The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 16, 2012
Filed:
Jan. 04, 2007
Peter Smith, Lewistown, MT (US);
Daniel J. Rhyner, Lewistown, MT (US);
Carl E. Steele, Lewistown, MT (US);
Peter Smith, Lewistown, MT (US);
Daniel J. Rhyner, Lewistown, MT (US);
Carl E. Steele, Lewistown, MT (US);
HCR Incorporated, Lewistown, MT (US);
Abstract
A conditioned vestibule, control system, and method are disclosed for use with a cold storage doorway that separates warm and cold sides. A heater warms an air stream discharged across the doorway by the vestibule. A control unit operates the heater to maintain an air stream temperature. The control unit continuously monitors the air stream temperature and operates the heater to maintain the air stream temperature in a non-saturated state based on a humidity ratio. One embodiment calculates first and second temperatures based, respectively, warm and cold side tangent lines to a psychrometric saturation curve and based on the humidity ratio. The tangent lines are based on humidity and temperature sensed on the warm and cold sides. The air stream is warmed to at least the greater of the first and second temperatures. One embodiment controls air flow to adjust the humidity ratio to more efficiently operate the vestibule.