US3831292A

US3831292A - Condenser apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3831292A
Application number: US00411363A
Authority: US
Inventors: Pas L De
Original assignee: General Electric Co
Current assignee: General Electric Co
Priority date: 1973-10-31
Filing date: 1973-10-31
Publication date: 1974-08-27
Anticipated expiration: 1991-08-27
Also published as: CA1030458A

Abstract

Condenser apparatus for removing moisture from the air including a housing for the condenser apparatus, which housing has both a cooling liquid inlet and an air inlet at one end. Within the housing is a rotatable disc spaced inwardly from the liquid inlet so that when the disc is rotated and liquid is impinged upon the disc a cooling liquid droplet cloud is produced. At the opposite end of the condenser housing from the inlet is an air outlet and a concentrically positioned rotatable blower. Located between the blower and the rotatable disc is a rotatable liquid droplet interceptor wheel for collecting entrained liquid droplets before they pass into the blower. Circumferentially around the interceptor wheel is a tangential turbine liquid pump that removes liquid from the condenser apparatus. An electric motor is utilized for rotatably driving all of the rotating elements. The condenser apparatus is utilized particularly in an automatic clothes dryer wherein hot moisture-laden air that has been passed over the fabrics to be dried is introduced into the condenser apparatus which reduces the temperature of the air to condense moisture therefrom and then recirculating the air again through the clothes dryer.

Description

United States Patent [191 DePas CONDENSER APPARATUS [75] Inventor: Laddie A. DePas, Louisville, Ky.

[73] Assignee: General Electric Company,

Louisville, Ky.

22 Filed: Oct. 31, 1973 21 Appl. NO; 411,363

Primary Examiner-Kenneth W. Sprague Assistant Examiner-James C. Yeung Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Frederick P. Weidner; Francis H. Boos 1451 Aug. 27, 1974 ABSTRACT Condenser apparatus for removing moisture from the air including a housing for the condenser apparatus, which housing has both a cooling liquid inlet and an air inlet at one end. Within the housing is a rotatable disc spaced inwardly from the liquid inlet so that when the disc is rotated and liquid is impinged upon the disc a cooling liquid droplet cloud is produced. At the opposite end of the condenser housing from the inlet is an air outlet and a concentrically positioned rotatable blower. Located between the blower and the rotatable disc is a rotatable liquid droplet interceptor wheel for collecting entrained liquid droplets before they pass into the blower. Circumferentially around the interceptor wheel is a tangential turbine liquid pump that removes liquid from the condenser apparatus. An electric motor is utilized for rotatably driving all of the rotating elements. The condenser apparatus is utilized particularly in an automatic clothes dryer wherein hot moisture-laden air that has been passed over the fabrics to be dried is introduced into the condenser apparatus which reduces the temperature of the air to condense moisture therefrom and then recirculating the air again through the clothes dryer.

8 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures CONDENSER APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INFENTION 1. Field of the invention This invention relates to condenser apparatus, and more particularly to condenser apparatus for utilization in an automatic clothes dryer so that. warm moisture.- laden air from the clothes dryer is cooledandmois'ture removed therefrom.

2. Description of the prior art In automatic clothes dryers it is common to vent-the warm moisture-laden exhaust airor vapor outside the machine and preferably even outside, the house. or building while air is constantly being introduced, into the clothes dryer, heated and. passed over the fabrics to be dried. It is not, however, always possibleand, in fact, it may not be desirable to provide such a venting system for automatic clothes dryers in apartments-or'other high rise housing establishments. ln drying fabrics in a clothes dryer it is highly desirable to be able to heat the. air, pass the heated air over the fabrics to be dried and. withdraw moisture therefrom, remove the hotmoisture-laden air from the fabrics and introduceit into an apparatus that lowers the temperature of the moistureladen air thereby condensing out moisture from the air, then recirculate the air through the clothes dryer;

Condensing apparatus has been utilized in laundry machines, both combination clothes washers and dryers and automatic clothes dryers for many years. One such condensing apparatus is shown in US. .Pat. No. 2,451,692 wherein moist air is passed through a watery spray from a nozzle that is also used to effect move ment of the air and free water from the spray is removed by a stationary screen. Another type. of condensing apparatus is disclosed in US. Pat. No. 2,785,557 wherein only a controlled portion of the moist air is passed through a dehumidifier. vU.S. Pat. No. 2,92 l ,3 84 shows apparatus that uses-an impeller to circulate air that also has the cooling water discharged directly against the impeller, however, there is no free water collection means provided. U.S. Pat. No, 3,121,000 utilizes a condensing arrangement that produces a coherent film of water on a channel wall to avoid entrainment of water droplets.

A liquid droplet cloud through which the hot moisture-laden air from the dryer is passed is quite efficient for lowering the air temperature. However, such a system inherently produces entrainment of the free liquid droplets. This is particularly troublesome when the blower that induces the air flow through the condenser apparatus is downstream from the liquid droplet cloud. Too much entrainment of free liquid can detrimentally affect the operation of the entire condenser apparatus and reduce the normal life of such an apparatus. Also, since the condenser apparatus may be utilized in an automatic clothes dryer it is desirable to minimize expelling free liquid from the condenser apparatus into the clothes dryer system. Moreover, since the condenser apparatus may be adapted for installation into present standard size clothes dryers, the condenser apparatus must necessarily be limited in size and particularly in axial length.

Condenser apparatus for automatic clothes dryers must be efficient in operation, low in manufacturing cost, and economical to operate in order to make it de: sirable. Moreover, it should be compact and of a size such that it can be easily installed in present standard size clothes dryers.

To accomplish the above-mentioned desirable characteristics in a condenser apparatus, the liquid droplet cloud must be effective for lowering the air temperature, the air flow through the condenser should have minimum restriction and a highly effective free liquid dropletcollecting means is required, all of which being provided in a structure with limited axial length.

One of the. areas that has needed improvement in such a condenser apparatus is the free liquid collecting means. Apparatus for removing droplets of water from an air stream comprising a rotatably mounted hub, a plurality of radially extending eliminator blades secured. to the-hub and an annular enclosing means around the blades have been used in industrial applications. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,932,360 and 3,141 ,749. Each of the blades disclosed in these patents, however, are made up of two portions angularly disposed with respect to each other, which portions intersect in a line drawn radially from the hub. As viewed along the central longitudinal axis of such apparatus the air flow through the rotating eliminators must take a tortuous path through the blade area and be deflected in an acute angle from one blade surface to another orseveral blade surfaces. The air flow through this type of eliminator arrangement is very restricted resulting in much higher power requirements in order to increase the. air. pressure and push it through the apparatus. While droplets may be effectively intercepted, good air flow characteristics and desirable low power requirements are sacrificed.

By my invention these desirable characteristics are achieved and the eliminator arrangement is highly efficient for its intended purpose.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION There is provided a condenser apparatus for removing moisture from the air and particularly a condenser apparatus that is utilized in connection with an automatic clothes dryer and includes a housing for the condenser apparatus, which housing has both a water or other cooling liquid inlet and an air inlet at one end, an air outlet at the opposite end of the housing, and a condensing chamber therebetween. Means for forming a cloud of liquid droplets in the housing is also included. Near the air outlet of the condenser apparatus there is positioned a means, such as a blower, for inducing an air flow through the condenser apparatus from the air inlet to the air outlet passing through the liquid droplet cloud.

Means for removing both the introduced cooling liquid and the moisture condensed from the air from the condenser apparatus to a drain external of the condenser apparatus is provided. Driving means for the driven components is also provided.

This invention relates to utilizing in such a condenser apparatus an improved rotatable liquid droplet interceptor wheel located between the blower and the disc and also positioned within the condenser housing for collecting entrained liquid droplets before they can pass into the blower. The rotatable liquid droplet interceptor wheel has a hub, a plurality of blades extending. radially outward from the hub and terminating at a circular peripheral structure. The minimum blade depth, which is the straight line distance from the leading edge to the trailing edge of the blade, drawn parallel to the central axis of the condenser apparatus, is equal to the axial velocity of the intake air divided by the linear ve locity of any point on a first blade, multiplied by the distance between the blades at a point the same radial distance from the center of rotation of the wheel as the point chosen on the first blade.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved condenser apparatus.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved rotatable liquid droplet interceptor wheel for use in condenser apparatus.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved liquid droplet interceptor wheel for use in condenser apparatus which in turn is used in an automatic clothes dryer.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a condenser apparatus which is simple in construction, efficient in operation, and compact in size to enable its in corporation into standard size automatic clothes dryers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an automatic clothes dryer suitable for incorporation of the condenser apparatus utilizing the present invention, the view being partly broken away and partly in section to illustrate details.

FIG. 2 is a view taken along the lines 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing the condenser apparatus installed in the automatic clothes dryer.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational, cross-sectional view of the condenser apparatus utilizing the invention.

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the condenser apparatus shown in FIG. 3 taken along lines 44 and partially broken away to illustrate details.

FIG. 5 is a partially cut away perspective view of the liquid droplet interceptor wheel.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for determining the minimum blade depth of the liquid droplet interceptor wheel.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings and initially to FIG. 1 thereof, there is illustrated a domestic automatic clothes dryer 10 including an appearance and protective outer cabinet 11 having a door or closure 12 to provide access into the interior of the cabinet for loading and unloading fabrics. Provided on the top 13 of cabinet 11 is a control housing 14 which may, in a conventional way. include a suitable manual control 15 connected to a control assembly 16 mounted in control housing 14. By manual setting of control 15, the machine may be caused to start and automatically proceed through a cycle operation.

Within cabinet 11, there is provided a clothes tumbling container or drum 17 mounted for rotation on a substantially horizontal axis. Drum 17 is substantially cylindrical in shape, having a central cylindrical wall portion 18, and outer cylindrical wall portions 19 and 20, located respectively adjacent an annular front wall 21 and a circular rear wall 22 of the drum. Wall portions 18, 19 and are imperforate while rear wall 22 has a plurality of perforations 33. On the interior surface of wall portion 18 there is a plurality of clothes tumbling ribs 23 so that clothes are lifted up when the drum rotates and then permitted to tumble back down to the bottom of the drum. The front of the drum 17 may be rotatably supported within outer cabinet 11 by suitable slide members or idler wheels, one of the latter of which is indicated by the numeral 24.

The rear end of drum 17 receives its support by means of a stub shaft 27 extending from the center of wall 22. Shaft 27 is secured within a bearing 28 mounted in a baffle-like structure 29 which, in turn, is rigidly secured to the back wall 30 of the cabinet 11.

In order to provide for the flow of drying air through the clothes drum, it is provided with a central aperture 32 in the front wall 21 and a plurality of perforations 33 in the rear wall 22. The air provided to the drum is heated as by an electrical resistance heating element 37, the element being the form shown in the drawings, which issues from the outlet 34 of the heating unit 35. Heating unit 35 includes a heater housing 36 and the electrical resistance heating element 37. In the conventional way, air is drawn into the heating unit 35 through an inlet opening 38 (FIG. 2) and is warmed as it passes over and through the electrical resistance heating element 37 and then out the heater outlet 34.

The outlet end 34 of the heating unit communicates with an upwardly extending duct 45, which enters a generally circular heat diffuser chamber 47 formed between the structure 29 and the rear wall 22 of drum [7. A flexible circumferential seal 39 is interposed between member 29 and rear wall 22 of the drum to provide a rear drum air seal and is secured to structure 29 and contacts the rear wall of the rotating drum. The heated air flows from the chamber 47 through the perforations 33 into the interior of the drum 17.

The front opening 32 of the drum is substantially closed by means of a bulkhead generally indicated by the numeral 50. Bulkhead 50 is made up of a number of adjacent members including the inner surface 51 of the access door 12, a stationary frame 52 formed as a flange on front wall 46 of the cabinet and a front door liner 42.

A transition duct 62 is formed by joining together cavity member 54 and cavity member 53 at an annular flange 55. It will be noted that a suitable clearance is provided between the inner edge of aperture 32 and the edge of frame 52 so that there is no rubbing between the drum and the frame during rotation of the drum. In order to prevent substantial air leakage through the aperture 32, a suitable front drum ring seal 56 is secured to the flange 65 in sealing relationship with the exterior surface of the drum wall 21.

Door 12 is mounted on cabinet 11 so that when the door is opened fabrics may be inserted into and removed from the drum through the door frame 52.

The air outlet from the drum is provided by a perforated opening 59 formed in the inner wall 51 of the hollow door. The bottom wall section of door 12 and the adjacent wall of door frame 52 are provided with aligned openings 60 and 61, opening 61 providing an entrance to the duct 62. A lint trap 63 may be positioned in the duct 62 within opening 61 and supported by the door frame 52. Duct 62 leads downwardly and communicates with condenser housing 64. It is within the condenser housing that the hot moisture-laden air is cooled which causes moisture to be removed from the air prior to introducing the air into the heating unit 35 and then recirculated through the clothes dryer.

With reference to FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 in particular, the operation and construction of the condenser apparatus will now be explained. The condenser apparatus includes a housing 64 which is cylindrical or drum shaped and has an air inlet 66 located at the front of the condenser unit which is also near the front of the clothes dryer. l-lot moisture-laden air from the drum is introduced into the condenser unit through the air inlet 66 by a transition duct 62 (FIG. 1) between the drum and the air inlet. Also located at the same end of the condenser housing 64 is a liquid inlet means 70 which may conveniently be a hose or tubular conduit 72 supported by structure 74 secured in a suitable fashion to the condenser housing. The structure 74 secures and positions the tubular conduit 74 substantially on the longitudinal axis of the condenser housing 64 with the end 73 of the conduit 72 directed into the condenser apparatus. The liquid introduced into the condenser apparatus by means of the tubular conduit 72 passes through a solenoid operated control valve (not shown) and is in the.

form of a stream. The liquid is furnished from a source external of the clothes dryer such as a household faucet. Spaced axially from the liquid inlet means 70 is a single rotatable disc 76.

At the opposite end of the condenser housing 64 from the liquid inlet means 70 is a blower 78 for inducing air to flow from the air inlet 66 to an air outlet 80. The blower 78 not only induces air flow through the condenser apparatus but causes the air to flow through the entire clothes dryer so that only a single blower is needed. The blower in this embodiment consists of a rotatable blower wheel having a plurality of blades 82 secured as by molding to circular plate 83 and a confining air space 84 surrounding the blower wheel for developing sufficient air pressure within the blower to induce the above-mentioned air flow through the entire clothes dryer including the condenser unit. Positioned within the condenser housing 64 and located between the rotatable disc 76 and the blower 78 is a liquid droplet collecting means 86.

With particular reference to FIG. 5, the invention in the present preferred embodiment is in the form of a rotatable liquid droplet interceptor wheel having a plurality of spaced blades 88. The interceptor wheel 86 has a hub 87, the center of which is the axis about which the interceptor wheel rotates. The rear portion 89 of the hub 87 is a hollow cylinder to be received upon the rotatable motor shaft 115 and secured thereto for rotation along with rotation of the motor shaft. The forward portion 97 of the hub 87 is also a hollow cylinder and it is adapted to receive the rotatable disc 76 for simultaneous rotation also along with the motor shaft. The blades 88 are thin and extend radially outward from the outer surface of the hub 87. In the preferredv embodiment of this invention there are 12 such blades. As used herein the term depth of the blades is the straight-line distance from the leading edge 91 to the trailing edge 92 drawn parallel to the central axis of the condenser apparatus. The blades are arranged to minimize obstructing the air flow from the front to the back of the interceptor wheel. To support the outer blade edges 93 they are secured to a circumferential ring member 95. The hub 87, blades 88, and outer support ring member 95 may be all integrally formed with each other from suitable plastic material. In this fashion the entire interceptor wheel is a one-piece molded component structure.

Surrounding the liquid droplet collecting means 86 is a tangential turbine or water-ring pump 94 which consists of a rotatable U-shapedinner wall 96 and a stationary outer pump wall 98 which cooperate with each other to provide a pump cavity 100 therebetween. The outer pump wall 98 may be integrally formed with the condenser housing. Also, forming one part of the pump 94 is a circumferential wall member 99 that is stationary and secured to the inside of the condenser housing and inwardly depending therefrom. Rotation of the inner pump wall 96 forces the liquid to be accelerated circumferentially by friction and discharged through the pump discharge outlet 102. The discharge outlet 102 is connected by suitable means to a drain outside of the clothes dryer.

Located at the bottom of the condenser housing 64 is a sump 104 which performs as an auxiliary liquid discharge outlet from the condenser apparatus should the pump 94 fail to operate. The sump 104v consists of a reservoir 106 formed by surrounding wall area 108 and a liquid discharge outlet 109 which may be formed integrally with the condenser housing 64. The sump liquid discharge outlet 109 is arranged to be spaced from and located below the liquid inletmeans 70 to provide an air gap therebetween. Plumbing codes generally require a sufficient air gap in association with the water inlet, so that if a negative pressure is produced in the water line, only air will be taken in. It can be seen in FIG. 3 that if the condenser pump 94 fails to operate, liquid accumulates in the condenser apparatus sump until it overflows, thus providing an air gap in the system between the discharge outlet 109 and liquid inlet end 73. lf desired, means for discontinuing operation of the condenser apparatus responsive to the auxiliary liquid discharge may be provided. One such means could be an externally located float mechanism activated by over flow liquid discharged from the condenser.

At the rear of the condenser housing 64 is a rear wall 110 which forms part of the'condenser housing. The rear wall 110 together with cylindrical wall section 111 of housing 64 and inwardly directed circular flange 113 form the blower chamber 84. Secured to the rear wall 110 on the opposite side from the blower chamber 84 is an electric motor 112 which may be suitably attached to the rear wall as by bolts 114. The electric motor has a rotatable shaft 115 extending through an aperture 116 in the rear wall 110 close to the central longitudinal axis of the condenser apparatus. Secured to this motor shaft 115, which extends into the condenser housing, are the four rotatable elements of the condenser apparatus, namely, the blower 78, the liquid droplet interceptor wheel 86, inner wall 96 of the pump 94 and the disc 76. The single motor 112 rotatably drives all four of these condenser apparatus elements.

The motor shaft 115 also extends rearward of the motor in the opposite direction from the condenser apparatus and is utilized to rotate drum 17. In order to effect this rotation, motor 112 is provided with a shaft portion 118 having a small pulley 120 secured to the end thereof. Around the pulley 120 and seated in groove 121 and entirely around the cylindrical wall section 18 of drum 17 is a movable belt 122. The relative circumference of the pulley 120 and the wall section 18 of the'drum 17 causes the drum to be driven by the motor at a speed suitable to effect tumbling of fabrics to be dried in the drum. In order to effect proper tensioning of the belt 122, a suitable idler assembly 124 is secured to the same support 126 which supports one end of the motor.

The air exiting the condenser apparatus through air outlet 80 passes via duct 128 into the heating unit 35 for heating the air and recirculating it into the clothes dryer drum 17.

The operation of the condenser and dryer apparatus is as follows: Hot moisture-laden air that has been passed through the clothes dryer drum and picked up moisture from the fabrics tumbled therein is introduced into the condenser unit through the air inlet opening 66 while a stream of cooling liquid is being introduced into the condenser unit through tubular conduit 72. When the condenser apparatus is operating the electric motor provides for simultaneous rotation of the blower 78, liquid droplet interceptor wheel 86, inner wall 96 of pump 94 and disc 76. As disc 76 is being rotated a stream of liquid being introduced impinges onto the flat center area 40 of the rapidly rotating disc. The liquid striking the rotating surface 128 is acted upon by centrifugal force causing the liquid to spread into a film or sheet and swirl and travel up the inclined inner wall surface 129 of the continuous wall 41 of the disc 76 to the periphery 44 thereof and from there thrown outwardly in the form of liquid droplets 130. The generally radial flight of the liquid droplets 130 is interrupted by the inner surface 132 of the condenser housing 64 whereupon the liquid droplets are deflected back toward the center of the condenser chamber 90; this in effect produces a curtain or cloud of liquid droplets within the condensing chamber 90 while the incoming hot moisture-laden air from the dryer drum flows through this resultant liquid droplet cloud. It will be appreciated that the condenser chamber 90 length is restricted or limited in order to be able to incorporate the condenser apparatus in space available in standard size clothes dryers. It is important to have the liquid droplets retained within the condenser chamber 90 rather than pass into the blower 78.

To minimize any passage of liquid droplets into the blower 78 the interceptor wheel as shown in FIG. is utilized. When the angular velocity of the liquid droplets is zero the minimum blade depth (X), defined previously as the straight-line distance between the leading edge 91 to the trailing edge 92- drawn parallel to the central axis of the condenser dryer, may be expressed in a formula. With particular reference to FIG. 6, in which the formula expressions are shown diagrammatically, the minimum blade depth (X) will be equal to the axial velocity of the intake air (V) divided by the linear velocity (L) of any point (A) on a first blade multiplied by the distance between the blades (D) at the same radial distance (R) from the center of rotation (C) as the point (A) chosen on the first blade. The minimum blade depth would be equal to (V/L) X D. Air flow characteristics through the interceptor wheel as it is rotating indicate that the air and the liquid droplets entrained therewith tend to spin in the direction of the wheel rotation. l have found that the angular velocity of the liquid droplets is less than one-half the angular velocity of the blades. Therefore, the maximum blade depth that would be necessary will be two times the minimum blade depth.

The following is an example of determining the minimum blade depth of the interceptor wheel in the condenser apparatus shown in the drawings. Assume the interceptor wheel has a 5 inch diameter measured from the blade tips, 12 blades, and is rotated at 1,725 RPM. Also assume the axial velocity of the intake air (V) is 18.4 feet per second with no angular velocity imparted to the entrained liquid droplets. The linear velocity (L) of point (A) would be equal to [(5 inches (diameter) X 3.14)/12 inches X 60 (sec.)] X 1,725 (RPM) or 37.61 feet per second. The distance between the blades (D) would be equal to 5 inches (diameter) X 3.14/12 blades or 1.30 inches. The minimum blade depth would then be equal to [18.4 (V)/37.61 (L)] X 1.30 (D) or 0.64 inches. The maximum necessary blade depth due to angular velocity of the liquid droplets caused by the rotation of the wheel would be twice that or 1.28 inches. A liquid droplet interceptor wheel having this configuration and dimensions has demonstrated good liquid droplet interception with a minimum of droplets entering the blower.

The hot moisture-laden air in contact with the cooler liquid droplets in the condenser chamber causes the air temperature to be lowered and the moisture condensed therefrom. Because the air flowing through the condenser chamber 90 may entrain some liquid droplets the water droplet collecting means 86 is positioned upstream of the blower 78 between the disc 76 and blower 78. the entrained liquid droplets are essentially collected by the rotating blades 88 whereupon the liquid is centrifugally forced radially outward on the blades to the circumferential ring member 95, and deposited in an underlying liquid bath 133 which is in communication with the pump 94 through an opening 134. It will be understood that simultaneously with the introduction of cooling liquid into the condenser apparatus through the tubular conduit 72 that liquid will also be removed from the condenser apparatus by the pump 94 at a rate such that only a small amount of liquid is in the liquid bath 133 at a given time during operation of the condenser apparatus. The now cooled air reaches the blower 78 which applies air pressure to in duce the air flow and force the air out of the condenser apparatus through air outlet for introduction into the heating unit 35 and again recirculate through the clothes dryer.

The foregoing is a description of the preferred embodiment of the invention and variations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a condenser apparatus for removing moisture from air by passing moisture-laden air through a cloud of cooling liquid droplets having:

a. a housing,

b. liquid inlet means at one end of said housing for introducing liquid into the housing,

c. means for forming a cloud of liquid droplets in the housing,

d. air inlet means at said one end of the housing,

e. air outlet means at the end of the housing opposite the air inlet means,

f. means for inducing air to flow from the air inlet means to the air outlet means,

g. means for removing liquid from the condenser apparatus, and

h. drive means, the improvement comprising a rotatable liquid droplet interceptor wheel positioned within the housing and located between the means for forming the liquid droplet cloud and the air flow inducing means, said wheel having a hub, a plurality of blades extending radially outward from the hub with the minimum blade depth being equal to the axial velocity of the intake air divided by the linear velocity of any point on a first blade multiplied by the distance between the first blade and an adjacent blade at a point the same radial distance from the center of rotation as the point on the first blade.

2. The condenser apparatus of claim 1 wherein the maximum depth of the blade is twice the minimum depth.

3. The condenser apparatus of claim I wherein the blades are single planar and equally spaced from each other.

4. In a condenser apparatus for removing moisture from air by passing moisture-laden air through a cloud of cooling liquid droplets having:

a. a housing,

b. liquid inlet means at one end of said housing for introducing a stream of liquid into the housing,

c. a rotatable disc axially spaced from the liquid inlet means,

d. air inlet means at said one end of the housing,

e. air outlet means at the end of the housing opposite the air inlet means,

f. a blower for inducing air to flow from the air inlet means to the air outlet means,

g. means for removing liquid from the condenser apparatus, and

h. means for driving the rotatable components, the improvement comprising a rotatable liquid droplet interceptor wheel positioned within the housing and located between the disc and blower, said wheel having a hub, a plurality of blades extending radially outward from the hub and in axial alignment with the central axis of the condenser apparatus, the minimum blade depth being equal to the axial velocity of the intake air divided by the linear velocity of any point on a first blade multiplied by the distance between the first blade and an adjacent blade at a point the same radial distance from the center of rotation as the point on the first blade.

5. In an automatic clothes dryer machine having a cabinet, a drum mounted for rotation within the cabinet to tumble clothes to be dried, means for passing air through the drum and heating means to heat the air, and a condenser apparatus through which the air passes to be coupled and remove moisture, the condenser apparatus having:

a. a housing,

c. means for forming a cloud of liquid droplets in the housing,

(I. air inlet means at said one end of the housing,

e. air outlet means at the end of the housing opposite the air inlet means,

g. means for removing liquid from the condenser apparatus, and

h. drive means, the improvement comprising a rotatable liquid droplet interceptor wheel positioned within the housing and located between the means for forming the liquid droplet cloud and the airflow inducing means, said wheel having a hub, a plurality of blades extending radially outward from the hub with the minimum blade depth being equal to the axial velocity of the intake air divided by the linear velocity of any point on a first blade multiplied by the distance between the first blade and an adjacent blade at a point the same radial distance from the center of rotation as the point on the first blade.

6. In the automatic clothes dryer of claim 5 wherein the maximum depth of the blade is twice the minimum depth.

7. In the automatic clothes dryer of claim 5 wherein the blades are single planar and equally spaced from each other.

8. In a condenser apparatus for removing moisture from air by passing moisture-laden air through a cloud of cooling liquid droplets having:

a. a housing,

b. liquid inlet means at one end of said housing,

c. air inlet means at said one end of the housing,

d. air outlet means at the end of the housing opposite the air inlet means,

e. a rotatable disc concentrically positioned within the housing and axially spaced from said inlet means to provide an air gap,

f. a rotatable bladed blower for inducing air flow through the condenser apparatus from the air inlet means to the air outlet means,

g. a pump for removing liquid from the condenser apparatus,

h. a single motor having a shaft cooperatively connected and driving the rotatable components including the pump,

i. a liquid discharge outlet located below and spaced from the liquid inlet means to provide an air gap therebetween,

the improvement comprising a rotatable liquid droplet interceptor wheel positioned within the housing and located between the disc and blower, said wheel having a hub, a plurality of single planar and equally spaced blades extending radially outward from the hub and in axial alignment with the central axis of the condenser apparatus with the minimum blade depth being equal to the axial velocity of the intake air divided by the linear velocity of any point on a first blade multiplied by the distance between the first blade and an adjacent blade at a point the same radial distance from the center of rotation as the point on the first blade, and the maximum blade depth being twice the minimum blade depth.

Claims

1. In a condenser apparatus for removing moisture from air by passing moisture-laden air through a cloud of cooling liquid droplets having: a. a housing, b. liquid inlet means at one end of said housing for introducing liquid into the housing, c. means for forming a cloud of liquid droplets in the housing, d. air inlet means at said one end of the housing, e. air outlet means at the end of the housing opposite the air inlet means, f. means for inducing air to flow from the air inlet means to the air outlet means, g. means for removing liquid from the condenser apparatus, and h. drive means, the improvement comprising a rotatable liquid droplet interceptor wheel positioned within the housing and located between the means for forming the liquid droplet cloud and the air flow inducing means, said wheel having a hub, a plurality of blades extending radially outward from the hub with the minimum blade depth being equal to the axial velocity of the intake air divided by the linear velocity of any point on a first blade multiplied by the distance between the first blade and an adjacent blade at a point the same radial distance from the center of rotation as the point on the first blade.

3. The condenser apparatus of claim 1 wherein the blades are single planar and equally spaced from each other.

4. In a condenser apparatus for removing moisture from air by passing moisture-laden air through a cloud of cooling liquid droplets having: a. a housing, b. liquid inlet means at one end of said housing for introducing a stream of liquid into the housing, c. a rotatable disc axially spaced from the liquid inlet means, d. air inlet means at said one end of the housing, e. air outlet means at the end of the housing opposite the air inlet means, f. a blower for inducing air to flow from the air inlet means to the air outlet means, g. means for removing liquid from the condenser apparatus, and h. means for driving the rotatable components, the improvement comprising a rotatable liquid droplet interceptor wheel positioned within the housing and located between the disc and blower, said wheel having a hub, a plurality of blades extending radially outward from the hub and in axial alignment with the central axis of the condenser apparatus, the minimum blade depth being equal to the axial velocity of the intake air divided by the linear velocity of any point on a first blade multiplied by the distance between the first blade and an adjacent blade at a point the same radial distance from the center of rotation as the point on the first blade.

5. In an automatic clothes dryer machine having a cabinet, a drum mounted for rotation within the cabinet to tumble clothes to be dried, means for passing air through the drum and heating means to heat the air, and a condenser apparatus through which the air passes to be coupled and remove moisture, the condenser apparatus having: a. a housing, b. liquid inlet means at one end of said housing for introducing liquid into the housing, c. means for forming a cloud of liquid droplets in the housing, d. air inlet means at said one end of the housing, e. air outlet means at the end of the housing opposite the air inlet means, f. means for inducing air to flow from the air inlet means to the air outlet means, g. means for removing liquid from the condenser apparatus, and h. drive means, the improvement comprising a rotatable liquid droplet interceptor wheel positioned wIthin the housing and located between the means for forming the liquid droplet cloud and the airflow inducing means, said wheel having a hub, a plurality of blades extending radially outward from the hub with the minimum blade depth being equal to the axial velocity of the intake air divided by the linear velocity of any point on a first blade multiplied by the distance between the first blade and an adjacent blade at a point the same radial distance from the center of rotation as the point on the first blade.

8. In a condenser apparatus for removing moisture from air by passing moisture-laden air through a cloud of cooling liquid droplets having: a. a housing, b. liquid inlet means at one end of said housing, c. air inlet means at said one end of the housing, d. air outlet means at the end of the housing opposite the air inlet means, e. a rotatable disc concentrically positioned within the housing and axially spaced from said inlet means to provide an air gap, f. a rotatable bladed blower for inducing air flow through the condenser apparatus from the air inlet means to the air outlet means, g. a pump for removing liquid from the condenser apparatus, h. a single motor having a shaft cooperatively connected and driving the rotatable components including the pump, i. a liquid discharge outlet located below and spaced from the liquid inlet means to provide an air gap therebetween, the improvement comprising a rotatable liquid droplet interceptor wheel positioned within the housing and located between the disc and blower, said wheel having a hub, a plurality of single planar and equally spaced blades extending radially outward from the hub and in axial alignment with the central axis of the condenser apparatus with the minimum blade depth being equal to the axial velocity of the intake air divided by the linear velocity of any point on a first blade multiplied by the distance between the first blade and an adjacent blade at a point the same radial distance from the center of rotation as the point on the first blade, and the maximum blade depth being twice the minimum blade depth.