Fresh air inlet

Abstract

An air inlet for an air handling unit includes a duct defining a passageway leading to the air handling unit. The fresh air inlet further includes an intake screen that is formed to include a plurality of openings sized to allow airflow to pass through the openings to the air handling unit. Particles are blocked from adhering and accumulating to surfaces of the intake screen.

1 . An air inlet for a building structure having an air handling unit, the air inlet comprising:
 a duct mount configured to couple to a duct and defining an aperture that opens into the duct to direct air into the building structure toward the air handling unit, and   an intake screen having a plurality of airfoils extending across the aperture and configured to increase a velocity of air passing between each of the airfoils to minimize formation of debris deposits on or around the plurality of airfoils.   
     
     
         2 . The air inlet of  claim 1 , wherein each of the airfoils has a length extending from a leading end of each airfoil to a trailing end of each airfoil, and wherein each airfoil having a first thickness at the leading end, a second thickness at the trailing end, and a third thickness at between the leading end and the trailing end, the third thickness being greater than the first thickness and the second thickness to provide a velocity-increasing passageway between each of the airfoils. 
     
     
         3 . The air inlet of  claim 2 , wherein a maximum thickness of each airfoil is located a first distance from the leading end and a second distance from the trailing end, the second distance being greater than the first distance. 
     
     
         4 . The air inlet of  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of airfoils has a first plurality of airfoils that extend across the aperture in a first direction and a second plurality of airfoils that extend across the aperture in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. 
     
     
         5 . The air inlet of  claim 4 , wherein the first plurality of airfoils and the second plurality of airfoils are each arranged so that an angle of incidence of each airfoil is about 0 degrees relative to an axis extending through a center of the aperture. 
     
     
         6 . The air inlet of  claim 4 , wherein the length of the first plurality of airfoils is greater than the length of the second plurality of airfoils. 
     
     
         7 . The air inlet of  claim 2 , wherein the first plurality of airfoils are each arranged so that a first angle of incidence of the first plurality of airfoils is about 0 degrees relative to an axis extending through a center of the aperture, and the second plurality of airfoils are each arranged so that a second angle of incidence of the second plurality of airfoils is within a range of about 5 degrees to about 45 degrees relative to the axis. 
     
     
         8 . The air inlet of  claim 7 , further comprising a screen cover having a sloped top wall and a pair of opposing side walls, lower ends of the top wall and the side walls define an intake opening that allows air to flow under the top wall to the intake screen, and the second plurality of airfoil are angled to extend downwardly toward the intake opening. 
     
     
         9 . The air inlet of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of airfoils comprises a square-shaped pane and the air inlet further comprises a plurality of supports interconnecting each of the square-shaped panes and the duct mount to one another. 
     
     
         10 . An air inlet for a building structure having an air handling unit, the air inlet comprising:
 a duct mount configured to couple to a duct and defining an aperture that opens into the duct to direct air into the building structure toward the air handling unit, and   an intake screen configured to span the aperture, the intake screen having a plurality of strips each having leading end and a trailing end spaced downstream from the leading end,   wherein a cross section of each strip defines a first thickness at the leading end, a second thickness at the trailing end, and a third thickness at between the leading end and the trailing end, the third thickness being greater than the first thickness and the second thickness to provide a velocity-increasing passageway between each of the strips to increase a velocity of air within each velocity-increasing passageway so that formation of debris deposits on or around the plurality of strips is minimized.   
     
     
         11 . The air inlet of  claim 10 , wherein the cross section of each strip of the plurality of strips is an airfoil-shaped cross section. 
     
     
         12 . The air inlet of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of strips comprises a first plurality of airfoils that extend across the aperture in a first direction and a second plurality of airfoils that extend across the aperture in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and wherein the first plurality of airfoils and the second plurality of airfoils are each arranged so that an angle of incidence of each airfoil is about 0 degrees relative to an axis extending through a center of the aperture. 
     
     
         13 . The air inlet of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of strips has a first plurality of airfoils that extend across the aperture in a first direction and a second plurality of airfoils that extend across the aperture in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. 
     
     
         14 . The air inlet of  claim 13 , wherein the first plurality of airfoils are each arranged so that a first angle of incidence of the first plurality of airfoils is about 0 degrees relative to an axis extending through a center of the aperture, and the second plurality of airfoils are each arranged so that a second angle of incidence of the second plurality of airfoils is within a range of about 5 degrees to about 45 degrees relative to the axis. 
     
     
         15 . The air inlet of  claim 13 , wherein the length of the first plurality of airfoils is greater than the length of the second plurality of airfoils. 
     
     
         16 . The air inlet of  claim 10 , further comprising a screen cover having a sloped top wall and a pair of opposing side walls, lower ends of the top wall and the side walls define an intake opening that allows air to flow under the top wall to the intake screen, and the second plurality of airfoil are angled to extend downwardly toward the intake opening. 
     
     
         17 . An air inlet for a building structure having an air handling unit, the air inlet comprising:
 a duct mount configured to couple to a duct and defining an aperture that opens into the duct to direct air into the building structure toward the air handling unit,   a cover coupled to the duct mount and comprising a top wall and a pair or side walls spaced apart from one another, lower ends of the top wall and each side wall cooperating to at least partially define an intake opening, and   an intake screen configured to span the intake opening, the intake screen having a plurality of strips each having a leading end and a trailing end spaced downstream from the leading end,   wherein a cross section of each strip defines a first thickness at the leading end, a second thickness at the trailing end, and a third thickness at between the leading end and the trailing end, the third thickness being greater than the first thickness and the second thickness to provide a velocity-increasing passageway between each of the strips to increase a velocity of air within each velocity-increasing passageway so that formation of debris deposits on or around the plurality of strips is minimized.   
     
     
         18 . The air inlet of  claim 17 , wherein the cross section of each strip of the plurality of strips is an airfoil-shaped cross section. 
     
     
         19 . The air inlet of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of strips comprises a first plurality of airfoils that extend across the aperture in a first direction and a second plurality of airfoils that extend across the aperture in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and wherein the first plurality of airfoils and the second plurality of airfoils are each arranged so that an angle of incidence of each airfoil is about 0 degrees relative to an axis extending through a center of the aperture. 
     
     
         20 . The air inlet of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of strips comprises a first plurality of airfoils that extend across the aperture in a first direction and a second plurality of airfoils that extend across the aperture in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and wherein the first plurality of airfoils are each arranged so that a first angle of incidence of the first plurality of airfoils is about 0 degrees relative to an axis extending through a center of the aperture, and the second plurality of airfoils are each arranged so that a second angle of incidence of the second plurality of airfoils is within a range of about 5 degrees to about 45 degrees relative to the axis.