Makeup air preconditioner for use with an air conditioning unit
AssigneeCarrier Corporation
InventorRudy C. Bussjager
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus and method for preconditioning makeup air supplied to an air conditioning unit. An add-on preconditioning unit having a separate vapor compression refrigeration circuit is disclosed for heating or cooling makeup air supplied to an air conditioning system.
Claims12
An air conditioning system which comprises:
- an enclosure defining an indoor air section;
- a first refrigeration circuit including an indoor heat exchanger mounted within the indoor air section in heat exchange relation with air flowing therethrough and a second heat exchanger located remotely from the indoor heat exchanger to transfer heat energy between the indoor heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger;
- an indoor fan for circulating air in heat exchange relationship with the indoor heat exchanger and for circulating air to a space to be conditioned;
- a return air flow path for supplying return air from the space to the indoor section;
- a makeup air flow path for allowing ambient air to enter the indoor section;
- damper means for regulating the volume of air flowing along the makeup air flow path;
- and
- a second vapor compression refrigeration circuit including a makeup air heat exchanger located in heat exchange relation with the air flowing along the makeup air flow path, an outdoor heat exchanger in heat exchange relationship with an ambient heat sink and a compressor for increasing the temperature and pressure of a refrigerant flowing within the second refrigeration circuit whereby heat energy is transferred between the makeup air heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger.
An add-on unit for use with air conditioning apparatus having an indoor section including a heat exchanger for transferring heat energy between air flowing through the indoor section and heat transfer media flowing through the heat exchanger, an indoor fan for creating air pressure differentials to both draw air into the indoor section and discharge air therefrom, a supply air discharge opening through which conditioned air may be discharged from the indoor section, a return air opening through which air from the space being conditioned may be returned to the indoor section and a makeup air opening through which ambient air may enter the indoor section which comprises:
- a casing defining a makeup air flow path, said casing being adapted to be mounted in conjunction with the indoor section of the air conditioning apparatus such that the makeup air flow path is in registration with the makeup air opening to the indoor section;
- a heat exchanger located within the makeup air flow path of the casing, said heat exchanger being adapted to transfer heat energy between makeup air flowing through the makeup air flow path and the heat transfer media flowing through the heat exchanger;
- a partition dividing the casing into a makeup air section having a makeup air flow path and an ambient air section;
- an ambient air heat exchanger located in the ambient air section;
- a compressor;
- and
- interconnecting piping between the makeup air heat exchanger, the ambient heat exchanger and the compressor forming a refrigeration circuit for the transfer of heat energy between the ambient heat exchanger and the makeup air heat exchanger.
An air conditioning system mounted exterior of a space to be conditioned for conditioning air to be supplied to the space which comprises:
- an indoor section wherein air may be heated or cooled by a reversible refrigeration circuit including an indoor heat exchanger located in heat exchange relation with the air flowing through the indoor section;
- means for supplying return air to the indoor section;
- means for supplying outdoor air to the indoor section including means to direct outdoor air to the indoor section and to either heat, cool or pass without change said outdoor air as it flows to the indoor section;
- said means for supplying outdoor air including a reversible vapor compression refrigeration system for transferring heat energy between the outdoor air being supplied to the indoor section and other outdoor air to selectively effect a temperature change of the outdoor air flowing to the indoor section.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.