GB2135046A

GB2135046A - Space heating

Info

Publication number: GB2135046A
Application number: GB08402408A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Ashworth Webb
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-01-29
Filing date: 1984-01-30
Publication date: 1984-08-22
Also published as: GB8402408D0

Abstract

The space heating within an industrial building (10) is controlled by collecting air from the lower regions (11) and projecting it upwardly with velocity to create a moving layer distributed over the inside of the roof (12). Free-standing equipment (13) for carrying out the method comprises a blower fan (20) mounted on four legs (21) with an intake underneath and with an outlet on top covered by a grill or provided with a nozzle (24). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Space heating This invention relates to space heating, e.g., in industrial buildings having walls and roofs, but is equally applicable to the heating of any space within a container having a temperature outside appreciably lower than that required inside.

For any given building or structure the heat loss and therefore the energy input requirement is governed by the temperature difference between the air or atmosphere on the outside and the adjacent air or atmosphere on the inside of any particular section of the fabric. For example, in the case of a typical industrial building of say 8m. average height there could be within the building a temperature gradient in winter varying from 1 2 C at floor lever to 29"C at roof level when the ambient temperature outside is 0 C. The rate of energy loss through the roof is a function of the conductivity of the roof which is a constant for all practical purposes and the temperature difference between the air on the inside and the ambient air on the outside which in the example above would be 29"C.

It is known to direct hot air from below the roof of an industrial building through ducting by means of a fan to the floor or lower regions, but, while this makes the lower regions noticeably warmer than they would be with merely the radiant or blown air space heating usually provided, the temperature of the air on the inside of the roof is not appreciably lowered (especially since the directing of air downwards through ducting encourages the convection of warm air from the middle regions to the roof) so the heat loss through the roof remains substantially the same and the energy input requirement is not appreciably reduced.

It has been proposed (GB-PS 2 114 283A) to control the space heating within an industrial building (or other space) by collecting air from the lower regions, directing it to below the roof (or ceiling) and distributing it over the inside of the roof (or ceiling), so that, following the previous example, if the temperature of the inside air in contact with the roof is reduced by 1 1 C to 1 8 C, an energy saving of some 37.9% should be achieved against the heat loss through the roof. Against this saving would have to be offset the energy required to direct the air upwards, but this would be comparatively low if not negligible after the initial capital cost.

Further savings might be achieved by also distributing the collected air from the lower regions over the inside of one or more walls of the building (or other space), e.g., downwardly, after traversing the inside of the roof from the middle (or ridge), but the collected air could be directed first to the sides (or eaves) of the roof, and could be first directed up over the inside of one or more walls before being re-directed over the inside of the roof.

With a roof consisting of two or more contiguous ridges, collected air could be directed to each side of the underside of the or each valley of the roof.

The air may be collected from close to the floor and/or from under the floor, centrally and/or at the sides.

However, this proposed method of controlling space heating would require an installation comprising means for collecting air from the lower regions, at least one duct extending upwardly from the collecting means, air moving means between the collecting means and the duct for moving the collected air upwards through the duct, and means for distributing the air from the upper end of the duct over the inside of the roof (or ceiling).

The duct could extend all the way up from the air moving means to the distributing means, or - if the duct were to be adjacent a side wall of a building -- it could be short so as to allow the air to be distributed over the inside of the side wall, the distributing means then being associated with re-collecting means, with or without additional air moving means. But, in either case, the distributing means would have to be supported or mounted at an appreciable or considerable height from the floor, and so the installation would entail considerable work and expense before becoming operational. Furthermore, any change in the layour of machinery etc.

within the building might be hampered by the presence of one or more such installations.

The object of the present invention is to provide a method and means for providing similar control of the space heating within an industrial building (or other space) but at less cost and with greater flexibility.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a method of controlling the space heating within an industrial building (or other space) comprises collecting air from the lower regions and projecting it upwardly in quantity and with velocity to create a moving layer distributed over the inside of the roof (or ceiling).

According to another aspect of the present invention, equipment for controlling the space heating within an industrial building (or other space) comprises means for collecting air from the lower regions and projecting it upwardly in quantity and with velocity to create a moving layer distributed over the inside of the roof (or ceiling).

An embodiment of the equipment comprises a blower fan mounted on legs (conveniently four legs), with an intake (preferably covered by a grill) underneath between the legs, and with an outlet on top which is covered by a grill or provided with a nozzle directed generally upwardly. This equipment is free-standing and so can be readily placed on the floor, and moved about to, if need be, a location where -- clear of machinery etc.

it can create from air collected close to the floor a moving layer distributed over the inside of the roof (or ceiling).

However, in an alternative embodiment, the equipment comprises a blower fan and at least one mounting bracket (for mounting on a wall or roof support of a building), with an intake (again, preferably covered by a grill), which may be underneath or at one side of the blower fan, and with an outlet nozzle directed generally upwardly, from on top or from one side of the blower fan.

In either case, there is no requirement for specific air distributing means, more particularly no requirement to support or mount air distributing means at appreciable or considerable height.

Nevertheless, it is possible -- without creating inconvenience or additional work or much expense -- for the outlet nozzle to have an appreciable upward extent, and even be provided at the upper end of a length of ducting (which may carry the bracket or brackets for wall-mounting of the equipment), to improve direction of the collected air towards where it is required to create a moving layer distributed over the inside of the roof (or ceiling). Furthermore, the nozzle may be inclined or curved so as to assist direction of the collected air.

Embodiments of the method and equipment in accordance with the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic cross-section of an industrial building with equipment for controlling the space heating disposed centrally; Figure 2 corresponds to Fig. 1 but shows the equipment disposed adjacent one side wall of the building; Figure 3 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an industrial building with equipment for controlling the space heating disposed adjacent one end wall; Figure 4 corresponds to Fig. 1 or Fig. 2 but shows the equipment disposed below a valley between two ridged roofs over an industrial building space; Figure 5 is a side elevation of one embodiment of equipment in accordance with the invention and as shown diagrammatically in Figs. 1 to 4;; Figure 6 is a plan of the equipment of Fig.

5; Figure 7 is a perspective view of equipment as in Figs. 5 and 6 but provided with an outlet nozzle; and Figure 8 is a perspective view of another embodiment of equipment in accordance with the invention.

In Figs. 1 to 4 the space heating within an industrial building 10 is controlled by collecting air from the lower regions 11 and projecting it upwardly in quantity and with velocity to create a moving layer distributed over the inside of the roof 1 2.

In Fig. 1, free-standing equipment 13 for collecting the air and projecting it upwardly is disposed centrally on the floor 14, and the projected air is directed towards the ridge 1 5 of the roof 1 2 from where it spreads out in all directions to create the moving layer, preferably extending at least across the entire roof.

In Fig. 2, equipment 1 3 is disposed adjacent one side wall 1 6 of a building 10 so the projected air is directed towards the eaves 1 7 at that side, from where it spreads out to create a layer moving across the inside of the roof 12 to and beyond the ridge 15 and because of the initial velocity - at least to the eaves at the other side.

In Fig. 3, equipment 1 3 is disposed centrally adjacent one end wall 1 8 of a building 10 so the projected air is directed towards one end of the ridge 1 5 of the roof 1 2 from where it spreads out to create a layer moving across the inside of the roof, towards the other end of the ridge and also down from the ridge on both sides of the roof at least to the eaves 1 7 at both sides.

In Fig. 4, equipment 1 3 is disposed below a valley 1 9 between two ridged roofs 1 2 over an industrial building space, the projected air being directed towards the underside of the valley from where it spreads out and creates a layer moving across the inside of both roofs, to and beyond each ridge 1 5 and at least to the eaves 1 7 at each side.

The equipment 1 3 indicated diagrammatically in Figs. 1 to 4 is shown in more detail in Figs. 5 to 7. It comprises a blower fan, not visible but housed with a motor within a casing 20 mounted on four legs 21, with an intake 22 underneath covered by a grill, and with an outlet 23 on top which is covered with a grill or - as shown in Fig. 7 only provided with a nozzle 24 directed generally upwardly. Because of this embodiment of equipment in accordance with the invention is free-standing it can be readily placed anywhere on the floor 14, and can be moved about to, if need be, a location where clear of any machinery etc. - it can created, from air collected close to the floor and projected directly upwardly, a moving layer distributed over the inside of the roof, as previously described with reference to any one of Figs. 1 to 4.

In the alternative embodiment shown in Fig. 8, the equipment 1 3X comprises a blower fan 25, with an intake 26 covered by a grill, an outlet nozzle 27 directed upwardly and having its outlet 28 covered by a grill, and brackets 29 for mounting on a wall or roof support of a building (not shown) in a position where the fan draws air from the lower regions and from the outlet of the nozzle projects the air to the underside of the roof, where a moving layer of air is created and spreads out over the inside of the roof in similar manner to that described with reference to any one of Figs. 1 to 4.

Claims

1. A method of controlling the space heating within an industrial building comprising collecting air from the lower regions and projecting it upwardly in quantity and with velocity to create a moving layer distributed over the inside of the roof.

2. Equipment for controlling the space heating within an industrial building comprising means for collecting air from the lower regions and projecting it upwardly in quantity and with velocity to create a moving layer distributed over the inside of the roof.

3. Equipment as in Claim 2, comprising a blower fan mounted on legs with an intake underneath between the legs, and with an outlet on top.

4. Equipment as in Claim 3, wherein the intake is covered by a grill.

5. Equipment as in Claim 3 or Claim 4, wherein the outlet is covered by a grill.

6. Equipment as in Claim 3 or Claim 4, wherein the outlet is provided with a nozzle directed generally upwardly.

7. Equipment as in Claim 2 comprising a blower fan and at least one mounting bracket with an intake, which may be underneath or at one side of the blower fan, and with an outlet nozzle directed generally upwardly, from on top or from one side of the blower fan.

8. Equipment as in Claim 7, wherein the intake is covered by a grill.

9. A method of controlling the space heating within an industrial building substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of Figs. 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

1 0. A method of controlling the space heating within an industrial building substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of Figs. 5 ta 7 or Fig. 8 of the accompanying drawings.