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US 4,987,748 AGranted
Air conditioning apparatus
AssigneesCamp Dresser & McKee, Gershon Meckler, John C. Purdue
InventorGershon Meckler
Life of this patent
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AssigneesCamp Dresser & McKee, Gershon Meckler, John C. Purdue
InventorGershon Meckler
Estimating the term…
Air conditioning apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus comprises compression refrigeration apparatus, a cogenerator operable to provide electricity and heat, an air handler, a plurality of mixing boxes operable to receive conditioned air, to cause a flow of recirculated air from a space to be conditioned, and to deliver to the space a mixture of conditioned air and recirculated air, a circulating system for circulating air to be conditioned through the air handle and then to the mixing boxes, a coil for heat transfer with air in the mixing boxes, and a sprinkler system through at least a part of which a heat transfer fluid is circulated to the coils. Preferred apparatus includes, in addition, at least one of absorption refrigeration apparatus and a dehumidifier which employs a desiccant, and means for using heat from the cogenerator as an energy source for the absorption refrigeration apparatus, for regeneration of the dehumidifier, or both. Also disclosed is operation of the apparatus to produce air that has been dehumidified to a low moisture content, and controlling moisture content in the space by varying the rate at which that air is delivered, while controlling the temperature of the space by varying the rate at which heat is transferred from air circulated through the mixing box coils.
Apparatus for air conditioning a plurality of spaces, said apparatus comprising a plurality of air outlets, means for dehumidifying outside air or a mixture of outside air and return air, cooling means including a plurality of coils and means for transferring heat from each of said coils to a heat sink, each of said coils being operable to serve one of the spaces by lowering the temperature thereof when heat is transferred therefrom to the heat sink, means for circulating dehumidified air to said air outlets, at a rate per unit of area in the spaces served by said air outlets which varies between a predetermined minimum rate greater than zero and a maximum rate, the maximum rate being substantially less than that which would be required to maintain the design temperature in each of the spaces at the maximum design cooling load with air at a dry bulb temperature of 55.degree. F., means operable to control its moisture content and temperature so that the dehumidified air is incapable, at the rate at which it is required for humidity control, of maintaining the desired space temperature at the maximum design cooling load, a sensor for measuring the absolute or relative humidity of at least one of the spaces served by said air outlets, means responsive to said sensor, and operable to control the rate at which dehumidified air is delivered by each of said air outlets to the space it serves to one not less than the predetermined minimum rate and higher than that minimum when required to maintain the moisture content of the space served within control limits, and means operable to control the rate at which dehumidified air is delivered to said air outlets so that dehumidified air is available at the rate required from time to time by said air outlets.
Air conditioning apparatus comprising means for dehumidifying air, said last named means including a dehumidifier which employs a desiccant, a precooling coil, a postcooling coil, means for transferring heat from said precooling and postcooling coils, and means for causing air to be dehumidified to flow in heat exchange relationship with said precooling coil, in dehumidifying relationship with said dehumidifier, and then in heat exchange relationship with said postcooling coil, an air outlet which includes means operable to cause a flow of recirculated air from the space, and, when dehumidified air is delivered thereto, to deliver to the space it serves a mixture of dehumidified air and recirculated air, means for circulating dehumidified air from said postcooling coil to said air outlet, means operable to control its moisture content and temperature so that the dehumidified air is incapable, at the rate at which it is required for humidity control, of maintaining the desired space temperature at the maximum design cooling load, a sensor for measuring the absolute or relative humidity of the space served by said air outlet, means responsive to said sensor, and operable to control the rate at which dehumidified air is delivered by said air outlet to the space to maintain the moisture content of the space within control limits, and means operable to control the rate at which dehumidified air is delivered to said air outlet so that dehumidified air is available at the rate required from time to time by said air outlet.
Air conditioning apparatus comprising means for dehumidifying air, said last-named means including a dehumidifier which employs a desiccant, a precooling coil, a postcooling coil, and a washer, means for transferring heat from said precooling and postcooling coils, and means for causing air to be dehumidified to flow in heat exchange relationship with said precooling coil, in dehumidifying relationship with said dehumidifier, in heat exchange relationship with said postcooling coil, and then through said washer, a plurality of air outlets each of which includes means operable to cause a flow of recirculated air from the space, and, when dehumidified air is delivered thereto, to deliver to the space it serves a mixture of dehumidified air and recirculated air, an induction unit operable to cause a flow of recirculated air from the space and to return that air to the space, cooling means for transferring heat from air recirculated by said induction unit, means for circulating dehumidified air discharged from said washer to said air outlets, means operable to control its moisture content and temperature so that the dehumidified air is incapable, at the rate at which it is required for humidity control, of maintaining the desired space temperature at the maximum design cooling load, a sensor for measuring the absolute or relative humidity of the space served by said air outlets, means responsive to said sensor, and operable to control the rate at which dehumidified air is delivered by each of said air outlets to the space it serves to maintain the moisture content of the space served within control limits, and means operable to control the rate at which dehumidified air is delivered to said air outlets so that dehumidified air is available at the rate required from time to time by each of said air outlets.
Apparatus for air conditioning a space, said apparatus comprising means for dehumidifying air, an air outlet which includes means operable to cause a flow of recirculated air from the space, and, when dehumidified air is delivered thereto, to deliver to the space it serves a mixture of dehumidified air and recirculated air, cooling means including a coil and means for transferring heat from said coil to a heat sink, said coil being operable to lower the temperature of the space it serves when heat is transferred therefrom to the heat sink, means for circulating dehumidified air to said air outlet, means operable to control its moisture content and temperature so that the dehumidified air is incapable, at the rate at which it is required for humidity control, of maintaining the desired space temperature at the maximum design cooling load, a sensor for measuring the absolute or relative humidity of the air said air outlet is operable to cause to circulate, means responsive to said sensor, and operable to prevent said cooling means from transferring heat to the heat sink except in response to a signal which indicates a dew point below a given temperature, and means operable to control the rate at which dehumidified air is delivered to said air outlet so that dehumidified air is available at the rate required from time to time by said air outlet.
An air outlet comprising an inlet for dehumidified air, means for delivering dehumidified air supplied to said inlet to a space to be conditioned, and means operable to cause a flow of recirculated air from the space, and, when dehumidified air is delivered thereto, to deliver to the space a mixture of dehumidified air and recirculated air, cooling means for transferring heat from air recirculated by said air outlet, dehumidified air delivered to said air outlet, or the mixture of the two before the mixture is delivered to the space by said air outlet, a sensor for measuring the absolute or relative humidity of the space served by said air outlet, and means responsive to said sensor, and operable to prevent said cooling means from transferring heat from air recirculated by said air outlet, dehumidified air delivered to said air outlet, or the mixture of the two before the mixture is delivered to the space, except in response to a signal which indicates a dew point below a given temperature.
Air conditioning apparatus comprising an induction mixing box to serve each of a plurality of spaces to be air conditioned, each of said induction mixing boxes having an outlet and a conditioned air inlet and being operable to deliver air through said outlet to condition the space it serves and to cause air introduced into said conditioned air inlet to flow through said outlet to the space, each of said induction mixing boxes also having a heat transfer device and a fan operable to induce air to flow from the space in heat exchange relationship with said heat transfer device and then through the outlet to the space, said apparatus also comprising means for dehumidifying air, means operable to control its moisture content and temperature so that the dehumidified air is incapable, at the rate at which it is required for humidity control, of maintaining the desired space temperature at the mixture design cooling load, means for delivering dehumidified air to the conditioned air inlet of each of said induction mixing boxes, and means including a humidistat operable to prevent the transfer of heat to said heat transfer device except in response to a signal which indicates a dew point below a given temperature.
Apparatus for air conditioning a plurality of spaces, said apparatus comprising a plurality of air outlets, a first dehumidifier which comprises a rotatable, sectored wheel including a support impregnated with a desiccant, a second dehumidifier which employs a desiccant, means for causing outside air or a mixture of outside air and return air to be dehumidified to flow in dehumidifying relationship with said first and second dehumidifiers, cooling means including a plurality of coils and means for transferring heat from each of said coils to a heat sink, each of said coils being operable to serve one of the spaces by lowering the temperature thereof when heat is transferred therefrom to the heat sink, means for circulating dehumidified air from said second dehumidifier to said air outlets, at a rate per unit of area in the spaces served by said air outlets which varies between a predetermined minimum rate greater than zero and a maximum rate, the maximum rate being substantially less than that which would be required to maintain the design temperature in each of the spaces at the maximum design cooling load with air at a dry bulb temperature of 55.degree. F., means operable to control its moisture content and temperature so that the dehumidified air is incapable, at the rate at which it is required for humidity control, of maintaining the desired space temperature at the maximum design cooling load, a sensor for measuring the absolute or relative humidity of at least one of the spaces served by said air outlets, means responsive to said sensor, and operable to control the rate at which dehumidified air is delivered by each of said air outlets to the space it serves to one not less than the predetermined minimum rate and higher than that minimum when required to maintain the moisture content of the space served within control limits, and means operable to control the rate at which dehumidified air is delivered to said air outlets so that dehumidified air is available at the rate required from time to time by each of said air outlets.
Apparatus for air conditioning a plurality of spaces, said apparatus comprising a plurality of air outlets, means for dehumidifying outside air or a mixture of outside air and return air, said last named means including a dehumidifier which employs a liquid desiccant, means for transferring heat from the liquid desiccant, and means for causing air to be dehumidified to flow in said dehumidifier in dehumidifying relationship with the liquid desiccant from which heat of sorption has been or is being transferred by said heat transferring means, cooling means including a plurality of coils and means for transferring heat from each of said coils to a heat sink, each of said coils being operable to serve one of the spaces by lowering the temperature thereof when heat is transferred therefrom to the heat sink, means for circulating dehumidified air from said dehumidifier to said air outlets, at a rate per unit of area in the spaces served by said air outlets which varies between a predetermined minimum rate greater than zero and a maximum rate, the maximum rate being substantially less than that which would be required to maintain the design temperature in each of the spaces at the maximum design cooling load with air at a dry bulb temperature of 55.degree. F., means operable to control its moisture content and temperature so that the dehumidified air is incapable, at the rate at which it is required for humidity control, of maintaining the desired space temperature at the maximum design cooling load, a sensor for measuring the absolute or relative humidity of at least one of the spaces served by said air outlets, means responsive to said sensor, and operable to control the rate at which dehumidified air is delivered by each of said air outlets to the space it serves to one not less than the predetermined minimum rate and higher than that minimum when required to maintain the moisture content of the space served within control limits, and means operable to control the rate at which dehumidified air is delivered to said air outlets so that dehumidified air is available at the rate required from time to time by each of said air outlets.
Apparatus for air conditioning a plurality of spaces, said apparatus comprising a plurality of air outlets, a first dehumidifier which comprises a rotatable, sectored wheel including a support impregnated with a desiccant, a second dehumidifier which employs a desiccant, a washer, means for causing outside air or a mixture of outside air and return air to be dehumidified to flow in dehumidifying relationship with said first and second dehumidifiers, and then through said washer, cooling means including a plurality of coils and means for transferring heat from each of said coils to a heat sink, each of said coils being operable to serve one of the spaces by lowering the temperature thereof when heat is transferred therefrom to the heat sink, means for circulating dehumidified air discharged from said washer to said air outlets, at a rate per unit of area in the spaces served by said air outlets which varies between a predetermined minimum rate greater than zero and a maximum rate, the maximum rate being substantially less than that which would be required to maintain the design temperature in each of the spaces at the maximum design cooling load with air at a dry bulb temperature of 55.degree. F., means operable to control its moisture content and temperature so that the dehumidified air is incapable, at the rate at which it is required for humiditycontrol, of maintaining the desired space temperature at the maximum design cooling load, a sensor for measuring the absolute or relative humidity of at least one of the spaces served by said air outlets, means responsive to said sensor, and operable to control the rate at which dehumidified air is delivered by each of said air outlets to the space it serves to one not less than the predetermined minimum rate and higher than that minimum when required to maintain the moisture content of the space served within control limits, and means operable to control the rate at which dehumidified air is delivered to said air outlets so that dehumidified air is available at the rate required from time to time by each of said air outlets.
Apparatus for air conditioning a plurality of spaces, said apparatus comprising a plurality of air outlets, means for dehumidifying outside air or a mixture of outside air and return air, said last-named means including a dehumidifier which employs a liquid desiccant, means for transferring heat from the liquid desiccant, a washer, and means for causing air to be dehumidified to flow in said dehumidifier in dehumidifying relationship with the liquid desiccant from which heat of sorption has been or is being transferred by said heat transferring means, and then through said washer, cooling means including a plurality of coils and means for transferring heat from each of said coils to a heat sink, each of said coils being operable to serve one of the spaces by lowering the temperature thereof when heat is transferred therefrom to the heat sink, means for circulating dehumidified air discharged from said washer to said air outlets, at a rate per unit of area in the spaces served by said air outlets which varies between a predetermined minimum rate greater than zero and a maximum rate, the maximum rate being substantially less than that which would be required to maintain the design temperature in each of the spaces at the maximum design cooling load with air at a dry bulb temperature of 55.degree. F., means operable to control its moisture content and temperature so that the dehumidified air is incapable, at the rate at which it is required for humidity control, of maintaining the desired space temperature at the maximum design cooling load, a sensor for measuring the absolute or relative humidity of at least one of the spaces served by said air outlets, means response to said sensor, and operable to control the rate at which dehumidified air is delivered by each of said air outlets to the space it serves to one not less than the predetermined minimum rate and higher than that minimum when required to maintain the moisture content of the space served within control limits, and means operable to control the rate at which dehumidified air is delivered to said air outlets so that dehumidified air is available at the rate required from time to time by each of said air outlets.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.