Method and means of air conditioning
First Claim
1. A method of cooling a space by air conditioning said space within a relatively narrow comfort target zone as depicted on a psychrometric type chart, itself generally within a relatively broad standard comfort zone, the factors determining said narrow target zone including the heat transfer resistance of occupants'"'"' clothing and level of physical activity, the method employing an air conditioner having a dehumidifier and comprising:
- determining air dry bulb temperature and at least one of mean radiant temperature and operative temperature in said conditioned space, andcontrolling;
(a) one at least of temperature of supply air to said space, and dry bulb air temperature leaving said space,(b) effective size of said dehumidifier while maintaining coolant velocity through said dehumidifier to between the equivalent of 1 and 2.2 meters per second of chilled water, and(c) humidity ratio in said conditioned space to be above four grams of water vapour per kilogram of dry air by increasing at least one of leaving temperature of the supply air from, and effective size of, said dehumidifier when said humidity ratio approaches said four grams per kilogram.
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Abstract
An air conditioned space is cooled within a narrow target zone (as depicted on a psychrometric type chart) within which human occupants of the conditioned space would feel thermally comfortable, wherein factors including the heat transfer resistance of occupants'"'"' clothing and level of physical activity determine the target zone, by a method which includes correction of operative temperature, relative air velocity and humidity within the conditioned space, inherently controlling humidity by control of effective dehumidifier size while maintaining a low face velocity of air and a high velocity of coolant flow, but varying either, or both, dehumidifier size and the leaving air temperature if humidity ratio falls below four or exceeds thirteen grams of water per kilogram of dry air.
231 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of cooling a space by air conditioning said space within a relatively narrow comfort target zone as depicted on a psychrometric type chart, itself generally within a relatively broad standard comfort zone, the factors determining said narrow target zone including the heat transfer resistance of occupants'"'"' clothing and level of physical activity, the method employing an air conditioner having a dehumidifier and comprising:
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determining air dry bulb temperature and at least one of mean radiant temperature and operative temperature in said conditioned space, and controlling; (a) one at least of temperature of supply air to said space, and dry bulb air temperature leaving said space, (b) effective size of said dehumidifier while maintaining coolant velocity through said dehumidifier to between the equivalent of 1 and 2.2 meters per second of chilled water, and (c) humidity ratio in said conditioned space to be above four grams of water vapour per kilogram of dry air by increasing at least one of leaving temperature of the supply air from, and effective size of, said dehumidifier when said humidity ratio approaches said four grams per kilogram. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of cooling an air conditioned space comprising:
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(a) causing a flow of air through cooling coils of an air conditioner dehumidifier, (b) determining at least one of air flow velocity and air volume flow rate, (c) sensing dry bulb temperature in said conditioned space and globe thermometer temperature in at least one part of said conditioned space when air and globe temperatures differ therein, (d) sensing ambient air temperature, (e) providing an electronic controller with input data from (b), (c) and (d) hereof, (f) computing with said controller air supply volume and operative temperature and comparing relative air velocity over occupants and said computed operative temperature with a comfort target zone for humans depicting combinations of relative air velocity and operative temperature which have been determined by solution of the thermal energy balance equation which includes heat transfer resistance of oocupants'"'"' clothing and level of physical activity, and the convective, radiative and evaporative exchanges of energy between the occupants and their surroundings, (g) adjusting at least one of air supply to said space and supply air temperature to retain said space within said narrow target zone.
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12. A method of controlling an air conditioning system, comprising receiving information defining occupant activity, and including:
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(a) supply and return air dry bulb temperature, (b) at least one of globe temperature and operative temperature, (c) at least one of a measure and estimate of relative humidity, (d) at least one of supply air volume flow rate and air velocity and available air flow area and a pressure difference, (e) time of day and day of year and date defining; (f) the most probable range of clothing worn by occupants of the conditioned space for representative seasonal and ambient conditions, (g) the range of insulation values of clothing types, (h) the metabolic energy release rate and the external work done for a representative range of activities, and selecting appropriate values of metabolic energy release rate, external work output and clothing insulation, computing, from a balance between net metabolic heat generation by the occupant and the rate at which it is exchanged with the surroundings within said conditioned space, the change in dry bulb air temperature and relative humidity in said conditioned space necessary to make said rate of heat exchange with the surroundings equal to said net metabolic heat generation by the occupant within a small tolerance range defined by reference to the statistical results of studies of human responses to thermal environments, and initiating action to change said air temperature and relative humidity by changing at least one of supply air flow rate and active size of dehumidifier, coolant flow rate, and supply air temperature to maintain the conditioned space within said tolerance range. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An air conditioner for cooling a conditioned space within a relatively narrow comfort target zone as depicted on a psychrometric type chart, itself generally within a relatively broad standard comfort zone, the factors determining said target zone including the heat transfer resistance of occupants'"'"'0 clothing and level of physical activity, comprising:
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a dehumidifier having a plurality of coil portions, a fan located to propel air flow through said coil portions, temperature sensing means comprising a thermometer arranged to ascertain at least one of mean radiant temperature and operative temperature in said conditioned space, humidity sensing means in said conditioned space, and; (a) air control means controlling relative air velocity within occupied regions of said space to lie between 0.05 and 0.30 meters per second, but said air not to exceed a velocity of three meters per second through a face of an air conditioner dehumidifier, (b) temperature control means controlling the temperature of supply air to said space, and dry bulb air temperature within said space, (c) coolant control valve means controlling effective size of said dehumidifier while maintaining coolant velocity through said dehumidifier to between the equivalent of 1 and 2.2 meters per second, and (d) humidity control means coupled to said humidity sensor and to at least one of said temperature control means and coolant control valves to control humidity ratio in said conditioned space to be between four and thirteen grams of water vapour per kilogram of dry air by varying at least one of leaving temperature of the supply air from, effective size of, and coolant flow velocity said dehumidifier when said humidity ratio approaches said four grams per kilogram. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification