Hybrid air conditioning system and a method therefor

Abstract

A system for conditioning the air within an enclosure which houses heat producing equipment. The system includes a passive heat removal system, for precooling the air, and a thermoelectric temperature control system used in conjunction with the passive heat removal system to achieve additional cooling, temperature control and heating. The passive heat removal system includes a heat pipe system. A power control system includes a programmable control means which receives signals, from a temperature sensor, which are indicative of the temperature of the air in the enclosure. Based upon these signals, the power control system controls the activation of thermoelectric devices in the thermoelectric temperature control system and controls the activation of fans to remove a desired amount of heat from the air in the enclosure and discharge the unwanted heat to the outside air. A switching device operates to apply battery power to the power control system if the electrical power source for the thermoelectric temperature control system fails. A polarity reversal circuit reverses the DC polarity of the DC voltage applied to the thermoelectric devices to reverse the heat pumping of the thermoelectric devices in the situation where the air in the enclosure needs to be heated. Circuitry and sensors are provided to monitor the speed of the fans to detect any failure of a fan. A current control circuit supplies power to and temperature control of thermoelectric cooling devices.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.