Patent Application
20220349612
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are generally configured to provide temperature controlled air to an internal space. Certain HVAC systems, such as an air handling unit (AHU), may include devices configured to ventilate an air flow and/or control a temperature of the air flow that is delivered to the internal space. For example, the HVAC system may receive a return air flow from the internal space, receive an outdoor air flow from an external environment, and mix the return air flow and the outdoor air flow to generate a mixed air flow delivered to the internal space. Other types of air flow mixing are also possible.
Traditional HVAC systems configured to generate mixed air flows may be expensive to manufacture and difficult to install. Further, traditional HVAC systems configured to generate mixed air flows may cause large pressure drops that lead to relatively low HVAC system efficiency (e.g., by requiring relatively high power consumption). Accordingly, it is now recognized that improved HVAC systems, such as improved AHUs, for generating mixed air flows are desired.
A summary of certain embodiments disclosed herein is set forth below. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a brief summary of these certain embodiments and that these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Indeed, this disclosure may encompass a variety of aspects that may not be set forth below.
An embodiment of the present disclosure includes a vortex generator for installation in a passage defined by heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment is configured to mix air flow through the passage. The vortex generator includes a proximal end configured to extend from a support defining the passage. The proximal end includes a first width dimension configured to extend transverse to a flow direction through the passage. The vortex generator includes a distal end opposing the proximal end. The distal end includes a second width dimension configured to extend transverse to the flow direction through the passage, where the second width dimension is greater than the first width dimension. The vortex generator includes a body extending from the proximal end to the distal end. The body includes a third width dimension configured to extend transverse to the flow direction through the passage, where the third width dimension is less than the second width dimension.
Another embodiment of the present disclosure includes a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system having a housing, a mixing plate disposed in the housing and having a surface defining a passage through the mixing plate, and a vortex generator configured to mix air flows through the passage. The vortex generator includes a proximal end disposed at the surface of the mixing plate, where the proximal end includes a first width dimension extending transverse to a flow direction through the passage. The vortex generator also includes a distal end opposing the proximal end, where the distal end includes a second width dimension extending transverse to the flow direction through the passage, and where the second width dimension is greater than the first width dimension. The vortex generator also includes a body extending between the proximal end and the distal end, where the body includes a third width dimension extending transverse to the flow direction through the passage, and where the third width dimension is less than the second width dimension.
Another embodiment of the present disclosure includes an air handling unit (AHU). The AHU includes a housing configured to receive an outside air flow via a first inlet and a return air flow via a second inlet. The AHU also includes a mixing plate disposed in the housing and having a surface defining a boundary of a passage through the mixing plate, the passage being configured to receive the outside air flow and the return air flow. The AHU also includes vortex generators extending from the surface of the mixing plate and into the passage, where the vortex generators are configured to mix the outside air flow and the return air flow to generate a mixed air flow. Each vortex generator includes a proximal end connected to the surface of the mixing plate and having a first width dimension, a body connected to the proximal end, and a distal end connected to the body opposite to the proximal end. The distal end extends into the passage and includes a second width dimension that is greater than the first width dimension of the proximal end. The first width dimension and the second width dimension are oriented transverse to a flow direction through the passage.
Various aspects of this disclosure may be better understood upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which:
One or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. These described embodiments are only examples of the presently disclosed techniques. Additionally, in an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.
When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terminals “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Additionally, it should be understood that references to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features.
The present disclosure is directed to a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system or unit, such as an air handling unit (AHU), having vortex generators configured to mix a return air flow and an outdoor air flow to generate a mixed air flow. In accordance with the present disclosure, the HVAC unit may include a housing with a first inlet configured to receive the return air flow (e.g., via a duct) and a second inlet configured to receive the outdoor air flow. The HVAC unit may also include a mixing plate disposed in the housing. The mixing plate may include a surface defining a boundary of a passage configured to receive the return air flow and the outdoor air flow. Vortex generators may extend from the surface of the mixing plate (e.g., the boundary of the passage) into the passage. For example, each vortex generator may include a proximal end connected to the surface, a distal end opposing the proximal end, and a body extending between (and connected to) the proximal end and the distal end. In general, a first width of the vortex generator at the proximal end may be less than a second width of the vortex general at the distal end. Further, a third width of the body of the vortex generator may be less than the second width. For example, the third width of the body of the vortex generator may be equal to the first width of the proximal end of the vortex generator.
In certain embodiments, each vortex generator may include a T-shaped cross-sectional profile having the above-described first width at the proximal end, second width at the distal end, and third width of the body. Further, in certain embodiments, each vortex generator may include a leading edge with a first height and a trailing edge with a second height that is greater than the first height. A plate extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge may define the distal end of the vortex generator, and may include a curvature that enables the second height (i.e., at the trailing edge of the vortex generator) to be greater than the first height (i.e., at the leading edge of the vortex generator).
In some embodiments, the distal end of the vortex generator may be untethered. For example, while the proximal end of the vortex generator is connected to the surface of the mixing plate and the body of the vortex generator, and while the body is connected to the proximal end and the distal end of the vortex generator, the distal end is connected only to the body of the vortex generator. Reference in the present disclosure to the distal end being untethered is intended to indicate that the distal end is connected to the body of the vortex generator but otherwise hangs freely within the passage defined by the surface of the mixing plate. The vortex generators may include certain length, width, and/or height dimensions (e.g., relative dimensions), described in detail with reference to the drawings, selected to enable and/or improve certain technical benefits described below.
The above-described configurations of the presently disclosed HVAC unit enable suitable mixing of two air flows (e.g., outside air flow and return air flow) to achieve a suitable temperature profile in the mixed air flow, while reducing a pressure drop across the mixing plate relative to conventional HVAC systems or units, thereby improving HVAC efficiency (e.g., via reduced power consumption). Further, the above-described configurations of the presently disclosed HVAC unit may reduce manufacturing costs and installation difficulties associated with the HVAC unit. These and other features are described in detail below with reference to the drawings.
Turning now to the drawings,
The HVAC unit 12 may be an air cooled device that implements a refrigeration cycle to provide conditioned air to the building 10. Specifically, the HVAC unit 12 may include one or more heat exchangers across which an airflow is passed to condition the airflow before the airflow is supplied to the building. In the illustrated embodiment, the HVAC unit 12 is an AHU, such as a rooftop unit (RTU), which conditions a supply air stream, such as environmental air and/or a return airflow from the building 10. Outdoor units, indoor units, or other conditioning schemes are also possible. After the HVAC unit 12 conditions the air, the air is supplied to the building 10 via ductwork 14 extending throughout the building 10 from the HVAC unit 12. For example, the ductwork 14 may extend to various individual floors or other sections, such as rooms, of the building 10. Terminal units 20 associated with the floors, rooms, or other sections of the building 10 may be connected to the ductwork 14 and may be configured to distribute the airflow to the floors, rooms, or other sections of the building 10. In some embodiments, the terminal units 20 may include air conditioning features in addition to, or in the alternate of, the air conditioning features of the HVAC unit 12.
In certain embodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may be a heat pump that provides both heating and cooling to the building with one refrigeration circuit configured to operate in different modes. In other embodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may include one or more refrigeration circuits for cooling an air stream and a furnace for heating the air stream. Additionally or alternatively, other HVAC equipment may be installed at the terminal units 20 or in another area of the building, such as a basement 21 (e.g., a boiler may be installed in a basement of the building 10). A control device 16, one type of which may be a thermostat, may be used to designate the temperature of the conditioned air. The control device 16 also may be used to control the flow of air from the HVAC unit 12, through the ductwork 14, to the terminal units 20, or any combination thereof. For example, the control device 16 may be used to regulate operation of one or more components of the HVAC unit 12 and/or terminal units 20. In some embodiments, other devices may be included in the system, such as pressure and/or temperature transducers or switches that sense the temperatures and pressures of the supply air, return air, and so forth. Moreover, the control device 16 may include computer systems that are integrated with or separate from other building control or monitoring systems, and even systems that are remote from the building 10.
As previously described, the HVAC unit 12 of
The first inlet 32 and the second inlet 34 may be fluidly coupled with a mixing plenum 40 defined by the housing 30 and having a mixing plate 42 disposed therein. For example, the mixing plenum 40 may include an upstream compartment 44 and a downstream compartment 46 separated by the mixing plate 42. The upstream compartment 44 may receive the air flows from the first inlet 32 and the second inlet 34. A fan or blower (not shown) may draw the air flows through the first inlet 32 and the second inlet 34 and bias the air flows toward and through a passage 50 in the mixing plate 42. The fan or blower may be internal to the housing 30, such as within the downstream compartment 46 or a separate compartment 47 of the housing 30. In another embodiment, the fan or blower may be disposed in a separate area of the HVAC unit 12 and/or the HVAC system having the HVAC unit 12.
The mixing plate 42 may include a surface 48 defining the passage 50 through which the air flows corresponding to the first inlet 32 and the second inlet 34 are directed (e.g., by the fan or blower). In the illustrated embodiment, the passage 50 defined by the surface 48 includes a hexagonal shape, although other shapes (e.g., a circle, a triangle, a square, a rectangle, a pentagon, a heptagon, an octagon, etc.) are also possible. The air flows corresponding to the first inlet 32 and the second inlet 34 may pass from the upstream compartment 44, through the passage 50 defined by the surface 48 of the mixing plate 42, and into the downstream compartment 46. A flow direction 54 from the upstream compartment 44, through the passage 50, and into the downstream compartment 46 is labeled in
The mixing plate 42 in the illustrated embodiment includes vortex generators 52 extending from the surface 48 of the mixing plate 42 into the passage 50. While
Focusing again on
Further, in accordance with certain embodiments and discussed in more detail below with reference to later drawings, distal ends of the vortex generators 52 may be untethered. That is, the distal ends of the vortex generators 52 may hang freely in the passage 50. The untethered distal ends, in addition to certain other geometric aspects of the vortex generators 52, may reduce a pressure drop caused by the mixing plate 42 relative to traditional embodiments (e.g., traditional embodiments in which members extend from one segment or side of a passage to an another segment or side of the passage). By reducing the pressure drop relative to traditional embodiments, HVAC efficiency may be improved (e.g., via reduced power consumption relative to traditional embodiments).
Focusing again on
As clearly illustrated in
Continuing again with
Turing back to
Spacing between the vortex generators 52 is also illustrated in
One or more of the disclosed embodiments, alone or in combination, may provide one or more technical effects useful in manufacturing, installing, and operating an HVAC unit and corresponding equipment. For example, the above-described configurations of the presently disclosed HVAC unit enable suitable mixing of two air flows (e.g., outside air flow and return air flow) to achieve a suitable temperature profile in the mixed air flow, while reducing a pressure drop across the mixing plate relative to conventional HVAC units or systems, thereby improving HVAC efficiency (e.g., via reduced power consumption). Further, the above-described configurations of the presently disclosed HVAC unit may reduce manufacturing costs and installation difficulties.
While only certain features and embodiments of the disclosure have been illustrated and described, many modifications and changes may occur to those skilled in the art, such as variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters including temperatures and pressures, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc., without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter recited in the claims. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the disclosure. Furthermore, in an effort to provide a concise description of the exemplary embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not have been described, such as those unrelated to the presently contemplated best mode of carrying out the disclosure, or those unrelated to enabling the claimed disclosure. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation specific decisions may be made. Such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure, without undue experimentation.
