1936 Air Washing Machine
1936 Air Washing Machine
(OP)
I have plans for a theatre built in 1936. These are architectural plans and the engineering is sketchy to say the least. The plans show outside air being drawn through an "air washing machine" and through a huge wooden duct to the auditorium. What the heck is this? Is it like a mini water tower with the air being exposed to water to cool it? The heating system seems to be a completely separate system. There is a coal fed boiler with cast iron radiators heated by steam. So was the air washer only run in summer to cool the air? Or was it also run in winter to purify the stale inside air. (At that time smoking was allowed inside theatres.)
Rebecca
Rebecca





RE: 1936 Air Washing Machine
I'm not a real engineer, but I play one on T.V.
A.J. Gest, York Int./JCI
RE: 1936 Air Washing Machine
RE: 1936 Air Washing Machine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evaporative_cooling
RE: 1936 Air Washing Machine
It is located in Kingsport, Tennessee. We have some hot and humid days in the summer, but usually just the upper 8o's or lower 90's, Fahrenheit. The reason I asked about purification is that the theatre was advertised as having "clean air."
Would the water recirculate or would there be a constant supply of fresh water? If it recirculated, wouldn't it need to be cooled? If it was constant fresh water, wouldn't that be expensive? City water and sewer is expensive now and the town wasn't very old then. It seems that they would have still been paying for a water treatment plant at that time.
Rebecca
RE: 1936 Air Washing Machine
I'm not a real engineer, but I play one on T.V.
A.J. Gest, York Int./JCI
RE: 1936 Air Washing Machine
RE: 1936 Air Washing Machine
The basic principle of evaporative coolers, as already explained in detail by Yorkman, is that the latent heat required for evaporation of water is extracted from sensible heat of air and thus air gets cooled down.
It doesn't matter, much, if we are circulating hot water or cold water, as the ratio of latent heat of water to specific heat of water is phenomenolly high.
RE: 1936 Air Washing Machine
My guess is they used city water for whatever cooling effect was achieved, and just let the water run down the drain. This was fairly common back then.
If you get the opportunity to see this in person you might look for a large water storage tank. I have also heard of some air washer systems that used ice blocks to provide cooling. An early form of thermal storage, so to speak.
RE: 1936 Air Washing Machine
You guys are the greatest! Maybe "WE" should write an article for "Invention and Technology" magazine.
Rebecca
RE: 1936 Air Washing Machine
Heat transfer will also be a lot less with a lower thermal gradient.
Masonite is wet felted wood fibre, can be made into low density insulation panels, or hardboards as you may be mroe familiar with.
RE: 1936 Air Washing Machine
The old air washer was an interesting alternative to a cooling coil if my memory serves me correct. Air was passed through a spray of cold water.
The temperature of this spray water was lower than the dewpoint of the air it was cooling and it dehumidified the air. Kind of interesting, dehumidifying by using water.
Its one advantage, low pressure drop.