Apparatus for the temperature control of objects, in particular for drying coated vehicle bodies

An apparatus for the temperature control of objects comprising:

• a temperature control space with at least one air lock region
• a conveying device for conveying objects through the temperature control space, the conveying device comprising available spaces for objects;
• a fresh air device for producing fresh air which can be fed to the temperature control space;
• a recirculating air device which removes temperature control space waste air from the temperature control space and produces recirculating air which can be fed to the temperature control space,
• a feed air device for feeding air to the temperature control space;
• a detection device for detecting empty spaces where no objects are being conveyed on the conveying device;
• and
• a control device,
• wherein an overall volumetric flow is fed to the temperature control space from the feed air device, the overall volumetric flow comprising a fresh air volumetric flow, and the control device is set up to reduce the temperature and the fresh air volumetric flow in response to empty spaces being detected on the conveying device by the detection device, the control device further being set up to supply the feed air device with a recirculating volumetric flow of recirculating air from the recirculating air device to supplement the fresh air volumetric flow to ensure that the overall volumetric flow does not drop beneath a lower threshold when the temperature in the temperature control space and the fresh air volumetric flow is reduced in response to the apparatus operating at a reduced load.