Mist, Rain Louvered Intakes for Dryers

[br549ms]

Has anyone tried using a moisture and debris louvered intake on carwash dryers. I have seen them on industrial radial blowers 5 to 20hp models and they work very well.

 

[garyinfla]

The only thing I have seen used is intake screens. Since blowers aren't really drying the car but using air impingement on the ponding formed by drying agents these are adquate for debris content. In my experience entrainment of the water laden air removed from the vehicle into the incoming high velocity air stream is of bigger concern. This is most apparent when small drops are left on the car. These droplets do not have enough of an edge to be impinged upon by downstream blowers and last all the way to the exit. Two top staged blowers angled to dry from the average centerline of the vehicle to the edge will outperform blowers trying to blow the water down the vehicle ins a wall of air.

 

[br549ms]

I agree with the debris content, however the louvered intakes are used on blowers that supply air to large DC electric motors for cooling. They are commonly used in industrial setting where the fresh air is taken from outdoor areas (rail road engines, oil drilling rigs, paper mills, etc...... the louvered intakes gather the moisture and direct it to channels at the lower section of the housing, thus preventing moisture from entering the very expensive high horse power motors.