Stackable energy transfer core spacer
A stackable spacer element for use in a energy recovery core formed by stacking a plurality of relatively thin energy transfer media (e.g. sheets, panels, or plates (un-perforated exchanger sheets) so as to define a plurality of stacked energy transfer stages providing air passages for two separate air flows.
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The present application is a division of patent application Ser. No. 10/739,412 filed on Dec. 19, 2003. The entire content of said U.S. application Ser. No. 10/739,412 is herein incorporated by reference.
This invention relates to an energy transfer element or stage which may be employed in an energy recovery core incorporated in an air conditioning system and a method of making such an energy transfer element or stage.
The present invention in particular relates to a stackable spacer element for use in an energy recovery core formed by stacking a plurality of relatively thin heat transfer media (e.g. sheets, panels, or plates (i.e. un-perforated exchanger sheets)) so as to define a plurality of stacked energy transfer stages providing air passages for two separate air flows, e.g. one for outside fresh air and one for stale interior air from an enclosure i.e. room of a building such as a house. The so formed energy recovery core may for example be used to transfer heat from discharged interior air to fresh atmospheric air. Thus for example the present invention relates to a heat recovery core of the cross-flow type, namely of the type wherein core air passages are disposed transverse (e.g. perpendicular) to each other in an interleaved fashion i.e. one passageway being transverse to the immediately adjacent passageway (or at least parts thereof). A suitably configured frame assembly may as desired or necessary be provided in contact with the bottom exchanger stage and the top exchanger stage for holding the plurality of stages in position as by a clamping type action.
Stacked type heat exchange cores are known for transferring heat between supplied atmospheric air and discharged interior air without allowing them to mix with each other; see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,832,993 and 5,181,562. It is known that energy recovery cores may be of two types, namely cross flow cores and counter flow cores.
For cross flow cores it is known for example to use a corrugated board type heat exchanger in an air conditioning system or the like. In order to make such an exchanger, generally rectangular heat exchanging paper sheets and corrugated partitions are alternately stacked one on top of the other. The heat-exchange paper sheets and the corrugated partitions are also bonded to each other to preventing air from mixing between adjacent air passages. The directions of the partitions on opposite sides of a paper sheet are disposed so as to be oriented at right angles to each other such that two perpendicular air flow passages of triangular cross section are provided. Heat exchange is performed between air flowing through these air flow passages.
It is also known to provide an exchanger core made up of a plurality of heat exchange elements each of which comprises a heat exchanging paper sheet and a plurality of parallel vertically extending partition pieces formed from a synthetic resin. The partition pieces are vertically mounted on one side of the paper sheet; the synthetic resin partition pieces are formed integrally with the paper sheet. A large number of such heat exchange elements are stacked so that the direction of the partition pieces of each heat exchange element are alternately changed by 90 degrees. In this construction, each air flow passage has a rectangular cross section, which can reduce the air flow pressure loss as compared with the above-described corrugated core structure. However, producing the above-described heat exchange elements requires special production equipment and forming dies, resulting in relatively high production costs for this type of the heat exchange element. It would be advantageous to have an energy recovery element able to facilitate the manufacture of an energy recovery core for effective transfer of heat between fluids ((e.g. such as air) flowing through an energy recovery device. It would also be advantageous to be able to assemble an energy recovery core using self positioning spacer members. It would further be advantageous to be able to provide a peripheral energy transfer core spacer or use in the construction of an energy recovery core comprising a core stack comprising alternate layers of an energy transfer media of relatively thin material (e.g. sheets, plates, or the like) and spacer members. It would further be advantageous if a such energy transfer media and spacers could be stacked in successive, if so desired adhesive-less, layers so as to define a core. It would also be advantageous if the spacers could be provided with tongue/mortise aspects for interlocking adjacent spacers together.
STATEMENT OF INVENTIONThus the present invention provides a stackable energy transfer core spacer comprising a peripheral frame member,
-
- said peripheral frame member extending about and defining a framed core opening,
- said peripheral frame member having a pair of opposed major sides,
- said peripheral frame member comprising
- a pair of side opening components and
- a pair of side wall components,
- each side opening component comprising a framed side opening in fluid (i.e. air) communication with said framed core opening,
- each side wall component respectively interconnecting said side opening components, said spacer being configured such that said spacer may be oriented and stacked, major side to major side, on top of a second like spacer, with an intermediate air to air energy transfer or exchanger sheet extending across (i.e. covering) the framed core openings and being sandwiched between the frame members of both spacers so that the spacers and the energy transfer sheet define a pair of transversely oriented (i.e. non-parallel) fluid (i.e. air) paths on opposite sides of the energy transfer sheet, each fluid (i.e. air) path extending from one respective framed side opening through a respective framed core opening to the other respective framed side opening of a respective spacer.
The present invention further provides a fluid to fluid (e.g. an air to air) energy recovery core having a first fluid (e.g. air) path and a separate second fluid (e.g. air) path, each fluid (e.g. air) path having a respective fluid (e.g. air) inlet and a respective fluid (e.g. air) outlet, said core comprising a stack of one or more successive energy transfer stages, each such stage comprising an energy transfer sheet having opposed major faces and a pair of spacers engaging opposite major faces of the sheet, each of said spacers being a spacer as defined herein, said spacers being oriented and disposed relative to each other so that the spacers and the energy transfer sheet define a pair of transversely oriented fluid (i.e. air) paths on opposite sides of the energy transfer sheet, each fluid (i.e. air) path extending from one respective framed side opening through a respective framed core opening to the other respective framed side opening of a respective spacer, the framed side openings of one frame member each respectively defining a respective element of the fluid (e.g. air) inlet and fluid (e.g. air) outlet of the first fluid (e.g. air) path and the framed side openings of the other frame member each respectively defining a respective element of the fluid (e.g. air) inlet and fluid (e.g. air) outlet of the second fluid (e.g. air) path.
In accordance with the present invention a stackable energy transfer core spacer may comprise a peripheral frame member wherein, on each major side thereof, the peripheral frame member comprises an inter-registrable tongue/mortise interlock element. In accordance with the present invention a frame member may be configured such that when the air to air energy transfer sheet is sandwiched between said frame member and the frame member of a second like spacer, the air to air energy transfer sheet is sandwiched between tongue/mortise interlock elements of said frame member and the frame member of said second like spacer.
In accordance with the present invention a stackable heat transfer core spacer (e.g. frame member thereof) may have a square configuration, a hexagonal configuration, etc.
In accordance with the present invention a spacer may, for example, further comprise, disposed in the framed core opening one or more (e.g. a plurality) elongated channel or rib elements which may as desired or necessary extend from one first framed side opening to the other, for guiding air between the framed side openings. In the latter case, a framed side opening may thus take on the form of a single opening or be comprised of a plurality of opening units, i.e. if guide rib elements are present. Alternatively, some or all of the channel or rib elements may extend to only one of the framed side openings and/or be disposed entirely within the framed core opening (i.e. not extending to a framed side opening. The channel or rib elements may be configured so as to facilitate fluid (e.g. air) flow between framed side openings through the framed core opening. The channel or rib elements may be connected to the frame member in any suitable desired or necessary manner. In accordance with the present invention the channel or rib air may merely rest up against the adjacent air to air heat transfer sheet, i.e. they are not attached to nor integral with the air to air heat transfer sheet.
A stackable energy transfer core spacer of the present invention may, for example, be a unitary (e.g. integrally molded) spacer of synthetic resin or plastics material.
A stackable energy transfer core spacer in accordance with the present invention may as mentioned above, be used for the construction of an energy transfer core (e.g. providing alternating cross-flow channels for energy or heat exchange between two fluid streams) wherein a plurality of like spacers are stacked in successive layers, with energy transfer media in the form of sheets or the (e.g. total heat transfer media) sandwiched between adjacent spacers, so as to define an energy transfer core. In other words, in accordance with the present invention an energy recovery core may thus comprise one or more (e.g. a plurality of) successive energy transfer stages, each such stage comprising an energy or heat transfer media in the form of a sheet (e.g. sheet panel or the like) and a pair of spacers disposed on opposite major faces of the media, said spacers comprising a peripheral frame defining a framed opening or space and a pair of peripheral framed edge openings communicating with the framed opening space. The framed edge openings may, for example, as mentioned herein, be on opposite sides of the frame member, i.e. the frame member may have a square configuration.
As may be understood, the frame member may be configured such that when a like spacer is stacked on top of a like spacer, with a fluid to fluid (e.g. air to air) energy transfer sheet sandwiched therebetween, the frame members of each spacer may engage the periphery of the energy transfer sheet so as to form a partition between the framed core opening of each spacer.
In accordance with the present invention the energy transfer media may sandwiched between the frame members of first and second adjacent spacers so as to define an air tight joints, the air tightness being provided by the presence of a suitable adhesive or be induced mechanically by any suitable clamping type mechanism which forces the opposed spacers to press together to squeeze the heat transfer media therebetween.
The spacer may take on any suitable configuration provided that it has the requisite side opening and side wall components which allow for an energy recovery core to be built up from a single spacer configuration, the core having a first inlet interconnected with a first outlet and a second inlet interconnected with a second outlet. Keeping the above in mind the spacer may have a circular shape; it may have a polygonal shape such as a square, hexagon, etc.
If the frame member of a spacer has a square configuration then the frame member may be configured such that when the spacer is oriented 90 degrees in its plane with respect to the like spacer and the like spacer is stacked on top of the spacer with heat transfer media therebetween the above mentioned air paths are defined by the spacers and heat transfer media on opposite sides of the energy transfer media (see below). Alternatively, instead of being rotated a spacer may have to be flipped over 180 degrees with respect to an underlying spacer; see for example the hexagonal configuration as described below.
The reference to the expressions “energy transfer sheet”, “heat exchanger sheet” or the like is of course, to be understood herein, to be a reference to a sheet or the like which is non-permeable to fluid (e.g. air) so as to avoid mixing of air on opposite sides of the sheet; similarly with respect to the expression “energy transfer media”.
As mentioned herein a frame member may further comprise on each of the opposite major sides thereof tongue/mortise interlock elements wherein a tongue interlock element is able to register with (e.g. in) a mortise interlock element so as to interlock adjacent like spacers with a heat exchange sheet panel sandwiched therebetween such that relative lateral movement (i.e. forward rearward and/or sideward movement) is inhibited.
It is to be understood herein that the word “sheet” in relation to the expressions “energy transfer sheet”, “energy recovery sheet”, “energy exchanger sheet” and the like is to include panels as well as plates and the like, i.e. an energy transfer media of relatively thin material (e.g. sheets, plates, or the like).
The energy exchanger or transfer sheet may be of any suitable (known) material able to facilitate sensible heat transfer and if so desired the transfer of humidity (i.e. water vapor) as well; in other words the sheet may be able to transfer of latent heat as well as sensible heat (i.e. total heat). Such heat transfer media sheets are known and can be made from numerous different materials, including specially treated paper sheets, fiberglass reinforced sheets or any other type suitable for the application.
It is to be understood herein that a tongue/mortise interlock element may comprise a tongue member, a mortise member or both.
It is also to be understood herein that a reference to the expression “inter-registrable tongue/mortise interlock element” as it is applied to a major side of a frame member characterises a “tongue/mortise interlock element” as being configured to register or be able to register with a “tongue/mortise interlock element” on a major side of the frame member of another like spacer. In other words the tongue/mortise interlock elements are to be configured such that when an air to air heat exchanger sheet is sandwiched between the frame members of a pair of like spacers, the tongue/mortise interlock element on the major side of one spacer is able to register with the tongue/mortise interlock element on the opposed adjacent major side of the other spacer disposed.
The tongue/mortise interlock elements on opposite major sides of a spacer may take on any desired or necessary configuration. It is, however, to be kept in mind that these elements are to respectively cooperate with the tongue/mortise interlock elements of like upper or underlying spacer(s) as the case may be such that when such spacers are stacked together the complementary tongue and mortise elements thereof define a pair of interlocked elements able to inhibit lateral displacement of the spacers relative to each other. These elements may also be exploited for the self alignment of one spacer with respect to another like spacer.
The upper major side of a spacer may, for example, have a tongue element formed with a convex part(s) whereas the corresponding mortise element on the opposite major side may be formed with a complementary concave recess(es).
The tongue/mortise elements may for example be disposed so as to be spaced apart from the side ends of a spacer, so as to be disposed adjacent one side end or so as to extend from one side end to the other side end. The tongue/mortise elements of a spacer block may for example longitudinally extend along a side of a frame member either completely, partially or intermittently.
The member(s) of the tongue/mortise element of one major side of a frame member may be aligned with the member(s) of the tongue/mortise element of the other opposite major side of a spacer. Alternatively the opposed members may be offset (e.g. outwardly or inwardly) with respect to each other as, for example, discussed below.
Although like spacers may be provided with tongue/mortise interlock elements on opposite major sides thereof, such spacers may in accordance with the present invention nevertheless be provided with a tongue/mortise elements which are sized and configured relative to each other so as to permit limited adjustment (i.e. positional adjustment) of a spacer, i.e. to allow for a minor amount of clearance or play between the tongue/mortise interlock elements.
In drawings which illustrate example embodiments of the present invention
Turning now to
Referring to
On each major side of the frame member 16, the frame member 16 has a peripheral square ring engagement surface. The engagement surface associated with the major side 18 as seen, has a portion thereof defined by each of the side wall components 24 and the first elements 26; similarly for the square ring surface associated with the other opposite major side 20 (hidden from view) has a portion thereof defined by each of the side wall components 24 and the second elements 28. Although each portion of the engagement surface on major side 18 is shown with an essentially flat engagement surface, the surfaces may alternatively take on any other suitable aspect. They may for example take on a tongue and mortise aspect as discussed herein. In any event, as shall be further discussed below, the opposed engagement surfaces are both configured for engaging in sandwich fashion an air to air energy transfer sheet extending across the framed core opening 22. The engagement may, for example, be facilitated either through the use of a suitable adhesive material or by any suitable means for urging the spacers together in a mechanical pinching or clamping action about the exchanger sheet; the engagement is advantageously such that the energy transfer sheet may act as a kind of gasket so as to provide an air tight joint between adjacent engagement surfaces. If an adhesive is used it may be applied between one or both of the square ring engagement surfaces and a sandwiched energy transfer sheet.
Thus turning to
Turning to
The core as shown in
As shown in
The fresh air introduced into the enclosure and the air discharged from the enclosure room flow through respective air passages or paths of the energy recovery core, perpendicularly to each other, the perpendicular air paths being defined by the alternately stacked spacers components as described above. Energy is transferred between the air introduced into the enclosure and the air discharged from the enclosure while they are flowing through respective air path or passages of the energy recovery core.
As mentioned above, a spacer may be configured to have (cooperating) tongue and mortise interlock aspects. Thus, for example, referring back to
Thus, for example, referring back to
Although the frame member shown in
Referring to
Thus the stackable energy transfer core spacer shown in
The frame member 64 extends about a framed core opening 82. A number of additional elements are disposed in the framed core opening 82, namely a plurality of air guide or rib elements (one such rib element begin designated by the reference numeral 84) which as shown take the form of “S” shaped air guiding members. The end tip of each rib guiding element is also rounded to minimize pressure drop. Furthermore, to increase the stiffness of the spacer, three stiffening members or elements 86, 88 and 90 are also disposed in the framed core opening 82; these stiffening members 86, 88 and 90, as seen, extend across the framed core opening 82 and have ends connected to the frame member 64. The stiffening members 86, 88 and 90 are also connected to the bottoms of the air guide or rib elements to provide support and stiffness thereto. The stiffening members 86, 88 and 90 are relatively thin as compared to the height of the air guide or rib elements so as to not block off the air channels ultimately definable by the air guide or rib elements (see for example the view of the spacer as seen in
Referring back to
As well as being connected to the stiffening members 86 and 88 half of the air guide or rib elements are connected at their respective ends to the side opening components 66 whereas the remaining half are connected at their respective ends to the stiffening members 86 and 88. In this manner the above mentioned triangular zones 92 and 94 also define adjacent to the framed side openings 68 of the side opening components 66 two low restriction zones. These low restriction zones have 50% less guiding members to reduce the amount of friction caused by the presence of the air guide or rib elements (e.g. plastic vanes).
Referring to
Thus each first side opening component 66 comprises a first tongue (interlock) element designated respectively 96 as well as an inwardly offset second tongue (interlock) element designated respectively 98. As may be seen the first and second tongue elements 96 and 98 are on opposite major sides of the frame member 64. As may be seen the inwardly offset second tongue interlock element 98 of one said first side opening components 66 is disposed on one major side and the inwardly offset second tongue interlock element 98 of the other of said first side opening components 66 is disposed on the other opposite major side.
Each pair of first and second tongue elements as may be appreciated are spaced apart so as to define the framed side opening 68, each framed side opening 68 being in fluid (i.e. air) communication with said framed core opening 82, i.e. in fluid (i.e. air) communication with the channels or paths defined by the air guide or rib elements 84.
As mention above each second side wall component comprises two side wall elements 70 and 80.
The side wall elements designated 70 each comprise a first mortise element 100 (i.e. a longitudinally extending groove) and an inwardly offset second mortise element 102 (i.e. a longitudinally extending groove) which are disposed on a respective opposite major sides of the frame member 64; see as well
The first and second tongue elements 96 and 98 of the each first side opening component 66 is configured and disposed to be able to register with a respective first and second mortise element 100 and 102 of a respective side wall element 70 of an adjacent like spacer.
On the other hand the second wall elements designated 80 each comprise an first tongue element 104 (i.e. a longitudinally extending projection) aligned with a first mortise element 106 (i.e. a longitudinally extending groove) which are disposed on a respective opposite major sides of the frame member. The first tongue element 104 of one of said second side wall elements 80 is disposed on one of the major sides while the first tongue element 104 of the other of said second side wall elements 80 is disposed on the opposite major side of the frame member. The first tongue elements 104 are configured and disposed to be able to register with a respective first mortise element 106 of a respective side wall element 80 of an adjacent like spacer
Thus as may be appreciated from
The various elements of the core assembly shown in
Referring to
Referring back to
Turning to
Referring top
For those spacers as shown in
Referring to
Thus for example with respect to a snap lock means as shown in
Claims
1. A stackable energy transfer core spacer comprising a peripheral frame member,
- said peripheral frame member extending about and defining a framed core opening,
- said peripheral frame member having a pair of opposed major sides,
- said peripheral frame member comprising a pair of side opening components
- and a pair of side wall components,
- each side opening component comprising a framed side opening in air communication with said framed core opening,
- each side wall component respectively interconnecting said side opening components, said spacer being configured such that said spacer may be oriented and stacked, major side to major side, on top of a second like spacer, with an intermediate air to air energy transfer sheet extending across the framed core openings and being sandwiched between the frame members of both spacers so that the spacers and the energy transfer sheet define a pair of transversely oriented air paths on opposite sides of the energy transfer sheet, each air path extending from one respective framed side opening through a respective framed core opening to the other respective framed side opening of a respective spacer.
2. A stackable energy transfer core spacer as defined in claim 1 wherein said peripheral frame member, on each major side thereof, comprises an inter-registrable tongue/mortise interlock element.
3. A stackable energy transfer core spacer as defined in claim 2 wherein said frame member is configured such that when the air to air energy transfer sheet is sandwiched between said frame member and the frame member of said second like spacer, the air to air energy transfer sheet is sandwiched between tongue/mortise interlock elements of said frame member and the frame member of said second like spacer.
4. A stackable heat transfer core spacer as defined in claim 1 having a square configuration.
5. A stackable heat transfer core spacer as defined in claim 1 having a hexagonal configuration.
6. A stackable energy transfer core spacer as defined in claim 1 wherein the spacer comprises one or more rib air guide elements disposed in the framed core opening, said rib air guide elements being connected to the frame member.
7. An air to air energy recovery core having a first air path and a separate second air path, each air path having a respective air inlet and a respective air outlet, said core comprising a stack of one or more successive heat transfer stages, each such stage comprising an energy transfer sheet having opposed major faces and a pair of spacers engaging opposite major faces of the sheet, each of said spacers being a spacer as defined in claim 1, said spacers being oriented and disposed relative to each other so that the spacers and the energy transfer sheet define a pair of transversely oriented air paths on opposite sides of the energy transfer sheet, each air path extending from one respective framed side opening through a respective framed core opening to the other respective framed side opening of a respective spacer, the framed side openings of one frame member each respectively defining a respective element of the air inlet and air outlet of the first air path and the framed side openings of the other frame member each respectively defining a respective element of the air inlet and air outlet of the second air path.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 21, 2007
Publication Date: Nov 20, 2008
Applicant:
Inventors: Martin Gagnon (Saint-Charles-de-Drummond), Martin Gamelin (St-Francois-du-Lac), Michel Julien (Drummondville)
Application Number: 12/003,335
International Classification: F24H 3/02 (20060101);