Ductwork System for Modulating Conditioned Air
OwnerRobert Joe Aldermaninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A ductwork system including a temperature modulating blanket with phase change material. The system allows for attic installation of ductwork while substantially avoiding effects of excessive temperatures and temperature gradients of the attic space on conditioned air run through the ductwork. Thus, smaller HVAC and overall power requirements may be realized for air conditioning applications in structural facilities. This may be of particular benefit for structural facilities retrofitted with HVAC systems where attic space is more likely to be made greater use of for accommodating ductwork.
Claims20
A ductwork system comprising:
- ductwork for installation in an attic space of a structural facility to channel conditioned air, the attic space prone to present a gradient of temperature across a height of the ductwork;
- and
- a temperature modulating blanket positioned on the ductwork and accommodating a phase change material therein with a predetermined melting range to minimize temperature variance of the conditioned air within the ductwork across the height thereof.
A structural facility comprising:
- a ceiling defining a facility space below;
- a roof over the ceiling defining an attic space between the ceiling and roof, the attic space prone to display a substantial temperature gradient between elevated and lowered locations thereof;
- ductwork installed in the attic space subject to the temperature gradient across a height thereof;
- and
- a temperature modulating blanket at least partially about an outer surface of the ductwork to minimize a temperature variance of conditioned air in the ductwork due to the gradient in the attic space.
A method of modulating temperature of conditioned air, the method comprising:
- installing ductwork in an attic space of a structural facility, the attic space prone to present a gradient of temperature across a height of the ductwork;
- installing a temperature modulating blanket accommodating a phase change material at the ductwork;
- flowing the conditioned air through a channel of the ductwork;
- and
- employing the blanket for minimizing an effect of the gradient of temperature in the attic on the conditioned air in the channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.