Humidifier system

Abstract

A system that provides effective and efficient introduction of water droplets into an air flow. The water droplets are sufficiently small so as to evaporate primarily before leaving the mixing enclosure where the droplets are injected by spray nozzles. Large droplets are kept to a minimum, thus reducing condensation and water accumulation to a very small amount. An amount of water usage is significantly less than that of a conventional evaporative humidifier of the same capacity. The present system may be placed in an enclosure that can readily replace other conventional evaporative humidifiers in enclosures. The present enclosure and system may be installed in lieu of a conventional enclosure and evaporative humidifier with minimal effort. The present enclosure has features that facilitate droplet to air mixing, viewing, humidification, and testing. In permissible situations, the present system may replace a conventional system but retain the conventional enclosure.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for humidifying air, the method comprising:
 flowing air through a first port into an enclosure, through the enclosure, and out of the enclosure through a second port of the enclosure;   spraying the air flowing through the enclosure with droplets of water from a spray assembly;   determining a relative humidity of the air flowing out of the enclosure through the second port of the enclosure; and   adjusting an amount of water provided by the spray assembly as droplets of water into the air flowing through the enclosure to achieve the relative humidity at a predetermined percentage of the air flowing out of the second port of the enclosure.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the spray assembly comprises:
 one or more spray units; and   a manifold having an input connected to a water supply and one or more outputs connected to the one or more spray units,   wherein each spray unit comprises one or more plates attached to the one or more outputs, respectively, of the manifold, and   wherein each of the one or more plates has one or more holes.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the amount of water provided to the spray assembly first enters the input of the manifold and goes through the one or more outputs of the manifold to the one or more plates and comes out from the one or more holes of each plate as droplets of water into the air flowing through the enclosure. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the droplets of water are sufficiently small enough to form a vapor in the air flowing through the enclosure or flowing out of the enclosure through the second port of the enclosure. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein each of the one or more plates comprises a group of 100 to 1000 holes having a diameter between one and 20 microns. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein each of the one or more plates further comprises a piezoelectric material on a perimeter on a surface of each plate around the group of holes. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising purifying the amount of water provided to the spray assembly. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the one or more plates are actuated with an AC current applied to the piezoelectric material, to provide the droplets of water. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the spray assembly comprises:
 one or more spray units situated in the enclosure, wherein each spray unit comprises:
 a plate having one or more holes; and 
 a piezoelectric material attached to the plate, wherein the piezoelectric material has an opening that encloses the one or more holes of the plate, 
 wherein the one or more spray units are configured to provide fluid droplets into air flowing through the enclosure. 
   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the piezoelectric material is configured to actuate the plate to vibrate at a frequency according to an AC current applied to the piezoelectric material. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising adjusting a frequency of the AC current to a resonant frequency of the plate of the nebulizer. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the enclosure comprises one or more channels that effectively extend an evaporation distance due to cyclonic effects from the one or more channels, and consequently increase evaporation of the fluid droplets from the one or more spray units in the air flowing from the input port to the output port. 
     
     
         13 . A method comprising:
 causing, by a controller, an emitter to provide a fluid flow using an applied voltage having a frequency, wherein the emitter includes a plate defining one or more holes configured to eject fluid, and a piezoelectric material defining an opening enclosing the one or more holes of the plate, and wherein the applied voltage and the frequency actuate the piezoelectric material to vibrate the plate and cause the one or more holes to eject the fluid; and   adjusting, by the controller, at least one of the applied voltage or the frequency of the applied voltage to adjust the fluid flow.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 measuring, by the controller, a current supplied to the emitter, wherein the current has the frequency, and   adjusting, by the controller, the frequency to adjust the current.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the controller, an indication of one or more of a temperature from a temperature sensor or a relative humidity from a relative humidity sensor; and   adjusting, by the controller, the fluid flow based on the received indication.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the controller, an indication of one or more of a temperature from a temperature sensor or a relative humidity from a relative humidity sensor; and   adjusting, by the controller, a speed of a fan configured to cause air to flow through the fluid flow based on the received indication.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising;
 generating, by the controller, an AC signal having the applied voltage and the frequency; and 
 adjusting, by the controller, the AC signal to adjust at least one of the applied voltage or the frequency. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the emitter comprises an individual spray unit in a plurality of spray units, the method further comprising adjusting, by the controller, at least one of the applied voltage or the frequency to turn on or turn off the individual spray unit to adjust the fluid flow. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the emitter comprises a first spray unit, the method further comprising:
 turning on, by the controller, a second spray unit; and   adjusting, by the controller, at least one of the applied voltage or the frequency to turn off the first spray unit to reduce a duty cycle of the first spray unit.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising adjusting, by the controller, a pressure control module configured to control a flow of fluid to the emitter.