US3794304A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Pneumatic weir water level control for cooling tower hot water distribution basin
Assignee: MC ACQUISITION Corp
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Filing: 1972-06-19
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Granted: 1974-02-26
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Expires: 1992-06-19
Abstract
Abstract A weir assembly has a rotatable weir member whose position for water level control or water diversion is governed by inflation or deflation of a collapsible wall, pneumatically operated tube supporting the weir member. The tube underlies the weir member in disposition such that charging and discharging of air from the tube to vary its cross-sectional size correspondingly raises and lowers the weir member. Segregation of the water flow in the hot water distribution basin of a water cooling tower may thereby be controlled to either vary the cooling capacity of the tower by changing the extent or pattern of water loading on an evaporative cooling structure below the distribution basin thereby affecting its cooling capacity or, in the case of a cooling tower having both wet and dry cooling sections served by a common air mover, to permit not only variation of respective water loadings but also the relative quantities of air permitted to pass through corresponding wet and dry sections. Use of the weir assembly adjacent one outer extremity of the distribution basin also permits effective prevention of ice formation on the inlet louvers associated with the evaporative cooling structure of the tower by the expedient of simply periodically raising the weir member of the assembly to a point where hot water from the distribution basin is caused to overflow the basin end wall and thereafter cascade down the louvers to the cold water collection basin.
Inventors
- 👤 R Cates
- 👤 R Mitchell
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 17:53
CPC Classifications
F; F28; F28C; F28C1/00; F28C1/12; F28C1/14; F28F; F28F25/00; F28F25/02; Y; Y02; Y02B; Y02B30/00; Y02B30/70; Y10; Y10S; Y10S261/00; Y10S261/11; Y10S261/77
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
179 words
In a water cooling tower: a hot water distribution basin for collecting heated water from a supply source and distributing the same for subequent cooling thereof; a cold water collection basin spaced from said distribution basin; cooling structure between said basins for receiving hot water from said distribution basin, cooling the water, and directing the cooled water into said collection basin, said distribution basin being provided with a floor having a plurality of outlets to said structure for maintaining a flow of the water in the distribution basin toward said outlets; and an actuatable weir assembly mounted at floor level in said distribution basin and including a weir member projectable to a variable extent above said floor for selectively stratifying water flow to said outlets whereby to correspondingly vary water loading on said cooling structure receiving the stratified flow, said assembly including a collapsibly walled, hollow control element operably associated with said member for effecting said variable projection of the member above said floor in response to the charging and discharging of fluid into and out of said element.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
179 words
In a water cooling tower: a hot water distribution basin for collecting heated water from a supply source and distributing the same for subequent cooling thereof; a cold water collection basin spaced from said distribution basin; cooling structure between said basins for receiving hot water from said distribution basin, cooling the water, and directing the cooled water into said collection basin, said distribution basin being provided with a floor having a plurality of outlets to said structure for maintaining a flow of the water in the distribution basin toward said outlets; and an actuatable weir assembly mounted at floor level in said distribution basin and including a weir member projectable to a variable extent above said floor for selectively stratifying water flow to said outlets whereby to correspondingly vary water loading on said cooling structure receiving the stratified flow, said assembly including a collapsibly walled, hollow control element operably associated with said member for effecting said variable projection of the member above said floor in response to the charging and discharging of fluid into and out of said element.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
In a water cooling tower as claimed in claim 1, wherein said element comprises a synthetic fiber reinforced tube.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
In a water cooling tower as claimed in claim 1, wherein said distribution basin has an overflow leading to said collection basin for bypassing said structure, said assembly being selectively operable to divert water to said overflow.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
44 words
In a water cooling tower as claimed in claim 1, wherein said assembly is positioned in said basin to divert flow from at least a majority of said outlets when the assembly is operated to bypass flow to said collection basin via said overflow.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
In a water cooling tower as claimed in claim 1, wherein said member has an inner end, said assembly further including means supporting said member adjacent said inner end for swinging movement toward and away from said floor.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
In a water cooling tower as claimed in claim 5, wherein said element is disposed in underlying relationship to said member.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
In a water cooling tower as claimed in claim 5, wherein said member is swingable by said element to variable degrees of inclination relative to said floor.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
230 words
In a water cooling tower: a hot water distribution basin for collecting heated water from a supply source and distributing the same for subsequent cooling thereof; a cold water collection basin spaced from said distribution basin; fill assembly structure between said basins for receiving hot water from said distribution basin, cooling the water, and directing the cooled water into said collection basin; a louvered ambient air inlet for said structure outboard of the latter for introducing ambient air to the structure, said distribution basin having wall means at the extremities thereof proximal to the air inlet and air outlet faces of the fill assembly structure for containing water against escape from the distribution basin, in outboard wall means adjacent the louvered air inlet being lower than the inboard wall means; and a weir assembly adjacent the outboard wall means of the basin and having a shiftable weir mEmber for selectively controlling overflow of water over said outboard wall means in response to raising and lowering of the shiftable weir member, said assembly including means hingedly mounting said member for swinging movement in the basin between a water retaining and a water releasing position, and a hollow, collapsibly walled control element underlying said member for effecting said swinging of the member between said positions in response to the charging and discharging of a control fluid into and out of said element.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
230 words
In a water cooling tower: a hot water distribution basin for collecting heated water from a supply source and distributing the same for subsequent cooling thereof; a cold water collection basin spaced from said distribution basin; fill assembly structure between said basins for receiving hot water from said distribution basin, cooling the water, and directing the cooled water into said collection basin; a louvered ambient air inlet for said structure outboard of the latter for introducing ambient air to the structure, said distribution basin having wall means at the extremities thereof proximal to the air inlet and air outlet faces of the fill assembly structure for containing water against escape from the distribution basin, in outboard wall means adjacent the louvered air inlet being lower than the inboard wall means; and a weir assembly adjacent the outboard wall means of the basin and having a shiftable weir mEmber for selectively controlling overflow of water over said outboard wall means in response to raising and lowering of the shiftable weir member, said assembly including means hingedly mounting said member for swinging movement in the basin between a water retaining and a water releasing position, and a hollow, collapsibly walled control element underlying said member for effecting said swinging of the member between said positions in response to the charging and discharging of a control fluid into and out of said element.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
71 words
In a water cooling tower as claimed in claim 8, wherein said assembly includes means hingedly mounting said member for swinging movement in the basin between a water retaining and a water releasing position, and a hollow, collapsibly walled control element underlying said member for effecting said swinging of the member between said positions in response to the charging and discharging of a control fluid into and out of said element.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
112 words
A cooling tower as set forth in claim 6 wherein is provided a dry water cooling section arranged to receive at least a part of the hot water from said supply source prior to delivery thereof to said distribution basin, there being means for moving cooling air streams through said dry cooling section and the fill assembly respectively, said weir member being movable to dispositions to vary the cooling capacity of the dry cooling section and fill assembly respectively by changing the extent and pattern of water loading on the fill assembly and the relative amounts of cooling air permitted to pass through said dry cooling section and the fill assembly respectively.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
127 words
A cooling tower as set forth in claim 8, wherein is provided a dry cooling section adjacent said distribution basin and arranged to receive at least a part of the hot water from said supply source prior to delivery thereof to said distribution basin, there being means for moving ambient cooling air streams along separate paths through said dry cooling section and the fill assembly and to then combine such streams prior to return thereof to the surrounding atmosphere, said weir member being movable to dispositions to vary the cooling capacity of the tower by changing the extent and pattern of water loading on the fill assembly and the relative amounts of cooling air permitted to pass through said dry cooling section and the fill assembly respectively.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
58 words
A cooling tower as set forth in claim 11 wherein said member is movable to a location diverting substantially all of the water delivered to the hot water distribution basin from the dry cooling section, away from the fill assembly for cascade across the air inlet face of the fill assembly directly into the cold water collection basin.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-02-25 | 1977-08-27 | 1978-02-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-02-25 | 1981-08-27 | 1982-02-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-02-25 | 1985-08-27 | 1986-02-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |