Air handling system with integrated air treatment

• US 9,399,187 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2013
• Issued: 07/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Enverid Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Enverid Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Meirav, Udi, Biran, Israel
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Christopher P
• Application Number:
  US14/430,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20150258488A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/11 Clays
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/20 Organic adsorbents
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/25 Coated, impregnated or composite adsorbents
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/302 Sulfur oxides
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/404 Nitrogen oxides other than dinitrogen oxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/502 Carbon monoxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/504 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/708 Volatile organic compounds V.O.C.'s
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/93 Toxic compounds not provided for in groups B01D2257/00 - B01D2257/708
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/4508 for cleaning air in buildings
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/0462 Temperature swing adsorption
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/74 for controlling air flow rate or air velocity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/00 Details common to, or for air-conditioning, air-humidification, ventilation or use of air currents for screening
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2011/0002 for admittance of outside air
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/50 Air quality properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2203/02 System or Device comprising a heat pump as a subsystem, e.g. combined with humidification/dehumidification, heating, natural energy or with hybrid system
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2221/34 Heater, e.g. gas burner, electric air heater
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/0442 with volume control at a constant temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/16 by purification, e.g. by filtering; by sterilisation; by ozonisation
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 7/065 : fan combined with single duct; mounting arrangements of a fan in a duct
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/22 : using UV light
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/30 : by ionisation
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/70 : by removing radon
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/40 : of CO2

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure include methods and systems of circulating air in an enclosed environment. In such embodiments, the system may comprise an air handling unit (AHU), the AHU including an indoor air inlet to receive an indoor airflow from the enclosed environment and an indoor air outlet to expel the indoor airflow, a conditioning element arranged between the inlet and the outlet configured to at least heat or cool the indoor airflow as it flows thereover, one or more fan units arranged between the inlet and the outlet configured to provide velocity to the indoor airflow, and an air treatment assembly (ATA) arranged within or proximate the AHU, the ATA including an air inlet configured to receive a portion of the indoor airflow received by the AHU indoor air inlet.

Claims

1. An air management system for circulating air in an enclosed environment, comprising:

an air handling unit (AHU), the AHU including an indoor air inlet to receive an indoor airflow from the enclosed environment and an indoor air outlet to expel the indoor airflow;

a conditioning element arranged between the inlet and the outlet configured to at least heat or cool the indoor airflow as it flows thereover;

one or more fan units arranged between the inlet and the outlet configured to provide velocity to the indoor airflow; and

an air treatment assembly (ATA) arranged within or proximate the AHU, the ATA including an air inlet configured to receive a portion of the indoor airflow received by the AHU indoor air inlet, a regenerable adsorbent material configured to treat the received indoor airflow by adsorbing at least one gaseous contaminant contained in the received indoor airflow, and an outlet for expelling the air treated by the adsorbent material back into the AHU,

wherein the ATA includes an outdoor air inlet and an outdoor air outlet.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the ATA inlet and ATA outlet are arranged downstream from the conditioning element.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more fans are located downstream from the conditioning element, the ATA inlet is arranged downstream from the AHU inlet, and the ATA outlet is arranged downstream from the ATA inlet and upstream from the conditioning element.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more fans are located downstream from the conditioning element, the ATA inlet is arranged downstream from the one or more fans, and the ATA outlet is arranged downstream from the ATA inlet.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more fans are located downstream from the conditioning element, the ATA outlet is arranged downstream from the AHU inlet and upstream from the conditioning element, and the ATA inlet is arranged downstream from the ATA outlet and downstream from the one or more fans.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more fans are located downstream from the conditioning element, the ATA outlet is arranged upstream from the conditioning element, and the ATA inlet is arranged downstream from the conditioning element and upstream from the one or more fans.

7. The system according to claim 6 wherein the conditioning element is configured to receive the indoor airflow for cooling thereof prior to entering the ATA inlet.

8. The system according to claim 6 wherein the indoor air flows through the conditioning element prior to entering the ATA inlet and following exiting the ATA outlet the indoor air flows again through the conditioning element.

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein the ATA inlet is arranged upstream from the one or more fans.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more fans are located downstream from the conditioning element, the ATA outlet is arranged upstream from the one or more fans and the ATA inlet is arranged downstream from the one or more fans.

11. The system according to claim 1 wherein the one or more fan units are configured to direct indoor airflow into the ATA without requiring a booster fan associated with the ATA.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more fans are located downstream from the conditioning element, the ATA outlet is arranged upstream from the conditioning element and the A TA in let is arranged downstream from the one or more fans.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the AHU includes a first housing and the ATA includes a second housing.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the second housing is arranged within the first housing.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the second housing is arranged outside the first housing.

16. The system according to claim 1, wherein the ATA includes a purging airflow inlet configured to direct a purging airflow over and/or through the adsorbent material, said purging airflow either directly or indirectly heated by at least one of, a heat pump, a gas furnace, solar heat, an electrical coil, and hot water.

17. The system according to claim 1, wherein the AHU comprises a condenser and a purging airflow configured to flow over and/or through the adsorbent material is either directly or indirectly heated by the condenser.

18. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one gaseous contaminant is selected from the group consisting of:

carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, sulfur oxides, radon, nitrous oxides and carbon monoxide.

19. An air management system for circulating air in an enclosed environment, comprising:

an air handling unit (AHU), the AHU including an indoor air inlet to receive an indoor airflow from the enclosed environment and an indoor air outlet to expel the indoor airflow;

a conditioning element arranged between the inlet and the outlet configured to at least heat or cool the indoor airflow as it flows thereover;

one or more fan units arranged between the inlet and the outlet configured to provide velocity to the indoor airflow; and

an air treatment assembly (ATA) arranged within or proximate the AHU, the ATA including an air inlet configured to receive a portion of the indoor airflow received by the AHU indoor air inlet, a regenerable adsorbent material configured to treat the received indoor airflow by adsorbing at least one gaseous contaminant contained in the received indoor airflow, and an outlet for expelling the air treated by the adsorbent material back into the AHU, wherein the adsorbent material is contained within a cartridge configured to be removable from the ATA.

20. A method for circulating air in an enclosed environment, comprising:

providing an air management system fix circulating air in the enclosed environment, the system comprising;

an air handling unit (AHU), the AHU including an indoor air inlet to receive an indoor airflow from the enclosed environment and an indoor air outlet to expel the indoor airflow;

a conditioning element arranged between the inlet and the outlet configured to at least heat or cool the indoor airflow as it flows thereover;

one or more fan units arranged between the inlet and the outlet configured to provide velocity to the indoor airflow; and

an air treatment assembly (ATA) arranged within or proximate the AHU, the ATA including an air inlet configured w receive a portion of the indoor airflow, a regenerable adsorbent material configured to treat the received indoor airflow by adsorbing at least one gaseous contaminant contained in the received indoor airflow, and an outlet for expelling the received indoor airflow treated by the adsorbent material;

and

directing the indoor airflow to the indoor air inlet of the AHU;

cooling the indoor airflow by directing the indoor airflow to flow from the inlet of the AHU, over the conditioning element;

during a scrubbing cycle, receiving a portion of the cooled indoor airflow received by the indoor air inlet of the AHU and directing the received indoor airflow to the inlet of the ATA;

flowing the received indoor airflow over and/or through the adsorbent material to adsorb the at least one gaseous contaminant;

directing the treated received indoor airflow to the outlet of the ATA;

cooling the indoor airflow again by directing the indoor airflow to flow from the outlet of the ATA over the conditioning element;

during a regeneration cycle, directing a purging airflow to the ATA; and

flowing the purging airflow over and/or through the adsorbent material to release the at least one gaseous contaminant previously adsorbed by the adsorbent material, so as to regenerate the adsorbent material.