Process and device for producing a current of humid air
AssigneeRoche Diagnostics Operations, Inc.
InventorsHans-Juergen Mueller, Karl-Heinz Mann
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Process and device for generating a current of humid air having a defined relative humidity comprising the steps of generating a current of air in a tubing arrangement, generating hot water vapor, introducing the water vapor into the air current to generate flowing hot humid air, passing the hot humid air through a water separator while lowering the temperature of the humid air below the dew point temperature to generate saturated humid air having a defined temperature, heating the humid air coming from the water separator above the defined temperature to achieve a defined relative humidity, and discharging the humid air from the tubing arrangement as a current of humid air having a relative humidity of not less than 80%.
Claims8
A device for generating a current of humid air, the device comprising:
- a source of compressed air to generate an air current in a tubing arrangement,
- a source of steam for providing hot water vapor,
- a mixer for introducing the water vapor into the air current,
- a water separator comprising a water condenser that can be thermostated to cool the humid air coming from the mixer to below a dew point temperature to generate saturated humid air having a defined temperature,
- a discharger for discharging the humid air, the discharger comprising a tube area downstream of the water separator, the tube area having a temperature adjusting apparatus adapted to heat the humid air coming from the water separator to above the defined temperature to achieve a relative humidity of not less that 80% in the discharged humid air, and
- a pressure control apparatus which comprises at least one pressure sensor for registering the pressure in the tube area and an adjuster for influencing a supply of compressed air from the compressed air source in accordance with a deviation of an actual pressure from a target pressure in the tube area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.