WO1995019528A1

WO1995019528A1 - Method of ventilating/conditioning a room and apparatus for performing said method

Info

Publication number: WO1995019528A1
Application number: PCT/SE1995/000003
Authority: WO
Inventors: Leif Eliasson
Original assignee: ABB Fläkt AB
Priority date: 1994-01-17
Filing date: 1995-01-05
Publication date: 1995-07-20
Also published as: SE9400096L; SE9400096D0; AU1547895A

Abstract

A method of ventilating/tempering a room, and a device (1; 1'; 1'') designed to carry out the method, the room (18; 18'; 18'') beig provided with a fan-controlled outflow air ventilation. Thanks to the generated negative pressure exterior air is sucked in through an air inlet (6; 6'; 6'') into a hollow body (20; 20'; 20'') and is ejected from the same in a transverse direction, a large central heat exchange-surface (21; 21'; 21'') being left behind, which is available for heat radiation from the room and convection of room air, downwardly moving cold air streams (14; 14'; 14'') simultaneously being formed, which are guided away to a not draught-sensitive room area. The device (1; 1'; 1'') is designed as a long, wide but flat body (20; 20'; 20'') to be mounted along the ceiling, the entire width of the room being covered, above a window in a room wall (8) and having oblique outlets (7), which are located close to the ends of the body or centrally, for a diagonal air feeding into the room, and to be mounted along a wall in a vertical position respectively, the entire height of the room being covered, the air inlet (6') being located at the bottom of the body and the outlet (7') being located at the top and designed as a perforation pattern.

Description

Method of ventilating/conditioning a room and apparatus for performing said method

The present invention relates to a method of ventila¬ ting/tempering a room and a device designed to carry out this method.

In residences with air outflow ventilation the ventila¬ tion air (the exterior air) is introduced by some type of vents, which are mounted within a wall channel in the ex¬ terior wall. The fan-controlled outflow air generates a negative pressure in the rooms in the residence. This ne¬ gative pressure is the only driving force for the venti¬ lation air.

In winter time when the temperatur of the exterior air is low, draught problems often arise, in case the air is introduced without being pre-heated. Despite these prob¬ lems this type of ventilation is very common, particular¬ ly in old homes, which earlier have been provided with so¬ lely natural ventilation. The draught problems have resul¬ ted in a development of so called exterior air-devices with pre-heating. This heating is done either by means of a heating coil, usually through water-carried heat, or by means of exterior air-devices, which have been adapted to be mounted behind heat radiators.

These two solutions result in an expensive mounting, when a house is reconditioned. Devices having a separate hea¬ ting coil are expensive also when a new house is being built. Also, devices placed behind radiators means risks of water damages, since a radiator may be destroyed by freezing, in case its valve is closed in winter time.

A main object of the present invention is to develop a new method and a new device of ventilating/tempering a room, with which it will possible to increase the tempera¬ ture of the exterior air, when it enters the room, to a not unimportant degree without necessary additional equip¬ ment, such as heat coils or the like, or encountering im¬ portant draught problems. Another object is to be able to use the invention to substantially lowered costs. An addi¬ tional object is to be able to utilize the invention when building new houses as well as when reconditioning hou¬ ses. Finally, the invention is to, easily, simply as well as without substantial additional costs, meet various in¬ stallation requirements and desires as well as varying room dimensional requirements.

These objects are attained according to the present in¬ vention through a method of the type described in the introduction, mainly in such a way as is set forth in the characterizing clause of patent claim 1. Also, said objects are attained through a device of the type des¬ cribed in the introduction, which is designed in such a way as is set forth in the first device claim.

Additional characterizing features of and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following description, reference being made to the enclosed drawings, which in detail display a few not limiting embodiments and in which:

Fig. 1 ar a perspective view from below of a first embo¬ diment of a device according to the invention, designed to be mounted on a ceiling;

Fig. 2 shows the device according to Fig. 1 in a perspec- tiv view from above and from behind as compared to Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view from above and from one side of a second embodiment, designed to be mounted on a room wall, of a device according to the invention; Fig. 4 shows the device according to Fig. 3 in a perspec¬ tive view from below and from behind as compared to Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a third embodiment, de¬ signed to be mounted on a ceiling, of a device according to the invention; and

Fig. 6 shows the device according to Fig. 5 in a perspec¬ tive view from above and from behind as compared to Fig.5,

In the drawings the same or similar elements have been given the same reference numerals, but with the addition of """ for the elements in Figs. 3 and 4 and with ^■■■""^•■ for the elements in Figs. 5 and 6. Thus, the device accor¬ ding to Figs. 1,2 and 3,4 and 5,6 respectively is desig¬ nated in its entirety with 1 and 1" and 1 "" respectively; a hollow body, which mainly constitutes this device, 20 and 20" and 20"" respectively; the front side of this bo¬ dy 2 and 2" and 2"" respetively; the back side 3 and 3" and 3"" respectively; the lateral surfaces 4 and 4" and 4"" respectively; the end sides 5 and 5" and 5"" respec¬ tively; air inlets 6 and 6" and 6"" respectively, which are designed for exterior air 19 and 19" and 19"" respec¬ tively; and air outlet openings 7 and 7" and 7"" respec¬ tively, through which tempered air streams 13 and 13" and 13"" respectively are to flow into a room 18 and 18" and 18"" respectively.

The devices according to the invention suitably are made of metal, e.g. steel or aluminum plate. In certain cases a plastic material, possibly merely for certain elements, can be used. The used material must have a favorable ther¬ mal conductivity, particularly as regards the front side 2, 2" and 2"" respectively.

As is shown in the drawings, the devices are comparati¬ vely large. They cover, as regards the length, suitably an entire room width, when designed as a ceiling embodiment and an entire room height, when designed as a wall embodi¬ ment, and besides the width of the device, i.e. the exten- sion perpendicular to the longitudinal extension but in the same plane, is comparatively large with e.g. 2-6 dm. Since the longitudinal extension in most cases varies, the devices according to the invention suitably are made with a variable length, e.g. by designing them"with por¬ tions, which can be inserted into each other telescopicly, which is known per se and consequently is not shown in de¬ tail in this context. The thickness suitably is 1-20 cm, preferably 3-10 cm.

The rear side, the lateral surfaces and the end sides suitably are plane, but the front side suitably is some¬ what curved about a longitudinal axis. The curvature of the wall embodiment may be symmetrical and the curvature of the ceiling embodiment asymmetrical,inthe latter case with a somewhat wider, e.g. 1-3 times wider or possibly to a tapering edge reduced lateral surface, which is de¬ signed to be turned towards the room wall 8, as compared to the other lateral surface, which ends freely below cei¬ ling 9 and is turned towards the middle of the room. In this way a certain air distribution is done in a simple way, and the optical effect of a device, which seems to be a little thicker in the longitudinal direction in the middle, is reduced. The device may abut directly on the respective walls and the ceiling or spacers, not shown in detail, can be used, designed to include a certain air opening along the walls and the ceiling, e.g. in order to facilitate a certain air circulation with simultaneous heat transfer from the air in the room and removal of condensed moisture.

Air inlet 6 of the ceiling embodiment suitably is designed as a plurality of holes, which are arranged adjacent each other in a horizontal plane and into which pipe joints 23 are to be inserted, as is shown in Fig. 1. The holes are positioned in the middle of the device as regards the longitudinal extension of the device, whereas an air out¬ let 7 is arranged within the area of each end side of the device, suitably in such a way, that front side 2 ends at a distance from end sides 5, a transverse opening 10 be¬ ing formed, which is shielded in the direction towards the floor of the room by a sheet metal deflector 11, which suitably extends a small distance backwards above and at a distance from said front side, starting from the respec¬ tive end side. Free end 12 of the sheet metal deflector runs in a prefered embodiment obliquely, the long edge be¬ ing turned towards the room wall and the short edge inwards towards the room. In this way a wedge-shaped distribution pattern is obtained for the sucked exterior air and a large trapezoidal heat exchange-surface 21, which is not influ¬ enced appreciably by co-ejected room air, as is shown in Fig. 1. Opening 10 and the end edge of the front side re¬ spectively, which causes the formation of said opening, can also run in parallel with edge 12 or in any other way. How¬ ever, it is important that a certain overlapping/shielding is obtained, the sucked air being distributed substantial¬ ly horizontally. It is also important, that the sucked air leaves the device at least to some extent transversely and does not run along a substantial part of its front side. For this purpose air directional means can be mounted in the outlet area. In order to accentuate this even more the sheet metal deflector can also be open in the area of free lateral surface 4 or the latter can be provided with one or several outlet openings (not shown) adjacent the end, in which case sheet metal deflectors also are not necessa¬ ry. However, the sheet metal deflectors, arranged outside the front side and following its outline, display the par¬ ticularly advantageous effect, in combiantion with the cur¬ vature of the front side, that the sucked exterior air leaves the device in a direction along ceiling 9, and con¬ sequently an upwardly directed movement moment is ob - tained and an advantageous coanda effect with an additio- nal heating as a consequence and at the same time a down¬ wardly directed stream of cold air and associated inconven¬ iences are counteracted or prevented.

As is clearly shown in Fig. 1 the major portion of the front side of the device, i.e. all the central portion, is not influenced by wedge-shaped air distribution pattern 13. Within this area, which usually is located above a window with a radiator (not shown) placed below it, the room air, which contacts the cold front side, is cooled and falls along the room wall due to the coanda effect. The invention has i.a. utilized a few important phenomena, which exist where cold exterior air is introduced for ventilating and/ or tempering purposes. Partly the sucked exterior air is to be delivered to the room heated as much as possible and part¬ ly no downwardly moving cold air, which causes drought problems, will be allowed to exist. These purposes are at¬ tained mainly by giving the device according to the inven¬ tion large dimensions and as a consequence a large heat ex¬ change-surface, the sucked air, which leaves the device at the same time being turned away from the device, a large surface being obtained in this way, mainly on the front side of the device, along which the room air can flow, deliver a proportion of its heat and run away from the device as a downwardly directed flow of cold air, which is taken care of in an advantageous way, namely by letting it flow down¬ wards towards a window, where downwardly directed cold air streams always exist and where the cold downwardly flowing air from the device is allowed to be combined with the cold downwardly flowing air along the window surface in order to be rendered harmless by the convection currents of the ra¬ diator.

However, in connection with the phenomena mentioned above an advantageous attendant phenomenon arises, i.e. when ven¬ tilation air enters the room, there is no substantial co- ejecting of room air coming from an area outside the front side of the device, since this portion of the room air is cooled and consequently in combination with the sucked ex¬ terior air would increase the total inferiorly tempered amount of air, which has been transported towards the middle of the room, serious draught problems arising. However, this is avoided entirely thanks to the invention, which suggests an introduction of ventilation air without any harmful co- ejection, warm room air from a room area at a distance from the front side of the device being allowed to be co- ejected and warm room air from another room area being al¬ lowed to heat the front side of the device more efficiently and rendered harmless in the form of an obtained downwardly moving cold air stream.

The wall embodiment according to Figs. 3 and 4 is provided at its bottom with an inlet 6" designed as a joint, inser¬ ted in a wall inlet 15, whereas the outlet 7" is designed as a perforation-like hole pattern at the top on the front side 2". This leads to that the downwardly moving cold air 14" may start immediately below outlet 7" and extend all the way to floor 16, where it cannot cause any substantial problems.

In Figs. 1 and 3 also a transport of radiation heat is shown , by means of wave-shaped arrows 17.

The present invention is not limited to the shown and desc¬ ribed embodiments , but arbitrary modifications may be sug¬ gested within the scope as set forth in the patent claims. Thus, it is possible to lead the sucked exterior air zigzag through the device, before it is allowed to leave the same. Also, the inlets as well as the outlets may have any suit¬ able shape and be arranged in other ways than those shown and described.

The above-mentioned zigzag-shaped air stream through a de¬ vice 1"" is shown in Figs. 5 and 6, which show an embodi- ment similar to the embodiment according to Figs. 1 and 2, in which exterior air 19"" , which is sucked into body 20"" first is guided through a duct 24"" close to the roomwall, which extends in the longitudinal direction of the. body and ends immediately in front of end sides 5"" , where the air streams return to the middle of the body, where they exit through a central transverse opening 10"" in front side 2"". The opening is shielded in a direction towards the floor of the room by means of a sheet metal deflector 11"" having oblique side edges, which give the sheet metal deflector a trapezoidal shape, the base being turned to¬ wards the adjacent room wall 8"". In this way two heat ex¬ change-surface areas 12"" are formed and two introduced flows 13"" , which are directed towards the two remote up¬ per corner areas of the room. Consequently, a high concent¬ ration of introduced exterior air above the central area of the room is avoided in this way.

Thanks to the invention the under-temperature is reduced by 30-50 % as compared to the difference between the room tem¬ perature and the exterior temperature according to tests carried out.

Claims

1. A method of ventilating/tempering a room (18; 18"; 18"") , exterior air (19; 19"; 19"") being introduced into the room by generating a negative pressure by means of fan- controlled outflow air, and the inflow air, which is ob¬ tained by self-sucking, being heated before and during re¬ spectively the introduction into the room, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the inflow air (13; 13"; 13"") is subjected to a heat exchange, which is subtantial as re¬ gards time as well as space, with the room air and is fed into the room in one or several places (7; 7"; 7"") at a substantial distance from the main portion of the heat ex¬ change-surface and in a.direction substantially transverse and away from the same, heat exchange surfaces for room air being left behind, which within this area is allowed to be converted to streams of downwardly moving cold air, which are directed towards room zones, in which serious draught problems cannot arise.

2. A method according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e ¬ r i z e d in that the inflow air (19; 19"") is introduced within the area of a ceiling (9; 9"") , which upwards deli¬ mit a room (18; 18"") , preferably centrally midway between two upper corner areas, which are adjacent the introduc¬ tion area and in which the inflow air is ejected, prefer¬ ably diagonally away from the respective corners towards the middle of the room, and respectively in which the in¬ flow air is returned by guiding to the introduction area, in which the inflow air is ejected preferably diagonally to¬ wards the two other upper corner areas of the room.

3. A method according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e ¬ r i z e d in that the inflow air (19") is introduced at the bottom and is ejected at the top on a room wall (8") , preferably through an outlet (7") having e.g. a perfora¬ tion pattern.

4. A device (1; 1"; 1"") designed to carry out the method according to claim 1, in a room (18; 18"; 18"") on the in¬ ner side of a room wall (8; 8"; 8"") and/or below a cei¬ ling (9; 9"; 9"") a hollow body (20; 20"; 20"") being ar¬ ranged, which is designed to, through one or several air inlets (6; 6"; 6"") , connected to the atmosphere and through one or several outlets (7; 7"; 7"") , provide the room with inflow air (19; 19"; 19"") , which is to flow into the room due to self-sucking, since the room is con¬ nected to a fan-controlled outflow air system, and said hollow body being exposed to the room in order to allow a heat exchange with the cold inflow air, which flows trough said body, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said body (20; 20"; 20"") has comparatively large dimensions as re¬ gards the extension in a plane, which is parallel to at least one of said room delimitations {8 ,9;8",9";8"";9"") one or several relatively large heat exchange-surface areas (21; 21"; 21"") , from which the outlet and the outlets re¬ spectively (7; 7"; 7"") is (are) turned away, which is (are) designed to allow the formation of downwardly moving cold air flows (14, 14"; 14"") , and which is (are) designed and arranged in such a way, that said downwardly moving cold air flows are directed towards a not draught-sensi¬ tive room area.

5. A device according to claim 4, c h a r a c t e ¬ r i z e d in that said body (20, 20"; 20"") is designed to cover preferably an entire room width, when it is posi¬ tioned adjacent a ceiling (9; 9"") and respectively pre¬ ferably an entire room height, when it is positioned verti¬ cally adjacent a wall (8" ) and in that also the width, i.e. the extention perpendicular to the longitudinal ex¬ tension, is relatively large, preferably 2-6 dm, whereas the thickness is relatively small, e.g. 1-20 cm, preferab¬ ly 3-10 cm.

6. A device according to claim 4, c h a r a c t e ¬ r i z e d in that the front side (2; 2"; 2"") of said bo¬ dy (20; 20"; 20"") is curved or the like about a longitu¬ dinal line in order to form a symmetrical cross section or an asymmetrical one having a wider side surface (4; 4"") positioned adjacent an adjoining wall (8; 8"") , the cur¬ vature at least partially being designed to disperse the inflow air stream and prevent an appreciable co-ejection of room air from the zone adjacent said large heat exchange- surface area (21, 21"; 21"") .

7. A device according to claim 4, c h a r a c t e ¬ r i z e d in that particularly in a ceiling embodiment the front side (2) of the body (20) within the area inclu¬ ding one or several outlets (7) , positioned at the respec¬ tive ends of the body, ends at a distance from the end sides in order to form a transverse opening (10) , which is shielded in a direction towards the room floor by means of a sheet metal deflector (11) , which suitably extends a small dis¬ tance backwards above and at a distance from the front side, starting from the respective end side (5) , and in that the free edge (12) of the sheet metal deflector preferably runs obliquely, the longer side edge being turned towards the ad¬ jacent wall (8) and the shorter side edge being turned in¬ wards towards the room (18) , or in that particularly in a ceiling embodiment the front side (2"") of the body (20"") forms centrally between the ends of the body a transverse opening of the like (10"") , which is shielded in a direction towards the room floor by means of a sheet metal deflector (11"") , which suitably extends solely above the opening in either direction in the longitudinal direc¬ tion of the body, and in that the free edges (12"") of the sheet metal deflector, which are turned towards said end sides, preferably run obliquely like trapezoidal sides, the trapezoidal base being turned towards the adjacent wall (8"").

8. A device according to claim 4, c h a r a c t e ¬ r i z e d in that particularly in a ^wall . embodiment the air inlet (6") is positioned at the bottom in the rear side of the body (20") , whereas the air outlet (7") is positio¬ ned at the top in the front side (2") and suitably is de¬ signed as a perforation field.

9. A device according to claim 4, c h a r a c t e ¬ r i z e d in that the body (20; 20"; 20"") can be tele¬ scoped and drawn out respectively to the required length.

10. A device according to any one of claims 4-9, c a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d in that the material, of which the body (20; 20"; 20"") is made, has a satisfactory thermal conductivity, at least within said heat exchange-surface area(21; 21"; 21"") .