US 7,458,228 B2Granted

Ventilation system

AssigneeVenmar Ventilation Inc.

InventorsFrederic Lagace, Jean-Francois Grondin, Pierre Cusson, Michel Julien, Daniel Marcoux

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Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for ventilation systems which include an element for the transfer of heat from warm exhaust air (taken from inside a building) to cooler exterior fresh air which is drawn into the building. The present invention in particular provides an apparatus whereby, during a defrost cycle, interior air may circulate through both of the fresh air and exhaust air paths for delivery back into the building, i.e. the warm interior air, used as defrost air, may be able to circulate from the interior of the building into the ventilation apparatus and back to the interior of the building. The apparatus can thus use interior air as defrost air while diminishing or avoiding the creation of a negative air pressure in the building.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A ventilation apparatus, for exchanging air between the interior and exterior of a building, and for transferring, a member of the group comprising

i) sensible heat and
ii) sensible heat and water moisture, between exhaust air taken from the building and fresh air taken from the exterior ambient air for delivery to the building, said ventilation apparatus comprising
fresh air path means having a fresh air intake side and a fresh air discharge side,
exhaust air path means having an exhaust air intake side and an exhaust air discharge side,
an exchanger for exchanging, a member selected from the group comprising i) sensible heat and ii) sensible heat and water moisture, between fresh air and exhaust air, said exchanger means being configured and disposed so as to define a first air stream path and a second air stream path,
said first air stream path defining a portion of the fresh air path means between the fresh air intake side and the fresh air discharge side thereof and said second air stream path defining a portion of said exhaust air path means between the exhaust air intake side and the exhaust air discharge side thereof,
characterized in that said ventilation apparatus comprises first, second, third and fourth static pressure taps,
said first and second static pressure taps being configured and disposed for the determination of a first static pressure difference there between in said fresh air path means, said first air stream path being disposed between said first and second static pressure taps,
said third and fourth static pressure taps being configured and disposed for the determination of a second static pressure difference therebetween in said exhaust air path means, said second air stream path being disposed between said third and fourth static pressure taps.

6 more elements

A defrostable ventilation apparatus, for exchanging air between the interior and exterior of a building, for transferring water moisture and sensible heat between exhaust air taken from the building and fresh air taken from the exterior ambient air for delivery to the building, and wherein air from the interior of the building is used as defrost air to defrost the ventilation apparatus, said ventilation apparatus comprising

fresh air path means having a fresh air intake side and a fresh air discharge side,
exhaust air path means having an exhaust air intake side and an exhaust air discharge side,
an exchanger comprising
a desiccant exchanger element for transfer of water moisture and sensible heat between said exhaust air and said fresh air, and
a sensible heat exchanger element for transfer of sensible heat between said exhaust air and said fresh air,
said desiccant exchanger element comprising a rotary exchanger wheel configured and rotatably disposed so as to define a second air stream path and a third air stream path,
said second air stream path defining a portion of said fresh air path means and said third air stream path defining a portion of said exhaust air path means, said sensible heat exchanger element comprising
a first air path defining a portion of said fresh air path means and a fourth air path defining a portion of said exhaust air path means,
said first and second air stream paths defining respective portions of said fresh air path means between the intake and discharge sides of said fresh air path means, said third and fourth air stream paths defining respective portions of said exhaust air path means between the intake and discharge sides of said exhaust air path means, said fresh air path means and said exhaust air path means being disposed and configured such that during a ventilation cycle,
exhaust air entering the exhaust air intake side flows through said third air stream path and then through said fourth air stream path and fresh entering said the fresh air intake side flows through said first air stream path and then through said second air stream path, said ventilation apparatus including
a rotation component for inducing rotation of said exchanger wheel through said fresh air path means and said exhaust air path means,
defrost air path means for providing an air path by-passing said first air steam path, said defrost air path means comprising a defrost air discharge side and being configured to connect the exhaust air discharge side with the defrost air discharge side thereof for conveying defrost air to said defrost air discharge side from said exhaust air discharge side, and
a damper component, said damper component being displaceable between a ventilation configuration for a ventilation cycle
wherein said defrost air path means is closed off and said fresh air intake side and said exhaust air discharge side are open, and a defrost configuration for a defrost cycle
wherein said fresh air intake side and said exhaust air discharge side are closed off and said defrost air path means is open, and wherein
during a ventilation cycle, when said damper component is in said ventilation configuration, fresh air is able to flow through said fresh air path means and exhaust air is able to flow through said exhaust air path means, and during a defrost cycle, when said damper component is in said defrost configuration,
defrost air taken from the building, is able to circulate, for delivery back into the building, through said exhaust air intake side, through said second air stream path, then through said defrost air path means, and through said defrost air discharge side.

14 more elements

fresh air path means having a fresh air intake side and a fresh air discharge side,
exhaust air path means having an exhaust air intake side and an exhaust air discharge side,
an exchanger comprising
a desiccant exchanger element for transfer of water moisture and sensible heat between said exhaust air and said fresh air, and
a sensible heat exchanger element for transfer of sensible heat between said exhaust air and said fresh air,
said desiccant exchanger element comprising a rotary exchanger wheel configured and rotatably disposed so as to define a second air stream path and a third air stream path, said second air stream path defining a portion of said fresh air path means and said third air stream path defining a portion of said exhaust air path means, said sensible heat exchanger element comprising
a first air path defining a portion of said fresh air path means and a fourth air path defining a portion of said exhaust air path means, said first and second air stream paths defining respective portions of said fresh air path means between the intake and discharge sides of said fresh air path means, said third and fourth air stream paths defining respective portions of said exhaust air path means between the intake and discharge sides of said exhaust air path means, said fresh air path means and said exhaust air path means being disposed and configured such that during a ventilation cycle,
exhaust air entering the exhaust air intake side flows through said third air stream path and then through said fourth air stream path and fresh entering said the fresh air intake side flows through said first air stream path and then through said second air stream path,
said ventilation apparatus including
a rotation component for inducing rotation of said exchanger wheel through said fresh air path means and said exhaust air path means,
defrost air path means for providing an air path by-passing said first air steam path, said defrost air path means being configured to connect the exhaust air discharge side with the fresh air discharge side for conveying defrost air to said fresh air discharge side from said exhaust air discharge side, and
a damper component, said damper component being displaceable between a ventilation configuration for a ventilation cycle, wherein said defrost air path means is closed off and said fresh air intake side and exhaust air discharge side are open, and a defrost configuration for a defrost cycle wherein said fresh air intake side and said exhaust air discharge side are closed off, and
said defrost air path means is open, and wherein during a ventilation cycle, when said damper component is in said ventilation configuration, fresh air is able to flow through said fresh air path means and exhaust air is able to flow through said exhaust air path means, and during a defrost cycle, when said damper component is in said defrost configuration, defrost air taken from the building, is able to circulate, for delivery back into the building, through said exhaust air intake side, through said second air stream path, then through said defrost air path means, and through said fresh air discharge side.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/438,954Filed 23 May 2006 · continuation
Priority: CA 213416824 Oct 1994
Published: US 2006/0219381 A15 Oct 2006
Granted: 2 Dec 2008
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

F24F 11/41
For purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring: defrosting; Preventing freezing
F24F 3/1423
By absorbing or adsorbing water, e.g. using an hygroscopic desiccant: with a moving bed of solid desiccants, e.g. a rotary wheel supporting solid…
F24F 11/30
Control or safety arrangements: for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
F24F 12/006
With heat-exchange between supplied and exhausted air: using an air-to-air heat exchanger

Family

Application08/329,124Parent of this continuation · filed 25 Oct 1994
Application09/770,021Parent of this division · filed 25 Jan 2001
Application09/989,277Parent of this continuation · filed 20 Nov 2001
US 2006/0219381 A1Pre-grant publication · published 5 Oct 2006
US 7,073,566 B2Parent of this continuation
Application09/989,277Parent of this division
US 6,209,622 B1Parent of this continuation
Application09/770,021Parent of this continuation
US 2001/0013404 A1Published application
US 2002/0050338 A1Published application
US 7,458,228 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.