Abstract: An exhaust hood captures and contains a thermal plume with a minimum of exhaust air by defining a short-throw planar jet around a protected perimeter. Corner interference is mitigated by various mechanisms including having at least one of adjacent planar jets run only partly along a respective edge such that said first and second curtain jets do not meet at said corner; having a direction of the planar jets proximate corners where they meet being intermediate between respective directions of the jets along respective main portions of the perimeter; or having a direction of the jets of one of the adjacent edges be horizontal while the other is vertical.

Abstract: A flow control device has a duct section with a plurality of damper blocking elements, each having a major plane. The damper blocking elements are pivotably connected to the duct section and movable in a range that is limited to ensure that, when the duct section is mounted in a preferred orientation, the damper blocking element major planes always form an angle of at least 45 degrees from the horizontal throughout the range. The range is such that the plurality of damper blocking elements can selectively close and open the duct. The blocking elements can completely close the duct, for example, to block natural convection.

Abstract: Exhaust capture and containment are enhanced by means of automatic or manual side skirts, a sensitive breach detector based on interference effects, a combination of vertical and horizontal edge jets, and/or corner jets that are directed to the center diagonally from corners. Associated control functions are described.

Abstract: A low profile exhaust hood has a high inlet and a high aspect ratio of horizontal to vertical. A sloping wall of the recess guides hot plumes upwardly to the inlet. The inlet is sized to provide an exhaust face velocity that is at least as high as a highest possible plume velocity for a 400 F oven. The inlet is located high and forwardly to cause a suction zone to be generated near the forward edge of the hood to aid in capturing plumes tending to escape which are remote from the sloping wall.

Abstract: Displacement ventilation systems are generally poor performers when it comes to heating. The instant patent application discusses devices and systems for improving heating performance while retaining the benefits of displacement ventilation without wholesale co-location of independent space conditioning systems.

Abstract: Techniques for controlling air conditioning and transfer air in an occupied space are described. The example of a commercial restaurant is provided. Features of model based control and integration of load predictors is also described.

Abstract: A controller automatically determines drive signals by testing an exhaust system, either immediately after installation or at selected times thereafter, to determine the drive signal values that correspond to each of one or more selected flow rates. The drive signals are stored. Thereafter, the controller uses the stored values of drive signals to control the exhaust system. This avoids problems with real time control such as drift or failure of sensors and such which are very common in commercial exhaust installations.