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US 5,309,725 AGranted
System and method for high-efficiency air cooling and dehumidification
OwnerJames L. Cayceinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The system in the present invention is an outside air ventilation cooling and room dehumidification system for use in commercial HVAC applications. The system includes a high-efficiency air filter, chilled water or evaporator precooling coil, a refrigeration compressor, an evaporator coil, a heat exchanger for removing heat and moisture from the air entering the evaporator coil and supplying heat to the air leaving the evaporator coil, a condenser coil located in the discharge airstream that reheats the air, and a fan to move the air through the coils. The heat exchanger can be a phase-change heat-pipe-type heat exchanger; a water cooling/heating coil "runaround loop"; an air-to-air plate-type heat exchanger; or a rotary heat exchanger.
Claims30
A system for performing and controlling outside air ventilation cooling and dehumidification in a building space, the system having an upstream side and a downstream side, comprising:
- means for admitting air into the system, positioned at the upstream side of the system;
- means for cooling, positioned downstream of the air flow admitting means;
- means for channeling air flow from the air flow admitting means to the cooling means;
- a first passive heat exchanger means, positioned downstream of the cooling means;
- means for channeling air flow from the cooling means to the first passive heat exchanger means;
- a vapor compression cycle air conditioning means, comprising:
- a first evaporator coil having an inlet and an outlet, positioned downstream of the first passive heat exchanger means;
- a first condenser coil having an inlet and an outlet, in fluid communication with the evaporator coil;
- and
- a first refrigeration compressor having an inlet and an outlet, in fluid communication with the first evaporator coil and the first condenser coil, the fluid communication forming a closed loop leading from the first refrigeration compressor outlet to the first condenser coil inlet, through the first condenser coil, from the first condenser coil outlet to the first evaporator coil inlet, through the first evaporator coil, from the first evaporator coil outlet to the first refrigeration compressor inlet, and through the first refrigeration compressor;
- means for channeling air flow from the first passive heat exchanger means to the first evaporator coil;
- a second passive heat exchanger means, positioned downstream of the first evaporator coil and upstream of the first condenser coil, the second passive heat exchanger means in fluid communication with the first passive heat exchanger means;
- means for channeling air flow from the first evaporator coil to the second passive heat exchanger means;
- means for channeling air flow from the second passive heat exchanger means to the first condenser coil;
- means for creating air flow through the system;
- means for permitting air flow to exit the system;
- and
- means for directing exiting air flow to the building space, positioned at the downstream end of and exterior to the system.
15 more elements
A system for performing and controlling outside air ventilation cooling and dehumidification in a building space, the system having an upstream side and a downstream side, comprising:
- means for admitting air into the system, positioned at the upstream end of the system;
- means for cooling, positioned downstream of the air flow admitting means;
- means for channeling air flow from the air flow admitting means to the cooling means;
- a plate-type air-to-air heat exchanger having a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side and having a plurality of channels through which air flow may pass;
- means for channeling air flow from the cooling means to the first side of the heat exchanger;
- a vapor compression cycle air conditioning means, comprising:
- an evaporator coil having an inlet and an outlet, positioned downstream of the first passive heat exchanger means;
- a condenser coil having an inlet and an outlet, in fluid communication with the evaporator coil;
- and
- a refrigeration compressor having an inlet and an outlet, in fluid communication with the evaporator coil and the condenser coil, the fluid communication forming a closed loop leading from the refrigeration compressor outlet to the condenser coil inlet, through the condenser coil, from the condenser coil outlet to the evaporator coil inlet, through the evaporator coil, from the evaporator coil outlet to the refrigeration compressor inlet, and through the refrigeration compressor;
- means for channeling air flow from the second side of the heat exchanger to the evaporator coil;
- means for channeling air flow from the evaporator coil to the third side of the heat exchanger;
- means for channeling air flow from the fourth side of the heat exchanger to the condenser coil;
- means for creating air flow through the system;
- means for permitting air flow to exit the system;
- and
- means for channeling air flow from the air flow exiting means to the building space, positioned at the downstream end of and exterior to the system.
14 more elements
A system for performing and controlling outside air ventilation cooling and dehumidification in a building space, the system having an upstream side and a downstream side, comprising:
- means for admitting air into the system, positioned at the upstream end of the system;
- means for cooling, positioned downstream of the air flow admitting means;
- means for channeling air flow from the air flow admitting means to the cooling means;
- a rotary heat wheel heat exchanger having a first side and a second side, and having a plurality of channels through which air may flow;
- means for channeling air flow from the cooling means to the first side of the heat exchanger;
- a vapor compression cycle air conditioning means, comprising:
- an evaporator coil having an inlet and an outlet, positioned downstream of the first passive heat exchanger means;
- a condenser coil having an inlet and an outlet, in fluid communication with the evaporator coil;
- and
- a refrigeration compressor having an inlet and an outlet, in fluid communication with the evaporator coil and the condenser coil, the fluid communication forming a closed loop leading from the refrigeration compressor outlet to the condenser coil inlet, through the condenser coil, from the condenser coil outlet to the evaporator coil inlet, through the evaporator coil, from the evaporator coil outlet to the refrigeration compressor inlet, and through the refrigeration compressor;
- means for channeling air flow from the second side of the heat exchanger to the evaporator coil;
- means for channeling air flow from the evaporator coil back to the second side of the heat exchanger;
- means for channeling air flow from the first side of the heat exchanger to the condenser coil;
- means for creating air flow through the system;
- means for permitting air flow to exit the system;
- and
- means for directing exiting air flow to the building space, positioned at the downstream end of and exterior to the system.
14 more elements
A method of cooling and dehumidifying a building space, comprising:
- determining a set temperature and humidity for the building space;
- providing a control means;
- relaying the set temperature and humidity to the control means;
- admitting outside air into a cooling and dehumidifying system having an upstream side and a downstream side, the admitting occurring at the upstream side;
- sensing and relaying the outside air temperature and humidity to the control means;
- providing means for cooling;
- channeling air flow from the upstream side of the system to the cooling means;
- sensing and relaying the temperature of the air exiting the cooling means to the control means;
- controlling the cooling means responsive to the control means;
- providing a first passive heat exchanger means;
- channeling air flow from the cooling means to the first passive heat exchanger means;
- providing a vapor compression cycle air conditioning means, comprising:
- an evaporator coil having an inlet and an outlet, positioned downstream of the first passive heat exchanger means;
- a condenser coil having an inlet and an outlet, in fluid communication with the evaporator coil;
- and
- a refrigeration compressor having an inlet and an outlet, in fluid communication with the evaporator coil and the condenser coil, the fluid communication forming a closed loop leading from the refrigeration compressor outlet to the condenser coil inlet, through the condenser coil, from the condenser coil outlet to the evaporator coil inlet, through the evaporator coil, from the evaporator coil outlet to the refrigeration compressor inlet, and through the refrigeration compressor;
- channeling air flow from the first passive heat exchanger means to the evaporator coil;
- providing a second passive heat exchanger means, in fluid communication with the first passive heat exchanger means;
- channeling air flow from the evaporator to the second passive heat exchanger means;
- sensing and relaying the temperature of the air flow exiting the condenser coil to the control means;
- controlling the refrigeration compressor in response to the temperature of the air flow exiting the condenser coil;
- channeling air flow from the second passive heat exchanger means to the condenser coil;
- creating air flow through the system;
- permitting air flow from the condenser coil to exit the system;
- and
- directing exiting air flow to the building space.
23 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.