The present invention relates to a mixing box for regulating temperature, that has a base body through which at least one air current can be conducted and in which at least one filter arrangement is arranged through which the air current can be conducted, whereby the guidance of the air current takes place by a flap arrangement with at least one flap. The invention furthermore relates to a system for regulating temperature as well as to a method for operating such a system.
Mixing boxes for temperature regulation are known from the state of the art. Furthermore, systems for temperature regulation from the state of the art are known for various applications. One application possibility for such systems is the air conditioning of individual rooms or of entire buildings. Systems for the regulation of temperature are required in particular for the air conditioning of computer centers since a significant development of heat takes place by the operation of computer systems, for example, server systems. The heat produced by the server systems must necessarily be removed from the room in which the server systems stand because the maximal operating temperatures for such server systems are in the area of 35° C., which is reached and exceeded in a short time without removal of the heat produced by the servers.
DE 199 04 667 teaches a system for the temperature regulation of a building. The system shown in it comprises an air-conditioning apparatus that comprises a cooling-agent circuit that makes possible an indirect cooling of the building or of individual rooms by means of the cooling agent. Such a cooling is in particular advantageous by virtue of the fact that the admissible area of the relative air moisture and the desired temperature can be very well maintained. The cooling of the system shown takes place as a function of the outside temperature either as indirect free cooling in the winter, as active cooling in the summer as well as indirect free in combination with an active cooling in the transitional time. However, such a cooling is very cost-intensive on account of the high energy requirement of an indirect cooling.
The present invention therefore addresses the problem of making available a mixing box for temperature regulation that makes possible a good temperature regulation with low energy consumption. A further problem addressed by the invention is to make available a system for the regulation of temperature as well as a method for operating a system for temperature regulation.
According to the invention provision is made for solving the problem in a mixing box of the initially cited type in that the flap arrangement comprises at least three flaps that can be controlled as a function of a parameter, in particular as a function of an ambient parameter.
The use of three flaps makes many different operating states of the mixing box possible, as a result of which the mixing box can be adjusted in a much more individual manner to different operating states and requirements. Thus, it is possible to lower the energy requirement since an individual adjustment can be carried out for individual operating points so that the operating state can be selected that has a minimal energy requirement in this operating point. A preferred ambient parameter is the temperature, for example, the outside temperature. In addition or alternatively even other ambient parameters are conceivable such as the particle load of the air or the air moisture as parameters on which the control of the flap arrangement depends.
Advantageous further developments and embodiments of the invention are apparent from the description herein.
In an advantageous embodiment two filter apparatuses could be provided through which the air current can be conducted. A filter apparatus could comprise a single filter type or a filter combination, for example, two, three or more filter types through which the air current sequentially flows. In a preferred embodiment one of the filter apparatuses could comprise a filter of filter class G4 and the other filter apparatus could comprise a combination of two filters of filter classes G4 and F7. An air current from outside the building in which the computer center is located could then pass through the combination of G4 and F7 filters so that at first rough purification takes place by the G4 filter and then fine particles are filtered out of the air current by the F7 filter. In an air current that passes out of the computer center into the mixing box the filtering of fine particles by an F7 filter is sufficient since this air has already been purified.
In the framework of a further advantageous embodiment the flap arrangement could be shaped in such a manner and/or controlled as a function of the parameter in such a manner that the air current passes through one or both filter apparatuses. If the air current passes only through one filter apparatus, this means that either a 100% exchange of air takes place between the area to be tempered and the outside area, or that a recirculated-air operation takes place. In particular in those instances in which the air current passes through a filter apparatus that only has one filter type, the pressure drop is usually distinctly less than when the air current has to pass through a filter combination. This leads again to a savings of energy since further on, for example, in a ventilator, the pressure does not have to be built up again. If air currents pass both filter apparatuses, this is a mixed operation in which a change of air with the outside air as well as a recirculation of the air inside the area to be cooled takes place. The control of the flap arrangement could take place in an especially simple manner by a microcontroller.
In the framework of an especially simple embodiment the flap arrangement could comprise a flap for outside air and/or an air recirculation flap and/or a mixed-air flap.
In order to improve the regulation of temperature the base body could be associated with a compressor in certain operating states, for example, at temperatures of the incoming air, also called outside air, above 17° C. Above 25° C. an active cooling by the compressor could take place while in the range above 17° C. and below 25° C. only a mixed operation of active and direct cooling could take place, as a result of which the energy costs could be lowered again. Below 17° C. a direct free cooling is possible so that the energy requirement can be distinctly lowered and nevertheless the boundary values of the ASHRAE TC 9.9—2008 guideline can be maintained. A high energy efficiency can be ensured by using the free cooling since no energy losses, for example, by additional heat exchangers, occur. The compressor could be integrated here in the base body as well as arranged as a separate structural component on the base body. However, the system could basically be water-cooled or air-cooled.
According to another aspect of the present invention a system for temperature regulation is suggested in which several mixing boxes are provided that are arranged parallel to each other. Since no hydraulic design such as piping, pumps or fittings are required in the system of the invention, a very good scalability of the system is given so that it can be expanded or reduced at any time with simple means according to the requirement. Moreover, the invention costs are therefore less in comparison to known systems with indirect free cooling.
In a further advantageous embodiment at least one ventilator apparatus could be provided. This ventilator apparatus could be present outside of the area to be cooled, for example, outdoors, in order to improve the removal of the warm air. In particular at outdoor temperatures above 17° C. such an additional removal of heat could take place by the ventilator apparatus.
Furthermore, the invention relates to a method of such a system for regulating the temperature in which the flap arrangement is controlled in such a manner that the air current passes through one or both filter arrangements as a function of a parameter, in particular as a function of the temperature. An appropriate software could be advantageously used to control the flap arrangement. A high energy efficiency can be ensured by the method in accordance with the invention since no energy losses, for example, by additional heat exchangers, occur.
The invention is described in the following using an exemplary embodiment that is schematically shown in the drawings described here.
The method of operation of mixing box 20 in a system that is also in accordance with the invention is shown in
A third operating state of the system of the invention for temperature regulation is shown in
The system in accordance with the invention for temperature regulation can be operated in a fourth operating state in a mixed operation with recirculated air. This operating state is shown in
If the outside temperature is lower than 0° C. the system for temperature regulation is operated in a fifth operating state, as is shown in
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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09005824.9 | Apr 2009 | EP | regional |
This application is a 371 national application based on PCT international application PCT/EP2010/002552 (international publication number WO 2010/124830 A1), filed Apr. 26, 2010, and claims priority from that application, and also from European application 09005824.9, filed Apr. 27, 2009. The contents of both applications are incorporated herein in their entirety.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP10/02552 | 4/26/2010 | WO | 00 | 10/21/2011 |