High Efficiency Hybrid Air Conditioning System
A hybrid air conditioning system (45) having both a conventional air conditioning system (46) and thermoelectric modules (80, 85, 90, 95) to provide heating and cooling, the thermoelectric modules (80, 85, 90, 95) providing waste heat or waste cooling to offset the demand on the conventional air conditioning system (46) and thereby reducing energy consumption and enhancing efficiency of the overall system (45).
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a hybrid air conditioning system that uses conventional air conditioning equipment to provide primary temperature control and thermoelectric cooling and/or heating devices to provide localized temperature control.
2. Description of Related Art
The efficiency of hydronic cooling systems is dependent upon the chilled water setting temperature or the evaporator setting temperature. For a given system and a fixed ambient environment, the higher the temperature setting, the greater will be the system efficiency. Similarly, the efficiency of a heating system is directly dependent upon the condenser or heating water temperature in a conventional system. In this instance, again, for a given system and a fixed ambient environment, the lower the temperature setting the greater the system efficiency will be.
A thermoelectric device consists of semiconductor materials that transfer heat from the first side or heat source side to a second side or heat sink side as charge carriers move through the materials. Thermoelectric cooling and heating systems operate at higher efficiency when there is a small temperature difference between the heat source side and the heat sink side. A thermoelectric device is also more responsive to the change in temperature settings, higher reliability and lower maintenance needs because they have fewer moving parts than conventional systems. Such systems are also more responsive to temperature settings, lower in weight, quieter and can be more accurately controlled.
Vapor compression and absorption based air conditioning systems are used for cooling residential and commercial buildings where multiple zone temperature control is the most efficient mode and provides the greatest comfort to occupants. This on-demand zoning comfort control is difficult and expensive to realize using a conventional air conditioning system because the entire evaporator and condenser units have to be activated whenever there is a cooling need. A hybrid air conditioning system incorporating thermoelectric cooling devices has the capability to operate for partial cooling without running the prime cooling system at all times. Such a hybrid air conditioning system will achieve both efficiency and comfort for users.
Furthermore, by applying a hybrid cooling system that incorporates both conventional air conditioning and thermoelectric cooling, the conventional equipment can operate at a higher evaporator temperature or chilled water temperature compared to non-hybrid equipment. Therefore the cooling system is able to operate at a higher cooling efficiency. Similarly, such a hybrid system for heating allows its conventional equipment to operate at a lower condenser or heating water temperature compared to the conventional application and the thermoelectric devices may operate at small temperature differential condition, whereby the hybrid system operates at a higher efficiency.
Accordingly, there is a need for an air conditioning system that incorporates a bulk conventional system with a thermoelectric distributed system that enhances overall system efficiency and improved comfort level by utilizing waste heat and/or cool and redirected electricity in a more reliable and responsive system for zoned temperature control.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIt is an object of the present invention to provide a hybrid system for an air conditioned space that uses conventional air conditioning equipment and thermoelectric heating and cooling devices.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a hybrid system for an air conditioned space that has thermoelectric elements that can selectively provide zoned heating and/or cooling in the air conditioned space.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a hybrid system for an air conditioned space that uses conventional and thermoelectric heating/cooling elements to reduce the overall energy consumption of the air conditioned space.
It is still yet a further object of the present invention to provide a hybrid system for an air conditioned space that uses conventional and the waste heat from thermoelectric heating/cooling elements to enhance the overall efficiency of the hybrid system.
It is still yet a further object of the present invention to provide a hybrid system for air conditioning that is controlled by occupants' demand with the aid of sensors to enhance the efficiency of the cooling system.
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The benefit of using thermoelectric modules in either a cooling application or a heating application in a localized space within a larger air conditioned space is that such modules contribute to the overall system efficiency of the hybrid system. Additionally, such a system will have reduced energy consumption costs associated with the conventional portion of the system. Further, the responsiveness of a system in achieving a desired temperature using thermoelectric modules is much greater than the responsiveness of conventional air conditioning system elements.
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Another embodiment of a hybrid air conditioning system 300 of the present invention is shown in
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While the instant disclosure has been described with reference to one or more exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope thereof. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the disclosure without departing from the scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A hybrid air conditioning system for conditioning a space containing several spaces comprising:
- a conventional air conditioning system for providing cooling and heating to said space, and
- at least one thermoelectric module located within one of the several spaces separate from said space, said at least one thermoelectric module capable of providing heating in a heating mode and cooling in a cooling mode;
- wherein said at least one thermoelectric module generates waste heat or cool that is transported to heat or cool the other of the several spaces, thereby increasing an efficiency of said conventional air conditioning system and by reducing electric demand.
2. The hybrid air conditioning system of claim 1, wherein said conventional air conditioning system can be set at a temperature T1, and said at least one thermoelectric module (can be set at temperature T2, different from T1.
3. The hybrid air conditioning system of claim 2, wherein said conventional system is set at a temperature T1, and when said at least one thermoelectric module is set to a temperature T2, higher than T1, wherein waste cooling generated by said at least one thermoelectric module is capable of being used by said conventional system to achieve said set temperature T1.
4. The hybrid air conditioning system of claim 1, wherein when said conventional system is set at a temperature T1, and wherein when said at least one thermoelectric module is set to a temperature T2, lower than T1, wherein waste heat generated by said at least one thermoelectric module is capable of being utilized by said conventional system to achieve set temperature T1.
5. The hybrid system of claim 1, wherein said conventional air conditioning system further comprises a compressor, an evaporator, a linear diffuser and a thermostat.
6. The hybrid system of claim 1, further comprises a temperature sensor in said air conditioned space, said temperature sensor capable of adjusting an amount of heating or cooling generated by said conventional system in response to waste heat generated by said at least one thermoelectric module.
7. The hybrid air conditioning system of claim 1, wherein said at least one thermoelectric modules is a plurality of thermoelectric modules each located within a space separate from others of said plurality of modules.
8. The hybrid air conditioning system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of thermoelectric modules are each adjustable to a temperature.
9. (canceled)
10. A hybrid air conditioning system for conditioning a space containing several spaces comprising:
- a conventional air conditioning system for providing cooling and heating to said space, and
- a thermoelectric air conditioning system for providing localized cooling and or heating to a portion of said space separate from said space, said thermoelectric air conditioning system having at least one thermoelectric module in one of the several spaces that is capable of providing heating in a heating mode and cooling in a cooling mode; wherein said thermoelectric air conditioning system is capable of increasing an efficiency of said conventional air conditioning systems by transporting waste heat or cool from the at least one thermoelectric module to other of the several spaces, thereby utilizing the waste heat/cool generated by said hybrid air conditioning system and reducing electric demand on said conventional air conditioning system.
11. The hybrid air conditioning system of claim 10, wherein said hybrid air conditioning system further comprises a plurality of thermoelectric modules.
12. The hybrid air conditioning system of claim 10, wherein said plurality of thermoelectric modules are located within said portion of said space separate from said space.
13. The hybrid air conditioning system of claim 11, wherein said conventional air conditioning system can be set at a temperature T1, and said at least one of said plurality of thermoelectric modules can be set at temperature T2, different from T1.
14. The hybrid air conditioning system of claim 10, wherein said conventional air conditioning system is set at a temperature T1, and when said at least one of said plurality of thermoelectric modules is set to a temperature T2, different than T1, wherein waste heat or cooling generated by said at least one of said plurality of thermoelectric modules is capable of being used by said conventional system to achieve said set temperature T1.
15. The hybrid system of claim 1, wherein said conventional air conditioning system further comprises a compressor, an evaporator, a linear diffuser and a thermostat.
16. The hybrid system of claim 1, further comprises a temperature sensor in said air conditioned space, said temperature sensor capable of adjusting an amount of heating or cooling generated by said conventional system in response to waste heat or cooling generated by said at least one of said plurality thermoelectric modules.
17. (canceled)
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 10, 2006
Publication Date: Apr 16, 2009
Inventors: Xiaomei Yu (Glastonbury, CT), Lei Chen (South Windsor, CT)
Application Number: 12/224,775
International Classification: F25B 21/02 (20060101); F25D 23/00 (20060101);