CLEAN ZONE HVAC SYSTEM

• US 20150253022A1
• Filed: 05/20/2015
• Published: 09/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Therapeutic Proteins International, LLC (Amneal Pharmaceuticals, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Therapeutic Proteins International, LLC (Amneal Pharmaceuticals, LLC)
• Inventors: Niazi, Sarfaraz K.
• Granted Patent: US 9,593,859 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 23/14 Bags
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 25/14 Scaffolds; Matrices in general C12N5/0068
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 27/16 Vibrating; Shaking; Tilting
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 29/06 Nozzles; Sprayers; Spargers; Diffusers per se B01F23/231, B01J19/26
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 41/32 of substances in solution
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 47/10 Separation or concentration of fermentation products bioreactors combined with means for distillation or extraction of liquid fuel C12M43/02
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 3/00 Condition responsive control processes apparatus therefor C12M1/36; controlling or regulating in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 7/06 with forced air circulation, e.g. by fan positioning of a ventilator in or against a conduit
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 Processes

Abstract

A single-pass HVAC systems to isolate zones and to maintain a required clean air quality standard is provided that operates by producing a positive pressure in all zones, while exhausting on a minimal quantity of air required by law. The zones are kept clean by a recirculating fan filter in each zone. The exhaust air is used to exchange heat with incoming air to conserve energy further.

Claims

1. A system for controlling air flow in a plurality of zones, the system comprising:

a heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between fresh air received from an outside environment and exhaust air discharged to the outside environment without mixing the fresh air with the exhaust air;

an air handling unit configured to receive the fresh air from the heat exchanger, condition the fresh air, and supply the conditioned air to the plurality of zones as supply air;

a plurality of air recirculating units, each air recirculating unit configured to recirculate the supply air within one of the plurality of zones; and

an air exhaust unit configured to extract the recirculated air from each of the plurality of zones and discharge the extracted air to the heat exchanger as the exhaust air, so that the exhaust air can be discharged from the heat exchanger to the outside environment.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the air handling unit supplies the supply air to the plurality of zones via at least one vent in each zone.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of zones are isolated from each other.

4. The system of claim 3, which includes a control mechanism that isolates the plurality of zones from each other by controlling the flow of the supply air to each of the plurality of zones and controlling the flow of the extracted air from each of the plurality of zones.

5. The system of claim 3, which includes a control mechanism that isolates the plurality of zones from each other by maintaining a positive pressure within each of the plurality of zones.

6. The system of claim 5, which includes a sensor in each of the plurality of zones, each sensor configured to govern the pressure in its respective zone.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the air handling unit conditions the fresh air by at least one of:

(i) filtering the fresh air;

(ii) adjusting a humidity of the fresh air; and

(iii) adjusting a temperature of the fresh air.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein each air recirculating unit is configured to adjust and maintain a desired temperature of the recirculated air within its respective zone.

9. A system for controlling air flow in a plurality of zones, the system comprising:

an air handling unit including an inlet to receive fresh air, the air handling unit configured to condition the fresh air received at the inlet and supply the conditioned air to the plurality of zones as supply air;

a plurality of air recirculating units, each air recirculating unit configured to recirculate the supply air within one of the plurality of zones; and

an air exhaust unit configured to extract the recirculated air from each of the plurality of zones and cause the extracted air to exchange heat with the fresh air received at the inlet of the air handling unit, without mixing the extracted air with the fresh air, prior to discharging the extracted air from the system.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of zones are isolated from each other.

11. The system of claim 10, which includes a control mechanism that isolates the plurality of zones from each other by controlling the flow of the supply air to each of the plurality of zones and controlling the flow of the extracted air from each of the plurality of zones.

12. The system of claim 10, which includes a control mechanism that isolates the plurality of zones from each other by maintaining a positive pressure within each of the plurality of zones.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the air handling unit conditions the fresh air by at least one of:

(i) filtering the fresh air;

(ii) adjusting a humidity of the fresh air; and

(iii) adjusting a temperature of the fresh air.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein each air recirculating unit is configured to adjust and maintain a desired temperature of the recirculated air within its respective zone.

15. A method for controlling air flow in a plurality of zones, the method comprising:

flowing fresh air from an outside environment into a heat exchanger;

conditioning the fresh air;

supplying the conditioned air to the plurality of zones;

recirculating the supplied air within each of the plurality of zones;

extracting the recirculated air from each of the plurality of zones;

discharging the extracted air from each of the plurality of zones to the heat exchanger;

exchanging heat between the fresh air and the extracted air without mixing the fresh air with the extracted air; and

discharging the extracted air from the heat exchanger.

16. The method of claim 15, which includes isolating the plurality of zones from each other.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein isolating the plurality of zones from each other includes controlling the flow of the supplied air to each of the plurality of zones and controlling the flow of the extracted an from each of the plurality of zones.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein isolating the plurality of zones from each other includes maintaining a positive pressure within each of the plurality of zones.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein conditioning the fresh air includes at least one of:

(i) filtering the fresh air;

(ii) adjusting a humidity of the fresh air; and

(iii) adjusting a temperature of the fresh air.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein recirculating the supplied air within each of the plurality of zones includes maintaining a desired temperature within each of the plurality of zones.