Chilled beams may be installed in ceilings of indoor environments to provide heated or cooled air to those environments. However, chilled beams may be unable to be incorporated in some environments where ceiling space is reserved for lighting. When incorporating lighting into chilled beam units, though, the lighting often obstructs air flow within the chilled beam, leading to degraded performance and capacity. These integrated units are also often of a different size and aesthetic appearance than chilled-beam-only units such that they cannot be seamlessly incorporated into existing environments.
For a more complete understanding of the embodiments and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following description, in conjunction with the accompanying figures briefly described as follows:
Disclosed herein is a luminaire chilled beam that can incorporate lighting into a chilled beam unit without affecting the capacity, performance, or dimensions of the chilled beam. Unlike conventional units, the luminaire chilled beam can integrate a luminaire with a chilled beam in a single unit with a same profile as a chilled-beam-only unit. The luminaire chilled beam can be constructed so that all its components fit within a standard cell of a suspension grid drop ceiling. Likewise, the luminaire chilled beam can be constructed so that it fits universally in existing buildings with different ceiling heights. In addition, the luminaire chilled beam can receive seismic certification as a single unit.
In some examples, multiple luminaire chilled beams can be connected together in parallel or in series. Connecting the multiple luminaire chilled beams can allow them to operate together while giving the aesthetic appearance of a single, integrated unit.
A lower portion of the luminaire chilled beam 100 can include an induction chamber 111 enclosed at least in part within the exit casings 106 and exit casing end caps 109. The exit casings 106 can be affixed to a bottom portion of either side of the outer housing 103 and to exit casing end caps 109, as well as to a nozzle plate 121 discussed in more detail below. The exit casings 106 can form outer sides of a discharge channel 112 on either side of the induction chamber 111. An upper portion of the luminaire chilled beam 100 can include a pressurization chamber 110 enclosed at least in part within the outer housing 103.
The outer housing 103 can enclose various internal components of the luminaire chilled beam 100. The outer casing can include a primary air inlet 114 that can connect to ductwork through which an upstream air supply system can supply primary air to the luminaire chilled beam 100. In some examples, the outer housing 103 can be made from galvanneal steel that can resist corrosion and damage.
The pressurization chamber 110 can be a space within the luminaire chilled beam 100 that functions as a plenum. Upper and lateral boundaries of the pressurization chamber can be defined by the outer housing 103, and a lower boundary of the pressurization chamber 110 can be defined by a nozzle plate 121. Primary air can be supplied to the pressurization chamber 110 through the primary air inlet 114. The outer housing 103 and the nozzle plate 121 can together create a seal within the pressurization chamber 110. Thus, the primary air flowing into the pressurization chamber 110 can create a high-pressure environment within the pressurization chamber 110. The elevated pressure created in the pressurization chamber 110 can cause the primary air to be expelled at a high velocity from a plurality of nozzles 124 comprising small apertures in a portion of the nozzle plate 121. In addition, a perforated baffle 122 can be attached to a central portion of the nozzle plate above the nozzles 124. The perforated baffle 122 can include a plurality of perforations through which the primary air can pass before being expelled from the nozzles 124, causing the primary air to be evenly distributed to the nozzles 124.
The induction chamber 111 can be a space within the luminaire chilled beam 100 into which air from an external setting can be induced and treated. A lower boundary of the induction chamber 111 can be defined by an induction face 118, while an upper boundary of the induction chamber 111 can be defined by the nozzle plate 121. Lateral boundaries of the induction chamber 111 can be defined by the discharge channels 112. Primary air expelled at a high velocity from the nozzles 124 into the discharge channel 112 can create a low-pressure environment within the induction chamber 111. This low pressure can induce air from the external setting to flow upwards through the induction face 118, be cooled or heated by a water coil 115, and flow into the discharge channel 112. The induced air can mix with the expelled primary air in the discharge channel 112.
The water coil 115 can treat air within the induction chamber 111 by heating or cooling the air with heated or cooled water running through the water coil 115. The water coil 115 can connect to an external water source through one or more inlets that protrude from the induction chamber 111.
Induction face 118 can be a permeable cover attached to a bottom opening of the induction chamber 111. The induction face 118 can face into an external setting in which the luminaire chilled beam 100 is installed. Induced air from the external setting can pass through the induction face 118 and into the induction chamber 111. A portion of the induction face 118 through which air can pass can include a grille, perforations, louver, or other configuration. The induction face 118 can be contained within a frame attached at either side to a pair of luminaire assemblies 130, discussed in more detail below.
The induction face 118 can swing open at one or both sides using a pin latch to provide access to internal components of the luminaire chilled beam 100 for maintenance, such as replacement of luminaires 131 within the luminaire assemblies 130. In some examples, the induction face 118 may open only from a single side to prevent the induction face 118 from falling down freely, which could damage internal components of the luminaire chilled beam 100. In some examples, the induction face 118 can open without the use of tools by pushing a handle on a pin latch.
The discharge channels 112 can be spaces within the luminaire chilled beam 100 through which air within the induction chamber 111 can be discharged from the luminaire chilled beam 100 and into an external setting. Lateral boundaries of each of the discharge channels 112 can be defined by a side flange of nozzle plate 121 and a side flange of water coil 115, an exit casing 106, a luminaire assembly 130. The primary air combined with the induced air, which can be cooled or heated by the water coil 115, can be discharged from the luminaire chilled beam 100 through the discharge channels 112 and into the external setting.
Luminaire assemblies 130 can include luminaires 131 that illuminate an external setting in which the luminaire chilled beam 100 is installed without affecting air treatment performance or the capacity of the luminaire chilled beam 100. The frame of each luminaire assembly 130 can present a smooth surface that does not obstruct air flow through the discharge channel 112. Each of the luminaires 131 can comprise a lamp that is held within a frame of its luminaire assembly 130 attached at one side to the induction face 118. Each luminaire 131 can include a lamp such as, for example, an incandescent lamp, a fluorescent lamp, a light-emitting diode (LED) lamp, or other light source. The luminaires 131 can be detached from their luminaire assemblies 130 and replaced with new luminaires 131. While a heat emitted by each luminaire 131 may undesirably add heat load to a proximity of the luminaire assembly 130, that heated air can be induced into the induction chamber 111 and treated along with other air induced from the external setting.
The control module 133 can include various components used to control operation of the luminaire chilled beam 100 and the luminaires 131 in particular. For example, the control module 133 can activate and deactivate the luminaires 131, adjust a brightness of light emitted by the luminaires 131, or adjust a color temperature of light emitted by the luminaires 131. The control module 133 can be secured to an outer surface of the outer housing 103. In some implementations, however, the control module 133 can be installed remotely from the other components of the luminaire chilled beam 100.
In some examples, a luminaire chilled beam 100 can be controlled by its own control module 133. In other examples, a single control module 133 may be used to control operation of multiple luminaire chilled beams 100. This single control module 133 can be attached to or proximate to one of the multiple luminaire chilled beams 100 or located in a location remote from the multiple luminaire chilled beams 100.
A phrase, such as “at least one of X, Y, or Z,” unless specifically stated otherwise, is to be understood with the context as used in general to present that an item, term, etc., can be either X, Y, or Z, or any combination thereof (e.g., X, Y, and/or Z). Similarly, “at least one of X, Y, and Z,” unless specifically stated otherwise, is to be understood to present that an item, term, etc., can be either X, Y, and Z, or any combination thereof (e.g., X, Y, and/or Z). Thus, as used herein, such phrases are not generally intended to, and should not, imply that certain embodiments require at least one of either X, Y, or Z to be present, but not, for example, one X and one Y. Further, such phrases should not imply that certain embodiments require each of at least one of X, at least one of Y, and at least one of Z to be present.
Although embodiments have been described herein in detail, the descriptions are by way of example. The features of the embodiments described herein are representative and, in alternative embodiments, certain features and elements may be added or omitted. Additionally, modifications to aspects of the embodiments described herein may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure defined in the following claims, the scope of which are to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass modifications and equivalent structures.
This application claims benefit of and priority to co-pending U.S. Provisional App. No. 63/326,300, filed on Apr. 1, 2022 and entitled “LUMINAIRE CHILLED BEAM,” which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
63326300 | Apr 2022 | US |