Abstract: An air distribution unit for mounting in the wall or floor of a room having a plenum space behind the wall or floor, comprises a housing having an air inlet for communication with the plenum space and an air outlet; a blower between the air inlet and air outlet for drawing air from the plenum space and exhausting it through the air outlet into the room; and a grill assembly mounted over the air outlet. The grill assembly has aerodynamically profiled air distribution channels which may be circumferentially disposed, extending between the upper and lower surfaces thereof. The air distribution channels open out onto the upper surface of the grill assembly at a shallow angle in a radially outward direction so that air flowing out of said channels is directed outwardly at an angle of between about 15.degree. and 45.degree. to the plane of the grill assembly.

Abstract: A personal environment system for creating a user-definable local environt within a localized zone in an ambient space, comprises a modular housing mountable in said localized zone and having an air inlet, an air outlet incorporating a diffuser for distributing conditioned air into said localized zone, an air flow channel between said air inlet and said air outlet, and a channel for a thermal fluid for supplying or carrying away heat. a blower means causes air to flow through the air channel. A heat exchanger between the air flow channel and the thermal fluid channel and includes a thermoelectric heat pump to effect transfer of heat between air flowing through the air flow channel and the thermal fluid channel.