Multi-wash spray booth and method of capturing air borne particles

Abstract

A spray booth that provides an improved, more uniform circulation of air past the operator and workpiece and a more effective cleaning of the air of oversprayed particulates. A plurality of water washes are utilized in the air cleaning section of the spray booth. The spraying section includes an open-faced front user portal with a grated flooring. The cleaning section includes three water washes. The first water wash underlies the grated flooring and has a spillway that slopes downward from the front of the portal towards the rear. The second water wash is disposed at the rear of the spraying section and includes a plurality of baffle surfaces that extend across the width of the spraying section from the ceiling toward the spillway, with the bottoms of the baffle surfaces and the surface of the spillway defining a space therebetween. A panel is provided for deflecting air flow downwardly from the space behind the baffle surfaces, with the panel being spaced from the baffle surfaces in an increasing distance in the downward direction. The air from the first and second water washes flows into a restricted throat to increase its air velocity sufficiently to lift water particles and this high velocity air flow and water particle mixture is discharged into an enlarged third water wash and is deflected to cause turbulence to wet air borne spray particles.