Environmental control airhouse with variable output
First Claim
1. An airhouse for supplying conditioned air in controlled amounts to the interior of a building, comprising:
- an enclosure defining a central chamber,outside air inlet means for allowing air from outside said interior to enter said enclosure central chamber,a direct fire burner for combusting a hydrocarbon fuel receiving air from said outside air inlet means and supplying said air from said outside air inlet means to said central chamber,outside air inlet damper means for adjustably controlling the inlet flow area through said outside air inlet means into said central chamber,return air inlet means for allowing air within said building interior to enter said enclosure central chamber,return air inlet damper means for adjustably controlling the inlet flow area through said return air inlet means into said central chamber,blower means mounted to said enclosure having an inlet communicating with said enclosure central chamber and an outlet for discharging air into said building interior,blower speed control means for adjustably controlling the volumetric output rate of said blower means, anddamper control means for controlling said outside air inlet damper means and said return air inlet damper means whereby the total airflow area defined by said outside air inlet damper means and said return air inlet damper means provides airflow velocity through said direct fire burner within a range determined to produce proper combustion through a range of settings of said volumetric output rates of said blower means.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An airhouse for supplying conditioned air to the interior area of an enclosed building. The airhouse incorporates one or more blowers having variable speed controllers enabling them to be operated at variable volumetric flow rates. The airhouse housing includes variable area dampers for controlling the inlet of outside or building return air. A dedicated controller is provided for adjusting the inlet areas of the two inlet pathways to provide a constant flow velocity through a direct fire burner through a range of blower volumetric output settings. In addition the units may include variable area diffuser units which tend to maintain constant discharge velocity pressure at various blower volumetric flow rate settings. In addition various control and operating strategies are provided for the individual airhouse units and a distributed array of such units in a large building structure controlled by a central computer.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An airhouse for supplying conditioned air in controlled amounts to the interior of a building, comprising:
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an enclosure defining a central chamber, outside air inlet means for allowing air from outside said interior to enter said enclosure central chamber, a direct fire burner for combusting a hydrocarbon fuel receiving air from said outside air inlet means and supplying said air from said outside air inlet means to said central chamber, outside air inlet damper means for adjustably controlling the inlet flow area through said outside air inlet means into said central chamber, return air inlet means for allowing air within said building interior to enter said enclosure central chamber, return air inlet damper means for adjustably controlling the inlet flow area through said return air inlet means into said central chamber, blower means mounted to said enclosure having an inlet communicating with said enclosure central chamber and an outlet for discharging air into said building interior, blower speed control means for adjustably controlling the volumetric output rate of said blower means, and damper control means for controlling said outside air inlet damper means and said return air inlet damper means whereby the total airflow area defined by said outside air inlet damper means and said return air inlet damper means provides airflow velocity through said direct fire burner within a range determined to produce proper combustion through a range of settings of said volumetric output rates of said blower means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An airhouse for supplying conditioned air in controlled amounts to the interior of a building, comprising:
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an enclosure defining an interior volume, heating means for heating air in said enclosure interior volume, outside air inlet means for allowing air from outside said interior to enter said enclosure interior volume, outside air inlet damper means for adjustably controlling the inlet flow area through said outside air inlet means into said enclosure interior volume, return air inlet means for allowing air within said building interior to enter said enclosure interior volume, return air inlet damper means for adjustably controlling the inlet flow area though said return air inlet means into said enclosure interior volume, blower means mounted to said enclosure having an inlet communicating with said enclosure interior volume and an outlet for discharging air to said building interior, blower speed control means for adjustably controlling the volumetric output rate of said blower means, damper control means for controlling said outside air inlet damper means and said return air inlet damper means to maintain a desired total airflow area defined by said outside air inlet damper means and said return air inlet damper means, diffuser means for discharging air from said airhouse into said building interior, said diffuser means being adjustable to provide a variable discharge flow area, and diffuser controller means for adjusting said diffuser means in response to changes in said blower volumetric output rate. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A building air environmental control system comprising:
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a plurality of airhouses distributed about said building, each of said airhouses comprising, an enclosure defining a central chamber, outside air inlet means for allowing air from outside the interior of said building to enter said enclosure central chamber, a direct fire burner for combusting a hydrocarbon fuel receiving air from said outside air inlet means and supplying said air from said outside air inlet means to said central chamber, outside air inlet damper means for adjustably controlling the inlet flow area through said outside air inlet means into said central chamber, return air inlet means for allowing air within said building interior to enter said enclosure central chamber, return air inlet damper means for adjustably controlling the inlet flow area through said return air inlet means into said central chamber, blower means mounted to said enclosure having an inlet communicating with said enclosure central chamber and an outlet for discharging air into said building interior, blower speed control means for adjustably controlling the volumetric output rate of said blower means, damper control means for controlling said outside air inlet damper means and said return air inlet damper means whereby the total airflow area defined by said outside air inlet damper means and said return air inlet damper means provides airflow velocity through said direct fire burner within a range determined to produce proper combustion through a range of settings of said volumetric output rates of said blower means, a plurality of pressure monitors distributed about said building, and a central controller receiving signals from said pressure monitors, said central controller controlling individual of said airhouses to operate at independently adjustably desired blower speeds to provide desired building pressurization levels throughout said building.
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20. A building air environmental control system comprising:
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a plurality of airhouses distributed about said building, each of said airhouses comprising, an enclosure defining an interior volume, heating means for heating air in said enclosure interior volume, outside air inlet means for allowing air from outside the interior of said building to enter said enclosure interior volume, outside air inlet damper means for adjustably controlling the inlet flow area through said outside air inlet means into said enclosure interior volume, return air inlet means for allowing air within said building interior to enter said enclosure interior volume, return air inlet damper means for adjustably controlling the inlet flow area though said return air inlet means into said enclosure interior volume, blower means mounted to said enclosure having an inlet communicating with said enclosure interior volume and an outlet for discharging air to said building interior, blower speed control means for adjustably controlling the volumetric output rate of said blower means, damper control means for controlling said outside air inlet damper means and said return air inlet damper means to maintain a desired total airflow area defined by said outside air inlet damper means and said return air inlet damper means, diffuser means for discharging air from said airhouse into said building interior, said diffuser means being adjustable to provide a variable discharge flow area, diffuser controller means for adjusting said diffuser means in response to changes in said blower volumetric output rate, a plurality of pressure monitors distributed about said building, and a central controller receiving signals from said pressure monitors, said central controller controlling individual of said airhouses to operate at independently adjustably desired blower speeds to provide desired building pressurization levels throughout said building.
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Specification