Self-contained system for scavenging contaminated air from above the water surface of an indoor swimming pool
OwnerRandy Carroll Baxterinventor
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Abstract
Apparatus and methods are disclosed for removing disinfectant by-product contaminants from the air above the water surface of an indoor swimming pool. The apparatus and methods employ a laminar piston-like mass of air that is continuously generated from one side of the pool, sweeps across the water surface of the pool to the opposite of the pool and is sucked away from the opposite side of the pool. The apparatus and methods are applicable to a modified perimeter gutter system and can employ air supply fans, air exhaust fans, specialized laminar air flow diffusers, associated plenums and ducting and contaminant strippers.
Claims21
A self-contained system for scavenging contaminated air from above the water surface of a swimming pool that is disposed indoors in controlled environmental air and that is defined in part by a first elongated pool edge along the length of one side of the pool and a second elongated pool edge displaced apart from and opposite the first pool edge, the system comprising:
- a. a fresh air intake;
- b. an air intake fan having a suction side and a pressure side, the suction side being connected to the fresh air intake;
- c. a laminar flow diffuser configured to deliver a laminar flow of air and extending along the length of the first pool edge, the laminar flow diffuser defining a plurality of orifices configured to distribute equally on a volumetric basis along the length of the laminar flow diffuser, the air flowing through said orifices;
- d. a pressure plenum disposed in flow communication between the pressure side of the air intake fan and the orifices of the laminar flow diffuser;
- e. a collection plenum extending along the length of the second pool edge and disposed in flow communication with the orifices of the laminar flow diffuser;
- f. an air exhaust fan having a suction side and a pressure side;
- g. an exhaust duct having one end and an opposite end, the one end connected to the collection plenum and the opposite end connected to the suction side of the air exhaust fan;
- and
- h. an external discharge duct having one end and an opposite end, the one end of the external discharge duct connected to the pressure side of the exhaust fan.
A method for scavenging contaminated air from above the water surface of a swimming pool that is disposed indoors in controlled environmental air and that is defined in part by a first elongated pool edge defining a pool deck above the water surface along the length of one side of the pool and a second elongated pool edge displaced apart from and opposite the first pool edge with a pool deck above the water surface, the method comprising:
- a. supplying a controlled-velocity laminar flow scavenging air mass from one side of the indoor swimming pool;
- b. directing the controlled-velocity laminar flow scavenging air mass across the water surface of the indoor swimming pool to push contaminated air from above the water surface of the swimming pool toward the opposite second pool edge of the indoor swimming pool;
- c. collecting in a collection plenum disposed along the second pool edge of the indoor swimming pool the contaminated air pushed by the controlled-velocity laminar flow scavenging air mass across the water surface of the indoor swimming pool toward the opposite second pool edge of the indoor swimming pool;
- and
- d. using an air exhaust fan having its suction side connected to the collection plenum to suck the contaminated air from the collection plenum into an external discharge duct having one end connected to the pressure side of the air exhaust fan.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.