Heat Exchanger Air Mover for Faster Carpet Drying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air movers used for drying carpet and subfloor after water damage are inefficient in cold and humid environments, requiring high airflow rates and often necessitating the removal and disposal of the carpet pad, which is time-consuming and costly.
Innovation Solution
A carpet drying system that incorporates a heat exchanger assembly with a centrifugal air mover, where a boiler heats a fluid to circulate through the heat exchanger, heating the air blown by the air mover to rapidly dry surfaces, allowing the carpet pad to remain in place and improving drying efficiency in adverse conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional air movers blow air at high rates (2000-3500 cfm) to dry carpet and subfloor, then the airflow volume is sufficient to float the carpet, but the drying time is extended especially in cold and humid environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter of the air from ambient to heated (up to 140°F), which fundamentally alters the drying capability. The heated air increases the temperature gradient between the air and the wet surfaces, accelerating evaporation rates and reducing drying time, especially in cold and humid environments where ambient air would be ineffective.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary heating of the air before it contacts the wet surfaces. The heat exchanger pre-heats the air stream to optimal temperatures prior to air movement, ensuring that the air is already at the correct temperature and humidity conditions for maximum drying efficiency before it reaches the carpet and subfloor.
2Productivity
If conventional air movers are used without heating elements, then the device complexity is low and existing air movers can be used, but the drying efficiency in cold and humid environments is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the air moving function with the air heating function into a single integrated system. The heat exchanger is positioned to receive the air stream from the air mover and heat it in-place, combining two separate processes (air movement and air heating) that were previously performed by separate equipment, thereby improving drying efficiency without requiring multiple independent devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchanger acts as an intermediary component between the air mover and the wet surfaces. It receives the ambient air from the air mover, heats it through thermal exchange with a heating element, and delivers the heated air to the carpet and subfloor, mediating the thermal conditions to optimize drying performance.
3Productivity
If electrical heating elements are added to air movers, then air can be heated to improve drying, but the cost increases and existing air movers would need to be replaced
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a removable heat exchanger assembly that can be dynamically attached to and detached from the air mover. This dynamic configuration allows the heating capability to be added only when needed, rather than being a permanent fixed component, thereby reducing manufacturing costs and allowing use with existing air movers without requiring replacement of the entire device.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating function is segmented into a separate removable heat exchanger assembly rather than being integrated into the air mover housing. This segmentation allows the heating component to be independently manufactured, tested, and attached to compatible air movers, reducing overall system complexity and manufacturing costs while maintaining the ability to provide heated air for improved drying performance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system enables quicker drying of carpets and subfloors in cold and humid environments without removing the carpet pad, utilizing existing air movers and reducing service time and resource costs.
Implementation Method 1
A carpet drying system incorporates a heat exchanger assembly with a centrifugal air mover, where a boiler heats a fluid to circulate through the heat exchanger, heating the air blown by the air mover
Implementation Method 2
Air mover 10 has a body 12 that houses a centrifugal fan 14. Centrifugal fan 14 draws ambient air into air mover 10 through an air inlet 9 and then accelerates the air out through snout 16
Implementation Method 3
As air is continually delivered below the carpet, water in the carpet, subfloor and surrounding walls slowly evaporates into the air
Data Source
AI summary
A heat exchanger assembly includes a housing at least partially bounding a chamber and a heat exchanger at least partially disposed within the chamber, the heat exchanger containing tubing adapted to allow a heated fluid to travel therethrough and fins outwardly projecting from the tubing, the fins being spaced apart such that air can freely flow between the fins. The heat exchanger also includes an inlet port into which an air mover can be received to provide blown air for the system and an outlet port through which the heated air exits the heat exchanger assembly.