Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
13~3~
~SC~P~_o~ OF ~HE INyENTION
The present invention relate~ to spray nozzle~,
and more particularly, to an ~mproved -~pray nozzle
that ~inds part~cular bu~ not exclu~ive utility in
humidi~ication and evaporative cooling applications.
It lg desirab~e that ~pra~ nozzle a~s~mblies
utilized in humidi~i~ation ~nd evaporative cooling
~y~tsms generate relati~ely ~ins li~uid particles,
and ~or thi~ purpo#e, it is known to e~ploy high-
pressu~e, compressed air to provide mechanical energy
to break up liguid and to facilitate atomization
thereo~. Many prior air as~isted atomizing nozæles,
~owever, have ~een une~onomiaal to operate because
they re~uir~d large air compressors and hig~ pressure
pump~ in order to achieve 6u~iaient liguid break
down, High ~trength liquid a~d air conduit~ also are
re~uired in suoh ~y~tems, and speaial de6ign
con~deration6 may be neces6ary to achieve propex
~ealing at hi~h pres~ures. ~oreover, while it is
dè~i~able that a spray be di~charged in a wide
relati~ely ~lat spray pattern ~o that more pa~ticles
are exposed to the am~ient air, which there~y
enhances the humidification and/or evaporative
co~llng, many prlor a~r a~isted nozzles di6charge
With relatively t~ght round spray patterns.
1 3 ~
It is an object of the present invention to
provide a spray nozzle assembly that is adapted to
more efficiently produce a spray pattern with fine
liquid droplets.
Another object is to provide a spray nozzle
assembly as characterized above that is adapted to
direct the ~ine particle spray pattern in a flat
spray discharge which maximizes exposure of the spray
particles to the ambient air so as to enhance
humidification and/or evaporation.
A further object is to provide a spray nozzle of
the foregoing type which is operable to produce such
a fine spray pattern while using relatively low
liquid and air pressures.
Still another object is to provide a spray
nozzle of the above kind which lends itself to
economical manufacture, permitting the use of
inexpensive plastic air and liquid supply lines and
inexpensive low pressure sealing designs.
Other objects and advantages of the invention
will become apparent upon reading the following
detailed description and upon reference to the
drawings, in which:
FIGURE 1 is a vertical section of an
illustrative spray nozzle assembly embodying the
present invention;
FIG. 2 is a horizontal section of the spray
nozzle shown in FIGURE 1, taken in the plane of line
2-2 in FIGURE l;
~ IG. 3 is a vertical section of the illustrated
nozzle taken in the plane of line 3-3 in FIGURE l;
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FIG. 4 is a fragmentary end elevational view,
partially in section, of the illustrated spray nozzle
assembly, taken in the plane of line 3-3 in FIGURE l;
FIG. 5 is a vertical section of the spray tip of
the illustrated nozzle assembly, taken in the plane
of line 5-5 in FIGURE l;
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section of an
alternative form of spray nozzle assembly embodying
the present invention;
FIG. 7A is a rear end view of the nozzle tip of
the nozzle assembly shown in FIG. 6, taken in the
plane of line 7A-7A in FIG. 7C;
FIG. 7B is a vertical section of the nozzle tip,
taken in the plane of line 7B-7B in FIG. 7A;
FIG. 7C is a side view of the nozzle tip shown
in FIG. 6;
FIG. 8A is a rear end view of an alternative
form of nozzle tip that can be utilized in the nozzle
assembly of the present invention taken in the plane
of line 8A-8B in FIG. 8C;
FIG. 8B is a vertical section of the nozzle tip
shown in FIG. 8A, taken in the plane of line 8B-8B in
FIG. 8A; and
FIG. 8C is a side view of the nozzle tip shown
in FIG. 8A.
While the invention is susceptible of various
modifications and alternative constructions, certain
illustrated embodiments thereof have been shown in
the drawings and will be described below in detail.
It should be understood, however, that there is no
intention to limit the invention to the specific
forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention
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is to cover all modi~ication~, alternative
construations and eguivalent~ falling within the
spirit and ~cope of the lnvention.
Re~erring now more particularly to FI~S~ 1-g of
the drawings, there is ~ho~n an illu~trative ~pray
nozzle assembly 10 embodying the pr~eht invention,
which i~ partioularly adapted for use in humidi~ica-
tion and evaporative cooling ~ystems. The ~ray
nozzle a~e~bly 10 includes an *longated hollow body
11 which may be molded of plastic and may be of a
form substantially similar to tha~ shown in my Canadian
appl~cation Serial No. 553,854. The elongated hollow
body 1~ is ~ormed with opposite end hub~ 12, 13,
wh~ch are externally thxeaded. The hub 13 loaated at
the up~trea~ o~ the body 11 i~ closed by a aap 14 and
a nozzle apray tip 15 i~ mountcd ad~acent the hub 1
at the down~tream end of the body. An internally
threaded hub 1~ ~orm~d integrally with the body 11
pro~ect~ ~om on~ side o~ the body and receives a
threadea conduit 18 wh~ch communiaate~ with a
~r~sourizad liquid ~ource. The lower end o~ the hub
16 d-~lne- a ~l~uld inlet orirlc- 19 through which
liquid i~ i~trodua~d into the nozzla body. A hub 20
whioh da~ino~ ~n ~r inlet orir$c- 21 i~ loaated
down~tream o~ th~ uid inl~t orifice 19 and in soo
o~et rolation to the liquid inlet orifice. An air
~upply conduit 21 is coupled to the aix inlet hub 20
rOx communicating pre6surized air to the air inlet
ortrice 21 unde~ the control oP a shutof~ valve 22
(FIG. 4).
~ iquid admitted into the nozzle body 1~ via the
inl-t orlric~ 19 i~ directed into a longitudinal ~low
~t~oa~ by a cylindrical tube 30 (FIG. 2). The tube
30 1~ aoaxial with and ~paced inwardly ~rom the wall
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o~ the body 11 and it6 downstream end is threadably
connected to the body at 31. As disclosed in
commonly a~ ned ~utter~ield et al. U.8. Patent
No. 4,660,598, the tube 30 coacts with a resiliently
flex~ble diaphragm 32 to form an antidrip valve that
prQvents liquid from dripping from the nozzle tip 15
a~t~r the ~upply of pressurized li~uid to the inlet
pipe 18 ha~ been cut o~. For thi~ pur~ose, the
diaphragm 32 i~ loaated ad~acent the upstream end o~
~h~ tube 30 and its peripheral maxgin is clamped
between the end o~ the hub 13 and the cap 14. A
valv~ rollower 34 is support~d ~lidably within the
cap and i~ operably connected to the diaphragm.
Telescoped into the cap i8 a coiled compres~ion
~priny 35 which urge~ the diaphragm toward a closed
po~itlon again~t the up~t~eam end o~ the tube 30, as
~hown in FIv. 2. W~en liquid unde~ pre~sure is
delivaxed to the noz21e body 11 via the inlet pipe
18, the pressurized liquid urges the diaphragm 3Z
away ~rom th~ up~tream end o~ the tu~e 30~ as shown
ln FIG. 2, ~o as to enable the liguid to flow through
tho tube and to be di~ected through the no~zle spray
tip 15. Upon cutting Or~ o~ the liquid at the
pres~ure sourc-, the ~pring 35 ~orces the diaphragm
3~ into ~ealing engagement with ~he up~tream end of
~he tube 30 ~o a~ to ~ub~tantially pr~vent liquid
~rom dr~pping out o~ t~e nozzle tip.
To ~acilitate preato~ization o~ liquid int~o-
duced into the nozzle from the liguid inlet 19, a
removable in~ert member 40 i~ provided within the
nozzle of the ~ody. ~e ins~r~ mem~er 40, which is
dlBclo~ed ln g~eater d~tail in the a~orementioned
Cana~lan appllcati~n Seri~l No. 5S3, 854, include# a
tubu~a~ ori~lae membe~ 41 ~IGS. 1 and 2) preferably
~ 3 ~
made of brass of the like. The orifice member 41 is
cylindrical and is telescoped into the downstream end
of the tube 30 with a tight but sliding fit. An O-
ring 42 fits within a groove around the outer
periphery of the orifice member 41 and is compressed
against the inner wall of the tube 30 to establish a
seal between the orifice member and the tube. Formed
through the downstream end portion of the orifice
member 41 is a flow restricting orifice 45 which
serves to reduce the flow rate of liquid flowing from
the tube 30 toward the nozzle tip 20. In this
particular instance, the orifice 45 includes a
frustoconical upstream portion.
Dirt and other foreign particles are filtered
from the liquid before the liquid flows through the
orifice 45. For this purpose, a tubular screen-like
strainer 46 extends from the upstream end of the
orifice member 41 and is ~paced radially inwardly
from the wall of the tube 30 so that liquid entering
the tube must pass radially through the strainer
before flowing to the orifice 45. One end of the
strainer 46 abuts the upstream end of the orifice
member 41 while the other end of the strainer abuts
and is closed off by the head 47 of a pin 48, which
is telescoped slidably into both the strainer and the
upstream end of the orifice member 41. The pin 48
preferably is of cruciform cross-section and is
formed with four angularly spaced fins 49 which
define flow passages permitting liquid to flow
through the strainer and into the orifice member.
For breaking up the stream of liquid flowing
through the orifice 45 and for causing the liquid to
mix with a pressurized air stream, the insert member
40 includes an elongated impingement element 55. The
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impingement element 55 in this instance i5 in the
form of an elongated flat bar formed integrally with
the downstream end of the orifice member 41, the bar
being of rectangular cross-section. As shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2, the rectangular bar 55 is spaced
inwardly from the circular wall of the chamber around
the entire periphery of the bar.
A transversely extending circular hole 60 is
formed through ~he bar 55 immediately downstream of
the orifice 45. The hole 60 communicates with the
orifice 45 and, as pressurized liquid is discharged
from the orifice, its strikes the downstream wall of
the hole. The downstream wall thus defines an
impingement surface which deflects the liquid
transversely to break up the liquid and causes the
liquid to flow through the chamber 56 along the sides
of the bar 55.
At the same time, the liquid is further prelimi-
narily broken up by a pressurized stream of air
admitted into the chamber 56 through the circular air
inlet port 21 (FIG. 2), which extends transversely to
the chamber and the stream of liquid flowing through
the chamber. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the axis of
the air inlet port 21 extends parallel to the axis of
the hole 60 in the bar 55, but the port 21 is smaller
in diameter than the hole 60 and its axis is offset
in a downstream direction from the axis of the
hole. As a result, only about one-half of the area
of the air inlet port 21 is in registry with the hole
60 while the downstream half of the air inlet port is
located in opposing relation with a side surface area
66 ~FIG. 3) of the bar 55. By virtue of this
arrangement, the surface 66 defines an impingement
surface which deflects and breaks up the air
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stream. Considerable turbulence for preatomizing the
liquid stream is created by the air stream being
broken up by the impingement surface 66, by the
liquid stream being broken up by the wall of the hole
60, and as a result of the air stream being injected
transversely into the longitudinally flowing liquid
stream. The liquid flow in the downstream direction
toward the nozzle tip 15, therefore, is in the form
of finely divided preatomized particles.
The insert 40 is completed by two radially
spaced webs 70 (FIG. 1) formed integrally with and
extending axially from the bar 55 and having
downstream ends joined to a cylindrical sleeve 71.
Formed on the downstream end of the sleeve is an
outwardly radially extending flange 72 which is
adapted to be clamped by a cap 75 between a sealing
gasket 76 and an internal shoulder at the downstream
end portion of the nozzle body 11. The cap 75 in
this instance i5 adapted for threaded engagement onto
the hub 12. An axially extending key 73 (FIG. 1) at
the upstream side of the flange 72 fits into a keyway
in the nozzle body 11 so as to orient the insert 40
angularly in the body in such a manner that the axis
of the hole 60 extends parallel to the axis of the
air inlet port 21. With the insert 40 is in place in
the nozzle body 11, the flow rate of the liquid
stream is reduced by the orifice 45 and, in addition,
the stream is preliminarily atomized by the coaction
of the wall of the hole 60, the impingement surface
66 of the bar 55 and the mutually transverse flow
relation between the liquid stream and the air
stream.
The preliminarily atomized liquid flow stream is
then directed through a discharge orifice 78 formed
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in the nozzle tip 15 which in this case is disposed
in coaxial relation to the nozzle body. For mounting
the noæzle tip in axially extending relation to the
hub 12 of the body 11, the nozzle tip 15 is formed
with a radially extending peripheral flange 79 that
is clamped to the end of the hub 12 by the cap 75.
The annular gasket 76 is interposed between the tip
15, the cap 75 and the end of the hub 12 in order to
seal the perimeter of the tip 15.
In accordance with the invention, the nozzle tip
has an integrally formed deflector flange disposed in
downstream relation to the discharge orifice of the
nozzle tip in transversely oriented fashion to the
line of travel of the liquid directed through the
discharge orifice and the deflector flange is formed
with a recessed area in axial alignment with the
discharge orifice into which preatomized liquid is
forcefully directed for breaking the preatomized
droplets into extremely fine liquid particles which
are then deflected into a flat, wide spray pattern in
a manner which maximizes their exposure to the
ambient air. In the illustrated embodiment, the
nozzle tip 15 has an integrally formed deflector
flange 80 defined by a slot 91 extending into one
side of the nozzle tip 15. The deflector flange 80
has a significantly greater width than the discharge
orifice 78 and in this case extends transversely in a
slightly forwardly oriented direction so as to define
an angle ~ of about 75 with the longitudinal axis of
the nozzle body 11. The deflector flange 80 in this
instance is formed with a cup shaped recess 85 which
has a diameter "d" substantially the same as the
diameter of the discharge orifice 78 and which
extends in a downstream direction into the deflector
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flange a discrete distance "1", corresponding
substantially to the diameter "d" of the cup shaped
recess (FIG. I). The cup shaped recess 85 is in
axial alignment with the discharge orifice 78 for
directly receiving preatomized spray forcefully
discharging from the discharge orifice 78.
It has been found that utilization of the
deflector flange 80 with the cup shaped recess 85 is
effective for breaking preatomized spray into
extremely fine liquid particles, even when usin~
relatively low liquid and air pressures. While not
fully understood, it is believed that the cup shaped
recess produces pressure waves or acoustic energy
which assists in the liquid breakdown. The breakdown
is enhanced by the deflector flange, which further
serves to direct the discharging particles into a
wide flat 180 spray pattern, as depicted in FIG. 4,
so as to maximize the exposure of the fine liquid
particles to the ambient air.
The nozzle assembly 10 of the present invention
has been found to have particular utility in
humidification and evaporative cooling applications
with modest energy requirements. Extremely fine
particle generation and distribution has been
achieved using city water pressure with inexpensive
plastic tubing and with air pressures less than the
applied water pressure. Typically, water line
pressure may be in the range of 30 to 50 psi and air
pressure in the range of 20 to 40 psi. In operation,
the nozzle of the present invention has been found to
produce a spray having liquid particles sizes of
about 13 microns median volume diameter using 40 psi
air pressure and 50 psi water pressure. Liquid
particle sizes of about 19 microns median volume
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diameter have been produc~d u~ing 40 p~i liquid
pre~sure and 30 p8i air pressure~ In both in~t~nces,
a relatively wid~ band spray pa~ern was produced
whi~h ~acilitates humidification ~nd/or evaporation
of the particles in~o ~he ambient air.
While the nozzle a~embly of the present
invention ha~ particular utili~y w~en operated in a~
air as~i6ted mod~ a~ de~cribe~ a~ove, the de~lector
rlange with the cup shaped recess faailitate~ liguid
particle br~akdown and dir~otion even when the nozzle
is operated in a pur~ly hydraullo mode. In the
illu~trated embodiment, the nozzle a~embly 10 may be
converted ror uee ln a pu~ely hydraulic mode by
removing the insert member 40, as de~cr~bed in
greater detail in the aforementioned Canadian application
Serial No. 553,854. ~he insert member 40 may be
rQmov~d ~rom the ~ody ll by unscrew~nq the cap 75 and
t~king thQ cap 75, the nozzl~ tip 15, and the ~ealing
ga~ket 76 o~ the body. Therea~ter, the insert
memb~r 40 with '~he attached p~n 48 and strainer 46
may be pulled axlally out of the down3tream into the
body 11. Upon rea~sembly o~ the strainer 46 and aap
75, ~nd with th~ air ~huto~ valve 22 closed, the
nozzle may be op~rated in the hydraulio mode. During
~uch oper~t~Dg mod~, pr~urize~ l$quid is directed
through the nozzl- at a rolativ~ly high ~low rate,
dieoh~rg~# through the dischargs ori~ice 78 o~ the
nozzle ttp 15 into the cup shaped recess 85, is
broXon down upon impac~, and i8 th~n directed by the
d-rl-otor r~ang- 80 into a ~ubstantially 180 fan
~pray pattern. The hydraulio ~ode o~ operatton may
b- pr-~erred ~or u~- undQr aondition~ where lt 1~
desir-d to di~tribute larg~r quantltl~ o~ liquid and
wlth ~olatively la~g~r ~article siz-s, a~ compared to
when operating in th~ alr assisted mode.
-- 11 --
Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7A-7C, there is
shown an alternative form of spray nozzle assembly
embodying the present invention, wherein items
similar to those described above have been given
similar reference numerals with the distinguishing
suffix "a" added. The nozzle tip 15a of the nozzle
assembly lOa in this instance has a pair of deflector
flanges 80_ extending from opposed sides of the spray
tip 15a, defined by slots 91a that extend into
respective opposite sides of the spray tip 15. The
dèflector flanges 80a thereby extend from a common
outwardly extending central section 90 of the spray
tip 15a (FIG. 7B). The spray tip 15_ is formed with
pair of discharge orifices 78a located on opposed
sides of the longitudinal axis of the nozzle, each
for discharging preatomized liquid against a
respective one of the deflectors flanges 80a. The
deflector flanges 80a each are formed with a cup
shaped recess 85a in axial alignment with the
respective discharge orifices 78a for receiving a
preatomized discharge, which is then broken down
further into extremely fine liquid particles and
directed in a 180 flat spray pattern from respective
sides of the spray tip, in a manner substantially
similar to that described above.
Referring now to FIGS. 8A-8C, there is shown
another alternative nozzle tip 15b which may be used
in the spray nozzle assembly of the present
invention, wherein items similar to those described
above have been given similar reference numerals with
the distinguishing suffix "b" added. The nozzle tip
15b in this instance is formed with an annular
deflector 80b formed by an annular groove 91b which
completely surrounds the outer periphery of the spray
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tip lSb, causing the annular deflector 80b to be
supported in axial spaced relation to the discharge
orifices 78b by a central axial post 90b (FIG. 8B).
The nozzle tip 15b includes four discharge orifices
78_ circumferentially spaced at 90 intervals to each
other about the central post 90b, each being adapted
for discharging a stream into a respective cup shaped
recess 85b in the annular deflector flange 80b. The
simultaneous direction of a multiplicity of
preatomized flow streams through the discharge
orifices 78_ in such manner produces a 360 fan
shaped spray pattern of fine particles about the
entire periphery of the nozzle tip.
From the foregoing, it can be seen that the
spray nozzle assembly of the present invention is
adapted to efficiently produce a spray pattern with
fine liquid particles which are disbursed in a flat
fan spray pattern for maximizing exposure of the
particles to ambient air so as to enhance humidifica-
tion and/or evaporation. The spray nozzle assembly
is operable to produce such a fine spray pattern,
while using relatively low liquid and air
pressures. As a result, the nozzle assembly lends
itself to relatively economical use, permitting the
utilization of inexpensive plastic air and liquid
conduita and inexpensive low pressure sealing
designs.
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