REITH DANIEL J (US)
| US1252751A | 1918-01-08 | |||
| US5851446A | 1998-12-22 | |||
| US20180106266A1 | 2018-04-19 | |||
| US3743257A | 1973-07-03 | |||
| US3243166A | 1966-03-29 |
| Claims: 1. A cooling tower fan cylinder comprising: a plurality of modular standard segments; a motor segment configured to allow the passage of power and mechanical elements associated with driving a fan motor; an access segment configured to allow the passage of a technician into an interior of said cooling tower fan cylinder; said plurality of standard segments, said motor segment and said access segment configured to be assembled into said cooling tower fan cylinder; each of said plurality of standard segments, said motor segment and said access segment comprising on exterior facing surfaces a plurality of integrally molded vertical ribs and integrally molded horizontal ribs, said cooling tower fan cylinder further comprising a plurality of horizontal rib stiffeners configured to connect horizontal ribs on adjacent segments; a plurality of top ring stiffeners configured to connect top ring flanges on adjacent segments; a lifter bar provided inside a central vertical rib of each of three segments equally spaced about said cooling tower fan cylinder and configured to be access from an interior of said cooling tower fan cylinder. 2. A method for assembling and mounting a modular fan cylinder on a cooling tower, said method comprising: assembling, at ground level, a plurality of standard fan cylinder segments; a fan cylinder motor segment, and a fan cylinder access segment into said modular fan cylinder by connecting adjacent segment flanges to one-another; wherein said plurality of standard fan cylinder segments, said fan cylinder motor segment and said fan cylinder access segment each comprise on exterior facing surfaces a plurality of integrally molded vertical ribs and integrally molded horizontal ribs; said method further comprising attaching horizontal rib stiffeners to integrally molded horizontal ribs of adjacent segments; 7 attaching a hoisting rig to lifter bars arranged in at least three of said plurality of standard fan cylinder segments and accessible from an interior of said tower fan cylinder; lifting said modular fan cylinder using said hoisting rig and lifter bars, and placing said modular fan cylinder atop a cooling tower. 8 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to fan cylinders for cooling towers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention is an improved modular cooling tower fan cylinder composed of multiple modules or “segments,” including a plurality of basic segments, a motor segment and an access segment. The segments are assembled, preferably at ground level, to form a generally hourglass shaped cooling tower fan cylinder which then may be hoisted atop a cooling tower or other structure. The fan cylinder according to the invention is configured to house and protect fan blades, reduce sound and vibration, and enhance performance. The segments are preferably molded fiberglass composite structures, including a wall element having interior and exterior facing surfaces. According to preferred embodiments, the interior facing surface of the wall element of each basic segment is smooth and relatively featureless (with the exception in at least some instances of a lifting bar, discussed below). The exterior facing surface of the wall element of each segment features integrally molded vertical and horizontal ribs that intersect with one-another at right angles. At their lateral edges, the segments have flanges which are used to bolt the segments to one-another. According to a preferred embodiment, the fan cylinders of the present invention include a horizontal rib stiffener which attaches at one end to a horizontal rib of one segment and at a second end to the corresponding horizontal rib of the adjacent segment. According to a more preferred embodiment, at least one horizontal rib stiffener is at every junction between adjacent segments. According to a further embodiment, two rib stiffeners are provided at each junction between adjacent segments to join two horizontal ribs in the throat area of the fan cylinder. According to another embodiment of the invention, a top ring stiffener is provided at the junction of each two adjacent segments in the top ring flange.
[0003] According to a further embodiment of the invention, at least three segments are provided with a lifter bar, accessible from the inside surface of the wall. According to a preferred embodiment, the lifter bar is horizontally secured to a lifter cup holder that is integrally molded inside a central vertical rib of the segment. The lifter bar may be used to secure cables or straps to hoist an assembled fan cylinder into its final location. The lifter bar may also be used to secure a safety harness for workers servicing equipment in the interior space defined by the fan cylinder. The height of the lifter bar from the bottom of the segment is preferably arranged to make it convenient for use both as a lifting point and as a safety harness securing point.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] Figure 1 is an exterior side view of a fan cylinder according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0005] Figure 2 is an interior view of a fan cylinder according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0006] Figure 3 is a plan view of a fan cylinder according to an embodiment of the invention
[0007] Figure 4 is an elevation view of a basic segment of a fan cylinder according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0008] Figure 5 is an elevation view of a motor segment of a fan cylinder according to an embodiment of the invention. [0009] Figure 6 is an elevation view of an access segment of a fan cylinder according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0010] Figure 7 is an isometric view of a horizontal rib stiffener according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0011] Figure 8 is a plan view of the horizontal rib stiffener of Figure 7.
[0012] Figure 9 is a section view along line B-B of Figure 10.
[0013] Figure 10 is a section view along line C-C of Figure 8
[0014] Figure 11 is another elevation view of a basic segment of a fan cylinder according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0015] Figure 12 is a section view along line A- A in Figure 11.
[0016] Figure 13 is a section view along line B-B of Figure 11.
[0017] Figure 14 is a section view along line C-C of Figure 11.
[0018] Figure 15 is a section view along line D-D of Figure 11.
[0019] Figure 16 is a detail view of Figure 11 showing the connection points for a horizontal rib stiffener.
[0020] Figure 17 is a perspective view of a horizontal rib stiffener joining two adjacent segments of a fan cylinder according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0021] Figure 18 is a plan view of a top ring stiffener according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0022] Figure 19 is an isometric view of a top ring stiffener according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0023] Figure 20 is another plan view of a top ring stiffener according to an embodiment of the invention. [0024] Figure 21 is a section view along line A-A of Figure 20.
[0025] Figure 22 is an elevation view of a segment according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0026] Figure 23 is a section view along line A-A of Figure 22.
[0027] Figure 24 is a section view along line B-B of Figure 22.
[0028] Figure 25 is a detailed view of a lifter bar according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0029] Figure 26 shows detailed views 2 and 3 from Figure 24.
[0030] Figure 27 shows detailed view 4 from Figure 23.
[0031] Features in the attached drawings are numbered with the following reference numerals:
I cooling tower fan cylinder 17 integrally molded vertical rib
3 basic segment 19 integrally molded horizontal ribs
5 motor segment 21 flanges
7 access segment 23 horizontal rib stiffener
9 fan blades 25 access slot
II wall element 27 top ring stiffener
13 interior facing surfaces 29 lifter bar
15 exterior facing surfaces 31 lifter cup holder
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0032] The cooling tower fan cylinder 1 of the invention may be composed of multiple segments, including a plurality of basic segments 3, a motor segment 5 and an access segment 7. The segments 3, 5 and 7 are assembled to form a generally hourglass shaped cooling tower fan cylinder 1, see, e.g., Figure 3. The fan cylinder 1 according to the invention is configured to house and protect fan blades 9, reduce sound and vibration, and enhance performance.
[0033] The segments 3, 5 and 7 are preferably molded fiberglass composite structures, including a wall element 11 having interior 13 and exterior 15 facing surfaces. The interior facing surface 13 of the wall element 11 of each basic segment 3 is smooth and relatively featureless (with the exception in at least some instances of a lifting bar, discussed below). Referring to Figures 4 and 11-15, the exterior facing surface 15 of the wall element 11 of each segment features integrally molded vertical 17 and horizontal 19 ribs that intersect with one- another at right angles. At their lateral edges, the segments have flanges 21 which are used to bolt the segments to one-another. See, e.g., Fig. 17.
[0034] The fan cylinders 1 may further include a horizontal rib stiffener 23 which attaches at one end to a horizontal rib 19a of one segment and at a second end to the corresponding horizontal rib 19b of the adjacent segment. See Figs. 4-10 and 17. One horizontal rib stiffener 23 is preferably installed at every junction between adjacent segments. Optionally, two rib stiffeners 23 may be provided at each junction between adjacent segments to join two horizontal ribs 19 in the throat area of the fan cylinder 1, as shown in Figs. 4-6.
[0035] An access slot 25 may be provided at each end of a horizontal rib, bottom side, to facilitate bolting of the rib stiffeners 23 to the horizontal ribs 19a and 19b of adjacent segments, See Figs. 11, 16 and 17. A top ring stiffener 27 may be installed at the junction of each two adjacent segments in the top ring flange, see Figs. 18-21.
[0036] According to a further embodiment of the invention, at least three segments are provided with a lifter bar 29, accessible from the inside surface of the wall. See Figs. 22-27. The lifter bar 29 may be horizontally secured to a lifter cup holder 31 that is integrally molded inside a central vertical rib of the segment. The lifter bar 29 may be used to secure cables or straps to hoist an assembled fan cylinder into its final location. The lifter bar 29 may also be used to secure a safety harness for workers servicing equipment in the interior space defined by the fan cylinder. The height of the lifter bar 29 from the bottom of the segment may be situated for use both as a lifting point and as a safety harness securing point.
[0037] It is specifically contemplated that every feature embodiment disclosed herein may be used together with every other feature and embodiment disclosed herein.
[0038] The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the concept of a segmented cooling tower fan cylinder are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Any variations from the specific embodiments described herein but which otherwise segmented cooling tower fan cylinder should not be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention set forth in the following claims.