Process and apparatus for reducing the temperature gradient in buildings

• US 4,550,649 A
• Filed: 07/15/1982
• Issued: 11/05/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Marco Zambolin
• Original Assignee: Marco Zambolin
• Inventors: Zambolin, Marco
• Primary Examiner(s): Joyce, Harold
• Application Number:
  US06/398,629
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• Field of Search: 98/31, 98/33 R, 98/35, 98/39, 98/40 R, 98/40 D, 98/41 R, 137/601
• US Class Current: 454/296
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 7/007 with forced flow using ducting systems F24F7/06
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 7/10 with air supply, or exhaust, through perforated wall, floor or ceiling outlet members for directing or distributing air into rooms or spaces, e.g. ceiling air-diffusers F24F13/06

Abstract

The invention relates to an air-conditioning process, intended particularly for industrial buildings, by means of which air is admitted, at outdoor temperature, into the zone below the roofing, in order to decrease the thermal gradient between the upper and the lower part of the building, and thus diminish the dissipations of heat through the roof. A double ceiling made of porous, preferably translucent, material permits the uniform distribution, over the whole surface of the building, of the air flux shifting from the upper over-pressured area to the lower area.

Claims

1. Process for diminished thermal dissipation air-conditioning of the open interior space of a building such as an industrial building, having side walls covered over by a roofing to form such open interior space and which open interior space defines an upper zone adjacent the roofing and a lower zone therebelow, so as to maintain the lower zone in generally existing heated condition to the extent of diminishing thermal dissipation of heat therefrom through the roofing, which comprises

forcing outside air into the building through an inlet opening at the roofing and then laterally and tangentially in laminar flow in generally evenly spreading fashion along the adjacent inner surface of the roofing at a higher pressure relative to the existing pressure of the inside air in the open interior space and at a lower temperature relative to the existing temperature of said inside air and sufficiently to distribute the incoming outside air throughout the upper zone and to form an intervening insulating layer of stratified relatively overpressured outside air generally completely filling the upper zone and defining a thermally downwardly flowing generally horizontal uniformly distributed fluid barrier horizontally separating the inside air in the remainder of the open interior space in the lower zone therebelow from the roofing thereabove, for diminishing upward thermal flow of adjacent portions of the inside air from the lower zone to the roofing and otherwise resultant thermal dissipation of the existing heat content of the inside air through the roofing, and for permitting in turn generally uniformly distributed downward thermal flow of the outside air from the upper zone into the lower zone and into contact with the adjacent portions of the inside air to absorb heat content therefrom.

2. Process of claim 1 wherein portions of the outside air in the vicinity of the periphery of the adjacent inner surface of the roofing are also forced tangentially in laminar flow in generally evenly spreading fashion along the adjacent inner surface of the side walls sufficiently to form a corresponding intervening insulating layer of outside air defining a thermally downwardly flowing generally vertical uniformly distributed fluid barrier vertically separating the adjacent portions of the inside air in the lower zone from the side walls, so as correspondingly to maintain the lower zone in generally existing heated conditiion to the extend of diminishing thermal dissipation of heat therefrom through the side walls.

3. Process of operating a plant for carrying out diminished thermal dissipation air-conditioning of the open interior space of a building such as an industrial building, having side walls covered over by a roofing to form such open interior space and which open interior space defines an upper zone adjacent the roofing and a lower zone therebelow, using means including an inlet opening at the roofing, an air blower arranged thereat and a generally horizontally extending porous structural barrier separating the upper zone from the lower zone, so as to maintain the lower zone in generally existing heated condition to the extent of diminishing thermal dissipation of heat therefrom through the roofing, which comprises

operating said means for forcing outside air into the building through the inlet opening at the roofing by the air blower and then laterally and tangentially in laminar flow between the roofing and the porous structural barrier in generally evenly spreading fashion along the adjacent inner surface of the roofing at a higher pressure relative to the existing pressure of the inside air in the open interior space below the porous structural barrier and at a lower temperature relative to the existing temperature of said inside air and sufficiently to form an intervening insulating layer of stratified relatively overpressured outside air generally completely filling the upper zone and providing a thermally downwardly flowing generally horizontal uniformly distributed fluid barrier for downward passage through the porous structural barrier for horizontally separating the inside air in the remainder of the open interior space in the lower zone therebelow from the roofing thereabove, for diminishing upward thermal flow of adjacent portions of the inside air from the lower zone to the roofing and otherwise resultant thermal dissipation of the existing heat content of the inside air through the roofing, and for permitting in turn generally uniformly distributed downward thermal flow of the outside air from the upper zone through the porous structural barrier into the lower zone and into contact with the adjacent portions of the inside air to absorb heat content therefrom.

4. Process of claim 3, wherein said means further include a generally vertically extending porous structural barrier spaced from the side walls and forming a continuation of the horizontally extending porous structural barrier and defining a vertical side wall flow area with the adjacent inner surface of the side walls, and said means are operated for also forcing by the air blower portions of the air in the vicinity of the periphery of the adjacent inner surface of the roofing tangentially in laminar flow in generally evenly spreading fashion along the adjacent inner surface of the side walls sufficiently to form a corresponding intervening insulating layer of outside air defining a thermally downwardly flowing generally vertical uniformly distributed fluid barrier vertically separating the adjacent portions of the inside air in the lower zone from the side walls, so as correspondingly to maintain the lower zone in generally existing heated condition to the extent of diminishing thermal dissipation of heat therefrom through the side walls.

5. Apparatus plant arrangement for carrying out a process for diminished thermal dissipation air-conditioning of the open interior space of a building such as an industrial building, having side walls covered over by a roofing to form such open interior space and which open interior space defines an upper zone adjacent the roofing and a lower zone therebelow, so as to maintain the lower zone in generally existing heated condition to the extent of diminishing thermal dissipation of heat therefrom through the roofing and correspondingly through the side walls, which comprises

means including an inlet opening at the roofing, an air blower, a generally horizontally extending porous structural barrier separating the upper zone from the lower zone, and a generally vertically extending porous structural barrier spaced from the side walls and forming a continuation of the horizontally extending porous structural barrier and defining a vertical side wall flow area with the adjacent inner surface of the side walls,

said means being arranged for forcing outside air into the building through the inlet opening at the roofing by the air blower and then laterally and tangentially in laminar flow between the roofing and the porous structural barrier in generally evenly spreading fashion along the adjacent inner surface of the roofing at a higher pressure relative to the existing pressure of the inside air in the open interior space below the porous structural barrier and at a lower temperature relative to the existing temperature of said inside air and sufficiently to form an intervening insulating layer of stratified relatively overpressured outside air generally completely filling the upper zone and providing a thermally downwardly flowing generally horizontal uniformly distributed fluid barrier for downward passage through the porous structural barrier for horizontally separating the inside air in the remainder of the open interior space in the lower zone therebelow from the roofing thereabove, for diminishing upward thermal flow of adjacent portions of the inside air from the lower zone to the roofing and otherwise resultant thermal dissipation of existing heat content of the inside air through the roofing, and for permitting in turn generally uniformly distributed downward thermal flow of the outside air from the upper zone through the porous structural barrier into the lower zone and into contact with the adjacent portions of the inside air to absorb heat content therefrom, and

said means being also arranged for correspondingly forcing by the air blower portions of the air in the vicinity of the periphery of the adjacent inner surface of the roofing tangentially in laminar flow in generally evenly spreading fashion along the adjacent inner surface of the side walls sufficiently to form a corresponding intervening insulating layer of outside air defining a thermally downwardly flowing generally vertically uniformly distributed fluid barrier vertically separating the adjacent portions of the inside air in the lower zone from the side walls.

6. Arrangement according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the horizontally extending porous structural barrier and the vertically extending porous structural barrier is formed of translucent material.

7. Arrangement of claim 5, wherein at least one of the horizontally extending porous structural barrier and the vertically extending porous structural barrier is formed of inflatable tubular elements closely arranged in side by side relation.