Chilled beam pump module, system, and method
First Claim
1. A controllable chilled-beam zone pump module for controlling at least one zone of a chilled-beam heating and air conditioning system wherein:
- the chilled-beam heating and air conditioning system comprises chilled beams, each of the chilled beams is one of a passive chilled beam or an active chilled beam, wherein the passive chilled beam incorporates a chilled coil or plate and relies on natural convection and radiant heat transfer to condition space in the at least one zone including cool air flowing downward to the space in a reverse chimney effect, and, for the active chilled beam, outdoor air is delivered through slots or nozzles causing induction of room air through an integrated coil in the active chilled beam, the controllable chilled-beam zone pump module comprising;
a conduit for passing water therethrough and through at least one chilled beam of the chilled beams, and for recirculating the water therein for controlling a temperature of the at least one chilled beam, wherein the conduit comprises a supply portion supplying the water to the at least one chilled beam and a return portion returning the water from the at least one chilled beam, wherein the return portion is connected to the supply portion for recirculating the water in the conduit and in the at least one chilled beam for controlling the temperature of the at least one chilled beam;
a zone pump mounted in the conduit circulating the water through the conduit and through the at least one chilled beam, and recirculating the water in the conduit and in the at least one chilled beam for controlling the temperature of the at least one chilled beam, wherein the zone pump is mounted in the supply portion of the conduit or in the return portion of the conduit;
a chilled-water inlet valve for passing chilled water from a chilled-water distribution system to the conduit;
a warm-water inlet valve for passing warm water from a warm-water distribution system to the conduit;
a chilled-water outlet valve for passing water from the conduit to the chilled-water distribution system; and
a warm-water outlet valve for passing water from the conduit to the warm-water distribution system;
wherein;
one of the chilled-water inlet valve or the chilled-water outlet valve is a first control valve;
one of the warm-water inlet valve or the warm-water outlet valve is a second control valve;
the chilled-water inlet valve is connected to the supply portion of the conduit;
the chilled-water outlet valve is connected to the return portion of the conduit;
the warm-water inlet valve is connected to the supply portion of the conduit;
the warm-water outlet valve is connected to the return portion of the conduit;
one of the first control valve or the second control valve is connected to the supply portion of the conduit;
one of the first control valve or the second control valve is connected to the return portion of the conduit;
one of the chilled-water inlet valve or the warm-water inlet valve is a first check valve;
one of the chilled-water outlet valve or the warm-water outlet valve is a second check valve;
one of the first control valve or the second control valve is modulated to control space temperature within the at least one zone; and
one of the chilled-water inlet valve or the chilled-water outlet valve is modulated to avoid condensation on the at least one chilled beam.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Chilled-beam zone pump modules for controlling zones of a chilled-beam heating and air conditioning system, multiple-zone chilled beam air conditioning systems for cooling multiple-zone spaces, and methods of controlling chilled beams in multi-zone air conditioning systems. Embodiments include a pump serving each zone that both recirculates water within the module and chilled beam and circulates water in and out of a chilled or warm water distribution system through valves to control the temperature of the water delivered to the chilled beams. Different embodiments provide heating as well as cooling, use check valves to reduce the number of control valves required, adjust the temperature of the beam to avoid condensation, change pump speed to save energy or increase capacity, can be used in two- or four-pipe systems, or a combination thereof.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A controllable chilled-beam zone pump module for controlling at least one zone of a chilled-beam heating and air conditioning system wherein:
- the chilled-beam heating and air conditioning system comprises chilled beams, each of the chilled beams is one of a passive chilled beam or an active chilled beam, wherein the passive chilled beam incorporates a chilled coil or plate and relies on natural convection and radiant heat transfer to condition space in the at least one zone including cool air flowing downward to the space in a reverse chimney effect, and, for the active chilled beam, outdoor air is delivered through slots or nozzles causing induction of room air through an integrated coil in the active chilled beam, the controllable chilled-beam zone pump module comprising;
a conduit for passing water therethrough and through at least one chilled beam of the chilled beams, and for recirculating the water therein for controlling a temperature of the at least one chilled beam, wherein the conduit comprises a supply portion supplying the water to the at least one chilled beam and a return portion returning the water from the at least one chilled beam, wherein the return portion is connected to the supply portion for recirculating the water in the conduit and in the at least one chilled beam for controlling the temperature of the at least one chilled beam; a zone pump mounted in the conduit circulating the water through the conduit and through the at least one chilled beam, and recirculating the water in the conduit and in the at least one chilled beam for controlling the temperature of the at least one chilled beam, wherein the zone pump is mounted in the supply portion of the conduit or in the return portion of the conduit; a chilled-water inlet valve for passing chilled water from a chilled-water distribution system to the conduit; a warm-water inlet valve for passing warm water from a warm-water distribution system to the conduit; a chilled-water outlet valve for passing water from the conduit to the chilled-water distribution system; and a warm-water outlet valve for passing water from the conduit to the warm-water distribution system; wherein; one of the chilled-water inlet valve or the chilled-water outlet valve is a first control valve; one of the warm-water inlet valve or the warm-water outlet valve is a second control valve; the chilled-water inlet valve is connected to the supply portion of the conduit; the chilled-water outlet valve is connected to the return portion of the conduit; the warm-water inlet valve is connected to the supply portion of the conduit; the warm-water outlet valve is connected to the return portion of the conduit; one of the first control valve or the second control valve is connected to the supply portion of the conduit; one of the first control valve or the second control valve is connected to the return portion of the conduit; one of the chilled-water inlet valve or the warm-water inlet valve is a first check valve; one of the chilled-water outlet valve or the warm-water outlet valve is a second check valve; one of the first control valve or the second control valve is modulated to control space temperature within the at least one zone; and one of the chilled-water inlet valve or the chilled-water outlet valve is modulated to avoid condensation on the at least one chilled beam. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
- the chilled-beam heating and air conditioning system comprises chilled beams, each of the chilled beams is one of a passive chilled beam or an active chilled beam, wherein the passive chilled beam incorporates a chilled coil or plate and relies on natural convection and radiant heat transfer to condition space in the at least one zone including cool air flowing downward to the space in a reverse chimney effect, and, for the active chilled beam, outdoor air is delivered through slots or nozzles causing induction of room air through an integrated coil in the active chilled beam, the controllable chilled-beam zone pump module comprising;
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14. A controllable chilled-beam zone pump module controlling at least one zone of a chilled-beam heating and air conditioning system, the controllable chilled-beam zone pump module comprising:
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a conduit through which water passes wherein; the conduit comprises a supply portion supplying the water to at least one chilled beam located within the at least one zone of the chilled-beam heating and air conditioning system; the conduit comprises a return portion returning the water from the at least one chilled beam; the return portion is connected to the supply portion; the water recirculates within the conduit from the return portion to the supply portion and through the at least one chilled beam to control a temperature of the water delivered to the at least one chilled beam; a zone pump mounted in the conduit that circulates the water through the conduit and through the at least one chilled beam, and also recirculates the water within the conduit from the return portion to the supply portion to control the temperature of the water delivered to the at least one chilled beam, wherein the zone pump is mounted in the supply portion of the conduit or in the return portion of the conduit; a chilled-water inlet valve that passes chilled water from a chilled-water distribution system into the conduit; a warm-water inlet valve that passes warm water from a warm-water distribution system into the conduit; a chilled-water outlet valve that passes the water from the conduit to the chilled-water distribution system; and a warm-water outlet valve that passes the water from the conduit to the warm-water distribution system; wherein; the chilled-water inlet valve or the chilled-water outlet valve is a first control valve; the warm-water inlet valve or the warm-water outlet valve is a second control valve; the chilled-water inlet valve is connected to the supply portion of the conduit; the chilled-water outlet valve is connected to the return portion of the conduit; the warm-water inlet valve is connected to the supply portion of the conduit; the warm-water outlet valve is connected to the return portion of the conduit; one of the first control valve or the second control valve is connected to the supply portion of the conduit; one of the first control valve or the second control valve is connected to the return portion of the conduit; and one of the first control valve or the second control valve is modulated to avoid condensation on the at least one chilled beam. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A controllable chilled-beam zone pump module controlling at least one zone of a chilled-beam heating and air conditioning system, the controllable chilled-beam zone pump module comprising:
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a conduit through which water passes wherein; the conduit comprises a supply portion supplying the water to at least one chilled beam located within the at least one zone of the chilled-beam heating and air conditioning system; the conduit comprises a return portion returning the water from the at least one chilled beam; the return portion is connected to the supply portion; the water recirculates within the conduit from the return portion to the supply portion and through the at least one chilled beam to control a temperature of the water entering the at least one chilled beam; a zone pump mounted in the conduit that circulates the water through the conduit and through the at least one chilled beam, and also recirculates the water within the conduit from the return portion to the supply portion to control the temperature of the water entering the at least one chilled beam, wherein the zone pump is mounted in the supply portion of the conduit or in the return portion of the conduit; a chilled-water control valve that controls exchange of chilled water between a chilled-water distribution system and the conduit; a warm-water control valve that controls exchange of warm water between a warm-water distribution system and the conduit; a digital controller that; receives measured space temperature within the at least one zone; receives measured humidity or dew point within the at least one zone; receives measured temperature of the water entering the at least one chilled beam; and when the at least one zone is operating in a cooling mode, automatically closes the warm-water control valve and modulates the chilled-water control valve including regulating how much water passing through the zone pump is recirculated through the at least one chilled beam and how much of the water passing through the zone pump is circulated from the chilled-water distribution system, including maintaining the temperature of the water entering the at least one chilled beam at least a predetermined temperature differential above the dew point within the at least one zone; and when the at least one zone is operating in a heating mode, automatically closes the chilled-water control valve and modulates the warm-water control valve including regulating how much of the water passing through the zone pump is recirculated through the at least one chilled beam and how much of the water passing through the zone pump is circulated from the warm-water distribution system; wherein; one of the chilled-water control valve or the warm-water control valve is connected to the supply portion of the conduit; and one of the chilled-water control valve or the warm-water control valve is connected to the return portion of the conduit. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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Specification