Method and apparatus for measuring the quantity of outdoor air processed by an air preconditioning module
AssigneeSemco LLC
InventorsMichael Boles, John C. Fischer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system for determining the airflow through an air preconditioning module having a sensible and/or latent energy transfer matrix having a pre-established relationship between airflow and pressure drop. The air preconditioning module processes an inlet air stream so that it becomes a uniformly distributed (and preferably substantially laminar) outlet air stream leaving the energy transfer matrix of the preconditioning module. The pressure differential between the inlet air stream and the outlet air stream is determined and translated into an airflow value based on the pre-established relationship between airflow and pressure drop through the energy transfer matrix of the air preconditioning module.
Claims54
A method for determining the airflow through an air preconditioning module having a sensible and/or latent energy transfer matrix in which there is a pre-established relationship between the airflow through the matrix and the pressure drop across the matrix, the air preconditioning module having a first means for processing an inlet air stream so that it becomes a uniformly distributed and substantially laminar outlet air stream, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) feeding an inlet air stream through the air preconditioning module;
- (b) processing the inlet air stream using the first means so that the inlet air stream becomes a uniformly distributed and substantially laminar outlet air stream exiting the energy transfer matrix of the preconditioning module;
- (c) determining the pressure differential between the inlet air stream and the outlet air stream;
- and
- (d) translating the pressure differential into an airflow value based on the pre-established relationship between airflow through and pressure drop across the energy transfer matrix of the air preconditioning module.
A method for determining the quantity of outdoor air delivered to a conditioned space in which the outdoor air passes through an air preconditioning module having a sensible and/or latent energy transfer matrix and becomes a supply air stream before entering the conditioned space and in which there is a pre-established relationship between airflow through the matrix and pressure drop across the matrix, the air preconditioning module having a first means for processing an outdoor air stream so that it becomes a uniformly distributed and substantially laminar supply air stream, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) feeding an outdoor air stream through the air preconditioning module;
- (b) processing the outdoor air stream using the first means so that the outdoor air stream becomes a uniformly distributed and substantially laminar supply air stream exiting the energy transfer matrix of the preconditioning module;
- (c) determining the pressure differential between the outdoor air stream and the supply air stream;
- and
- (d) translating the pressure differential into an airflow value based on the pre-established relationship between airflow through and pressure drop across the matrix of the air preconditioning module.
A method for determining the quantity of return air exiting a conditioned space in which the return air passes through an air preconditioning module having a sensible and/or latent energy transfer matrix and becomes an exhaust air stream discharged from the conditioned space and in which there is a pre-established relationship between airflow through the matrix and pressure drop across the matrix, the air preconditioning module having a first means for processing the return air stream so that it becomes a uniformly distributed and substantially laminar exhaust air stream, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) feeding a return air stream through the air preconditioning module;
- (b) processing the return air stream in the air preconditioning module using the first means so that the return air stream becomes a uniformly distributed and substantially laminar exhaust air stream exiting the matrix of the preconditioning module;
- (c) determining the pressure differential between the return air stream and the exhaust air stream;
- and
- (d) translating the pressure differential into an airflow value based on the pre-established relationship between airflow through and pressure drop across the matrix of the air preconditioning module.
A system for determining the airflow through an air preconditioning module having a sensible and/or latent energy transfer matrix in which there is a pre-established relationship between the airflow through and pressure drop across the matrix, said system comprising;
- (a) means for feeding an inlet air stream to the air preconditioning module;
- (b) means for processing the inlet air stream so that it becomes a uniformly distributed and substantially laminar outlet air stream while passing through the matrix of the air preconditioning module;
- (c) means for measuring pressure differential between the inlet air stream and the outlet air stream;
- and
- (d) means for translating the pressure differential into an airflow value based on the pre-established relationship between airflow through and pressure drop across the matrix of the air preconditioning module.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.