Air conditioning system and air mixing/water separation apparatus therein

Claim 1

An air mixing and water separation apparatus, for mixing and separating water particles from a combined flow of fresh and recirculated air for delivery into an enclosure such as an airplane cabin, comprising: (a) an elongate manifold having a lower end portion, an upper end portion and a midportion, the midportion extending along the longitudinal axis of the manifold and connected between the upper and lower end portions of the manifold, the interior longitudinal walls of the manifold having curved surfaces; (b) one or more inlet ducts connected to the lower end portion for introducing the combined air flow into the manifold, the inlet ducts being substantially tangent to the interior walls of the manifold where the inlet ducts are connected to the lower portion, the tangential connection causing a swirling motion of the combined air wherein the water particles are projected by centrifugal force to impinge upon the interior longitudinal walls, the swirling motion also causing mixture of the combined air; (c) one or more outlet ducts connected to the upper portion of the manifold for delivering the mixed air from the manifold to the enclosure; (d) flow redirection means positioned between the inlet ducts and the outlet ducts for converting the swirling motion of the mixed air into substantially uniform flow across and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the manifold; and (e) scupper means affixed to the interior wall of the manifold for removing from the manifold the water particles impinged thereon.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein the scupper means comprises substantially helically extending rib-like elements extending along the interior wall of the manifold, the rib-like elements configured and arranged to have a pitch opposite to the direction of the swirl of air in the manifold wherein the force of the swirling air acts to propel the water particles downwardly along the rib-like elements.