Air distribution fan and outside air damper recycling control

• US 5,881,806 A
• Filed: 08/18/1997
• Issued: 03/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ABT Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: University of Central Florida (State University System of Florida)
• Inventors: Rudd, Armin
• Primary Examiner(s): WAYNER, WILLIAM E
• Application Number:
  US08/912,664
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 62/231, 62/179, 165/244, 165/249, 165/250
• US Class Current: 165/244
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/70 Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2011/0002 for admittance of outside air
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/14 by humidification; by dehumidification

Abstract

A system for controlling the operation of an air distribution fan and the operation of a motorized outside air damper of an air conditioning system, having heating and/or cooling and/or humidifying and/or dehumidifying operating modes. The system includes a fan recycling control for periodically energizing and de-energizing an air distribution fan in an air conditioning system in order to operate the air distribution fan for a first selectable time period after a second selectable time period from the end of the last operation of the air distribution fan. The last operation of the air distribution fan could have been due to the heating or cooling or humidifying or dehumidifying or constant fan modes of the air conditioning system, or due to fan operation initiated by the fan recycling control. The system includes an outside air damper recycling control that can open a motorized outside air damper, for the purpose of drawing in ventilation air, each time the air distribution fan operates, and for as long as the air distribution fan continued to operate, can cycle, periodically close then open, the outside air damper based on selectable time periods since it was last opened or closed, respectively. The outside air damper recycling control can de-energize the motorized outside air damper at the end of each operation of the air distribution fan.

Claims

1. An outside air damper recycling control for an air conditioning system, comprising:

an air conditioning system having a fan to distribute conditioned air in an interior space;

a damper for connecting and disconnecting outside air to the interior space; and

a recycle means dependent upon the operating time of the fan for controlling the damper.

2. The recycling control of claim 1, further comprising:

means for controlling both the air conditioning system and the fan.

3. The recycling control of claim 2, further comprising:

a second recycle means for operating the fan dependent on a preselected delay time from the deactivating of air conditioning modes.

4. The recycling control of claim 1, wherein the air conditioning system includes at least one of:

a cooling means, a heating means, a humidifying means, a dehumidifying means, and an air cleaning means.

5. The recycling control of claim 1, wherein the air conditioning system includes:

a central air conditioning system.

6. The recycling control of claim 1, wherein the air conditioning system is at least one of:

a window unit and a wall unit.

7. The recycling control of claim 1, wherein the damper includes:

a motorized control to open and close the damper.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the air conditioning system includes at least one of:

a cooling means, a heating means, a humidifying means, a dehumidifying means, and an air cleaning means.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the air conditioning system is at least one of:

a window unit and a wall unit.

8. A method of mixing air in an interior space when not conditioning the air by an air conditioning system, the system having an outside air damper for opening the interior space to outside air, comprising the steps of:

deactivating air conditioning modes of an air conditioning system;

activating a fan and outside damper after a preselected delay time from the deactivating of the air conditioning modes; and

periodically closing and opening the damper dependent upon the operating time of the fan.

9. The method of claim 8, further includes:

selecting the open and close times of the damper.

12. A fan recycling control and an outside air damper recycling control for an air conditioning system, comprising:

an air conditioning system having air conditioning apparatus including at least one of;

a heating apparatus, a cooling apparatus, a humidifying apparatus, a dehumidifying apparatus, and an air cleaning apparatus for providing conditioned air;

a fan to distribute conditioned air to an interior space;

at least one of;

a thermostat and humidistat for activating and deactivating said air conditioning apparatus and the fan;

a fan recycling control means for periodically activating and deactivating only said fan in said air conditioning system in order to operate said fan for a first selectable time period a fan recycling control means for periodically activating and deactivating only said fan in said air conditioning system in order to operate said fan for a first selectable time period after a second selectable time period from the end of the last operation of said fan,

wherein the last operation of said fan includes the last operation of said air conditioning system, or the last fan operation initiated by the fan recycling control;

an outside air duct connecting outside of a building to said fan;

an outside air damper in the outside air duct; and

an outside air damper recycling control that opens the outside air damper each time the fan begins to operate, and for as long as said fan continued to operate, cycles, periodically closes and opens, the outside air damper based on selectable time periods since the outside air damper was last opened and closed, and closes the outside air damper at the end of each operation of said fan.

13. The recycling controls of claim 12, wherein the air conditioning system includes:

a central air conditioning system.

14. The recycling controls of claim 12, wherein the air conditioning system includes at least one of:

a window unit and a wall unit.