Hydraulic and earth engineering – Fluid control – treatment – or containment – Fluid storage in earthen cavity
Patent
1989-09-29
1991-05-07
Taylor, Dennis L.
Hydraulic and earth engineering
Fluid control, treatment, or containment
Fluid storage in earthen cavity
405128, B65G 6530, B09B 100
Patent
active
050131834
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to an apparatus for drawing off ground air in a volume of ground beneath or at the side of one or more houses.
Apparatus of this kind is primarily used for drawing off health-imparting radon from the earth volume to prevent this gas from flowing into the air in the rooms of the house. It is considered a risk of cancer development for human beings, and above all their bronchial passages, to be exposed to radon and radon-contaminated media.
Different solutions have been proposed for preventing radon from penetrating into houses. One method, referred to, but not described in the SSI report 87-17, the State Radiation Protection Institute, Stockholm, Jun. 30th 1987, pp. 62-63, involves taking up a plurality of holes in the foundation slab of the house and connecting each hole, via a duct system, to a blower situated on the roof of the building, for example. The intention with this arrangement is to lower the air pressure in the ground volume under the foundation slab of the house so that radon-containing ground air is not drawn into the house.
This known technique has several disadvantages. Due to the screening effect of intermediate walls, it can occur that several holes must be arranged in the foundation slab, which means that several ducts must be arrranged, thus infringing on the space in the house. Neither can the ducts always be arranged in an aesthetically acceptable way. Another disadvantage with this known technique is that the blower noise can be disturbing. In addition, there is the risk or leakage in the duct system, which means that radon-containing ground air is supplied to the room air, i.e. there is achieved exactly the opposite effect to the one sought after. Another disadvantage with the known technique is that the foundation slab can be cooled and the air in the duct system then cools air in the rooms. There is also some risk that frost action occurs under the house and the water pipes to the house freeze.
The object of the invention is to achieve an apparatus of the kind mentioned in the introduction, which avoids the disadvantages in the known art in this field. The distinguishing features characterizing the invention are apparent from the accompanying claims. By placing the inventive apparatus on one side of the house at a depth of about 3-4 meters, there is obtained a considerable ground volume from which the blower draws off the gound air and the radon in it. The blower is situated outdoors and its noise does not disturb the occupants of the house.
The magnitude of the volume from which the apparatus in accordance with the invention draws off the ground air is naturally dependent on the nature of the ground, the suction capacity of the blower, the pipe dimensions etc. With moderate dimensioning of piping and blower, it is however possible that a single apparatus can serve several adjacent houses.
The invention will now be described in more detail and with reference to the accompanying drawing, where
FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view illustrating an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 1 illustrates a cylindrical tube 1 of sheet metal, plastics or other material, which at its lower end is provided with two rows of holes 2. The holes in the rows are staggered. The tube 1 is open downwards and is upwardly provided with an airtight cover 3. A blower 4 is arranged in the upper part of the tube. The blower is mounted over a suitable aperture in a disc 6, which in turn is placed on an internal ring 5, arranged on the inside of the tube. A stub pipe 7 is arranged on the tube 1 above the blower and is in communication with the space 8 above the blower 4 in the tube. An evacuation duct 9 is mounted on the pipe stub 7 such as to extend above the ground surface 10 a distance attaining to 3-4 m. The upper part of the evacuation duct 9 is suitably arranged, for aesthetic reasons, in connection with a wall on the house 11. Plastics film 12 is laid round the tube a distance above the holes 2 and covers the surface of the unillustrated (refilled) hole which was made when excavat
REFERENCES:
patent: 4298294 (1981-11-01), Zimmerman
patent: 4678369 (1987-07-01), Glaser
patent: 4704047 (1987-11-01), Oldfelt et al.
patent: 4745850 (1988-05-01), Bastian et al.
patent: 4810131 (1989-03-01), Turner
patent: 4863312 (1989-09-01), Cavalli
SSI-Rapport 87-17, Statens Stralskyddsinstitut, Stockholm, Jun. 30, 1987, pp. 62-63.
Clavensjo Bertil
Eriksson Bengt
McBee J. Russell
Taylor Dennis L.
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