Induction unit

Abstract

An induction air handling apparatus and methods are disclosed. The induction air handling apparatus includes an air plenum extending along one end of an air mixing chamber and having a first wall forming a partition between the air plenum and the air mixing chamber, the air plenum being formed by extrusion, and having an air inlet disposed at one end thereof and numerous openings machined through the first wall. The induction air handling apparatus also includes air nozzles extending into the air mixing chamber, each nozzle having an inlet in fluid communication with the air plenum through a corresponding opening in the first wall of the air plenum, and an outlet opening into the air mixing chamber. The air nozzles are formed by machining and are rigidly connected to the first wall, to reduce audible noise when pressurized air passes through the air nozzles.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An induction air handling apparatus comprising:
 a radiator section;   an elongate air mixing chamber, having an air outlet at one end of the air mixing chamber and a return air inlet configured to permit return air to flow over the radiator section and into the air mixing chamber;   an air plenum extending along one end of the air mixing chamber and having a first wall forming a partition between the air plenum and the air mixing chamber, the air plenum being formed by extrusion, and having an air inlet disposed at one end thereof and a plurality of openings machined through the first wall; and   a plurality of air nozzles extending into the air mixing chamber, each nozzle of the plurality of air nozzles having an inlet in fluid communication with the air plenum through a corresponding opening of the plurality of openings, and an outlet opening into the air mixing chamber; and   wherein the plurality of air nozzles are formed by machining and are rigidly connected to the first wall, to reduce audible noise when pressurized air passes from the air plenum into the air mixing chamber through the plurality of air nozzles.   
     
     
         2 . The induction air handling apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each opening of the plurality of openings has internal threads formed on a surface thereof, each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles has external threads formed adjacent the inlet thereof, and configured to engage with the internal threads, and wherein the plurality of nozzles are rigidly connected to the first wall by engaging the external threads with the internal threads. 
     
     
         3 . The induction air handling apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles has a tapered bore extending between the inlet and the outlet thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The induction air handling apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the tapered bore is tapered by between 1° and 10°. 
     
     
         5 . The induction air handling apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the tapered bore is tapered by 3°. 
     
     
         6 . The induction air handling apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles has a channel extending between the inlet and the outlet thereof, the inlet is wider than the outlet, and the channel includes no straight bore. 
     
     
         7 . The induction air handling apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the channel conforms to a Vitoshinsky profile. 
     
     
         8 . The induction air handling apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the channel conforms to contours of a Bell-Mehta fifth-order polynomial function. 
     
     
         9 . The induction air handling apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the air plenum is formed of an extruded metal. 
     
     
         10 . The induction air handling apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the metal comprises aluminum. 
     
     
         11 . The induction air handling apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a return line plate, a return line plate cover, or a radiator cap formed by extrusion. 
     
     
         12 . The induction air handling apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the air plenum further comprises a flow balancing plate configured to optionally block at least a portion of at least one of the plurality of openings. 
     
     
         13 . A method of reducing audible noise in an induction air handling unit, the method comprising:
 forming an air plenum by extrusion;   machining a plurality of openings through a first wall of the air plenum;   machining a plurality of air nozzles, each nozzle of the plurality of air nozzles having an inlet configured to open into the air plenum through a corresponding opening of the plurality of openings, and an outlet;   rigidly connecting the plurality of air nozzles to the first wall such that the inlet of each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles engages with a corresponding opening of the plurality of openings; and   configuring the induction air handling unit such that the first wall forms a partition between the air plenum and an air mixing chamber, and the plurality of air nozzles are configured such that the outlet of each nozzle of the plurality of air nozzles extends into the air mixing chamber to permit pressurized air to pass from the air plenum into the air mixing chamber through the plurality of air nozzles.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein forming an air plenum by extrusion comprises forming the air plenum from an extruded metal. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the metal comprises aluminum. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein machining a plurality of air nozzles comprises using a CNC Swiss lathe to machine the plurality of air nozzles. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein machining a plurality of air nozzles comprises machining the plurality of air nozzles from metal. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein machining a plurality of air nozzles comprises machining a tapered bore through each air nozzle, the tapered bore connecting the inlet to the outlet. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein machining a plurality of air nozzles comprises machining a channel through each air nozzle extending between the inlet and the outlet thereof, such that the inlet is wider than the outlet and the channel includes no straight bore. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein machining a plurality of air nozzles comprises machining threads on an outer surface of each nozzle near the inlet.