Air inlet damper apparatus

Abstract

An air inlet damper apparatus for minimizing the entrance of outside air into a poultry house when the ventilation exhaust fans are running and the radiant tube heater is not operating. The apparatus has a housing with a passage and a coupling flange; a pin that spans the passage and divides the apparatus into a low pressure side and an outside high pressure side, where the low pressure side is in fluid communication with a blower supplying combustion air to the tube heater; a damper blade connected to the pin; a stop; and a means for controlling the damper blade. The controlling means is responsive to pressure. The damper blade pivotally opens away from the stop when there is a static pressure differential that is higher than the negative pressure created by the ventilation exhaust fans, or when the controlling means electromechanically actuates the damper blade.

1 . An air inlet damper apparatus for minimizing the entrance of outside air through a tube heater when the tube heater is not operating, said apparatus comprising: 
 a housing having a passage;    a pin that spans the passage and marks a divide of the apparatus into a low-pressure side and an outside high pressure side, where the low-pressure side is in communication with the tube heater;    a stop;    a damper blade connected to the pin;    a means for controlling the damper blade;    wherein said controlling means determines at what static pressure differential the damper blade opens away from the stop or when the controlling means actuates the damper blade.    
   
   
       2 . The air inlet damper apparatus, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the damper blade is a butterfly damper blade having two half blades and the pin is substantially located in the center of the passage.  
   
   
       3 . The air inlet damper apparatus, as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the controlling means is a torsion spring on the low pressure side between the two half blades, where the torsion spring maintains that the half blades are closed when the tube heater is not operating, and the half blades open when the tube heater is operating.  
   
   
       4 . The air inlet damper apparatus, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the stop is on the inner housing, and against said stop the dampening blade can form a seal.  
   
   
       5 . The air inlet damper apparatus, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the controlling means is an articulating member that adjusts the damper blade.  
   
   
       6 . The air inlet damper apparatus, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the tube heater burns combustion gases comprised of a gaseous fuel and outside air, where the outside air is pulled in by a blower through a duct that connects the blower to the air inlet damper apparatus.  
   
   
       7 . The air inlet damper apparatus, as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein, when operating, said blower moves an effective volume of combustion air, regardless of the pressure at the tube heater exhaust.  
   
   
       8 . The air inlet damper apparatus, as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein, when said tube heater is operated in a building having exhaust fans, the exhaust fans produce a negative pressure in the building and, by extension, a negative pressure at the tube heater exhaust.  
   
   
       9 . The air inlet damper apparatus, as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein said building is a poultry house.  
   
   
       10 . The air inlet damper apparatus, as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein said building has multiple tube heaters in fluid communication with one or more air inlet damper apparatus.  
   
   
       11 . The air inlet damper apparatus, as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein said blower provides air to a tube heater combustion chamber.  
   
   
       12 . The air inlet damper apparatus, as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein said blower pulls outside air into a tube heater combustion chamber.  
   
   
       13 . The air inlet damper apparatus, as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said stop has a rubber ring gasket.  
   
   
       14 . The air inlet damper apparatus, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said air inlet apparatus is in fluid communication with an air inlet spigot.  
   
   
       15 . The air inlet damper apparatus, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said tube heater is a radiant heater.  
   
   
       16 . The air inlet damper apparatus, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said controlling means is selected from a solenoid actuated piston, a motor and spring, and an articulating member, where the controlling means controls the position of the damper blade.  
   
   
       17 . The air inlet damper apparatus, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said housing is substantially cylindrical.  
   
   
       18 . The combination in a building of an air inlet damper apparatus, a tube heater, a ventilation exhaust fan, and a conditioning device for lowering the humidity of incoming warm outside air, wherein said air inlet damper apparatus minimizes the entrance of outside air that is not conditioned, said apparatus comprising: 
 a housing having a passage;    a pin that spans the passage and marks a divide of the apparatus into a low-pressure side and an outside high pressure side, where the low-pressure side is in communication with the tube heater;    a damper blade connected to the pin;    a stop;    a means for controlling the damper blade;    wherein said controlling means determines at what static pressure differential the damper blade opens or when the controlling means actuates the damper blade.    
   
   
       19 . The air inlet damper apparatus, as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein said exhaust fan is cycled on and off, and when on, generates a negative pressure in the building.  
   
   
       20 . A combination tube heater and air inlet damper apparatus, said combination comprised of: a tube heater with a blower for bringing in outside combustion air through an air inlet damper apparatus, where the apparatus has a damper blade and a controlling means, where the air inlet damper apparatus minimizes the entrance of outside air when the tube heater is not operating.  
   
   
       21 . The combination, as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein said air inlet damper apparatus is in fluid communication with an air intake of the blower.  
   
   
       22 . The combination, as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein said air inlet damper apparatus is in fluid communication with a combustion chamber of the tube heater.