Patent Application
20220107111
The present invention relates to an air treatment systems and methods.
HVAC, heating, ventilating, and air conditioning, is a technology for indoor environmental comfort. Its goal is to provide thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality. HVAC system design is a sub-discipline of mechanical engineering, based on the principles of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer. Refrigeration is sometimes added to the abbreviation as HVAC&R or HVACR, or ventilating is dropped out as in HACR (such as in the designation of HACR-rated circuit breakers). HVAC is important in indoor design where safe and healthy building conditions are regulated with respect to temperature and humidity, using fresh air from outdoors.
Ventilating (V) is the process of changing or replacing air in any space to provide high indoor air quality, for example to control temperature, replenish oxygen, or remove moisture, odors, smoke, heat, dust, airborne bacteria, and carbon dioxide. Ventilation is used to remove unpleasant smells and excessive moisture, introduce outside air, to keep interior building air circulating, and to prevent stagnation of the interior air. Ventilation includes both the exchange of air to the outside as well as circulation of air within the building. It is one of the most important factors for maintaining acceptable indoor air quality in buildings. Methods for ventilating a building may be divided into mechanical or forced and natural types.
Air condition (AC) is the process of altering the properties of air within a space to desired conditions, those properties primarily being temperature and humidity. The aim is typically to distribute conditioned air into a space to improve the thermal comfort (lowering or raising the temperature) and air quality.
The current single room air conditioners for environments are typically arranged into or on the ceiling of an air-conditioned room. In an air conditioner, there is a heat exchanger or radiator in which heat exchanging medium (e.g. hot or cold water) is arranged to circulate in a coil covered by lamellas or fins that distribute the incoming air evenly into the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger may be arranged into a frame, and it is typically covered by detachable cover panel, which can be removed for cleaning the air conditioner. Filters are used in some installations to prevent the heat exchanger from clogging. Secondary filters are used in some installations to ensure the quality of air re-entering the space. Fans or induction of fresh air are used to circulate the air in and out of the air conditioner.
According to a first aspect, an air conditioning system for conditioning room air comprises an air supply device having an extraction air chamber, into which room extraction air from the room is introduced, and a power source for powering the air supply device. The air supply device comprises at least one peltier-element having a first side arranged to condition at least part of the room extraction air before it being diffused into the room.
The advantage of the system is that system needs simpler infrastructure, i.e. pipes to carry heat exchange medium to a heat exchanger or radiator in which heat exchange medium is circulated, or boilers or refrigerant units to treat the heat exchange medium.
In an embodiment of the system the air supply device comprises outdoor air chamber for receiving outdoor air.
In an embodiment of the system a second side of the peltier-element is arranged to be treated with the outdoor air of the outdoor air chamber.
In an embodiment of the system the air supply device comprises a middle chamber arranged to receive part of the room extraction air from the extraction air chamber.
In an embodiment of the system the middle chamber comprises an extraction air outlet arranged to extract the room extraction air from the air supply device.
In an embodiment of the system the extraction outlet comprises adjusting means for adjusting the extraction air flow from the air supply device.
In an embodiment of the system the middle chamber and the outdoor air chamber are connected to each other by a conduit for introducing room extraction air into the outdoor air chamber.
In an embodiment of the system a second adjusting means are provided within the conduit for adjusting the room extraction air flow from the middle chamber into the outdoor air chamber.
In an embodiment of the system the second side of the peltier-element is arranged to be treated by the combination of the outdoor air and the room extraction air in the outdoor air chamber.
In an embodiment of the system the power source is a photovoltaic panel.
In an embodiment of the system the air supply device comprises a fresh air chamber from which fresh air is supplied into the room, and a fresh air inlet for receiving fresh supply air into the fresh air chamber.
According to a second aspect, the present invention provides a method for conditioning room air with an air conditioning system comprising steps of receiving room extraction air from a room into an extraction air chamber of the air supply device, conditioning at least part of the room extraction air by a first side of at least one peltier-element, and diffusing the conditioned room extraction air into the room.
In an embodiment the method comprises a step of treating a second side of the peltier-element with circulated an outdoor air flow.
In an embodiment the method comprises a step of combining part of the room extraction air, which is not diffused into the room, with the outdoor air flow.
In an embodiment the method comprises steps of receiving fresh supply air into an air supply device, and supplying supply air into the room.
It is to be understood that the aspects and embodiments of the invention described above may be used in any combination with each other. Several of the aspects and embodiments may be combined together to form a further embodiment of the invention.
The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description help to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:
The detailed description provided below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of a number of embodiments, but it is not intended to represent the only ways in which the embodiments may be constructed, implemented, or utilized.
Term “condition” or “conditioning air” refers to treatment of air, i.e. heating or cooling the air. “An air supply device” refers to device which diffuses air into a space, e.g. a room. The diffused air may be circulated room air or it may be partially fresh supply air for example from outdoors. Term “outdoor air” refers to outdoor air, which is used for treating (heating or cooling) a second side of a peltier-element and which outdoor air is not supplied into the room. “Fresh air” refers to fresh outdoor air, which is supplied into the room. Term “room extraction air” refers to air that is introduced into the air supply device from the room. It may be partly or completely diffused back into the room or it may be partly or completely extracted outdoors.
The air supply device 1 comprises at least one pelti-er-element 4 which is arrange to condition at least part of the room extraction air before it is diffused back into the room. The number of peltier-elements 4 depends on the size of the air supply device and the efficiency of the used peltier-elements. In
The extraction air chamber 2 and a first side of each of the peltier-elements 4 may be connected by passages, which conduct at least part of the room extraction air to the peltier-elements 4 to be conditioned. Further, the conditioned air may be conducted into a diffuse chamber 6 from which the conditioned air is diffused back into the room via a supply opening 5. As the opening 7, the supply opening may have different design and size. The supply opening may be for example an elongated gap, several small holes, or a big opening with a mesh.
The part of the room extraction air, which is not conditioned by the peltier-elements may be conducted to the extraction outlet and out of the device and, for example, outdoors.
The air conditioning system comprises a power source 3, which is needed to electrify the peltier-elements, and further, the air conditioning. The power source may be the electric system of a building or it may be a power source that is separate from the building electricity. According to one embodiment, the power source is a photovoltaic panel. By using the photovoltaic panel(s), the air conditioning system may be independent from the buildings electric system. Thus, it is possible to assemble such system in a building or a structure that does not have electricity.
By using peltier-elements to treat room air, there is no need for typical heat exchangers comprising liquid heat transfer medium, e.g. water. And without such heat exchangers, there is no need to have piping for the heat transfer medium. This enables that the air conditioning system is easier and more cost efficient to install. Further, also the heat transfer medium or the previous systems needs to be treated. This may be done for example boilers in a boiler room or refrigerating units. These need electricity and some means, e.g. heat pumps, to transfer the thermal energy to the heat exchangers. The present system with the peltier-elements needs much less energy for conditioning same amount of room air.
The extraction air chamber 2 may be divided in two sub-chambers by a wall 24, as seen in
The air supply device 1 may comprise an outdoor air chamber 8. Outdoor air is received into the outdoor air chamber from an outdoor air inlet 9. The outdoor air is conducted to a second side of the peltier-elements 4, wherein the outdoor air is arranged to heat or cool the second side of the peltier-elemets 4. Further, the outdoor air may be conducted from the peltier-elements into an outdoor extraction chamber 23, from which the outdoor air may be conducted to the outdoor air outlet 17 and outside. The first side and the second side of the peltier-elements are separated by a thermally insulated wall 22. Thus the cool and hot sides are separated and the peltier-element may work more efficiently.
In one embodiment, the middle chamber 10 and the outdoor air chamber 8 are connected to each other by a conduit 13. The conduit 13 allows at least part of the extraction air to flow into the outdoor air chamber 8 and to mix with the outdoor air. The mixed air is used to treat the second side of the peltier-elements as the outdoor air earlier. As the second side of the peltier element require certain temperature level, it is possible that the outdoor air may not be used as such. The outdoor air may be too cold or too hot to treat the second side of the peltier-element and, thus, the first side of the peltier-element does not condition the room extraction air efficiently. Therefore, in some conditions, it is beneficial to mix at least some room extraction air into the outdoor air, to have more suitable air temperature for treating the second side of the peltier-element.
Within the conduit 13, a second adjusting means 14 may be provided for adjusting the room extraction air flow from the middle chamber 10 into the outdoor air chamber 8. The second adjusting means 14 may be a plate arranged to slide along the wall separating the middle chamber 10 and the outdoor air chamber 8. By sliding the plate, the size of the conduit 13 may be adjusted or even closed completely. The second adjusting means 14 may also be a rotatable plate.
In the embodiment shown in
The air supply device 1 may be installed inside the ceiling or it may be installed on the ceiling, i.e. surface installation. It may also be installed in the side wall of a room or even on the floor.
The air conditioning system described here uses the Peltier effect within modules making up the heat treatment elements. DC electric current powers the semiconductors located between 2 plates and the assembly forms a peltier-element. This results in the negatively charged plate cooling and the other positively charged plate heating up. The system is reversible by reversing the electric current.
The temperature difference achieved between the first side 20 and the second side 21 is limited. Therefore, in some conditions the outdoor air does is not cool enough or hot enough to treat the second side 21 of the peltier-element. Thus, in an embodiment of the air conditioning system, at least part of the room extraction air is mixed with the outdoor air for lowering or rising the temperature of the air that is used for treating the second side 21 of the peltier-element.
The peltier-element may comprise fans on each side 20, 21 of the peltier-element. The fans may provide a better circulation of the air within the peltier-elements.
The peltier-elements may also comprise heat exchangers on both sides 20, 21 to more efficiently heating or cooling the airflows.
Although the invention has been the described in conjunction with a certain type of system, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to any certain type of system. While the present inventions have been described in connection with a number of exemplary embodiments, and implementations, the present inventions are not so limited, but rather cover various modifications, and equivalent arrangements, which fall within the purview of prospective claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19156665.2 | Feb 2019 | EP | regional |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2020/053542 | 2/12/2020 | WO | 00 |
