Patent Application
20240271807
The present disclosure relates to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, and, in particular, to systems and methods for controlling operation of ventilation fans and a central air conditioning system concurrent with the operation of the exhaust air ventilation fans.
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are used in residential, commercial, and industrial buildings to maintain a comfortable environment within the buildings. HVAC systems often get more complex the larger the building is, especially when more complicated ventilation requirements are needed in order to ensure that air is properly circulated throughout the building for proper ventilation and occupant comfort. In certain buildings that contain multiple kitchens, such as bakeries, restaurants, commissary kitchens, lab buildings, food courts, etc., the HVAC system may require multiple units positioned across the roofs of buildings, extensive ductwork, and a large power supply to function properly.
Kitchens generally require exhaust fans to expel heat, grease, odors, and other unwanted particles away from cooking appliances and occupants to the outside in order to comply with building codes. The use of modulating kitchen exhaust fans creates a fluctuating pressure differential between the kitchen and the surrounding corridors around the kitchen on account of the air expelled by these fans. This requires separate make-up air units supplying unconditioned or conditioned outside air via plenums and ducts to the kitchen to maintain proper pressure balance.
Improperly air balanced HVAC systems can cause a variety of problems, including increased energy costs, building air pressure and infiltration issues, poor indoor air quality, moisture ingress into the building, and inefficient system operation. Poor air balance can lead to uncomfortable temperature and humidity levels, uneven heating and cooling, and excessive noise. In addition, improper air balance can cause equipment to overwork and shorten its lifespan. Furthermore, buildings that have multiple kitchens, each of which is equipped with its own kitchen exhaust fan and connected to a central air conditioning system, will need extensive ductwork and air plenums to ensure that each kitchen is adequately supplied with make-up air from the make-up air units simultaneously with the operation of the kitchen exhaust fans. This make-up air is often under-heated, under-cooled, or insufficiently dehumidified and creates uncomfortable environments.
Therefore, there exists a need for an economical HVAC system that provides efficient and proper ventilation and air conditioning for multiple kitchens operating independently within the same building envelope.
Disclosed herein are HVAC systems implementing dedicated outdoor air systems.
In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, a method for air conditioning a building, the method comprises: drawing unconditioned outside air at a first flow rate through a dedicated outdoor air unit; conditioning the unconditioned outside air by the dedicated outdoor air unit to conditioned air; supplying the conditioned air to a first room of the building, and exhausting the conditioned air at a second flow rate to an exterior of the building by a kitchen exhaust fan located in a second room of the building, the first and second rooms being in fluid communication with a common area of the building such that the conditioned air from the first room is drawn to the second room from the first room via the common area to supply conditioned air to the common area and second room, the second flow rate being controlled by a sensor adjacent the kitchen exhaust fan, wherein, the first flow rate is equal to or greater than the second flow rate, the first flow rate being set based on the second flow rate.
In another aspect, the dedicated outdoor air unit is the sole outdoor air supply for conditioning air to the building.
In a further aspect, the method further comprises sensing a first temperature under a range hood in the second room and a second temperature at a different location.
In a different aspect, the exhausting step includes activating the kitchen exhaust fan when the first temperature is greater than the second temperature.
In another aspect, the common area is a hallway connecting the first and second rooms.
In a further aspect, the building includes a plurality of kitchens and a plurality of dedicated outdoor air system units.
In a different aspect, the exhausting step includes allowing the conditioned air to pass from the common area into the second room without ductwork.
In another aspect, the exhausting step includes causing a pressure difference between the first room, common area, and second room.
In a further aspect, the method further comprises allowing the conditioned air to pass from the first room and common area into the second room without ductwork.
In yet another aspect, the method further comprises recirculating previously conditioned air from the common area to the dedicated outdoor air unit.
In a different aspect, the method further comprises reconditioning the previously conditioned air into newly conditioned air and resupplying the newly conditioned air to the first room and common area.
In another aspect, the method further comprises supplying conditioned air from the dedicated outdoor air unit to a third room of the building in fluid communication with any of the first room, second room, and common area.
In a further aspect, the method further comprises supplying conditioned air to the second room.
In yet another aspect, the method further comprises modulating the second flow rate based on a temperature sensed by the sensor.
In a different aspect, the method further comprises increasing the first flow rate proportionally with the second flow rate as the second flow rate increases.
In another aspect, the supplying step includes supplying the conditioned air at a constant flow rate.
In a different aspect, the sensor is a temperature sensor.
In another aspect, the sensor is an optical sensor.
In a further aspect, the second flow rate is controlled by a smoke level detected by the optical sensor.
In a different aspect, the first flow rate is equal to the second flow rate.
In accordance with another aspect of this disclosure, a system for air conditioning a building comprises: a kitchen exhaust fan located in a kitchen of the building, the kitchen exhaust fan configured to exhaust conditioned air from the kitchen; a first temperature sensor located adjacent the kitchen exhaust fan for controlling the kitchen exhaust fan; a building management system; and a dedicated outdoor air unit configured to draw in unconditioned outside air, condition the unconditioned outside air, and supply conditioned air to a common area in fluid communication with the kitchen.
In yet another aspect, the system further comprises a second temperature sensor located away from the kitchen exhaust fan.
In a different aspect, the building management system is in communication with the first and second temperature sensors.
In another aspect, the dedicated outdoor air unit is in communication with the building management system.
In a further aspect, the system further comprises an outdoor air damper positioned within an exterior wall of the dedicated outdoor air system unit.
In yet another aspect, the dedicated outdoor air unit opens the outdoor air damper to draw in the unconditioned outside air.
In a different aspect, the dedicated outdoor air unit closes the outdoor air damper when a recirculation setting is initiated such that outside air is not drawn into the dedicated outdoor air unit.
In a different aspect, the dedicated outdoor air supply unit partially closes the outside air damper and partially opens a recirculated air damper when a partial recirculation setting is initiated such that outside air is mixed with recirculated air to balance a flow rate of outside air with a flow rate exhausted from the kitchen.
In another aspect, a corridor pressure sensor is used to balance pressures of outside air and recirculated air supplied by the dedicated outdoor air supply unit.
In another aspect, the system further comprises an economizer.
In a different aspect, the dedicated outdoor air unit includes a recirculation air damper.
In a different aspect, the dedicated outdoor air unit closes the outdoor air damper such that outside air is not drawn into the dedicated outdoor air unit and opens the recirculation air damper such that air from within the building is drawn into the dedicated outdoor air unit.
In a further aspect, the dedicated outdoor air unit is the only outdoor air supply for providing conditioned air within the building.
In yet another aspect, the dedicated outdoor air unit is the only outdoor air supply for providing conditioned air within the building.
In accordance with another aspect of this disclosure, a method of regulating air flow within a building comprises: activating a kitchen exhaust fan in a first room of the building; sensing a pressure difference between the first room and a second room of the building; modulating a speed of the exhaust fan such that the speed correlates to a temperature of air surrounding the kitchen exhaust fan; and activating a dedicated outdoor air unit such that the dedicated outdoor air unit draws in unconditioned outside air, conditions the unconditioned outside air, and supplies conditioned air to a second room.
In another aspect, the method further comprises allowing the conditioned air to flow from the second room into the first room.
In yet another aspect, the method further comprises modulating a blower speed of the dedicated outdoor air unit such that the conditioned air is supplied at varying flow rates.
In a different aspect, the method further comprises modulating the outside air damper and recirculated air damper of the dedicated outdoor air unit such that the outside air is supplied at varying flow rates while to the total flow rate of conditioned air remains constant.
In another aspect, the method further comprises recirculating conditioned air from the first room or common area back to the dedicated outdoor air unit.
A more complete appreciation of the subject matter of the present disclosure and the various advantages thereof can be realized by reference to the following detailed description, in which reference is made to the following accompanying drawings:
Reference will now be made in detail to the various embodiments of the present disclosure illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same or like reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like features within a different series of numbers (e.g., 100-series, 200-series, etc.). It should be noted that the drawings are in simplified form and are not drawn to precise scale. Additionally, the term “a,” as used in the specification, means “at least one.” The terminology includes the words above specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import. Although multiple embodiments are described herein, other variations may include aspects described herein combined in any suitable manner having combinations of all or some of the aspects described.
In describing preferred embodiments of the disclosure, reference will be made to directional nomenclature used in describing the HVAC systems within a building. It is noted that this nomenclature is used only for convenience and that it is not intended to be limiting with respect to the scope of the present disclosure. As used herein, when referring to HVAC systems within a building, “up” or “above” means towards the roof of the building and “down” or “beneath” means towards the floor.
Although the embodiments described herein illustrate a building with a single floor and several kitchens on that floor, it is foreseeable that the system and methods described herein are implemented with a building having multiple floors, a single commercial kitchen, or other rooms in with exhaust fans. As such, the buildings may be hotels, schools, dormitories, hospitals, commercial kitchens, restaurants, and the like. The embodiment illustrated in
DOAS unit 104, 105 further includes a control unit 132. Control unit 132 preferably includes at least one processor (CPU), a memory system, and a communication interface. The CPU is configured to execute a computer program designed to be implemented with the system and methods described herein. As such, the CPU gathers data from various sensors within building 102 and instructs the DOAS unit 104, 105 to condition and supply air accordingly. This sensor data may be stored within memory system. The memory system may be any type configured to store sensor data, such as RAM, ROM, flash, or the like. The communication interface, otherwise known as input/output (I/O) peripherals, is configured to receive and transmit data from the memory system. Such data may be transmitted to an external device such as a computer or a smartphone via Bluetooth or other wireless communication types known in the art.
Building 102 includes at least one kitchen 110, at least one room distinct from kitchen 110, and at least one common area, such as hallway 108. Hallway 108 may connect kitchen 110 and the room directly, or hallway 108 may extend throughout various orientations within building 102. Alternatively, the common area may be a break room, lobby, dry stores, or the like. Thus, building 102 may have any number of floorplans and orientations and still utilize the systems and methods described herein.
Kitchen 110 includes at least one high temperature food service appliance such as a wok, charbroiler, pot boiler, griddle, stove, or range (not shown). Some or all of such appliances have an associated hood 112 positioned above the cooking surface. Hood 112 has a periphery defining an area that is typically greater than the area of the underlying cooking surface. As such, smoke, grease, steam, fumes, odors, and other unwanted byproducts created while cooking may be captured by hood 112 and expelled outside via a kitchen exhaust fan 114. In addition to the expulsion of effluents, kitchen exhaust fan 114 may lessen the chances of indoor air pollution. In a kitchen having multiple high temperature cooking appliances such as stoves and/or ranges, each stove and/or range may have its own hood, or may share a larger hood with an adjacent stove or range.
As used herein, kitchen exhaust fan 114 is part of a system including a hood, a set of filters within the hood, a fan, and an exhaust duct system. The fan is configured to draw air through the exhaust duct system to create a low pressure region inside the hood to pull air upward away from the cooking surface. The filter system within the hood captures particles created during the cooking process, such as grease and oil, and removes the particles from the air before the air is expelled through the exhaust duct system. The exhaust duct system extends between hood 112 and an outer wall or roof of building 102 such that the filtered air is expelled outside through the exhaust duct system at a flow rate that corresponds to the speed of the fan. Such a fan speed may be controlled by a temperature or optical sensor in the hood.
Kitchen exhaust fan 114 may be located at a terminus of the exhaust duct system, such as at an upblast fan or utility set fan. Alternatively, it may be an inline fan located anywhere between the hood and the terminus of the exhaust duct system. Different types of kitchen fans such as centrifugal and axial fans may also be implemented.
Kitchen exhaust fan 114 may be manually or automatically operated, but will automatically operate when the temperature sensor detects a high temperature from a cooking appliance under the hood 112. A hood temperature sensor (not shown) is placed on the inside of hood 112 to measure the temperature of the air underneath hood 112. The hood temperature sensor communicates with control unit 132 either directly or via a building management system (“BMS”) and a separate kitchen exhaust fan control unit to activate the fan when the air temperature under the hood 112 reaches a threshold value. For example, the fan 130 may be turned on when the air underneath the hood 112 reaches 85-90° F. The kitchen exhaust fan control unit is also configured to modulate the speed of kitchen exhaust fan 114 based on the air temperature under hood 112. For example, at 100° F., the fan may operate at 50% of its maximum rated capacity and 50% of its maximum flow rate, at 120° F. the fan may operate at 75% of its maximum rated capacity and 75% of its maximum flow rate, and at 130° F. and above, the fan may operate at its maximum rated capacity and maximum flow rate. The control logic operating the kitchen exhaust fan 114 may step the exhaust air flowrate linearly in relation to the temperature. Alternatively, a user may select a maximum fan speed via buttons, switches, or the like to override the kitchen exhaust fan control unit and set the fan speed to maximum. In further embodiments, additional sensors such as optical sensors may be used to control operation of kitchen exhaust fan 114.
During use, kitchen exhaust fan 114 expels air from underneath hood 112 and other air from within kitchen 110. As such, the flow rate of the exhausted air causes a pressure drop within kitchen 110 compared to other areas of building 102. Conventional HVAC design addresses this issue by including at least one make-up air unit in the kitchen or in close proximity to the kitchen. Such a make-up air unit is configured to pull in outside air and distribute that air within the room experiencing a pressure loss. For example, a make-up air unit may supply outside air, partially conditioned or unconditioned, into a kitchen to replace the air expelled by a kitchen exhaust fan.
Make-up air units are not without drawbacks. Make-up air units are often bulky and may be difficult to position in close proximity to rooms experiencing extensive ventilation, such as kitchens and bathrooms. Further, make-up air does not replace centralized air; it merely supplements centralized air for certain zones within a building. Thus, in addition to the standard central air system, such as a DOAS unit, a building with a commercial kitchen will typically include at least one make-up air unit. Some of these make-up air units may have partial heating and cooling capabilities, however, most make-up air units cannot fully cool, dehumidify, or heat outside air because these units not a fully functional HVAC systems. Makeup air units are designed to simply bring in air from outside to replace the drawn up through the kitchen exhaust system, while providing only minimal heating or cooling, but no de-humidification. Thus, they do not accurately control the temperature or humidity levels of the air they introduce into the space. A person in a kitchen may experience unpleasant temperature fluctuations when a make-up air unit is activated to replace the exhausted air. Uncontrolled humidity can result in visible and invisible mold growth. Additionally, installing make-up air units can be quite expensive, as ducting must be provided to each kitchen to ensure that the make-up air is supplied in close proximity to the kitchen hood to maximize the amount of make-up air drawn into the hood, minimize the amount of makeup air dispersed into the kitchen and surrounding building, and minimize any occupant discomfort. Furthermore, if the supply of makeup air to the kitchen space is greater than the amount of air being exhausted from the hood the kitchen space will increase in pressure and air laden with grease, odors and smoke will be forced out of the kitchen into other parts of the building.
To address the issue of make-up air units, DOAS unit 104, 105 is configured to supply conditioned air from within building 102 to kitchens 110 thereby simultaneously conditioning the building common areas and kitchens and balancing building air pressure. DOAS unit 104, 105 is configured to operate in either a constant volume or modulating volume setting, each setting is described herein. An all DOAS-unit system has several advantages over traditional HVAC systems with make-up air units. One advantage is a reduction of noise and vibrations throughout the building as only the DOAS units 104, 105 need to be activated to control the entire HVAC system, rather than a central air conditioning system and one or more make-up units. Another resulting advantage of an all DOAS-unit system is lower overall energy consumption. Because the DOAS-unit system can largely operate using the air within a building due to recirculation, less outside air is required to be drawn into building 102 and conditioned, which results in less energy consumed to condition as a whole.
The DOAS unit constant volume provides a constant flow rate within building 102. Supply air temperature is varied to adjust for varying cooling or heating load required within the building. In an embodiment, each kitchen in building 102 can be equipped with a temperature feedback or operator manual override control which monitors and regulates the amount of supply air needed to replace the air exhausted from their kitchen exhaust fans. To ensure that the building is supplied with the necessary amount of outside air, a pressure sensor can be placed in a centrally located hallway or corridor to measure the building pressure. If the exhaust flow rate in one or more of the kitchens increases, the pressure sensor will detect the decrease in building pressure. This feedback signal will prompt the DOAS units to increase the amount of outside air supply until the building pressure returns to its target pressure, slightly above the ambient pressure. When the outside air demand is low, the DOAS units can switch to the constant volume, recirculating mode, re-conditioning and resupplying the air within the building back into the building. To prevent the introduction of more outside air than necessary, outside air dampers or air dampers 116 will open and the recirculated air dampers will close to the necessary positions in order to maintain the target building pressure, optimizing energy consumption. Recirculating air is desirable as the air supplied within building 102 has already been conditioned once, and thus it requires less energy to condition it a second time. This recirculation is feasible due to a plurality of recirculation vents and ducts (not shown) positioned throughout building 102. Such vents and ducts draw previously conditioned and supplied air back into a central DOAS unit 104105, where the air is reconditioned and then resupplied back to various locations throughout building 102 via ducts 106 and registers. Recirculation dampers or dampers (not shown) are positioned at the inlets of the recirculation ducts and may open and close when control unit 132 activates or deactivates the constant volume setting. Ducts 106 may be flexible, semi-flexible, or rigid, and may comprise materials like aluminum, fiberglass, galvanized steel, certain fabrics, and the like. Ducts 106 may further be equipped with diffusers (not shown) to aid in the uniform and even distribution of air through an area of building 102. For example, previously conditioned and supplied air may be drawn from a central lobby of building 102, reconditioned, and then be resupplied to the same central lobby via ducts 106, diffusers, and registers.
The constant volume setting is ideal when building 102 has a low air supply demand but requires temperature control. This may be when kitchen exhaust fans 114 are not operating or operating at a relatively low rpm but outdoor conditions require the addition of heating or cooling to keep the building comfortable. Such a setting is ideal and it may require less overall power on the central DOAS system 100 to recirculate air instead of drawing in additional unconditioned outside air. Control unit 132 is in communication with various pressure sensors throughout building 102 via the BMS or directly. Preferably, each room or corridor of building 102 includes at least one pressure. These pressure sensors can determine pressure differences between different regions of building 102, and may communicate to the control unit 132 to activate the constant volume setting to supply recirculated air to the regions experiencing lower pressure. The pressure sensors may also be in communication with various temperature sensors within kitchen 110 to determine if a kitchen exhaust fan 114 is activated. Depending on a temperature and pressure differential, control unit may determine if a constant volume setting or a modulating volume setting should be implemented. For either setting, if control unit 132 desires additional air it may open dampers 116 to draw in additional outside to achieve an air pressure equilibrium within building 102.
In a modulating volume setting, the DOAS's air supply fans speed are adjusted to increase or decrease the air flow volume into the interior of building 102. Accordingly, when the pressure and temperature sensors positioned throughout building 102 indicate the need for additional outside air to maintain building pressure and a comfortable interior climate, control unit 132 may activate the modulating volume setting which may both rely on recirculated air and the addition of new outside air. The modulating volume setting modulates the blower 128 within DOAS unit 104, 105 to blow air at different flow rates throughout building 102. For example, when kitchen exhaust fans 114 are activated, blower 128 may supply air at a higher flow rate toward kitchen 110 or toward an adjacent corridor to correct a potential pressure difference.
For both the constant volume and modulating volume settings of the building management system in building 102, it is desirable to set the target pressure to a slightly higher level than the ambient pressure to ensure that only a very minimal amount of conditioned air escapes from the building through exfiltration, while avoiding infiltration and drawing in outside unconditioned air.
In other embodiments, the constant volume and modulating volume settings of the building management system in building 102 can be adjusted to maintain a neutral pressure within the building. Operating under neutral pressure conditions reduces or eliminates infiltration and exfiltration, resulting in increased energy efficiency and reduced demand on the HVAC system as conditioned air is not lost to the exterior and unconditioned outside air is not brought in, requiring additional energy for conditioning.
In addition to the DOAS units 104, 105 described herein, other HVAC equipment such as an economizer may be integrated with DOAS system 100. The economizer draws outside air in and is used to supplement DOAS unit 104, 105 when the conditions of the outside air are such that the DOAS unit will use less energy using the outside air to achieve the target supply air conditions than it would if it were to use the recirculated air from inside the building. Economizers are preferred in cooler climates, where the outside air is colder than the inside air typically due to heat generated from people and equipment within the building, or heat gain from solar transmission through glass walls and windows, and the desired room or corridor within the building needs to be kept at a relatively cool temperature. Economizers are energy saving devices used in commercial and industrial air conditioning systems. Economizers can automatically adjust the amount of outside air that is brought into the building to help to reduce the energy required to cool the building by taking advantage of the cooler outside air temperatures that are available during certain times of the year. The economizer increases the amount of outside air that is brought into the building and uses this air to cool the building instead of using the air conditioning system. This reduces the energy required to cool the building and can result in considerable energy savings.
The all-DOAS system approach to conditioning air within a building has several advantages over current HVAC systems. In buildings with several kitchens, the air pressure within those kitchens and the surrounding corridors may be regulated such that the kitchens remain at a slightly lower pressure than the surrounding corridors. This helps ensure that air flows from the corridors into the kitchens, which prevents odors, heat, and humidity created in the kitchen from escaping to the surrounding corridors and adjacent kitchens.
Another advantage of the all-DOAS system approach is the reduced structural load on the roof of the building. The DOAS units 104, 105 can be positioned at optimal locations on a roof to minimize the quantity of duct work while providing optimal flow rates of supplied air. Additionally, positioning the units in the right location can help to minimize any noise pollution that could occur from the DOAS units running The optimal positioning of the DOAS units can provide great benefits in terms of energy efficiency and cost savings, as well as providing a comfortable environment for occupants. Further, because no make-up air units are implemented, additional roof space is created and can be used for other systems outside of the HVAC space, such as water storage. This additional roof space can also allow the DOAS units and other equipment to be located away from sight lines that would otherwise require the addition of roof top screening in some jurisdictions. Thus, the all-DOAS system 100 eliminates the need for make-up air units and air ducting to the kitchen hood, reduces energy consumption, and provides improved air quality.
Further, the all-DOAS system 100 offers a number of advantages for BMS control operation, primarily by reducing the complexity of the HVAC design and limiting the number of components required. This simplifies both outflow and inflow rate monitoring, enabling a higher level of precision in controlling the desired supply temperature and humidity. The more precise calculations enabled by the BMS result in a higher level of accuracy in maintaining comfort and pressure within the building. Furthermore, when compared to MAU-DOAS systems, the all-DOAS system offers superior BMS operation, as it reduces the number of conditioned air-supplying equipment that needs to be managed and balanced.
A method of operating the all-DOAS system 100 is described herein. The DOAS units 104, 105 are first installed and checked to ensure communication with various temperature and pressure sensors positioned throughout building 102 either directly or via the BMS. When kitchens 110 of building 102 are not in use or are only being used infrequently such that the air flow rates out of hoods 112 is minimal, constant volume settings for DOAS units 104, 105 may be used. For the constant volume setting, outside air intake can be adjusted by opening/closing outside air dampers 116 so that previously supplied air within building 102 can be recirculated within building 102. Simultaneously or shortly thereafter, inside recirculation dampers may be opened to draw previously supplied air back into DOAS unit 104, 105 where it can be reconditioned and resupplied to building 102. Such air may be resupplied via various ductwork 106 extending within building 102.
DOAS units 104, 105 may operate in a modulating volume mode when kitchen exhaust fans 114 are operating. When kitchen exhaust fans 114 are activated and expel exhausted air outwards of building 102, pressure sensors within kitchen 110 and other regions of building 102 will indicate a change in pressure and communicate that change to control unit 132 of DOAS unit 104, 105. Control unit 132 determines a corresponding flow rate of air to be supplied toward the kitchen 110 experiencing the pressure change. Control unit 132 determines a blower 128 velocity that correlates to the pressure change: a higher blower velocity is implemented for larger pressure differences and a lower blower velocity is implemented for lower pressure differences. DOAS unit 104, 105 will condition and supply air to the corridors adjacent kitchen 110 experiencing a pressure difference. The conditioned air provides air conditioning to the corridors and the kitchen. Further, because the conditioned air is supplied to the adjacent corridors, it will flow into kitchen 110 concurrently with the operation of kitchen exhaust fan 114.
Each component described herein may be supplied in a kit such that an end user may configure an HVAC system for an entire building with components in the kit. Such a kit includes a number of DOAS units corresponding to a number of kitchens within a building, a number of temperature and pressure sensors configured to be placed around the building, ductwork, dampers or dampers, and programming within a control unit that for constant volume and modulating volume systems.
The advantages of this system are that it eliminates the need for make-up units and air ducting to the kitchen hood, reduces energy consumption, and provides improved air quality. While DOAS units are disclosed in the embodiments above, other HVAC systems such roof top units (RTUs), etc., can be used in other embodiments for exhaust driven air transport of conditioned air from these centralized air supply systems to kitchen exhaust equipment.
Although the invention disclosed herein has been described with reference to particular features, it is to be understood that these features are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention. It is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications, including changes in the sizes of the various features described herein, may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In this regard, the present invention encompasses numerous additional features in addition to those specific features set forth in the paragraphs below. Moreover, the foregoing disclosure should be taken by way of illustration rather than by way of limitation as the present invention is defined in the examples of the numbered paragraphs, which describe features in accordance with various embodiments of the invention, set forth in the paragraphs below.
The present application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Application No. 63/484,221 filed on Feb. 10, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63484221 | Feb 2023 | US |
