Fan array fan section in air-handling systems

• US 8,419,348 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2011
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nortek Air Solutions LLC (Melrose Industries Plc)
• Original Assignee: Huntair Incorporated (Melrose Industries Plc)
• Inventors: Hopkins, Lawrence G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Ninh H
• Application Number:
  US13/080,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20110212679A1
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 415/61, 415/119, 415/1, 415/120, 416/120, 416/130, 417/3, 417/423.5, 417/426, 454/338, 361/695
• US Class Current: 415/61
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 19/002 Axial flow fans
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/166 using fans
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 27/004 by varying driving speed
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 27/0261 by varying driving speed
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/522 especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/644 especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/664 by means of sound absorbing material
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/023 of different spools or shafts
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/03 in variable speed operation
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/3061 of the working fluid
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/74 for controlling air flow rate or air velocity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/77 by controlling the speed of ventilators
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 7/007 with forced flow using ducting systems F24F7/06
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 7/06 with forced air circulation, e.g. by fan positioning of a ventilator in or against a conduit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

A fan array fan section in an air-handling system includes a plurality of fan units arranged in a fan array and positioned within an air-handling compartment. One preferred embodiment may include an array controller programmed to operate the plurality of fan units at peak efficiency. The plurality of fan units may be arranged in a true array configuration, a spaced pattern array configuration, a checker board array configuration, rows slightly offset array configuration, columns slightly offset array configuration, or a staggered array configuration.

Claims

1. A fan array fan section in an air-handling system to supply air to a building, comprising:

an air handling compartment having a discharge plenum configured to deliver air to a ventilation system for at least a portion of the building;

a fan array of at least three fan units positioned in the air handling compartment, the fan units configured to be ON and OFF, wherein the fan units that are ON have sufficient air flow capacity to at least meet a specified air capacity for at least the portion of the building,

wherein the air handling compartment includes multiple chambers arranged in an array where at least a portion of the chambers are stacked adjacent one another in at least one row or column, wherein the fan units are positioned in corresponding chambers of the air handling compartment; and

an array controller programmed to meet a first air demand by operating all of the fan units at a first fan speed and to meet a second air demand by operating a subset of the fan units at the first fan speed.

2. The fan array fan section of claim 1, further comprising sound attenuation layers within the corresponding chambers.

3. The fan array fan section of claim 2, wherein the sound attenuation layers include a perforated facing and at least one layer of insulation material.

4. The fan array fan section of claim 1, wherein the fan units are coupled to motors in a direct drive connection.

5. The fan array fan section of claim 2, wherein the sound attenuation layers extend from front ends to back ends of the corresponding chambers.

6. The fan array fan section of claim 2, wherein the chambers include a top, bottom and sides and the sound attenuation layers are located along, and enclose, the top, bottom and sides of the corresponding chambers.

7. The fan array fan section of claim 2, wherein the sound attenuation layers include sound insulation means for attenuating sound and securing means for preventing the sound insulation means from being drawn into the corresponding chamber.

8. The fan array fan section of claim 2, wherein the fan units are vertically stacked on one another in at least two adjacent columns further comprising a sound attenuation layer positioned between the two adjacent columns of fan units.

9. The fan array fan section of claim 2 wherein at least a portion of the fan units are exposed to one another without the sound attenuation layer there between.

10. The fan array fan section of claim 2, wherein the sound attenuation layers include first and second perforated rigid facings provided along interior surfaces of first and second adjacent chambers, and at least one of a foam layer and a fiberglass layer between the first and second rigid facings.

11. The fan array fan section of claim 1, wherein a spacing between an outer periphery of the fan units in adjacent chambers is between 20% and 60% of a fan wheel diameter.

12. The fan array fan section of claim 1, wherein a spacing between an outer periphery of the fan units in adjacent chambers is between 30% and 60% of a fan wheel diameter.

13. The fan array fan section of claim 1, wherein the fan units constitute plenum fans.

14. The fan array fan section of claim 1, wherein the array controller is programmed to control a speed of said fan units to at least meet a current air demand of at least the portion of the building.

15. The fan array fan section of claim 1, wherein the array controller is configured to run said fan units substantially at or above a selected performance level, wherein the fan units have a preferred operating range, wherein said array controller is configured to operate said at least three fan units substantially at or above the selected performance level when at least one fan unit is OFF by controlling a speed of the remaining fan units to run within said preferred operating range while still meeting the selected performance level.

16. The fan array fan section of claim 15, wherein the selected performance level is based on a criterion selected from the following group of criteria:

(a) air flow volume;

(b) air pressure; and

(c) pattern of air flow.

17. The fan array fan section of claim 1, wherein the array controller is programmed to control a speed of the fan units that are ON.

18. The fan array fan section of claim 1, wherein the array controller is configured to operate the fan units substantially at or above a selected performance level at least by controlling a speed of the fan units that are ON.

19. The fan array fan section of claim 1, wherein the array controller is configured to control the fan units to eliminate surge effects.

20. The fan array fan section of claim 19, where the surge effect occurs when a system pressure is too high for the fan speed at a given volume and the fan units have a tendency to go into stall.

21. The fan array fan section of claim 1, wherein the array controller is configured to adjust a speed of the fan units that are ON to at least meet a current air demand which represents at least a portion of the specified air capacity.

22. The fan array fan section of claim 1, wherein the array controller is configured to receive a user selection to turn individual ones of the fan units ON and OFF.

23. The fan array fan section of claim 1, wherein the array controller is configured to automatically turn individual ones of the fan units ON and OFF.

24. The fan array fan section of claim 1, further comprising a number of the fan units sufficient to provide redundant air flow capacity such that, when at least one of the fan units is OFF, the fan units that are ON have sufficient air flow capacity to at least meet the specified air capacity for at least the portion of the building.

25. The fan array fan section of claim 1, wherein the array controller is configured to turn OFF one or more individual fan units that i) need to be replaced, ii) are not working properly or iii) need maintenance.

26. The fan array fan section of claim 1, wherein the chambers are rectangular.

27. The fan array fan section of claim 1, wherein the chambers are located directly against one another.

28. The fan array fan section of claim 1, wherein the chambers are spaced apart from one another.

29. The fan array fan section of claim 1, wherein the fan units are positioned entirely within the corresponding chambers.

30. The fan array fan section of claim 1, wherein the fan units extend at least partially beyond back ends of the corresponding chambers.

31. A fan array fan section in an air-handling system to supply air to a building, comprising:

an air handling compartment having a discharge plenum configured to deliver air to a ventilation system for at least a portion of the building;

a fan array of at least three fan units positioned in the air handling compartment, the fan units configured to be ON and OFF, wherein the fan units that are ON have sufficient air flow capacity to at least meet a specified air capacity for at least the portion of the building,

wherein the air handling compartment includes multiple chambers arranged in an array where at least a portion of the chambers are stacked adjacent one another in at least one row or column, wherein the fan units are positioned in corresponding chambers of the air handling compartment; and

an array controller programmed;

to operate all of the fan units on-line to meet a first air demand of the building; and

to take at least one of the fan units off-line, while operating at least a portion of the fan units on-line, to meet a second air demand of the building, wherein the fan units that are on-line are operated at a same speed when meeting both the first and second air demands.

32. A method for providing a fan array fan section in an air-handling system to supply air to a building, comprising:

providing an air handling compartment having a discharge plenum configured to deliver air to a ventilation system for at least a portion of the building;

providing a fan array of fan units, wherein the fan units that are on-line have sufficient air flow capacity to at least meet a specified air capacity for at least the portion of the building;

operating all of the fan units, as a full-array-on-line set, to meet a first air demand of the building;

while at least one of the fan units is removed or off-line, operating a sub-set of the fan units, as a partial-array-on-line sub-set, to meet a second air demand of the building, where active fan units in the full-array-on-line set and partial-array-on-line sub-set are operated at a common speed; and

automatically taking off-line and on-line individual fan units.

33. A method for providing a fan array fan section in an air-handling system to supply air to a building, comprising:

providing an air handling compartment having a discharge plenum configured to deliver air to a ventilation system for at least a portion of the building;

providing a fan array of fan units, wherein, the fan units that are on-line have sufficient air flow capacity to at least meet a specified air capacity for at least the portion of the building;

operating all of the fan units, as a full-array-on-line set, to meet a first air demand of the building; and

while at least one of the fan units is removed or off-line, operating a sub-set of the fan units, as a partial-array-on-line sub-set, to meet a second air demand of the building, where active fan units in the full-array-on-line set and partial-array-on-line sub-set are operated at a common speed.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

adjusting a speed of the full-array-on-line set and the partial-array-on-line sub-set to meet the first and second air demands, respectively.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising manually taking off-line and on-line individual fan units.

36. The method of claim 33, further comprising turning OFF a disabled fan unit from the partial-array-on-line fan unit sub-set and turning ON the at least one fan unit that was removed or off-line.

37. The method of claim 33, further comprising turning ON only a number of the fan units required to meet a current air demand without a need for a variable frequency drive controller.

38. The method of claim 33, further comprising positioning sound attenuation layers between at least a portion of adjacent fan units.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the sound attenuation layers are provided along at least one of a top, bottom, and side of the fan units.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the sound attenuation layers each include a perforated facing and at least one layer of insulation material.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein the sound attenuation layers include first and second perforated rigid facings provided along interior surfaces of first and second adjacent chambers, and at least one of a foam layer and a fiberglass layer between the first and second rigid facings.

42. The method of claim 33, wherein the fan units are coupled to motors in a direct drive connection.

43. A method for providing a fan array fan section in an air-handling system to supply air to a building, the method comprising:

providing an air handling compartment having a discharge plenum configured to deliver air to a ventilation system for at least a portion of the building;

providing a fan array of fan units positioned in the air handling compartment, the fan units configured to be ON and OFF, wherein the fan units that are ON have sufficient air flow capacity to at least meet a specified air capacity for at least the portion of the building;

including multiple chambers, in the air handling compartment, arranged in an array where at least a portion of the chambers are stacked adjacent one another in at least one row or column;

positioning the fan units in corresponding chambers of the air handling compartment; and

configuring an array controller to meet a first air demand by operating all of the fan units at a first fan speed and to meet a second air demand by operating a subset of the fan units at the first fan speed.

44. The method of claim 43, further comprising configuring the array controller to control a speed of the fan units that are ON.

45. The method of claim 43, further comprising configuring the array controller to operate the fan units substantially at or above a selected performance level at least by controlling a speed of the fan units that are ON.

46. The method of claim 43, further comprising configuring the array controller to control the fan units to eliminate surge effects.

47. The method of claim 46, where the surge effect occurs when a system pressure is too high for the fan speed at a given volume and the fan units have a tendency to go into stall.

48. The method of claim 43, further comprising adjusting a speed of the fan units that are ON to at least meet a current air demand which represents at least a portion of the specified air capacity.

49. The method of claim 43, further comprising manually controlling the array controller to turn individual ones of the fan units ON and OFF.

50. The method of claim 43, further comprising configuring the array controller to automatically turn individual ones of the fan units ON and OFF.

51. The method of claim 43, further comprising providing a number of the fan units sufficient to provide redundant air flow capacity such that, when at least one of the fan units is OFF, the fan units that are ON have sufficient air flow capacity to at least meet the specified air capacity for at least the portion of the building.

52. The method of claim 43, further comprising turning OFF one or more individual fan units that i) need to be replaced, ii) are not working properly or iii) need maintenance.