Climate Smart Fan Ventilation

• US 20150285524A1
• Filed: 09/10/2013
• Published: 10/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ventamatic Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Tempo Mechanical Services, Inc.
• Inventors: Saunders, John Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 11,079,126 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 11/47 Responding to energy costs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/77 by controlling the speed of ventilators
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/12 of the outside air
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/22 of the outside air
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/20 Feedback from users
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 7/065 fan combined with single duct; mounting arrangements of a fan in a duct
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

A supply ventilation system controller for locating at an interior of a building. The controller comprises circuitry for receiving a signal representative of exterior air temperature and circuitry for receiving a signal representative of exterior relative humidity. The controller also comprises circuitry for establishing at least a first range of acceptable temperature and circuitry for establishing at least a first range of acceptable relative humidity. The circuitry for providing an enable/disable signal to a fan is responsive to at least one of: (i) the signal representative of exterior air temperature indicating satisfaction of the first range of acceptable temperature; or (ii) the signal representative of exterior relative humidity indicating satisfaction of the first range of acceptable relative humidity.

Claims

1. A supply ventilation system controller for locating at an interior of a building, comprising:

circuitry for receiving a signal representative of exterior air temperature;

circuitry for receiving a signal representative of exterior relative humidity;

circuitry for establishing at least a first range of acceptable temperature;

circuitry for establishing at least a first range of acceptable relative humidity; and

circuitry for providing an enable/disable signal to a ventilation exterior-to-interior supply fan in response to at least one of;

the signal representative of exterior air temperature indicating satisfaction of the first range of acceptable temperature;

or

the signal representative of exterior relative humidity indicating satisfaction of the first range of acceptable relative humidity.

2. The controller of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for providing an enable/disable signal to a fan is for providing the enable/disable signal to a fan in response to both of:

the signal representative of exterior air temperature indicating satisfaction of the first range of acceptable temperature; and

the signal representative of exterior relative humidity indicating satisfaction of the first range of acceptable relative humidity.

3. The controller of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for providing an enable/disable signal to a ventilation exterior-to-interior supply fan is further for providing an enable/disable signal to a ventilation interior-to-exterior exhaust fan.

4. The controller of claim 3 wherein the exterior-to-interior supply fan and the interior-to-exterior exhaust fan are driven by a same motor.

5. The controller of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for providing an enable/disable signal to a ventilation exterior-to-interior supply fan is for providing:

a first enable signal for enabling the supply fan at a first speed when;

the signal representative of exterior air temperature indicates a value outside of the first range of acceptable temperature; and

the signal representative of exterior relative humidity indicates a value outside of the first range of acceptable relative humidity; and

a second enable signal for enabling the supply fan at a second speed, faster than the first speed, when at least one of;

the signal representative of exterior air temperature indicates a value within the first range of acceptable temperature;

or

the signal representative of exterior relative humidity indicates a value within the first range of acceptable relative humidity.

6. The controller of claim 5 wherein the circuitry for providing an enable/disable signal to a ventilation exterior-to-interior supply fan is for providing the second enable signal for enabling the supply fan at the second speed, faster than the first speed, when both of:

the signal representative of exterior air temperature indicates a value within the first range of acceptable temperature; and

the signal representative of exterior relative humidity indicates a value within the first range of acceptable relative humidity.

7. The controller of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for providing an enable/disable signal to a ventilation exterior-to-interior supply fan is for providing the enable/disable signal in response to an additional signal representative of an exterior air parameter other than air temperature or relative humidity.

8. The controller of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for providing an enable/disable signal to a ventilation exterior-to-interior supply fan is for providing the enable/disable signal in response to a signal representative of an amount of exterior air pollen count.

9. The controller of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for providing an enable/disable signal to a ventilation exterior-to-interior supply fan is for providing the enable/disable signal in response to a signal representative of an amount of exterior air particulate count.

10. The controller of claim 1 and further comprising:

circuitry for providing the signal representative of exterior air temperature; and

circuitry for providing the signal representative of exterior relative humidity.

11. The controller of claim 10 wherein the circuitry for providing an enable/disable signal to a ventilation exterior-to-interior supply fan is further for providing an enable signal to the fan periodically so as to draw exterior air for sampling by the circuitry for providing the signal representative of exterior air temperature and for sampling by the circuitry for providing the signal representative of exterior relative humidity.

12. The controller of claim 1 and further comprising a segment of duct, wherein the signal representative of exterior air temperature and the signal representative of exterior relative humidity are both responsive to air passing through the segment of duct.

13. The controller of claim 1 and further comprising an in-wall volumetric enclosure, wherein the signal representative of exterior air temperature and the signal representative of exterior relative humidity are both responsive to air passing through the in-wall volumetric enclosure.

14. The controller of claim 13 and further comprising:

circuitry for receiving a signal representative of interior air temperature; and

circuitry for receiving a signal representative of interior relative humidity; and

wherein the circuitry for providing an enable/disable signal to a ventilation exterior-to-interior supply fan is further in response to the signal representative of interior air temperature and the signal representative of interior relative humidity.

15. The controller of claim 13 and further comprising a heating element for selectively adding heat to air located in an interior of the volumetric enclosure.

16. A ventilation supply apparatus, comprising:

a segment of duct having a length between approximately 24 and 6 inches;

an electronic controller coupled to the segment, the controller comprising;

circuitry for receiving a signal representative of exterior air temperature; and

circuitry for receiving a signal representative of exterior relative humidity.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 and further comprising a fan located within an interior of the segment and for directing air through the interior.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the controller is operable to enable or disable the fan in response to:

the signal representative of exterior air temperature indicating satisfaction of the first range of acceptable temperature;

or

the signal representative of exterior relative humidity indicating satisfaction of the first range of acceptable relative humidity.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the circuitry for receiving a signal representative of exterior air temperature and the circuitry for receiving a signal representative of exterior relative humidity both communicate with at least one sensor located within an interior of the segment.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the circuitry for receiving a signal representative of exterior air temperature and the circuitry for receiving a signal representative of exterior relative humidity both communicate with at least one sensor located apart from the segment.

21. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the circuitry for receiving a signal representative of exterior air temperature and the circuitry for receiving a signal representative of exterior relative humidity both communicate with at least one sensor that communicates wirelessly with the circuitry for receiving a signal representative of exterior air temperature and the circuitry for receiving a signal representative of exterior relative humidity.

22-23. -23. (canceled)

24. A ventilation supply apparatus for installation into a building, comprising:

a first inlet for receiving air sourced from an area exterior of the building;

a second inlet for receiving air sourced from an area interior of the building; and

an outlet for providing an air mixture to the interior of the building, the mixture comprising the air sourced from an area exterior of the building and the air sourced from an area interior of the building.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 and further comprising apparatus for adjusting a mixture ratio of the air sourced from an area exterior of the building and the air sourced from an area interior of the building.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the apparatus for adjusting comprises a mechanically adjustable member for adjusting an amount of air that passes through the second inlet.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the apparatus for adjusting comprises electromechanical apparatus for adjusting an amount of air that passes through the second inlet.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the electromechanical apparatus is responsive to at least one of:

a signal representative of exterior air temperature;

or

a signal representative of exterior relative humidity;

29. The apparatus of claim 24 and further comprising a fan for drawing air into the first inlet and the second inlet.

30. The apparatus of claim 24 and further comprising a chamber, the chamber comprising turbulence apparatus, for mixing the mixture.

31. The apparatus of claim 24 and further comprising:

a fan for drawing air into the first inlet and the second inlet;

circuitry for receiving a signal representative of exterior air temperature;

circuitry for receiving a signal representative of exterior relative humidity;

circuitry for establishing at least a first range of acceptable temperature;

circuitry for establishing at least a first range of acceptable relative humidity; and

circuitry for providing an enable/disable signal to the fan in response to at least one of;

the signal representative of exterior air temperature indicating satisfaction of the first range of acceptable temperature;

or

the signal representative of exterior relative humidity indicating satisfaction of the first range of acceptable relative humidity.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 and further comprising a heating element for selectively adding heat to the air mixture.