Arrangement for removing water from an equipment space

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9528763-B2
Application number	US-201314068665-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2013
Priority date	Oct 31, 2012
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments are directed to an equipment space that is a closed space provided with electrical equipment and an air dryer condensing the moisture of the air in the equipment space into water. A system for removing water from the equipment space includes a porous element having a capillary structure and being located in an outlet opening of the equipment space. The porous element is connected such that water condensed by the air dryer is directed to a first inner surface of the porous element. The capillary structure of the porous element is configured to propogate water from the inner surface of the porous element to an outer surface of the porous element. The outer surface of the porous element is configured to release water to ambient air outside the equipment space.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for removing water from an equipment space configured as a closed space having electrical equipment and an air dryer to condense the moisture of air in the equipment space into water, the system comprising:
a porous element having a capillary structure and being located in an outlet opening of said equipment space,
a loose porous material layer made of granulates in loose format being abutted on a first inner surface of the porous element,
wherein the porous element is connected to receive water from the air dryer through the loose porous material layer to the first inner surface of the porous element, said capillary structure of the porous element is configured to propogate water from the inner surface to an outer surface, and the outer surface is configured to release the water to ambient air outside the equipment space.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the porous element is positioned in an outlet opening of a water directing means, the water directing means including a hose or pipe connected to lead water from the air dryer to the inner surface of the porous element.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the porous element is positioned in an outlet opening in a wall of the equipment space, whereby a water directing means is connected to direct the water from the air dryer to the inner surface of the porous element.

4. The system according to of claim 1 , wherein the porous element is made of metal or ceramic granulates that have been sintered to achieve a solid porous material or of metal foams, which forms a capillary structure.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the equipment space has a shell including a closed inner shell, an outer shell, and a ventilated space between the inner shell and the outer shell, whereby at least the second outer surface of the porous element is located in the ventilated space between the inner shell and the outer shell of the equipment space.

6. A method for removing water from an equipment space configured as a closed space having electrical equipment, an air dryer to condense the moisture of air in the equipment space into water, and a porous element having a capillary structure and being located in an outlet opening of said equipment space, and a loose porous material layer made of granulates in loose format abutted on a first inner surface of the porous element, the method comprising:
directing water condensed by the air dryer through the loose porous material layer to the first inner surface of the porous element;
propagating said water in the capillary structure of the porous element from the inner surface of the porous element to an outer surface of the porous element; and
releasing water from the outer surface of the porous element to ambient air outside the equipment space.

7. An arrangement for removing water from an equipment space, said equipment space being a closed space provided with electrical equipment and an air dryer condensing the moisture of the air in the equipment space into water, the arrangement comprising:
a porous element having a capillary structure and being located in an outlet opening of said equipment space,
a loose porous material layer made of granulates in loose format being abutted on a first inner surface of the porous element,
whereby water condensed by the air dryer is directed through the loose porous material layer to the first inner surface of the porous element, said water propagating in the capillary structure of the porous element from the first inner surface of the porous element to a second outer surface of the porous element from which second outer surface of the porous element the water is released to ambient air outside the equipment space.

8. The arrangement according to claim 7 , wherein the porous element is positioned in an outlet opening in a water directing means being formed of a hose or pipe leading water from the air dryer to the first inner surface of the porous element.

9. The arrangement according to claim 7 , wherein the porous element is positioned in an outlet opening in a wall of the equipment space, whereby a water directing means directs the water from the air dryer to the first inner surface of the porous element.

10. The arrangement according to of claim 7 , wherein the porous element is made of metal or ceramic granulates that have been sintered to achieve a solid porous material or of metal foams, which forms a capillary structure.

11. The arrangement according to claim 7 , wherein the porous element includes an outer material layer made of metal or ceramic granulates that have been sintered or of metal foams, said outer material layer forming a support structure of the porous element and an inner material layer forming the loose porous material layer.

12. The arrangement according to claim 7 , wherein the arrangement is bacteriostatic by the porous element or a part thereof of copper or its alloys or cobalt or nickel.

13. The arrangement according to claim 7 , wherein the equipment space has a shell including a closed inner shell, an outer shell and a ventilated space between the inner shell and the outer shell, whereby at least the second outer surface of the porous element is situated in the ventilated space between the inner shell and the outer shell of the equipment space.

Assignees

• Abb Oy
• Abb Technology Oy

Inventors

• Manninen Jorma
• Koivuluoma Timo

Classifications

• F26B21/333

  by condensing the moisture in the drying medium, which may be recycled, e.g. using a heat pump cycle · CPC title

• H05K5/0212

  Condensation eliminators · CPC title

• F26B25/08 Primary

  Parts thereof · CPC title

• F26B21/086

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• H05K5/0213

  Venting apertures; Constructional details thereof · CPC title