WO2009098680A2

WO2009098680A2 - Cooling tower nozzle

Info

Publication number: WO2009098680A2
Application number: PCT/IL2009/000124
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mark Mashevich
Original assignee: Yeda Research And Development Co.Ltd
Priority date: 2008-02-05
Filing date: 2009-02-02
Publication date: 2009-08-13
Also published as: WO2009098680A3

Abstract

A nozzle for a coolant bath of having an intake aperture that is elevated from a bottom of the bath so that dirt and debris that may collect at the bottom of the bath is below the opening of the nozzle.

Description

COOLING TOWER NOZZLE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the invention relate to cooling or air conditioning systems, and particularly to a nozzle to prevent debris from clogging a flow of coolant from a coolant bath to a cooling tower.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Industrial air conditioning units or other cooling systems may collect water or other coolant liquid in a bath or other collection area, and pass the water from the bath to a cooling tower, where the water is cooled before passing it through a condenser. Ideally the water or coolant should be kept at a stable temperature such as 4 — 6 ° C. In some systems the coolant circulates as part of a closed system so that it may be cooled, evaporated and condensed numerous times and may pass through a cooling system over and over again.

Such circulation may result in an accumulation of particles such as fibers, dirt, or other debris that may clog apertures or nozzles between a bath and a cooling tower. Clogs in such nozzle may decrease the flow of coolant to the cooling tower and may cause the bath to overflow or to operate at reduced efficiency.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Some embodiments of the invention may include a device having a nozzle for a coolant bath, where the nozzle has an elevated intake aperture to allow coolant into the nozzle, and where the aperture is above the bottom of the coolant bath. Some embodiments may include an elevated intake cylinder, where the aperture is at a top of the cylinder and water or coolant is channeled through the top of the intake aperture and down out of the coolant bath. In some embodiments, the device may include a flange to seal a hole in the bottom of the coolant bath, and where the nozzle is held in the hole. In some embodiments, the nozzle may be removable from the bottom of the bath. In some embodiments, the cylinder may be removed and reinserted into a nozzle and a height of the top of the cylinder and the intake aperture may be adjusted. In some embodiments, the intake aperture may be fixed at a height of from 10mm to

30mm above the bottom of the coolant bath. In some embodiments, the intake aperture may extend 20mm above a bottom of the bath. In some embodiments, a height of the intake may be adjusted to approximately more than half of a height or diameter of particulate debris or residue that collects at the bottom of the bath.

Embodiments of the invention may include a method of raising an intake aperture of a nozzle of a cooling bath above a bottom of the coolant bath, and drawing coolant from an elevated level of the bath. In some embodiments, the method may include inserting an upward extension into the nozzle, where the intake aperture is at the top of the extension.

Some embodiments of the method may include inserting and removing the upward extension of the nozzle.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE FIGURES

The subject matter regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. The invention, however, both as to organization and method of operation, together with features and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read with the accompanied drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an angled view of a nozzle in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an angled underside view of a nozzle in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; Fig. 3 is a view of a nozzle immersed in a coolant bath in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a side view of a nozzle with dimension measurements in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 5 is an underside view of a nozzle with dimension measurements in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

In the following description, various embodiments of the invention will be described. For purposes of explanation, specific examples are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of at least one embodiment of the invention. However, it will also be apparent to one skilled in the art that other embodiments of the invention are not limited to the examples described herein. Furthermore, well-known features may be omitted or simplified in order not to obscure embodiments of the invention described herein.

Reference is made to Figs. 1 and 2, an angled view and an angled underside view, respectively, of a nozzle in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Nozzle 100 may include an elevated intake aperture 102 surrounded by an immersed intake cylinder 104 having vertical ridges 106, a securing flange 108 that may surround and separate immersed intake cylinder 104 from output cylinder 110. Output cylinder 100 may surround output aperture 112 through which water may be released into a cooling tower. Some embodiments may not include ridges 106 or securing flange 108. Some embodiments may be shaped other than as a cylinder, such as a rectangle, oval or other shapes. In some embodiments, nozzle 100 may take any suitable shape and may not include a particular nozzle outlet format. For example a simple outlet from which water may flow into a lower portion of an air- conditioning system. In some embodiments, elevated intake aperture 102 may be removable from nozzle 100, and may be sold, installed or replaced as separate units.

In some embodiments, nozzle 100 may be fitted into a properly sized hole in for example a bottom of a coolant collecting receptacle or bath. In some embodiments, nozzle may be fitted from an underside of a cooling bath so that immersed cylinder 104 passes from under and through the hole in the bottom of the bath until flange 108 presses up against the bottom of the bath. In some embodiments, the hole in the bottom of the bath may include for example four properly spaced indentations into which vertical ridges 106 may be threaded and which may hold vertical ridges in a fixed orientation.

In operation, when installed, elevated intake aperture 102 of immersed cylinder 104 may be elevated or extended from a bottom of a coolant bath so that the top of intake aperture is elevated above a bottom of the coolant bath into which it is immersed. In some embodiments aperture 102 may covered with a screen, netting or other water permeable material to further allow water to pass through while keeping out debris.

Reference is made to Fig. 3, a diagram of a side view of a coolant bath having nozzles installed therein in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, hi some embodiments, one or more nozzles 100 may be installed in a bottom 402 of a coolant receptacle or bath 404, such that the tops of elevated intake apertures 102 are immersed in the coolant 406, but are elevated from the bottom 402 of the bath 404. Debris 408 that may collect in bath 404, may sink below the tops of the intake apertures 102, while such tops may remain clear of such debris 408.

In some embodiments, a bottom 402 of bath 404 and the debris 408 that may accumulate there may be cleaned by for example suction even while nozzles 100 continue to operate and draw coolant from a level of bath 404 that is above the accumulated debris 408. In some embodiments, debris may included for example mineral build-up, such as calcium build up that may accumulate in the bottom of bath 404.

Reference is made to Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, a side view and underside view of a nozzle in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In some embodiments, a height of intake cylinder 104 may be approximately 20 mm above a top of securing flange 108 which may have a thickness of approximately 4 mm. Elevation levels of from approximately 10mm to 30mm or more are also possible. Output cylinder 110 may extend approximately 23 mm below a bottom of securing flange 108, and vertical ridges 106 may end approximately 2 mm from a bottom of output cylinder 110. An inner diameter of intake cylinder may be approximately 20 mm, and its outer diameter may be approximately 25 mm. A diameter of flange 108 may extend approximately 60 mm until the beveled slope of flange and approximately 68 mm in total. Other measurements and dimensions are possible. In some embodiments, flange 108 may seal the hole in which nozzle 100 is installed to prevent liquid from seeping out of such hole other than through output aperture 112. In some embodiments, the nozzle unit may be inserted from an inside of the bath.

Some embodiments may not include an output cylinder 110. In some embodiments, one or both of the output cylinder 110 and intake cylinder 104 may be shaped other than as a cylinder. In some embodiments, the nozzle 100 may be removed and reinserted, such that during cleaning, the hole from which the nozzle 100 was removed may present a relatively wide opening into which dirt may easily flow and be collected from underneath.

In some embodiments a height of an intake aperture on nozzle 100 or on a cylinder, tube or upward extension or that can be inserted into nozzle 100 may depend on the size of debris that is likely to accumulate in a bottom of a coolant bath. For example, where debris in a coolant bath generally consists of flat chips of hardened mineral deposits, the height of the intake aperture may be for example half the height or diameter of a the flat chips so that a chip that comes nears a nozzle would generally tip away from the inside of the aperture and not clog the aperture. In some embodiments, the height of a tube or cylinder may be adjusted within the nozzle to accommodate varying kinds of clogging debris that are found in particular coolant baths. Some embodiments of the invention may include raising an intake aperture of a nozzle above a bottom of a coolant bath, and drawing coolant from an elevated level of the bath that is above a level where debris may accumulate that could clog the aperture.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that embodiments of the invention are not limited by what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather the scope of at least one embodiment of the invention is defined by the claims below.

Claims

Claims I claim:

1. A device comprising a nozzle for a coolant bath, said nozzle having an elevated intake aperture wherein coolant enters the nozzle above a bottom of a coolant bath.

2. The device as in claim 1 , wherein said device comprises an elevated intake cylinder, and where said coolant enters said device from said elevated intake cylinder.

3. The device as in claim 1, comprising a flange suitable to seal a hole in said coolant bath into which said device is fitted.

4. A coolant bath having a nozzle for channeling coolant from said bath to a receptacle below said bath, said nozzle having an intake aperture that is elevated from a bottom of said bath.

5. The coolant bath as in claim 4, said nozzle surrounded by a flange suitable to seal a hole in said bath into which said nozzle is fitted.

6. The coolant bath as in claim 4, wherein said nozzle is suitable for removal from and reinsertion into said bath.

7. A device comprising a tubular structure having an aperture, said aperture having a intake situated above a bottom of a coolant bath, and an output opening below said bottom of said coolant bath.

8. The device as in claim 7, wherein said intake extends from 10mm to 30mm above said bottom of said coolant bath.

9. The device as in claim 7, wherein said intake extends 20mm above a bottom of said bath.

10. The device as in claim 7, wherein said intake extends to a height above said bottom of said bath that is greater than half of the diameter of particulate residue that accumulates on said bottom of said coolant bath.

11. The device as in claim 7, wherein said tubular structure is removably inserted into a nozzle, said nozzle to channel water from said coolant bath to a cooling tower.

12. A method comprising: raising an intake aperture of a nozzle of a cooling bath above a bottom of said coolant bath; and drawing coolant from an elevated level of the bath.

13. The method as in claim 12, comprising inserting an upward extension into said nozzle, said upward extension including said intake aperture at a top of said upward extension.

14. The method as in claim 13, wherein said inserting comprises removably inserting said upward extension in said nozzle.

15. The method as in claim 12, wherein said raising comprises fixing said intake aperture at a height of from 10mm to 30mm above said bottom of said coolant bath.