Air handler apparatuses for evaporative fluid cooling and methods thereof

• US 10,030,877 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2016
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Great Source Innovations LLC
• Original Assignee: Great Source Innovations LLC
• Inventors: McDonnell, Gerald, Cheesman, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): TRPISOVSKY, JOSEPH F
• Application Number:
  US15/046,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20170205094A1
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 62 95, 622594, 62304, 62305, 62175, 62335, 62504, 62515, 62519, 62524, 62525
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 5/0035 using evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20827 within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. air conditioning devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/54 Free-cooling systems

Abstract

An air handler apparatus includes at least one heat exchanger device with a cooling fluid region separated from a temperature transfer fluid region, an evaporator device comprising an evaporator housing and at least one evaporator coil, and a pump. The cooling fluid region has a cooling fluid input and a cooling fluid output and the temperature transfer fluid region has a temperature transfer fluid input and a temperature transfer fluid output. The evaporator housing defines an air passage having an air input and an air output. The evaporator coil has an evaporator coil input coupled to the temperature transfer fluid output and an evaporator output coupled to temperature transfer fluid input of the temperature transfer fluid region in the heat exchanger device. The pump is coupled to the temperature transfer fluid region in the heat exchanger device to pump temperature transfer fluid between the temperature transfer fluid region and the evaporator coil when activated.

Claims

1. An air handler apparatus comprising:

a plurality of heat exchanger devices coupled in series;

a plurality of evaporator devices coupled in series;

a fluid transfer system coupled to transfer temperature transfer fluid between the heat exchanger devices and the evaporator devices when activated;

wherein a first one of the plurality of the heat exchanger devices coupled in series has a cooling fluid input configured to be coupled to a cooling fluid return from an evaporative fluid cooling apparatus is coupled to a last one of the plurality of the evaporator devices coupled in series that is closest to an air output; and

wherein a last one of the plurality of the heat exchanger devices coupled in series has a cooling fluid output configured to be coupled to a cooling fluid supply to the evaporative fluid cooling apparatus is coupled to a first one of the plurality of the evaporator devices coupled in series that is closest to the air input.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one of the evaporative devices comprises:

an evaporator housing comprising at least two adjacent regions;

an evaporator coil comprising at least two coils;

one of the at least two coils comprising a plurality of first coil sections coupled in series in one of the regions, with an input to a first one of the plurality of first coil sections adjacent an outer edge of the one of the regions in the evaporator housing, an output from a last one of the plurality of first coil sections located in an interior portion of the evaporator housing; and

another one of the at least two coils comprising a plurality of second coil sections coupled in series in another one of the regions, with an input to a first one of the plurality of second coil sections adjacent an outer edge of the one of the regions in the evaporator housing, an output from a last one of the plurality of second coil sections located in the interior portion of the evaporator housing.

2. A method for making an air handler apparatus, the method comprising:

coupling a plurality of heat exchanger devices in series;

coupling a plurality of evaporator devices in series;

coupling a fluid transfer system coupled to transfer temperature transfer fluid between the heat exchanger devices and the evaporator devices when activated;

wherein a first one of the plurality of the heat exchanger devices coupled in series has a cooling fluid input configured to be coupled to a cooling fluid return from an evaporative fluid cooling apparatus is coupled to a last one of the plurality of the evaporator devices coupled in series that is closest to an air output; and

wherein a last one of the plurality of the heat exchanger devices coupled in series has a cooling fluid output configured to be coupled to a cooling fluid supply to the evaporative fluid cooling apparatus is coupled to a first one of the plurality of the evaporator devices coupled in series that is closest to the air input.

4. The method as set forth in claim 2 wherein at least one of the plurality of evaporative devices further comprises:

providing an evaporator housing comprising at least two adjacent regions and an evaporator coil comprising at least two coils;

coupling one of a plurality of first coil sections for one of the at least two coils in series in one of the regions, with an input to a first one of the plurality of first coil sections adjacent an outer edge of the one of the regions in the evaporator housing, an output from a last one of the plurality of first coil sections located in an interior portion of the evaporator housing; and

coupling another one of a plurality of second coil sections for another one of the at least two coils in series in one of the regions, with an input to a first one of the plurality of second coil sections adjacent an outer edge of the one of the regions in the evaporator housing, an output from a last one of the plurality of second coil sections located in the interior portion of the evaporator housing.