FORCED AIR RADIANT HEATING UTILICORE AND MODULE AND BUILDING INCORPORATING SAME

• US 20130168041A1
• Filed: 09/16/2011
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Urbanetics Inc.
• Original Assignee: Urbanetics Inc.
• Inventors: Teron, William
• Granted Patent: US 9,670,670 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/49
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 5/48 Special adaptations of floors for incorporating ducts, e.g. for heating or ventilating in block-shaped elements E04C1/39; in slab- or sheet-shaped elements E04C2/52
• CPC Class Codes: E04C 2/525 for heating or cooling solar heat collectors F24S10/00; heat storage F28D20/00
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 11/0214 water heating system
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 3/14 incorporated in a ceiling, wall or floor
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 3/145 Convecting elements concealed in wall or floor
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 5/0089 Systems using radiation from walls or panels
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 7/163 with conduit assemblies having a particular shape, e.g. square or annular; with assemblies of conduits having different geometrical features; with multiple groups of conduits connected in series or parallel and arranged inside common casing F28D7/1615 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 30/24 Structural elements or technologies for improving thermal insulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/00 Energy efficient heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/12 Hot water central heating systems using heat pumps
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 80/00 Architectural or constructional elements improving the thermal performance of buildings

Abstract

An HVAC duct or utilicore for substantially containing air flowing longitudinally therethrough has at least one wall comprised of a poured high thermal mass material with at least one pipe embedded therein during a pouring process, the at least one pipe for circulating a fluid throughout the at least one wall at a temperature that is different from an ambient temperature of the air flowing through the utilicore, for effecting heat transfer through the at least one wall between the fluid in the at least one conduit and the air flowing through the utilicore. A side wall of an elongate monolithic poured concrete building construction module, having a substantially planar main wall and at least one side wall extending substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis, having a pipe embedded therewithin, may form at least a portion of an element that defines the utilicore. A storey-defining structure for a building may comprise a plurality of at least one of such construction modules, each module supported at least two points by a support structure, each module being oriented such that distal ends of the side walls thereof engage the support structure, the at least one side wall and the main wall defining an elongate arch, the modules being juxtaposed in parallel relation to define at least one elongate utilicore between the arches. The support structure may comprise one or more modules employed as substantially horizontal beams or substantially vertical columns or both.

Claims

57. A utilicore for substantially directing air flowing longitudinally therethrough, the utilicore defining a channel unbounded along one side and having at least one wall comprised of a poured high thermal mass material with at least one pipe embedded therein during a pouring process, the at least one pipe for circulating a fluid throughout the at least one wall at a temperature that is different from an ambient temperature of the air flowing through the utilicore, for effecting heat transfer through the at least one wall between the fluid in the at least one pipe and the air flowing through the utilicore.

58. The utilicore according to claim 57, comprising at least a respective portion of first and second elements, at least one of which comprising the at least one wall, in juxtaposed orientation to substantially directing air flow therewithin.

59. The utilicore according to claim 57, further comprising at least one panel for substantially covering an unbounded side of the channel and directing air flowing therewithin to a longitudinal air passage.

60. The utilicore according to claim 57, wherein the high thermal mass material is concrete.

61. The utilicore according to claim 57, wherein the channel is defined substantially solely by the poured high thermal mass material.

62. The utilicore according to claim 57, wherein the fluid is selected from a group consisting of water and glycol.

63. The utilicore according to claim 57, wherein a ratio of a cross-sectional area of the channel and of a cross-sectional area of the at least one pipe is substantially in excess of 100.

64. An elongate monolithic poured concrete building construction module having a substantially planar main wall and at least one side wall extending substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis, the at least one side wall having a pipe embedded therewithin during a pouring process, one side wall forming at least part of the portion of one of the elements of claim 58 in juxtaposed orientation to define a utilicore unbounded along one side for substantially directing air flow therewithin along the longitudinal axis.

65. The module according to claim 64, wherein the longitudinal axis is substantially parallel to the main wall.

66. The module according to claim 64, the at least one side wall comprising two spaced-apart side walls, each terminating at a common surface of the main wall.

67. The module according to claim 64, wherein the at least one side wall of the module terminates at the main wall of such module at a point intermediate between respective sides of the main wall, to define a wing of the main wall extending between a proximate side of the main wall and the side wall, the wing forming at least part of the portion of one of the elements defining a utilicore.

68. A story-defining structure for a building comprising a plurality of at least one of the poured construction modules according to claim 64, each module supported at least two points by a support structure, each module being oriented such that distal ends of the side walls thereof engage the support structure, the at least one side wall and the main wall defining an elongate arch, the modules being juxtaposed in parallel relation to define at least one elongate utilicore between the arches.

69. The structure according to claim 68, wherein the support structure comprises at least one substantially horizontal beam supporting the modules at one of the at least two points, each beam being supported at least two points by a column.

70. The structure according to claim 69, wherein the beam is formed of at least one of the construction modules.

71. The structure according to claim 70, wherein at least one of the pipes in the beam is in fluid communication with at least one pipe in a module supported on the beam in juxtaposed relation to define the utilicore.

72. The structure according to claim 69, wherein the at least one beam has a substantially horizontal air passageway associated therewith and in communication with the utilicore to facilitate the flow of air therethrough.

73. The structure according to claim 69, wherein the support structure comprises at least one substantially vertical column supporting at least one of the horizontal beams at one of the at least two points thereof.

74. The structure according to claim 73, wherein the column is formed of at least one of the construction modules.

75. The structure according to claim 74, wherein at least one of the pipes in the beam is in fluid communication with at least one pipe in a module, supported on a beam supported by the column, in juxtaposed relation to define the utilicore.

76. The structure according to claim 73, wherein the at least one column has a substantially vertical air passageway associated therewith and in communication with a utilicore supported on a beam supported by the column, to facilitate the flow of air therethrough.