BUILDING CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20090076658A1
• Filed: 08/21/2008
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ralph Kinnis
• Original Assignee: Ralph Kinnis
• Inventors: Kinnis, Ralph
• Application Number:
  US12/196,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20090076658A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/277
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/0001 for ventilation F24F11/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/61 using timers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/77 by controlling the speed of ventilators
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 22/02 characterised by the use of electric means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1931 to control the temperature of one space

Abstract

The climate in a primary space within a building having a secondary space open to and above the primary space is controlled by creating a primary microclimate within the primary space that is resistant to convection phenomena in the primary and secondary spaces. When the temperature in the secondary space is higher than the temperature in the primary space, air is drawn from the secondary space and discharged into the primary space at an initial air exchange rate which causes the temperature in the primary space to rise and the temperature in the secondary space to fall. When the temperature in the primary space is greater than or equal to the temperature in the secondary space, the air exchange rate is set at a primary microclimate maintenance rate such that the temperature in the primary space remains equal to or greater than the temperature in the secondary space, thereby establishing the primary microclimate in the primary space.

Claims

1. A method of controlling the climate in a primary space within a building having a secondary space open to and above the primary space, the method comprising:

when the temperature in the secondary space is higher than the temperature in the primary space, drawing air from the secondary space at around the intersection of the primary and secondary spaces and discharging the drawn air into the primary space at around the bottom thereof at a rate selected to cause the temperature in the primary space to rise and the temperature in the secondary space to fall; and

circulating air within the primary space at a primary microclimate maintenance rate selected to cause the temperature in the primary space to stabilize at or above the temperature in the secondary space, thereby establishing a primary microclimate in the primary space that is resistant to convection phenomena in the primary and secondary spaces.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising selecting the primary microclimate maintenance rate by drawing air from the secondary space and discharging the drawn air into the primary space at an initial rate and incrementally increasing this rate until the temperature in the primary space rises and the temperature in the secondary space falls, and the temperature in the primary space stabilizes at or above the temperature in the secondary space.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the air is discharged around the perimeter of an area on the floor of the primary space.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the primary microclimate is established during a period of no solar gain.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 further comprising:

during a period of solar gain when the temperature of the secondary space has risen above the temperature in the established primary microclimate and when the primary microclimate requires heating, reducing the air exchange rate such that the primary microclimate is disrupted and air heated by solar gain is drawn from the secondary space and discharged into the primary space; and

when the temperature of the primary space has risen to within a target temperature range or after an elapsed period of time, increasing the air exchange rate to the primary microclimate maintenance rate thereby re-establishing the primary microclimate within the primary space.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 wherein when after the elapsed period of time after the primary microclimate has been disrupted and the temperature in the primary space has not risen to the target temperature range, directing heat from a heating source into the primary space and increasing the air exchange rate to the primary microclimate maintenance rate thereby re-establishing the primary microclimate within the primary space.

7. The method as claimed in claim 4 wherein when the temperature of the primary microclimate is below a low temperature threshold, directing heat from a heating source into the primary space until the temperature in the primary microclimate has risen above the low temperature threshold.

8. The method as claimed in claim 4 further comprising:

when the temperature outside of the building is cooler than the temperature in the secondary space, and the primary microclimate requires cooling, drawing cool outside air into the secondary space and discharging warm air in the secondary space to outside the building.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 further comprising:

when the outside air is cooler than the air in the primary microclimate and the primary microclimate requires cooling, reducing the air exchange rate such that the primary microclimate is disrupted and cool outside air falls from the secondary space into the primary space; and

when the temperature of the primary space has fallen to within a target temperature range or after an elapsed period of time, increasing the air exchange rate to the primary microclimate maintenance rate thereby re-establishing the primary microclimate within the primary space.

10. The method as claimed in claim 5 wherein when after the elapsed period of time after the primary microclimate has been disrupted and the temperature in the primary space has not fallen to the target temperature range, directing cooled air from a cooling source into the primary space and increasing the air exchange rate to the primary microclimate maintenance rate thereby re-establishing the primary microclimate within the primary space.

11. An apparatus for controlling the climate in a primary space of a building having a secondary space above and open to the primary space, the apparatus comprising:

(a) an air circulation unit having a unit fan and an airflow conduit in airflow communication with the fan, and having a return air end in airflow communication with the secondary space at the intersection of the primary and secondary spaces and a supply air end in airflow communication with the primary space at around the bottom thereof;

(b) a primary microclimate temperature sensor in the primary space;

(c) a secondary microclimate temperature sensor in the secondary space; and

(d) a controller communicative with the air circulation unit and the primary and secondary microclimate temperature sensors and having a memory encoded with steps and instructions for execution by the controller to carry out a method comprising;

when the temperature measured by the secondary microclimate temperature sensor is higher than the temperature measured by the primary microclimate temperature sensor, operating the fan to draw air from the secondary space and discharging the drawn air into the primary space at a rate selected to cause the temperature in the primary space to rise and the temperature in the secondary space to fall; and

operating the fan to circulate air within the primary space at a primary microclimate maintenance rate selected to cause the temperature in the primary space to stabilize at or above the temperature in the secondary space, thereby establishing a primary microclimate in the primary space that is resistant to convection phenomena in the primary and secondary spaces.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the memory is further encoded to select the primary microclimate maintenance rate by operating the fan to draw air from the secondary space and discharging the drawn air into the primary space at an initial rate and incrementally increasing the rate until the temperature in the primary space rises and the temperature in the secondary space falls, and the temperature in the primary space stabilizes at or above the temperature in the secondary space.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the apparatus further includes a supply air duct located around the perimeter of the floor

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the supply air duct is spaced a selected distance away from the outer walls of the primary space.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14 wherein the memory is further encoded with the steps of:

during a period of solar gain when the temperature measured by the secondary microclimate temperature sensor has risen above the temperature measured by the primary microclimate temperature sensor and when the primary microclimate requires heating, reducing the fan speed such that the primary microclimate is disrupted and air heated by solar gain is drawn from the secondary space and discharged into the primary space; and

when the temperature measured by the primary microclimate temperature sensor has risen to within a target temperature range or after an elapsed period of time, increasing the fan speed to the primary microclimate maintenance rate thereby re-establishing the primary microclimate within the primary space.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14 wherein the controller is communicative with a heating source and the memory is further encoded with the step of:

when after the elapsed period of time after the primary microclimate has been disrupted and the temperature in the primary space has not risen to the target temperature range, directing heat from a heating source into the primary space and increasing the fan speed to the primary microclimate maintenance rate thereby re-establishing the primary microclimate within the primary space.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 further comprising

inlet and outlet dampers mounted on the building and in airflow communication with the secondary space and the outside;

at least one upper microclimate fan in airflow communication with the inlet and outlet dampers; and

the memory further encoded with the step of;

opening the inlet and outlet dampers and operating the upper microclimate fan to draw cool outside air into the secondary space through the inlet damper and discharging warm air in the secondary space to outside the building through the outlet damper when the temperature outside of the building is cooler than the temperature in the secondary space, and the primary microclimate requires cooling.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17 wherein the memory is further encoded with the steps of:

reducing the speed of the unit fan such that the primary microclimate is disrupted and cool outside air falls from the secondary space into the primary space when the outside air is cooler than the air in the primary microclimate and the primary microclimate requires cooling; and

increasing the speed of the unit fan to the primary microclimate maintenance rate thereby re-establishing the primary microclimate within the primary space when the temperature of the primary space has fallen to within a target temperature range or after an elapsed period of time.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 18 wherein the controller is communicative with a cooling source, and the memory is further encoded with the step of directing cooled air from the cooling source into the primary space and increasing the unit fan speed to the primary microclimate maintenance rate thereby re-establishing the primary microclimate within the primary space when the elapsed period of time after the primary microclimate has been disrupted the temperature in the primary space has not fallen to the target temperature range.