Multipurpose air conditioning apparatus

• US 6,385,983 B1
• Filed: 09/14/2000
• Issued: 05/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alfred Brekke, Erling Onsager, Laurits Mortensen, Liv Sakki
• Original Assignee: Alfred Brekke, Erling Onsager, Laurits Mortensen, Liv Sakki
• Inventors: Mortensen, Laurits, Onsager, Erling, Sakki, Liv, Brekke, Alfred
• Primary Examiner(s): Doerrler, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHULMAN, MARK S
• Application Number:
  US09/646,178
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 623/25, 623/241, 624/12, 624/27, 622/387
• US Class Current: 62/238.7
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/027 mounted in wall openings, e.g. in windows
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2011/0004 to create overpressure in a room
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2011/0005 to create underpressure in a room, keeping contamination inside
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2221/54 Heating and cooling, simultaneously or alternatively
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/065 with a plurality of evaporators or condensers
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 13/00 Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle defrosting cycles F25B47/02
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2313/004 Outdoor unit with water as a heat sink or heat source
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2313/02541 during cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2313/02543 during heating
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 41/385 Dispositions with two or more expansion means arranged in parallel on a refrigerant line leading to the same evaporator
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 41/39 Dispositions with two or more expansion means arranged in series, i.e. multi-stage expansion, on a refrigerant line leading to the same evaporator

Abstract

A multipurpose air conditioning apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus comprises fan assemblies (3, 13), a compressor (4), a condenser, an evaporator, a liquid and gas circuit, throttling means, air inlets, air outlets and means for redirecting the air flows. The apparatus is adapted such that the functions as condenser and evaporator are interchangeable for heating of air or cooling of air, respectively, in that the liquid flow in the liquid and gas circuit through the condenser, evaporator and the throttling means is reversible on demand. The apparatus comprises at least two separated units, Main and Annex, each having an air heat exchanger (2, 12), which operates as a combined condenser/evaporator, a fan assembly (3, 13), a fresh air inlet (7a, 17a), a room air inlet (7c, 17c) and a mixing chamber (x, 1x) upstream of the air heating exchangers (2, 12), an air outlet (7b, 17b) downstream of the air heating exchangers (2, 12) and means (9, 10, 19, 20) for redirecting the air flows.

Claims

1. Multipurpose air conditioning apparatus for ventilation, heating of air, and cooling of air, comprising a compressor, fan assemblies, condenser, evaporator, liquid/gas circuit, throttling means, air inlets and air outlets and the apparatus being arranged such that the functions as condenser and evaporator are interchangeable for heating of air or cooling of air, respectively, in that the liquid flow in the liquid/gas circuit through the condenser, evaporator and throttling means is reversible according to requirements, wherein the apparatus comprises at least two separate units, a first main unit and a second annex unit, said units being interconnected via said liquid/gas circuit only, each said unit having a respective air heat exchanger that acts as a combined condenser/evaporator, fan assembly, fresh air inlet, indoor air inlet and mixing chamber upstream of the air heat exchanger, air outlet downstream of the air heat exchanger and independent means for redirecting the air flows;

and wherein the apparatus includes at least first and second bypass loops in the liquid/gas circuit having closing and throttling means.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circulation of liquid through said main unit and said annex unit is reversible by way of a four-way valve.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid/gas circuit is connected to a water heat exchanger, for the additional function of heating water, or heating air where the energy is drawn from the water, and wherein a third bypass loop is provided in the liquid/gas circuit from the compressor.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said main unit and said annex unit have a common compressor and are connected thereto via the liquid/gas circuit.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said main unit and said annex unit are remote from one another, one of (1) at opposite ends of a room and (2) on separate floors, with the annex unit being located high and the main unit being located low in relation to each other.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a compact unit wherein the main and annex units are placed adjacent to each other, one of (1) on top of each other and (2) next to each other, but are functionally interconnected solely by the liquid/gas circuit.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for redirecting the air flows for both the main and annex units include at least two separate and through the apparatus extending ducts passing between a room in which the unit is disposed and the outside, and having a rotatable air redirection damper for directing the air through the heat exchangers, to and from the room or to and from the surroundings.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the air redirection dampers are three-way dampers, coordinated pairs of orifice dampers or an equivalent thereto.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein means are included for closing off the flow of either outdoor air or indoor air through the fresh air inlet, by using either a damper.

10. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the throttling means are in the form of capillary tubes and the closing means are solenoid valves.

11. Method of multipurpose conditioning of indoor air, comprising ventilation, heating of air and cooling of air, in which fan assemblies cause air to flow through a conditioning apparatus that comprises a compressor, condensers, evaporators, liquid/gas circuit, throttling means, air inlets, air outlets and means for redirecting and closing off the air circulation, and in which the flow of liquid/gas can be reversed in order to interchange the functions of the condensers and the evaporators, the method comprising directing outdoor air, indoor air or a mixture of the two to an upstream side of at least two separate units, a main unit and an annex unit, each unit being interconnected via a liquid/gas circuit only, each unit having a respective combined condenser/evaporator, the air is drawn through respective condenser/evaporator by a respective fan assembly, and displaced further at the downstream side of the respective condenser/evaporator, towards a room, the surroundings or both by means of respective, independent redirection means.

12. A multipurpose air conditioning apparatus for ventilation, heating of air and cooling of air, comprising:

at least a first, main unit and a second, annex unit, each said unit having a respective air heat exchanger that acts as a combined condenser/evaporator, fan assembly, fresh air inlet, indoor air inlet, mixing chamber upstream of the air heat exchanger, air outlet downstream of the air heat exchanger, and independent means for redirecting the air flows;

said main unit further comprising a compressor and a first liquid/gas circuit for fluid flow to, through and from the condenser/evaporator and compressor,

said annex unit further comprising a second liquid/gas circuit for fluid flow to, through and from the condenser/evaporator, said first and second liquid/gas circuits being fluidly interconnected, said main and annex units having independent air handling systems so that they are functionally interconnected solely via said interconnected liquid/gas circuits.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the circulation of liquid/gas through said main unit and said annex unit is reversible by way of a four-way valve.

14. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the apparatus is a compact unit wherein the main and annex units are placed adjacent to each other, one of (1) on top of each other and (2) next to each other, but are functionally interconnected solely by the liquid/gas circuits.

15. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the means for redirecting the air flows for both the main and annex units include at least two separate and through the apparatus extending ducts passing between a room in which the unit is disposed and the outside, and having a rotatable air redirection damper for directing the air through the heat exchangers, to and from the room or to and from the surroundings.

16. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the air redirection dampers are three-way dampers, co-ordinated pairs of orifice dampers or an equivalent thereto.