first connector on the base of the header;
• forming a plurality of second pad retainers with upper portions thereof configured to engage upper portions of the second pads, and lower portions thereof with second connectors configured to mate with the first connector on the base of the header;
• mounting the reservoir adjacent to an open portion of an associated poultry house;
• communicating the reservoir with a source of cooling water;
• selecting at least one of the first and second pads in accordance with predetermined cooling requirements of the poultry house;
• positioning the selected pad generally above the reservoir, such that the lower end of the selected pad is positioned directly above the reservoir to drain cooling water exiting from the lower end of the selected pad into the reservoir;
• mounting the header along the upper end of the selected pad;
• selecting at least one of the first and second pad retainers according to the predetermined thickness of the selected pad;
• and
• operatively connecting the upper portion of the selected pad retainer with the upper portion of the selected pad, and detachably connecting the second connector on the lower portion of the selected pad retainer with the first connector on the base of the header to securely, yet detachably, mount the same thereon, and thereby retain the selected pad in a generally vertical orientation above the reservoir.