Controlling energy in an air-conditioning system
First Claim
1. In an air conditioning system to maintain a selected temperature and humidity in a work space,said system having an air washer with an inlet connected to recirculated-air and outside-air ducts and an outlet connected to work-space inlets, damper means in said ducts having a controller to proportion the recirculated and outside air admitted to said washer, throttling means to modulate the flow of water through said washer;
- cooling means coupled to said washer to modulate the cooling effect of said washer; and
means responsive to the dewpoint temperature of the air passing through said washer outlet and responsive to the humidity and the temperature in said work space transmitting input signals to said damper control, to said throttling means and to said cooling means to modulate the temperature and the moisture content of the washer air issuing from said outlet;
the improvement comprisingsensors to generate enthalpy signals indicating the levels of enthalpy of the recirculated air, the outside air, and the washer air issuing from said outlet respectively; and
a selector control receiving said enthalpy signals and operable to selectively interrupt the transmission of said input signals to said damper control and to said cooling means and selectively operable to transmit an auxiliary signal to said damper controller to control said dampers when its input signal is interrupted.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for minimizing the energy consumption in a central air conditioning unit incorporating a refrigeration unit which is normally in operation to supplement or substitute for the cooling effect of outside air. The system employs sensor to sense the enthalpy of the return air entering the unit from the work space, the outside air entering the unit from the outside, and the washer air discharged into the work space from the unit, and controls the operation of the unit in accordance with the relative levels of enthalpy at these points. The energy content of the discharged washer air may be modified by modulating dampers controlling the proportion of outside and recirculated air, and also by modulating the washer which provides evaporative cooling and, in addition, cooling by refrigeration. The controls keep the outdoor air dampers normally closed when the enthalpy of the outdoor air is higher than the enthalpy of the return air and keep the outdoor air dampers normally opened when the enthalpy of the outside air is less than the enthalpy of the return air. Regulating means provide auxiliary signals to modulate the dampers to avoid adversely affecting the conditioning effect of the washer air in the work area, and also to enable the continued operation of the refrigeration unit without damage when the system would otherwise call for operating the unit at less than the minimum safe operating load.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. In an air conditioning system to maintain a selected temperature and humidity in a work space,
said system having an air washer with an inlet connected to recirculated-air and outside-air ducts and an outlet connected to work-space inlets, damper means in said ducts having a controller to proportion the recirculated and outside air admitted to said washer, throttling means to modulate the flow of water through said washer; - cooling means coupled to said washer to modulate the cooling effect of said washer; and
means responsive to the dewpoint temperature of the air passing through said washer outlet and responsive to the humidity and the temperature in said work space transmitting input signals to said damper control, to said throttling means and to said cooling means to modulate the temperature and the moisture content of the washer air issuing from said outlet;
the improvement comprisingsensors to generate enthalpy signals indicating the levels of enthalpy of the recirculated air, the outside air, and the washer air issuing from said outlet respectively; and a selector control receiving said enthalpy signals and operable to selectively interrupt the transmission of said input signals to said damper control and to said cooling means and selectively operable to transmit an auxiliary signal to said damper controller to control said dampers when its input signal is interrupted. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
- cooling means coupled to said washer to modulate the cooling effect of said washer; and
- 11. A method of maintaining a selected temperature and humidity in a work-space comprising the steps of generating output signals responsive to the temperature and the humidity of the work space and the dewpoint temperature of the air discharged into said work space, withdrawing recirculation air from said work space, providing outside air, proportioning said recirculation air and said outside air and driving said proportioned air through an air washer, discharging washer air leaving the washer into the work space, cooling the water in the air washer to control the temperature of the washer air, using said output signals to generate input signals to modulate said proportioning and said cooling to maintain the desired condition in the work space, sensing the enthalpy levels of the recirculation air, the outside air and the washer air, selectively interrupting the modulation of said proportioning and the modulation of said cooling by said input signals in response to the sensed enthalpy levels, and providing an auxiliary signal to selectively modulate said proportioning when modulation of said proportioning by said input signals is interrupted.
Specification