Return air recycling system for an HVAC system
AssigneeJohnson Controls Technology Company
InventorAnil V. Bhosale
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system having a return air recycling system that includes a heat exchanger configured to be disposed along a refrigerant circuit of the HVAC system and flow a refrigerant therethrough, an exhaust fan configured to direct return air across the heat exchanger to place the refrigerant in thermal communication with the return air and to exhaust the return air from the HVAC system, and a controller configured to adjust a speed of the exhaust fan, a flow rate of refrigerant through the heat exchanger, or both, based on feedback indicative of a temperature of the return air.
Claims21
A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system having a return air recycling system, comprising:
- a heat exchanger configured to be disposed along a refrigerant circuit of the HVAC system and flow a refrigerant therethrough;
- a compressor configured to be disposed along the refrigerant circuit to circulate the refrigerant through the refrigerant circuit;
- a condenser of the refrigerant circuit, wherein the condenser is configured to place the refrigerant in thermal communication with a mixture of ambient air and return air;
- a first valve configured to regulate flow of the refrigerant between the compressor and the condenser;
- a second valve configured to regulate flow of the refrigerant between the compressor and the heat exchanger;
- an exhaust fan configured to direct return air across the heat exchanger to place the refrigerant in thermal communication with the return air and to exhaust the return air from the HVAC system;
- and
- a controller communicatively coupled to the exhaust fan, the first valve, and the second valve, wherein the controller is configured to:
- receive feedback indicative of a temperature of the return air;
- adjust a speed of the exhaust fan, a flow rate of refrigerant through the heat exchanger, or both, based on the feedback indicative of the temperature of the return air;
- and
- adjust a first position of the first valve and adjust a second position of the second valve based on the feedback indicative of the temperature of the return air.
A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
- a condenser disposed along a refrigerant circuit and configured to receive a refrigerant to place the refrigerant in thermal communication with ambient air, wherein the condenser is configured to place the refrigerant in thermal communication with a mixture of ambient air and return air;
- a heat exchanger disposed along the refrigerant circuit and configured to receive the refrigerant upstream of the condenser with respect to a flow direction of the refrigerant through the refrigerant circuit;
- a compressor disposed along the refrigerant circuit to circulate the refrigerant through the refrigerant circuit;
- a first valve configured to regulate flow of the refrigerant between the compressor and the condenser;
- a second valve configured to regulate flow of the refrigerant between the compressor and the heat exchanger;
- an exhaust fan configured to direct return air across the heat exchanger to place the refrigerant in thermal communication with the return air;
- and
- a controller communicatively coupled to the exhaust fan, the first valve, and the second valve, wherein the controller is configured to:
- receive feedback indicative of a temperature of the return air;
- adjust a speed of the exhaust fan, a flow rate of refrigerant through the heat exchanger, or both, based on the feedback indicative of the temperature of the return air;
- and
- adjust a first position of the first valve and adjust a second position of the second valve based on the feedback indicative of the temperature of the return air.
A return air recycling system for a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
- a heat exchanger configured to receive refrigerant from a refrigerant circuit of the HVAC system;
- a compressor disposed along the refrigerant circuit to circulate the refrigerant through the refrigerant circuit;
- a condenser disposed along the refrigerant circuit, wherein the condenser is configured to place the refrigerant in thermal communication with a mixture of ambient air and return air;
- an exhaust fan configured to direct return air across the heat exchanger to place the refrigerant in thermal communication with the return air;
- a first valve configured to regulate flow of the refrigerant between the compressor and the condenser;
- a second valve configured to regulate flow of the refrigerant between the compressor and the heat exchanger, the second valve having an open position and a closed position, wherein the second valve is configured to enable the flow of the refrigerant between the compressor and the heat exchanger in the open position and to block the flow of the refrigerant between the compressor and the heat exchanger in the closed position;
- and
- a controller communicatively coupled to the exhaust fan, the first valve, and the second valve, wherein the controller is configured to:
- receive feedback indicative of a temperature of the return air;
- and
- adjust a speed of the exhaust fan, positioning of the first valve and positioning of the second valve, based on the feedback indicative of the temperature of the return air.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.