US1837798A - Apparatus for conditioning air - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 22, R9531.

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INLET T..SHIPLEY APPARATUS FOR CONDITIONING AIR Filed Sept. 19, 1928 CENVENU'EW CHAM BEE,

Patented Dec. 22,1931

UNITED STATES PATENT' o-FricE 'IHdMAS SHIPLEY, OF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO YOBK ICE momma! CORPORATION, OF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, AOORPORATION OF DELAWARE APPARATUS FOR OONDI'IIONmG AIR Application filed September 19, 1928. Serial No. 307,010.

This invention relates to air conditioning plants for use in maintaining the desired temperature and relative humidity in enclosed spaces such as factories, theatres, and

other buildings in which it is necessary to maintain air at a controlled temperature and at a low relative humidity.

In my copending application Serial No. 293,072, filed July 16, 1928, I have described 0 and claimed a method of and apparatus for conditioning air, characterized by the use of a mechanical refrigerating plant in which the heat abstracted from the air of the dehumidifier is later restored in part to the same air to raise its temperature and reduce its relative humidity.

In that prior structure, which was described as applied to a theatre, there was a duct leading from the theatre and back to the theatre through the conditioning apparatus. There was also'means for venting a portion of the vitiated air passing from the theatre and supplying make-up air from outdoors so that the air returned to the theatre consisted of a mixture of recirculated and fresh air. This mixture first passed over the evaporator cooling coils of the refrigerating system where it .was subjected to a washing action with chilled water. It next passed through the usual eliminators and thenwas reheated by being passed over a portion of the condenser. This portion of the condenser may be regarded merely. as a part of the condenser, but as the part in the circulating duct and the part outside the circulating duct were connected in series, the first element in the duct can be regarded as the condenser pre-coolerr The advantage in this is that the refrigerant gas leaving the compressor at its maximum temperature, traverses the coils in the duct,- thus ofi'ering a favorable opportunity for heat transfer from the refrigerant gas-to the air in the duct for-reheating purposes.

In the prior application the regulation of the amount of heat rejected'from the preheater to the circulating air was effected by passing the air into contact with the precooler unit of the condenser or by-passing it around the same in varying proportions.

The present application is directed to a variant of this construction in-which the regulation is secured in a dliferent manner.

In the present case the circulating air passes the condensing action of the refrigerating unit, and the structure here disclosed is believed to possess important features of utility.

' The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing which is a diagrammatic plan view of a portion ofan enclosed space such as a.theatre,"

together withthe conditioning system, shown partly in section.

A portion of an auditorium or other enclosed space is indicated at 1. From this space there leads an exhaust or air discharge duct 2. 3 and 4 represent manually adjustable dampers, thedamper 3 controlling thevent connection 5 leading to the atmosphere, and the damlper 4 controlling flow through the duct 2. y of thedampers 3 and 4, it is possible to vent to atmosphere the desired proportion, usually about one-fourth of the total'air withdrawn from the room 1. The duct 2 discharges into amixing chamber 6 into which there leads a fresh air inlet duct 7 controlled by a manually adjusted damper 8.

From the mixing chamber 6 the mixture of fresh and recirculated air flows to the right through a washer of 'known form. This includes a plurality of spray pipes 9 which appropriate relative settings.

are fed with spray water by arotary pump 11,

driven by amotor 12. The pump discharges throughpipe 13 and draws its supply through apipe 14 from a sump 15 into which the spray water and the water from the eliminators, hereinafter described, flow.

Thespray water is refrigerated byevaporator coils 16, of known form, which are preferably mounted in the path of the air and of the spray discharging from the spra heads 9. In this way. the air .is refrigerated by direct contact with the coils and also by contact with the spra water which, impinging upon the coils, is cooled as it trickles back to the sump 15. The ends of the sump are indicated at 17 and 18. 19 is an eliminator I of usual construction.

The washer is housed in 'anelongated duct 21 which extends beyond the eliminators 19 and which beyond these eliminators is somewhat contracted, as shown at 22and there encloses a set ofcoils 23 which has a dual function. From. the standpoint of the refrigerating cycle. it is a pre-cooler connected in series with thema-incondensing coil 24. From the standpoint of the air conditioning operation it is a reheater for raising the temperature of the saturated air discharged.

by the eliminators 19. Themain condenser 24 will ordinarily be water-cooled, but as this is familiar practice, no attempt has been made to illustrate it. The invention is not limited to ahy particular means for cooling the coils 24 'ikfter flowing in contact with thecoils 23 the dehumidified air which is now reheated,

asses to the total volume fan 25 and by this ihn is discharged through areturn duct 26 into the theatre. The fan is driven by motor 30.

The modes of connecting theducts 2 and 26 to the theatre or other room may follow known practice, and is not a feature of the presentinvention. In this connection I have in mind the known arrangements using mushrooms under the seats with either upward circulation through the theatre, or downward circulation, as conditions may require. There have also been installations in which one set of ducts discharges through the side walls and the others either through the ceiling or through floor openings. My invention is not limited to use, with any particular system.

The discharge end of thecoil 23 is connected through a check valve 27 with the inlet end of, themain condensing coil 24. The check valve permits flow from the pre-cooler to the condenser and closes against reverseflow,

28 represents a normally open stop valve at the inlet end of the-coil 24. 29 represents a normally olpen stop valve at the discharge end of'saidcoi.

Liquefied refrigerant flo wm' g thro h thevalve 29 is controlled by an e xpansio ii valve 31 which regulates the supply of refrigerant to theexpander coils 16. These coils are in onelectric motor 34, in a familiar manner.

The'compressor 33 dischai'ges through the turn connected by thesuction line 32 with the compressor 33; This maybe driven by an highpressure refrigerant line 34 to aswitch valve 35. Thisvalve 35 is operated by a diaphragm motpr 36, and serves to connect theline 34 either to the inlet endof the or to-the'inlet end of thecoil 24, orto both For purposes of explanation, "I. show twothermostats 37 and 38, both connected in con-- trolling relation to the motor 36. It is within the scope of the present inventionv to control the motor 36 solely by athermostat 37, which islocated in thesup ly duct 26. Similarly,

coil 23,

in varying ,roportions. The diaphragm motor 36 is t ermostatically controlled.

it mightbe controlle solely by thethermostat 38 which is in the duct 2. This last location is the approximate equivalent of the location of thethermostat 38 within the room 1. I ma. use, however, an arrangement in which the control of the motor 36 is exerttd primarily by thethermostat 38, and in w ch the ther-'mostat 37 operates to suspend the control of -thethermostat 38 and increase the reheating action of thecoil 23 arbitrarily, in the event' that the temperature in theduct 26 becomes too low.

The use of two thermostats, one of which suspends the action of the other, under, certain conditions, is known in the temperature re lating art. 7

xcept as expressly stated in the claims, I do not desire to be limited to any particular location for the thermostat or thermostats,-

but contemplate availing .of known developments in-the art of temperature regulation.

In some cases manual re 'Iation might be used. It is, also practica l e to apply automatic regulation todampers 3, 4 and-8, or to certain of them.

The drawing is primarily diagrammatic and no effort has beenmade to i1 ustrate in detail the structure .of-elements which are familiar in the art and which are-standard articles of commerce.

While I prefer to usecarbon-dioxide as a refrigerant, and make-use of a mechanical compressor, any suitable refrigerant operatin on any known cycle may be substituted.

ith theparts arranged as described, and

' with themotors 12, 30 and 34 running, the fan will regulate the supply of a corresponding amount of fresh air to the chamber 6 at-theentrance end of the washer.

In some cases it is entirely practicable to;

do away with thedischarge duct 5 and thedampers 3 and 4, inwhich case the hint would operate as a plenum, system an the.

necexary air would be'vented from the auditelrium by leakage, as is common practice in t e art.

- the spray, but since the spray derives whatever heat it gives up to the coils from the air,

the air is the ultimate source of the abstracted heat.

After passing through the washer and being deprived of a portion of its total heat, and consequently of a portion of its moisture, the air passes through the eliminators 19 which serve to intercept entrained moisture. I

Thus the air approaches thecoils 23 in a saturated condition at a low temperature and then passes in contact with the pre-cooler coils 23 which reject the heat from the refrigerant to the air at a rate dependent on the setting of thevalve 35. As explained this setting may be made manually or may be under the control of thethermostats 37 or 38, or both 37 and 38. The preferred arrangement is to control solely by the thermostat shown at 38. In this way the air is reheated in the proper degree and in its finally conditioned state is returned to the room 1 through theduct 26.

It will be observed that thevalve 35 controls the rate of flow of gaseous refrigerant to the pre-cooler 23, and that since the check Valve 27 precludes flow from thecoils 24 to thecoils 23, there will be established in the coils 23 a pressure and temperature which will vary according to the setting of thevalve 35. In this way a nice regulation of the reheating is secured.

The refrigerating efiect of thecoils 16 may conveniently be adjusted manually, and I prefer this to attempts at automatic regulation, which often introduce troublesome secondary effects.

The plant above described presents a number of important advantages. All the air which is discharged into the theatre has been washed and conditioned. Since all the air passes through the. washer it is not necessary to operate the refrigerating coils 16 at excessively low temperatures and pressures as is required in some prior systems. The resulting use of higher suction pressures increases the volumetric efficiency of the compressor and is a desirable feature.

No extraneous source of heat for reheating the air is necessary, the reheating being effected by the restoration to the air of heat units abstracted in the washer. Furthermore, the cool washed air is usefully applied in preliminary cooling of hot gases, thus economizing in condenser water. Since. all the air whichis circulated is washed and conditioned, the total amount which need be circulated to maintain a definite standard of air purity, is reduced to the possible minimum. It thus follows that the ducts and conditioning system are of smaller size than where air is by-passed to effect reheating.

The manner of regulating the reheating effect by controlling. the amount of hot gaseous refrigerant fed to the reheater-pre-cooler coils 23, is very effective. Not onl may a nice graduation of the heat be broug t about, but the action is prompt and sensitive.

As above stated, the showing is largely diagrammatic, and the apparatus is subject to considerable variation in the specific form of its parts. The underlying principle may be applied in various known systems of distribution, and the conditioning cycle is susceptible of automatic control of various types familiar in the art.

What is claimed is,

1. The combination of a room; a ventilating duct leading from and back to said room;

7 means for lnducin g a circulation through said duct; a dehun'iiditicr unit of the refrigerating type including an evaporating cooling coil and a hcat'rejecting condenser, said coil and a portion only of the condenser being located in said duct in the order stated relatively to the direction of circulatory flow;

and means for directing hot gaseous refrigerant at varying rates to that portion of the condenser within the duct, while the refrigerating dehumidifier continues in normal operation.

2. The combination of a room; a ventilating duct leading from and back to said room; means for inducing a circulation through said. duct; a dehumidifier unit of the refrigerating type including an evaporating cooling coil and a heat rejecting condenser, said coil and a portion only of the condenser being located in said duct in the order stated relatively to the direction of circulatory flow;

means for directing hot gaseous refrigerant at varying rates to that portion of the condenser within the duct while the refrigerating dehumidifier continues in normal operation; and thermostatic means controlling the last named means.

3. The combination -of a room; a ventilating duct leading from and back to said room; means for inducing a circulation through said duct; a dehumidifier unit of the refrigerating type including an evaporating cooling c011 and a heat rejecting condenser constructed in two units connected in series, said coil and the first of said condenser units being located in said duct in the order stated relatively to the direction of circulatory flow; and meansfor directing hot gaseous refrigerant to said units in varying proportions.

4. The combination of a room; a ventilating duct leading from and back to said room; means for inducing a circulation through said duct; a dehumidifier unit of the refrigerating type including an evaporating cooling coil and a heat rejecting condenser constructed in two units connected in series, said coil and the first of said condenser units being located in said duct in the order stated relatively to the direction of circulatory flow; means for directing hot gaseous refrigerant to said units in varying proportions; and

thermostatic means controlling the lastnamed means. i

- 5. The combination of a room; a ventilating duct leading from and back to the room; means for inducing a circulation through said duct; an air washer interposed in said duct;

6. The combination of a room; a ventilating duct leading from and back to the room;

means for inducing a circulation through said duct; anair washer interposed in said duct; means for feeding water to said washer; refrigerating means arranged to cool said water and including a heat rejecting condenser having a portion only in said duct in heat exchanging relation with air leaving the washer; means for varying the proportion of hot gaseous refrigerantidelivered to that portion of the condenser within the duct; and

"thermostatic means controlling the lastnamed means.

7. The comblnation of a room; a vent1lating duct leading from and back to the room means for inducing a circulation through said duct; an air washer interposed in said duct;

means for feeding water to said washer;

refrigerating meansarranged to cool said water and including a condenser having a prerefrigerating means arranged to cool said water and including a condenser having a pre-cooler portion in 'said duct in heat exchanging relation with air leaving the washer, and a main condensing portion not in such heat'exchanging relation; means for deliver ing hot gaseous refrigerant to the main condensing portion in varying proportions both Y directly and indirectly through the. pre-cooler portion; and thermostatic means controlling the last named means.

9. The combination of a room; a ventilat-- ing duct leading from and back to the room; means for inducing a circulation through said duct; an air washer interposed in said duct; means for feeding water to said washer; refrigerating means arranged to cool said Water and including a condenser having a precooler portion in said duct in heat exchanging relation with air leaving thewasher, and a main condensing portion not in such heat exchanging relation; means interposed between the pre-cooler portion and the main portion to permit flow from the pre-cooler to the main portion and preclude back flow; and means for delivering hot gaseous refrigerant to the main condensing portion in varying proportions both directly and indirectly through the pre-cooler portion.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

THOMAS SHIPLEY

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