HEATING SYSTEM FOR HVAC SYSTEM

Abstract

A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system a housing defining a chamber configured to receive a first air flow and a second air flow, and the chamber includes a first section having a first heating coil disposed at a first oblique angle relative to an axis extending along a length of the chamber and a second section having a second heating coil disposed at a second oblique angle relative the axis. The HVAC system also includes a first blower disposed within the housing and configured to direct the first air flow into the first section and across the first heating coil and a second blower disposed within the housing and configured to direct the second air flow into the second section and across the second heating coil.

Description

BACKGROUND

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure and are described below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be noted that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are utilized to control environmental properties, such as temperature and humidity, for occupants of residential, commercial, and industrial environments. The HVAC systems may control the environmental properties via control of an air flow delivered to the environment. For example, an HVAC system may include one or more blowers configured to direct an air flow across one or more heat exchangers configured to transfer heat to and/or from the air flow. Unfortunately, in existing HVAC systems, heat exchangers may be oriented and/or arranged in a manner that causes uneven conditioning of the air flow directed across the heat exchangers. Further, certain existing heat exchanger arrangements may accommodate a single air flow discharge of the HVAC system. Accordingly, it is now recognized that an improved heat exchanger arrangements for HVAC systems are desired.

SUMMARY

A summary of certain embodiments disclosed herein is set forth below. It should be noted that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a brief summary of these certain embodiments and that these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Indeed, this disclosure may encompass a variety of aspects that may not be set forth below.

In one embodiment, a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a housing defining a chamber configured to receive a first air flow and a second air flow, and the chamber includes a first section having a first heating coil disposed at a first oblique angle relative to an axis extending along a length of the chamber and a second section having a second heating coil disposed at a second oblique angle relative the axis. The HVAC system also includes a first blower disposed within the housing and configured to direct the first air flow into the first section and across the first heating coil and a second blower disposed within the housing and configured to direct the second air flow into the second section and across the second heating coil.

In another embodiment, a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a housing defining a chamber, a first blower coupled to the housing, the first blower is configured to direct a first air flow into the chamber, and a second blower coupled to the housing, where the second blower is configured to direct a second air flow into the chamber. The HVAC system also includes a plurality of heating coils disposed within the chamber. The plurality of heating coils includes a first heating coil disposed within the chamber and beneath the first blower, relative to gravity, a second heating coil disposed within the chamber and beneath the first heating coil, relative to gravity, a third heating coil disposed within the chamber and beneath the second blower, relative to gravity, and a fourth heating coil disposed within the chamber and beneath the third heating coil, relative to gravity.

In a further embodiment, a heating assembly of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a first wall, a second wall, and a third wall coupled to the first wall and the second wall. The heating assembly also includes components section including a power source, where the components section is at least partially defined by the third wall. The heating assembly further includes a plurality of heating coils coupled to the first wall and the second wall, where the plurality of heating coils is configured to receive electrical energy from the power source. The plurality of walls includes a first heating coil extending at a first oblique angle relative to the third wall, a second heating coil extending at a first non-oblique angle relative to the third wall, a third heating coil extending at a second non-oblique angle relative to the third wall, and a fourth heating coil extending at a second oblique angle relative to the third wall.

DRAWINGS

Various aspects of this disclosure may be better understood upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a building incorporating an embodiment of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system for environmental management in a commercial setting, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a packaged HVAC unit, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a cutaway perspective view of an embodiment of a residential, split HVAC system, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a vapor compression system that may be used in an HVAC system, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematic of an embodiment of an HVAC unit including a heating system, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view schematic of an embodiment of an HVAC unit including a heating system, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional, schematic side view of an embodiment of a portion of an HVAC unit including a heating system, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional, schematic side view of an embodiment of a portion of an HVAC unit including a heating system, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a heating system, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One or more specific embodiments will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all features of an actual implementation are described in the specification. It should be noted that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers'specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be noted that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Additionally, it should be noted that references to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features.

As used herein, the terms “approximately,” “generally,” and “substantially,” and so forth, are intended to convey that the property value being described may be within a relatively small range of the property value, as those of ordinary skill would understand. For example, when a property value is described as being “approximately” equal to (or, for example, “substantially similar” to) a given value, this is intended to mean that the property value may be within +/−5%, within +/−4%, within +/−3%, within +/−2%, within +/−1%, or even closer, of the given value. Similarly, when a given feature is described as being “substantially parallel” to another feature, “generally perpendicular” to another feature, and so forth, this is intended to mean that the given feature is within +/−5%, within +/−4%, within +/−3%, within +/−2%, within +/−1%, or even closer, to having the described nature, such as being parallel to another feature, being perpendicular to another feature, and so forth. Further, it should be understood that mathematical terms, such as “planar,” “slope,” “perpendicular,” “parallel,” and so forth are intended to encompass features of surfaces or elements as understood to one of ordinary skill in the relevant art, and should not be rigidly interpreted as might be understood in the mathematical arts. For example, a “planar” surface is intended to encompass a surface that is machined, molded, or otherwise formed to be substantially flat or smooth (within related tolerances) using techniques and tools available to one of ordinary skill in the art. Similarly, a surface having a “slope” is intended to encompass a surface that is machined, molded, or otherwise formed to be oriented at an angle (e.g., incline) with respect to a point of reference using techniques and tools available to one of ordinary skill in the art.

The present disclosure is directed to a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system having a heating system configured to condition an air flow directed through the HVAC system. For example, the heating system may be configured to heat the air flow as the air flow is directed across heating coils of the heating system. In some embodiments, the heating coils may be arranged in a packaged outdoor unit or a rooftop unit configured to both heat and cool the air flow, such as a supply air flow that is conditioned and directed to a conditioned space (e.g., a building). For example, the heating coils may be electric heating coils configured to convert electrical energy passing therethrough into thermal energy. Indeed, the HVAC system may include multiple heating coils configured to exchange heat with one or more air flows directed through the HVAC system. The HVAC system may also include one or more blowers configured to direct the air flow across the heating coils, thereby placing the air flow in a heat exchange relationship with the heating coils to heat the air flow.

As noted above, heating coils may be disposed within various HVAC systems, such as a rooftop unit, a packaged unit, or other housing of an HVAC unit. In some embodiments, an HVAC unit may be arranged in a side-flow configuration (e.g., side flow discharge configuration) that is configured to discharge a supply air flow through a discharge outlet formed in a lateral side (e.g., in a direction along a horizontal axis) of a housing of the HVAC unit after the supply air flow is conditioned by the HVAC unit. The supply air flow discharged from the housing may then be directed to a conditioned space via ductwork, for example. In systems employing a side-flow configuration, multiple heating coils may be disposed within a housing of the HVAC unit, and each heating coil may be associated with one or more blowers (e.g., direct drive fan, direct drive plenum fan). For example, each blower may be positioned above one or more corresponding heating coils (e.g., relative to gravity). During operation of the HVAC unit (e.g., in a heating mode), each blower may direct an air flow across the corresponding heating coil(s) to condition the air flow before the air flow is directed out of the housing (e.g., via the discharge outlet formed in the lateral side of the housing) and toward the conditioned space. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the housing of the HVAC unit may be arranged in a downflow configuration (e.g., downflow discharge configuration) that is configured to discharge the supply air flow through a discharge outlet formed in a bottom side (e.g., base) of the housing after the supply air flow is conditioned by the HVAC unit. In accordance with the present techniques, HVAC units configured in the downflow configuration may incorporate the same heating coil configuration as that of HVAC units configured in the side flow configuration. Accordingly, each blower may be positioned above one or more corresponding heating coils relative to gravity, and during operation of the HVAC system unit, each blower may direct an air flow across the corresponding heating coil(s) to condition the air flow. The air flow may then be directed out of the housing of the HVAC unit via the discharge outlet formed in the bottom side or base of the HVAC unit housing and toward the conditioned space.

It is now recognized that traditional HVAC systems employing a side flow or a down flow configuration provide inefficient conditioning and/or uneven conditioning (e.g., overheating) of a supply air flow that is conditioned by the HVAC system and directed to a conditioned space. Further, existing designs may include heating coil and blower configurations which are susceptible to overheating of the heating coils during operation of the HVAC system. For example, hot air may become stagnant within the HVAC unit and/or may recirculate within the housing of traditional HVAC systems, thereby causing overheating of the heating coils and producing inefficient and/or uneven conditioning of the supply air flow. Additionally, existing heating coil arrangements do not enable heating operation in multiple flow configurations of the HVAC unit. For example, existing systems may be configured for operation in either a down flow configuration or a side-flow configuration (e.g., one air flow discharge configuration) and may include a specific heating coil and blower configuration that is particular to the air flow discharge configuration.

Accordingly, it is now recognized that improved positioning and orientation of heating coils in HVAC systems employing a side flow configuration or a down flow configuration, in accordance with the present disclosure, may enable improved conditioning of a supply air flow generated by the HVAC system. For example, improved configuration, positioning, and/or orientation of heating coils may reduce undesired (e.g., uneven, inefficient) conditioning of the supply air flow and may limit and/or reduce a pressure drop induced in the supply air flow directed through the HVAC system towards a discharge outlet of the HVAC system. Further, the improved arrangement of the heating coils described herein may enable more efficient utilization of blowers within the HVAC system that have different and/or particular sizes and/or configurations (e.g., direct drive fans). In this way, improved orientations and configurations of heating coils may increase the flexibility and efficiency of HVAC systems. Further, the improved configuration, positioning, and/or orientation of the heating coils may enable more efficient HVAC system operation in both a down flow configurations and a side flow configuration of the HVAC system. As discussed in further detail below, an HVAC system in accordance with the present techniques may include a housing configured to support a blower assembly having a first blower and a second blower. The housing may also include one or more heating coils arranged in an oblique (e.g., slanted, angled) configuration and one or more heating coils arranged in a level or flat (e.g., horizontally-aligned, non-slanted, non-oblique) configured to heat air flows directed thereacross via the first second and the second blower. For example, heating coils in each of the oblique configuration and the level configuration may be disposed vertically (e.g., relative to gravity) beneath one of the blowers corresponding to the heating coils. The first and second blowers may be configured to direct a respective air flow across the heating coils (e.g., oblique heating coil and level heating coil) such that the air flow may be conditioned by the oblique heating coil and/or the level heating coils before the air flow is discharged from the housing as a supply air flow and is directed to a conditioned space.

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system for building environmental management that may employ one or more HVAC units. As used herein, an HVAC system includes any number of components configured to enable regulation of parameters related to climate characteristics, such as temperature, humidity, air flow, pressure, air quality, and so forth. For example, an “HVAC system” as used herein is defined as conventionally understood and as further described herein. Components or parts of an “HVAC system” may include, but are not limited to, all, some of, or individual parts such as a heat exchanger, a heater, an air flow control device, such as a fan, a sensor configured to detect a climate characteristic or operating parameter, a filter, a control device configured to regulate operation of an HVAC system component, a component configured to enable regulation of climate characteristics, or a combination thereof. An “HVAC system” is a system configured to provide such functions as heating, cooling, ventilation, dehumidification, pressurization, refrigeration, filtration, or any combination thereof. The embodiments described herein may be utilized in a variety of applications to control climate characteristics, such as residential, commercial, industrial, transportation, or other applications where climate control is desired.

In the illustrated embodiment, a building 10 is air conditioned by a system that includes an HVAC unit 12. The building 10 may be a commercial structure or a residential structure. As shown, the HVAC unit 12 is disposed on the roof of the building 10; however, the HVAC unit 12 may be located in other equipment rooms or areas adjacent the building 10. The HVAC unit 12 may be a single package unit containing other equipment, such as a blower, integrated air handler, and/or auxiliary heating unit. In other embodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may be part of a split HVAC system, such as the system shown in FIG. 3, which includes an outdoor HVAC unit 58 and an indoor HVAC unit 56.

The HVAC unit 12 is an air cooled device that implements a refrigeration cycle to provide conditioned air to the building 10. Specifically, the HVAC unit 12 may include one or more heat exchangers across which an air flow is passed to condition the air flow before the air flow is supplied to the building. In the illustrated embodiment, the HVAC unit 12 is a rooftop unit (RTU) that conditions a supply air stream, such as environmental air and/or a return air flow from the building 10. After the HVAC unit 12 conditions the air, the air is supplied to the building 10 via ductwork 14 extending throughout the building 10 from the HVAC unit 12. For example, the ductwork 14 may extend to various individual floors or one or more zones of the building 10 and each zone may further comprise one or more outdoor air hoods equipped with filters. In certain embodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may be a heat pump that provides both heating and cooling to the building with one vapor compression circuit configured to operate in different modes. In other embodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may include one or more refrigeration circuits for cooling an air stream and a furnace for heating the air stream.

A control device 16, one type of which may be a thermostat, may be used to designate the temperature of the conditioned air. The control device 16 also may be used to control the flow of air through the ductwork 14. For example, the control device 16 may be used to regulate operation of one or more components of the HVAC unit 12 or other components, such as dampers and fans, within the building 10 that may control flow of air through and/or from the ductwork 14. In some embodiments, other devices may be included in the system, such as pressure and/or temperature transducers or switches that sense the temperatures and pressures of the supply air, return air, and so forth. Moreover, the control device 16 may include computer systems that are integrated with or separate from other building control or monitoring systems, and even systems that are remote from the building 10.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the HVAC unit 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the HVAC unit 12 is a single package unit that may include one or more independent vapor compression circuits and components that are tested, charged, wired, piped, and ready for installation. The HVAC unit 12 may provide a variety of heating and/or cooling functions, such as cooling only, heating only, cooling with electric heat, cooling with dehumidification, cooling with gas heat, or cooling with a heat pump. As described above, the HVAC unit 12 may directly cool and/or heat an air flow provided to the building 10 to condition a space in the building 10.

As shown in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 2, a cabinet 24 encloses the HVAC unit 12 and provides structural support and protection to the internal components from environmental and other contaminants. In some embodiments, the cabinet 24 may be constructed of galvanized steel and insulated with aluminum foil faced insulation. Rails 26 may be joined to the bottom perimeter of the cabinet 24 and provide a foundation for the HVAC unit 12. In certain embodiments, the rails 26 may provide access for a forklift and/or overhead rigging to facilitate installation and/or removal of the HVAC unit 12. In some embodiments, the rails 26 may fit onto “curbs” on the roof to enable the HVAC unit 12 to provide air to the ductwork 14 from the bottom of the HVAC unit 12 while blocking elements such as rain from leaking into the building 10.

The HVAC unit 12 includes heat exchangers 28 and 30 in fluid communication with one or more vapor compression circuits. Tubes within the heat exchangers 28 and 30 may circulate a working fluid (e.g., refrigerant), such as R-410A, through the heat exchangers 28 and 30. The tubes may be of various types, such as multichannel tubes, conventional copper or aluminum tubing, and so forth. Together, the heat exchangers 28 and 30 may implement a thermal cycle in which the working fluid undergoes phase changes and/or temperature changes as it flows through the heat exchangers 28 and 30 to produce heated and/or cooled air. For example, the heat exchanger 28 may function as a condenser where heat is released from the working fluid to ambient air, and the heat exchanger 30 may function as an evaporator where the working fluid absorbs heat to cool an air stream. In other embodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may operate in a heat pump mode where the roles of the heat exchangers 28 and 30 may be reversed. That is, the heat exchanger 28 may function as an evaporator and the heat exchanger 30 may function as a condenser. In further embodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may include a furnace and/or electric heating coil for heating the air stream that is supplied to the building 10. While the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 2 shows the HVAC unit 12 having two of the heat exchangers 28 and 30, in other embodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may include one heat exchanger or more than two heat exchangers.

The heat exchanger 30 is located within a compartment 31 that separates the heat exchanger 30 from the heat exchanger 28. Fans 32 draw air from the environment through the heat exchanger 28. Air may be heated and/or cooled as the air flows through the heat exchanger 28 before being released back to the environment surrounding the HVAC unit 12. A blower assembly 34, powered by a motor 36, draws air through the heat exchanger 30 to heat or cool the air. The heated or cooled air may be directed to the building 10 by the ductwork 14, which may be connected to the HVAC unit 12. Before flowing through the heat exchanger 30, the conditioned air flows through one or more filters 38 that may remove particulates and contaminants from the air. In certain embodiments, the filters 38 may be disposed on the air intake side of the heat exchanger 30 to prevent contaminants from contacting the heat exchanger 30.

The HVAC unit 12 also may include other equipment for implementing the thermal cycle. Compressors 42 increase the pressure and temperature of the working fluid before the working fluid enters the heat exchanger 28. The compressors 42 may be any suitable type of compressors, such as scroll compressors, rotary compressors, screw compressors, or reciprocating compressors. In some embodiments, the compressors 42 may include a pair of hermetic direct drive compressors arranged in a dual stage configuration 44. However, in other embodiments, any number of the compressors 42 may be provided to achieve various stages of heating and/or cooling. Additional equipment and devices may be included in the HVAC unit 12, such as a solid-core filter drier, a drain pan, a disconnect switch, an economizer, pressure switches, phase monitors, and humidity sensors, among other things.

The HVAC unit 12 may receive power through a terminal block 46. For example, a high voltage power source may be connected to the terminal block 46 to power the equipment. The operation of the HVAC unit 12 may be governed or regulated by a control board 48. The control board 48 may include control circuitry connected to a thermostat, sensors, and alarms. One or more of these components may be referred to herein separately or collectively as the control device 16. The control circuitry may be configured to control operation of the equipment, provide alarms, and monitor safety switches. Wiring 49 may connect the control board 48 and the terminal block 46 to the equipment of the HVAC unit 12.

FIG. 3 illustrates a residential heating and cooling system 50, also in accordance with present techniques. The residential heating and cooling system 50 may provide heated and cooled air to a residential structure, as well as provide outside air for ventilation and provide improved indoor air quality (IAQ) through devices such as ultraviolet lights and air filters. In the illustrated embodiment, the residential heating and cooling system 50 is a split HVAC system. In general, a residence 52 conditioned by a split HVAC system may include working fluid conduits 54 that operatively couple the indoor unit 56 to the outdoor unit 58. The indoor unit 56 may be positioned in a utility room, an attic, a basement, and so forth. The outdoor unit 58 is typically situated adjacent to a side of residence 52 and is covered by a shroud to protect the system components and to prevent leaves and other debris or contaminants from entering the unit. The working fluid conduits 54 transfer working fluid between the indoor unit 56 and the outdoor unit 58, typically transferring primarily liquid working fluid in one direction and primarily vaporized working fluid in an opposite direction.

When the system shown in FIG. 3 is operating as an air conditioner, a heat exchanger 60 in the outdoor unit 58 serves as a condenser for re-condensing vaporized working fluid flowing from the indoor unit 56 to the outdoor unit 58 via one of the working fluid conduits 54. In these applications, a heat exchanger 62 of the indoor unit functions as an evaporator. Specifically, the heat exchanger 62 receives liquid working fluid, which may be expanded by an expansion device, and evaporates the working fluid before returning it to the outdoor unit 58.

The outdoor unit 58 draws environmental air through the heat exchanger 60 using a fan 64 and expels the air above the outdoor unit 58. When operating as an air conditioner, the air is heated by the heat exchanger 60 within the outdoor unit 58 and exits the unit at a temperature higher than it entered. The indoor unit 56 includes a blower or fan 66 that directs air through or across the indoor heat exchanger 62, where the air is cooled when the system is operating in air conditioning mode. Thereafter, the air is passed through ductwork 68 that directs the air to the residence 52. The overall system operates to maintain a desired temperature as set by a system controller. When the temperature sensed inside the residence 52 is higher than the set point on the thermostat, or the set point plus a small amount, the residential heating and cooling system 50 may become operative to refrigerate additional air for circulation through the residence 52. When the temperature reaches the set point, or the set point minus a small amount, the residential heating and cooling system 50 may stop the vapor compression cycle temporarily.

The residential heating and cooling system 50 may also operate as a heat pump. When operating as a heat pump, the roles of heat exchangers 60 and 62 are reversed. That is, the heat exchanger 60 of the outdoor unit 58 will serve as an evaporator to evaporate working fluid and thereby cool air entering the outdoor unit 58 as the air passes over the outdoor heat exchanger 60. The indoor heat exchanger 62 will receive a stream of air blown over it and will heat the air by condensing the working fluid.

In some embodiments, the indoor unit 56 may include a furnace system 70 or electric heating system. For example, the indoor unit 56 may include the furnace system 70 or electric heating system when the residential heating and cooling system 50 is not configured to operate as a heat pump. The furnace system 70 may include a burner assembly and heat exchanger, among other components, inside the indoor unit 56. Fuel is provided to the burner assembly of the furnace system 70 where it is mixed with air and combusted to form combustion products. The combustion products may pass through tubes or piping in a heat exchanger, separate from heat exchanger 62, such that air directed by the blower or fan 66 passes over the tubes or pipes and extracts heat from the combustion products. The heated air may then be routed from the furnace system 70 to the ductwork 68 for heating the residence 52. In embodiments having an electric heating system, the electric heating system may include electric heating coils configured to convert electrical energy to thermal energy that may be transferred to an air flow directed across the electric heating coils to heat the air flow.

FIG. 4 is an embodiment of a vapor compression system 72 that can be used in any of the systems described above. The vapor compression system 72 may circulate a working fluid through a circuit starting with a compressor 74. The circuit may also include a condenser 76, an expansion valve(s) or device(s) 78, and an evaporator 80. The vapor compression system 72 may further include a control panel 82 that has an analog to digital (A/D) converter 84, a microprocessor 86, a non-volatile memory 88, and/or an interface board 90. The control panel 82 and its components may function to regulate operation of the vapor compression system 72 based on feedback from an operator, from sensors of the vapor compression system 72 that detect operating conditions, and so forth.

In some embodiments, the vapor compression system 72 may use one or more of a variable speed drive (VSDs) 92, a motor 94, the compressor 74, the condenser 76, the expansion valve or device 78, and/or the evaporator 80. The motor 94 may drive the compressor 74 and may be powered by the variable speed drive (VSD) 92. The VSD 92 receives alternating current (AC) power having a particular fixed line voltage and fixed line frequency from an AC power source, and provides power having a variable voltage and frequency to the motor 94. In other embodiments, the motor 94 may be powered directly from an AC or direct current (DC) power source. The motor 94 may include any type of electric motor that can be powered by a VSD or directly from an AC or DC power source, such as a switched reluctance motor, an induction motor, an electronically commutated permanent magnet motor, or another suitable motor.

The compressor 74 compresses a working fluid vapor and delivers the vapor to the condenser 76 through a discharge passage. In some embodiments, the compressor 74 may be a centrifugal compressor. The working fluid vapor delivered by the compressor 74 to the condenser 76 may transfer heat to a fluid passing across the condenser 76, such as ambient or environmental air 96. The working fluid vapor may condense to a working fluid liquid in the condenser 76 as a result of thermal heat transfer with the environmental air 96. The liquid working fluid from the condenser 76 may flow through the expansion device 78 to the evaporator 80.

The liquid working fluid delivered to the evaporator 80 may absorb heat from another air stream, such as a supply air stream 98 provided to the building 10 or the residence 52. For example, the supply air stream 98 may include ambient or environmental air, return air from a building, or a combination of the two. The liquid working fluid in the evaporator 80 may undergo a phase change from the liquid working fluid to a working fluid vapor. In this manner, the evaporator 80 may reduce the temperature of the supply air stream 98 via thermal heat transfer with the working fluid. Thereafter, the vapor working fluid exits the evaporator 80 and returns to the compressor 74 by a suction line to complete the cycle.

In some embodiments, the vapor compression system 72 may further include a reheat coil in addition to the evaporator 80. For example, the reheat coil may be positioned downstream of the evaporator relative to the supply air stream 98 and may reheat the supply air stream 98 when the supply air stream 98 is overcooled to remove humidity from the supply air stream 98 before the supply air stream 98 is directed to the building 10 or the residence 52.

It should be appreciated that any of the features described herein may be incorporated with the HVAC unit 12, the residential heating and cooling system 50, or other HVAC systems. Additionally, while the features disclosed herein are described in the context of embodiments that directly heat and cool a supply air stream provided to a building or other load, embodiments of the present disclosure may be applicable to other HVAC systems as well. For example, the features described herein may be applied to mechanical cooling systems, free cooling systems, chiller systems, or other heat pump or refrigeration applications.

As briefly discussed above, embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to an HVAC system having heating coils arranged to enable more efficient heating of one or more air flows directed across the heating coils. The heating coils may be positioned proximate a discharge outlet (e.g., supply air discharge, supply air opening, etc.) of the HVAC system. For example, a first air flow directed by a first blower and a second air flow directed by a second blower may be directed across the heating coils to generate a supply air flow discharged from the HVAC system via the discharge outlet. In some embodiments, the heating coils may be electric heating coils configured to convert electrical energy (e.g., current) to thermal energy to increase a temperature of the air flows and generate a heated supply air flow. It should be appreciated that the presently disclosed techniques may be utilized in any of the systems described or illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, as well as other HVAC systems, to improve conditioning of air flows (e.g., provide more even conditioning of the air flows) and to enable improved configurability of the HVAC system, such as via accommodation of different blower sizes and/or configurations, as well as different discharge outlet configuration. Indeed, the presently disclosed techniques may be utilized with any heat exchange coils configured to heat, cool, dehumidify, and/or otherwise condition air flows directed through the HVAC system.

In accordance with the present disclosure, an HVAC system may include a heating assembly (e.g., heating system, electric heating system, heating coil system) configured to heat one or more air flows directed through the HVAC system and across the heating assembly. For example, the HVAC system may be configured to generate a first air flow and a second air flow to be conditioned via the heating assembly. The HVAC system may include a housing (e.g., a chamber, an enclosure) defining a blower section having a first blower (e.g., first fan, first direct drive fan) configured to generate the first air flow and a second blower (e.g., second fan, second direct drive fan) configured to generate the second air flow. The housing may also define a discharge or supply air section (e.g., heating section) having the heating assembly. In some embodiments, the first air flow and the second air flow may be combined within the supply air section to generate a supply air flow (e.g., combined air flow), and the supply air flow may be directed across the heating assembly to condition the supply air flow. The supply air flow may then be discharged from the supply air section via a discharge outlet formed in the housing (e.g., in a lateral side of the housing, in a bottom side of the housing). In other embodiments, the first air flow and the second air flow may be directed separately over a respective section (e.g., first section, second section) of the heating assembly, and then the heated first and second air flows may then be combined within the supply air section to form the supply air flow. As discussed further below, the positioning, orientation, and/or arrangement of heating coils within the heating assembly enables more efficient heating of the supply air flow, while reducing undesirable heating (e.g., overheating) of the heating coils in both a down flow configuration of the housing and a side flow configuration of the housing. Additionally, a single and/or common orientation or arrangement of the heating coils may be implemented in an HVAC unit employing a down flow configuration or an HVAC unit employing a side flow configuration (e.g., without modification to the heating assembly). Indeed, present embodiments of the heating assembly may be implemented in an HVAC unit that is configurable (e.g., field configurable) in each of the down flow configuration and the side flow configuration.

With the foregoing in mind, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an HVAC unit 100 (e.g., rooftop unit, air handling unit, HVAC system) having an embodiment of a heating system 102, in accordance with the present techniques. In the illustrated embodiment, the HVAC unit 100 is configured in a side flow configuration. The HVAC unit 100 may be or include any suitable HVAC system and/or HVAC system components, such as the HVAC unit 12, the residential heating and cooling system 50, and/or any of the components described above. In the illustrated embodiment, the HVAC unit 100 includes multiple components enclosed within an internal volume of a housing 104 of the HVAC unit 100. The HVAC unit 100 may be configured to circulate air via a blower assembly 108 having a first blower 112 and a second blower 116 disposed within a blower section 120 of the housing 104. That is, the blower assembly 108 may be configured to direct (e.g., force, draw) one or more air flows (e.g., air flow 124) along an air flow path 130 through the housing 104 of the HVAC unit 100. For example, the HVAC unit 100 may include a return air section 134 configured to receive an air flow, such as a return air flow, from the building 10 of FIG. 1, and a supply air section 138 (e.g., discharge section, heating section) configured to output or discharge a supply air flow 142 conditioned by the HVAC unit 100. In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 104 includes a first discharge outlet 146 (e.g., side flow discharge outlet) formed in a lateral side 150 of the housing 104 to enable discharge of the supply air flow 142 from the supply air section 138, such as in a direction extending generally along a horizontal axis 154. Thus, the configuration of the HVAC unit 100 may be referred to as a side flow or side discharge configuration.

During operation, the blower assembly 108 may draw an air flow (e.g., air flow 124) into the return air section 134 of the HVAC unit 100 and direct the air flow into the supply air section 138, from which the air flow may be discharged as the supply air flow 142 toward a conditioned space. In other words, the air flow path 130 through the HVAC unit 100 may be defined at least partially by the return air section 134, the blower section 120, and the supply air section 138. As an example, the HVAC unit 100 may be installed in an outdoor or ambient environment, such as on a rooftop of a building, and may be coupled to ductwork configured to direct air to and/or from rooms or other areas within the building. Ductwork may be fluidly coupled to the return air section 134 to direct a return air flow into the HVAC unit 100, and ductwork may be fluidly coupled to the supply air section 138 to receive the supply air flow 142 from the HVAC unit 100. In this manner, the blower assembly 108 may circulate air through the HVAC unit 100 and a conditioned space. It should be appreciated that the HVAC unit 100 may additionally or alternatively be configured to receive and/or discharge other air flows. For example, the HVAC unit 100 may be configured to receive an air flow from an outdoor environment (e.g., an ambient air flow), to discharge an air flow to the outdoor embodiment (e.g., discharge return air flow as an exhaust air flow), and so forth. In some embodiments, the HVAC unit 100 may combine a return air flow and an ambient air flow to generate the supply air flow 142. Accordingly, the air flow 124 illustrated in FIG. 5 may include a return air flow, an ambient air flow, or a combination thereof.

In addition to circulating air through the housing 104, the HVAC unit 100 may be configured to adjust one or more operating parameters of the one or more air flows directed therethrough. For example, the HVAC unit 100 may be configured to adjust a temperature, pressure, humidity, particle content, and/or other operating parameter of the air flows directed therethrough. Indeed, the HVAC unit 100 may operate in multiple different operating modes, such as a cooling mode, a heating mode, a dehumidification mode, and so forth. In some embodiments, the HVAC unit 100 may include a working fluid circuit (e.g., vapor compression system 72) configured to circulate a working fluid therethrough, and the working fluid circuit may be placed in thermal communication with one or more air flows directed through the HVAC unit 100. In particular, the working fluid circuit may include one or more heat exchangers configured to place the working fluid in thermal communication with one or more of the air flows to adjust an operating parameter of supply air flow 142 discharged from the HVAC unit 100 and directed toward a condition space. The illustrated embodiment of the HVAC unit 100 includes an evaporator coil 158 configured to circulate working fluid therethrough to absorb heat from one or more air flows directed across the evaporator coil 158, thereby reducing a temperature of the one or more air flows, in a cooling mode of the HVAC unit 100. Thus, the working fluid within the evaporator coil 158 may be heated as the one or more air flows are directed across the evaporator coil 158. In the illustrated embodiment, the evaporator coil 158 is positioned downstream of the return air section 134 and upstream of the blower section 120 relative to a direction of the air flow 124 along the air flow path 130. Accordingly, the blower assembly 108 may operate to draw an air flow from the return air section 134, across the evaporator coil 158, and into the blower section 120.

The HVAC unit 100 may also be configured to increase a temperature of one or more air flows directed through the HVAC unit 100, such as in a heating mode of the HVAC unit 100. Thus, the supply air flow 142 may be discharged by the HVAC unit 100 to heat a conditioned space. To this end, the HVAC unit 100 includes a heating assembly 162 (e.g., heater assembly, heating coil arrangement) including one or more heating coils 166 (e.g., electric heating coils) configured to transfer thermal energy to one or more air flows directed through the HVAC unit 100. In some embodiments, the heating coils 166 may be electric heating coils coupled to a power source (e.g., electrical power source) and configured to convert electrical energy to thermal energy. However, in other embodiments, the heating coils 166 may be configured to circulate a heated working fluid (e.g., refrigerant, water, combustion products) therethrough.

In the illustrated embodiment, the heating assembly 162 is disposed within the supply air section 138 of the HVAC unit 100. Thus, during a heating mode of the HVAC unit 100, the blower assembly 108 may direct multiple air flows into the supply air section 138, and the multiple air flows may be directed across or through the heating assembly 162. For example, one air flow may be initially directed across a first subset of heating coils 166A, and another air flow may be initially directed across a second subset of heating coils 166B, different than first set of heating coils 166A. Additionally, the two air flows may combine within the supply air section 138 to form a combined air flow that is discharged from the HVAC unit 100 as the supply air flow 142. Each subset 166A, 166B may be positioned below (e.g., vertically below relative to gravity) one of the blowers 112, 116 and may be configured to heat an air flow originating from the first blower 112, an air flow originating from the second blower 116, or a combination of the air flows. Specifically, in the side flow configuration, the first subset 166A may be configured to initially heat an air flow (e.g., a first air flow) generated by the first blower 112, and the second subset 166B may be configured to heat an air flow (e.g., second air flow) generated via the second blower 116 separately or in combination, the air flow generated via the first blower 112.

Each subset 166A, 166B of the heating coils 166 may include a respective oblique (e.g., slanted, angled) heating coil 170 and a respective non-oblique (e.g., level, flat) heating coil 174. As used herein, an oblique heating coil may be a heating coil arranged at an oblique angle relative to a direction of an air flow into the supply air section 138 and/or out of the supply air section 138. For example, an oblique heating coil may be a heating coil arranged at an oblique angle relative to the horizontal axis 154. A non-oblique heating coil may be a heating coil arranged in a level or flat (e.g., horizontal) configuration (e.g., extending along and/or aligned with the horizontal axis 154) and at a non-oblique angle relative to the direction of the air flow into the supply air section 138 and/or out of the supply air section 138. For example, the first subset 166A may include an oblique heating coil 170 that is angled (e.g., angled relative to horizontal axis 154) inward towards a central axis 178 extending along a width (e.g., dimension extending along a lateral axis 182) of the supply air section 138. In other words, the oblique heating coil 170 of the first subset 166A may be angled or slanted toward a center (e.g., between the blowers 112, 116) of the supply air section 138. Similarly, the second subset 166B may include an oblique heating coil 170 angled (e.g., angled relative to horizontal axis 154) inward toward the central axis 178 of the supply air section 138. In other words, the oblique heating coil 170 of the second subset 166B may be angled or slanted towards the center of the supply air section 138. As will be appreciated, the oblique (e.g., slanted, sloped, angled) configuration of the oblique heating coils 170 in both the first and second subsets 166A, 166B may increase a heating area (e.g., surface area, cross-sectional area) of the heating assembly 162 as air flow is directed along the air flow path 130. For example, the oblique heating coils 170 may define an increased vertical heating area (e.g., relative to a vertical axis 198) in comparison to non-oblique heating coils. In this way, the air flow 124 directed along air flow path 130 may be directed across an increased surface area of the oblique heating coils 170. Thus, the arrangement of the heating coils 166 may improve and/or increase uniformity of heating the multiple air flows directed into the supply air section 138 by the blower assembly 108 and/or reduce undesired or uneven heating (e.g., overheating) of the heating coils 166.

As discussed above, the arrangement of heating coils 166 in the heating assembly 162 may enable more efficient conditioning of the air flow 124 for embodiments of the HVAC unit 100 configured in the side flow configuration shown in FIG. 5 or in a down flow configuration. The heating coils 166 described herein may include single heating coils may include multiple (e.g., two, three, four or more) heating coils (e.g., arranged in a stacked orientation).

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the HVAC unit 100 configured in a down flow configuration and including an embodiment of the heating system 102 having the heating assembly 162 disclosed herein. The HVAC unit 100 illustrated in FIG. 6 may include similar components to that of FIG. 5. For example, the HVAC unit 100 may include the blower assembly 108 configured to direct an air flow (e.g., air flow 124) along a second air flow path 186 through the housing 104 of the HVAC unit 100. As discussed above, the return air section 134 may receive an air flow, such as a return air flow from the building 10 of FIG. 1, and the supply air section 138 may output or discharge the supply air flow 142 conditioned by the HVAC unit 100. In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 104 includes a second discharge outlet 190 (e.g., downflow discharge outlet) formed in a base panel 194 (e.g., a bottom sided, a base) of the housing 104 to enable discharge of the supply air flow 142 from the supply air section 138 in a direction along the vertical axis 198. Thus, the configuration of the HVAC unit 100 may be referred to as a down flow or down discharge configuration.

As discussed above, the configuration of the heating assembly 162 described herein may be used in both the down flow configuration of the HVAC unit 100 in FIG. 6 and the side flow configuration of the HVAC unit 100 illustrated in FIG. 5. In other words, a common configuration of the heating assembly 162 may be utilized in embodiments of the HVAC unit 100 configured in each of the down flow configuration and the side flow configuration. Therefore, the HVAC unit 100 having the down flow configuration in FIG. 6 may include the first subset of heating coils 166A and the second subset of heating coils 166B positioned within the supply air section 138, as described above with reference to FIG. 5. Each subset 166A, 166B may be positioned beneath (e.g., vertically below relative to gravity) a respective one of the first blower 112 and the second blower 116 and may be configured to heat the respective air flow generated via the first blower 112, the second blower 116, or a combination of the air flows. For example, air flow generated via the first blower 112 may be directed through or across the first subset of heating coils 166A before being discharged via the second discharge outlet 190 formed in the base panel 194 of the HVAC unit 100. Similarly, air flow generated via the second blower 116 may be directed through or across the second subset of heating coils 166B before being discharged via the second discharge outlet 190.

Each subset 166A, 166B may include an embodiment of the oblique heating coil 170 and the non-oblique heating coil 174 described above. For example, the first subset 166A may include an oblique heating coil 170 (e.g., angled relative to the horizontal axis 154) that is angled inward towards a center of the housing 104 and a non-oblique heating coil 174, which may extend generally along the horizontal axis 154 (e.g., substantially parallel to the base panel 194 of the HVAC unit 100). In some embodiments, the non-oblique heating coils 174 may be offset (e.g., horizontally offset, along the horizontal axis 154) from the oblique heated coils 170 (e.g., a location of the oblique heating coils 170 on the horizontal axis 154) in each respective subset 166A, 166B. For example, the non-oblique heating coil 174 of one of the subsets 166A, 166B may be beneath (e.g., vertically below relative to gravity) and horizontally offset from the oblique heating coil 170 of the same subset 166A, 166B, such that at least a portion of the non-oblique heating coil 174 does not overlap (e.g., vertically overlap) with the oblique heating coil 170 of the subset 166A, 166B. In some embodiments, the non-oblique heating coil 174 may be beneath (e.g., vertically below relative to gravity) the corresponding oblique heating coil 170 of the same subset 166A, 166B and completely horizontally offset (e.g., relative to horizontal axis 154), such that there is no overlap (e.g., vertical overlap) between the oblique heating coil 170 and the corresponding non-oblique heating coil 174 in the subset 166A, 166B. As will be appreciated, the at least partially offset (e.g., horizontally offset) positioning of the non-oblique heating coils 174 and the oblique heating coils 170 may increase the heating area of the heating assembly 162 along a horizontal plane (e.g., along the horizontal and lateral axes 154, 182) in comparison to traditional systems. In this way, air flow 124 direct along second air flow path 186 may be exposed to a greater surface area of the heating coils 166. In this way, the arrangement of the heating coils 166 may increase heating uniformity of the air flow 124 and/or may reduce undesired or uneven heating (e.g., overheating) of the heating coils 166.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional, schematic side view of a portion of an embodiment of the HVAC unit 100 including an embodiment of a heating system 202 (e.g., heating assembly, heater) having one or more heating coils 206 (e.g., heating coils 166, electric heating coils). The hating system 202 may be incorporated with or in any of the HVAC systems described above. In the illustrated embodiment, the HVAC unit 100 is configured in a side flow configuration. For example, the heating system 202 may include an embodiment of the heating assembly 162 of FIG. 5, and the heating coils 206 may correspond to the heating coils 166 of FIG. 5. The heating system 202 is configured to transfer thermal energy (e.g., heat) to one or more air flows directed through a housing of an HVAC unit, such as the HVAC unit 100 of FIG. 5. Thus, the heating system 202 enables the HVAC unit 100 to provide heated supply air flow 142. The illustrated embodiment is intended to focus on certain features that enable the functionalities and benefits of the presently disclosed techniques, but it should be appreciated that the heating system 202 may include additional features, such as one or more of the components described above with reference to FIGS. 1-5.

The heating coils 206 of the heating system 202 may be disposed within a housing 210 (e.g., support structure), such as crosswise to a front and back side of the housing 210. For example, the housing 210 may be a portion of the housing 104 discussed above, and the housing 210 may define a chamber 238 (e.g., supply air section 138, discharge section, heating section). The heating coils 206 may be formed from multiple rows of coils coupled or arranged together as a heating coil assembly. For example, each respective heating coil 206 may include a first heating coil row 214 (e.g., first electric heating coil row) and a second heating coil row 218 (e.g., second electric heating coil row) that are each configured to provide heat to one or more air flows directed across the heating coil rows 214, 218. Although two heating coil rows are shown for each respective heating coil 206, it will be appreciated that any number of heating coil rows may be included in a heating coil 206. In some embodiment, heating coils rows within the heating coil 206 may include different dimensions (e.g., lengths, width), such that one row may be greater or less than that of a second row. In some embodiments, the first and second heating coil rows 214, 218 may be offset (e.g., horizontally offset, relative to horizontal axis 154) such that air flow bypass may be reduced across or around the heating coil 206. In some embodiments, each of the heating coil rows 214, 218 of one or more of the heating coils 206 may be controlled independently, thereby enabling the heating system 202 to control a heat output of each respective heating coil 206. For example, when the heating system 202 is operated to heat the supply air flow 216, the first heating coil row 214 may be operated while operation of the second heating coil row 218 is suspended, thereby enabling the heating system 202 to limit overheating of the air flow directed across the heating coils 206 and/or overheating of the heating coils 206. In some embodiments, based on a temperature difference between a desired set point temperature and a current temperature of a conditioned room, the heating system 202 may be configured to operate one of the heating coil rows 214, 218 while operation of the other heating coil row is suspended, or alternatively, operate both heating coil row 214, 218 of the heating coil 206 simultaneously to increase the amount of heat transferred to the air flow directed across the heating coil 206.

As similarly discussed above, the housing 210 is configured to direct one or more air flows towards and across and/or through the one or more heating coils 206. For example, the housing 210 may include a first wall 222 (e.g., top side, panel, wall, etc.), a second wall 226 (e.g., base, bottom side, panel, wall, etc.) opposite the first wall 222, a third wall 230 (e.g., lateral wall, side wall, side panel), a fourth wall 234 (e.g., lateral wall, side wall, side panel, discharge side) opposite the third wall 230, a fifth wall (e.g., front side, wall, panel), and a sixth wall (e.g., back side, wall, panel) opposite the fifth wall. Each of the walls (e.g., walls 222, 226, 230, 234, fifth side, sixth side, wall) may have an inner surface that at least partially defines a chamber 238 (e.g., plenum) of the housing 210 configured to receive one or more air flows and to direct the one or more air flows across the heating coils 206. In some embodiments, the housing 210 may be configured to support a blower assembly 242 (e.g., blower assembly 108) having a first blower 246 (e.g., a first direct drive fan) and a second blower 250 (e.g., a second direct drive fan) coupled (e.g., mounted) to the first wall 222 of the housing 210. However, in other embodiments, the blower assembly 242 may be supported by another portion or structure of an HVAC unit having the housing 210.

In some embodiments, in an uninstalled configuration, the heating system 202 may not include all of the walls of the housing 210, and may instead include a portion of the housing 210. For example, the heating system 202 may include the third wall 230, the fifth wall (e.g., front wall) and the six wall (e.g., back wall) defining at least a portion of the chamber 238. Further, in some embodiments, the heating system 202 may be configured to be removably coupled from the HVAC unit. That is, the HVAC unit may include the first wall 222, second wall 226, and fourth wall 234 while the heating system 202 includes the third wall 230, fifth wall, and the sixth wall, such that the heating system 202, in the installed configuration with the HVAC unit, may define the housing 210 and the chamber 238. In this way, the heating system 202 may be configured to be installed in both an HVAC unit having a down flow configuration and an HVAC unit having a side flow configuration. By enabling the heating system 202 to be removably coupled to either a down flow configuration HVAC unit or a side flow configuration HVAC unit, the HVAC unit may be provided with reduced manufacturing and storage costs.

The first blower 246 and the second blower 250 are each configured to direct a respective air flow into the housing 210. Specifically, the first blower 246 is configured to direct a first air flow 254 into the housing 210, and the second blower 250 is configured to direct a second air flow 258 into the housing 210. The first blower 246 may be positioned upstream of the second blower 250 relative to a direction 262 of the first and second air flows 254, 258 directed through the housing 210. That is, the first and second air flows 254, 258 generated by the first and second blowers 246, 250, respectively, may be directed into the housing 210 and may travel along one or more air flow paths in the direction 262 towards a supply air outlet 266 (e.g., discharge outlet) disposed within the fourth wall 234 (e.g., lateral side) of the housing 210. The blowers 246, 250 (e.g., blower assembly 242) may be coupled or secured to the first side 222 of the housing 210 via fasteners, pins, nuts and bolts, brazes, or other suitable fastening techniques. In some embodiments, the first and second blowers 246, 250 may be the same size, and are configured to output the first and second air flows 254, 258 at the same flow rate, while in other embodiments, the first and second blowers 246, 250 may be different sizes, configured to output the first and second air flows 254, 258 at different flow rates.

During operation, the heating system 202 or an HVAC unit having the heating system 202 may receive a call to provide a conditioned (e.g., heated) air flow to a conditioned space, and the blowers 246, 250 may be operated to generate or direct the first and second air flows 254, 258 into the chamber 238 and across and/or through the heating coils 206 to be heated. In some embodiments, the first and second blowers 246, 250 may be independently operated, such that the blower assembly 242 may generate the first air flow 254, the second air flow 258, or both (e.g., based on one or more operating parameters of the HVAC unit 100 having the heating system 202 and/or a detected temperature (e.g., ambient temperature, discharge temperature, chamber 238 temperature).

By having multiple blowers 246, 250 having different sizes and operable at different flow rates and/or speeds, hot spots on the heating coils 206 may be reduced as the first and second air flows 254, 258 are directed across the heating coils 206, either alone or combined. For example, if an air flow is directed unevenly across one of the heating coils 206, hot spots on the heating coil 206 may be generated as portions of the heating coil 206 experience a higher volume of the air flow than other portions. By controlling the flow rate and/or speed of the blowers 246, 250, the first and second air flows 254, 258 may be directed across the heating coils 206 evenly, such that hot spots on the heating coils 206 are reduced. Further, reduced air flow rates enable higher temperature rise of a respective air flow directed across one of the heating coils 206, as the respective air flow contacts the heating coil 206 for an increased amount of time. As such, by having blowers 246, 250 operable at different flow rates and/or speeds, the flow rate of the first and second air flows 254, 258 generated by the first and second blowers 245, 250, respectively, may be reduced and the temperature rise of the first and second air flows 254, 258 may be controlled, thereby increasing the efficiency of the heating system 202. Further still, by having blowers 246, 250 that are independently operated at various flow rates and/or speeds, the flow rates and/or speeds of the first and second air flows 254, 258 may be controlled independently, thereby enabling adjustment of the heat output of the heating coils 206 based on the flow rates and speeds of the first and second air flows 254, 258.

The chamber 238 defined by the housing 210 may extend a length 270 (e.g., a dimension from the third wall 230 to the fourth wall 234) of the housing 210 in a direction along the horizontal axis 154, and may extend a height 274 (e.g., a dimension from the first wall 222 to the second wall 226) of the housing 210 in a direction along the vertical axis 198 and may extend at a width (e.g., a dimension from the fifth wall to the sixth wall) of the housing 210 in a direction along the lateral axis 182. The chamber 238 may include a first section 282 configured to receive the first air flow 254 generated by the first blower 246. In the illustrated embodiment, the first section 282 is positioned beneath the first blower 246 (e.g., relative to gravity), but in other embodiments the first blower 246 and the first section 282 may be arranged in other positions relative to one another. For example, in embodiments with the blower coupled to a lateral wall of the housing 210 (e.g., fifth or sixth wall), the first section 282 may be positioned lateral to the first blower 246.

As discussed above, the heating system 202 may include one or more oblique heating coils 286 (e.g., oblique heating coils 170) and one or more non-oblique heating coils 290 (e.g., non-oblique heating coils 174). For example, within the first section 282 of the chamber 238, a oblique heating coil 286 may be disposed beneath (e.g., relative to gravity) the first blower 246 and a non-oblique heating coil 290 may be beneath (e.g., under relative to gravity) the respective oblique heating coil 286 of the first section 282. In some embodiments, the heating coils 206 may be disposed within the chamber 238 crosswise to the fifth (e.g., front) and sixth (e.g., back) walls and coupled to an interior of the fifth wall and the sixth wall. Although one configuration of the heating coils 206 (e.g., oblique heating coil 286, non-oblique heating coil 290) for the first section 282 is illustrated, it will be appreciated that other relative positions of the heating coils 206 may be employed. For example, the oblique heating coil 286 may be offset (e.g., horizontally offset, along the horizontal axis 154) from the first blower 246 such that more or less of the oblique heating coil 286 is directly under the first blower 246. In some embodiments, the oblique heating coil 286 may extend laterally outward (e.g., relative to horizontal axis 154) from an air flow inlet of the housing 210 to reduce air flow bypass around the oblique heating coil 286. The non-oblique heating coil 286 may be offset (e.g., horizontally offset) from the first blower 246 such that more or less of the non-oblique heating coil 286 is directly beneath (e.g., relative to gravity) the first blower 246. Furthermore, the respective oblique heating coil 286 and non-oblique heating coil 290 of the first section 282 may be more or less offset (e.g., horizontally offset, relative to horizontal axis 154) from the first blower 246 relative to one another. Indeed, the specific lateral or horizontal configuration of the oblique heating coil 286, the non-oblique heating coil 290, and the first blower 246 relative to each other may depend on or may at least be partially based on one or more operating parameters of the first blower 246 (e.g., fan speed, blower inlet area, flow rate), one or more dimensions of the housing 210 (e.g., volume), a positioning and size of a baffle 298 within the housing 210, a size (e.g., length) of the heating coils 206 and/or another parameter.

In some embodiments, the oblique heating coil 286 may be vertically displaced from the first blower 246 to desirably heat the first air flow 254 originating from the first blower 246 while reducing pressure drop within the housing 210. That is, the oblique heating coil 286 may be placed beneath (e.g., relative to gravity) the first blower 246 such that the first air flow 254 is not inhibited by the oblique heating coil 286. As will be appreciated, due to the oblique (e.g., angled) orientation of the oblique heating coil 286, a first side 288 of the oblique heating coil 286 may be closer to the first blower 246 compared to a second side 292 of the oblique heating coil 286. Similarly, the non-oblique heating coil 290 may be vertically offset from the oblique heating coil 286 such that a gap 294 between the second side 292 of the oblique heating coil 286 and the non-oblique heating coil 290 is a sufficient size to enable air flow through the heating system 202. Further the vertical displacement or offset between the non-oblique heating coils 290 and a second wall 226 (e.g., bottom wall, base wall) of the housing 210 may be any suitable distance as to enable desirable heating of air flow without inducing undesirable pressure drop. As will be appreciated, the vertical displacement between the non-oblique heating coil 290 and the second wall 226 may be such as to enable desirable discharge through a discharge port on the second wall 226 in a down flow configuration. Indeed, the specific vertical configuration of the oblique heating coil 286, and the non-oblique heating coil 290 relative to each other, the first blower 246, and the second wall 226 may depend on or may at least be partially based on one or more operating parameters of the first blower 246 (e.g., fan speed, outlet area, flow rate), one or more dimensions of the housing 210 (e.g., volume), a positioning and size of the baffle 298 within the housing 210, the heating coil 206 size (e.g., length, width, height), a down flow supply air outlet dimension (e.g., length, width), and/or another parameter.

As discussed above, the oblique heating coils 286 may include an oblique angle relative to the horizontal axis 154, the first or second air flow paths 254, 258, and/or the direction 262. For example, the oblique heating coil 286 may be angled inward in the direction of a central position of the chamber 238 or housing 210. The oblique angle may be any angle suitable to enable the first air flow 254 to be heated or conditioned by the respective oblique heating coil 286 while further directing the first air flow 254 at least partially in the direction 262 along the first air flow path 278. In some embodiments, the oblique angle may be approximately 10.5 degrees relative to the horizontal axis 154. However, in other embodiments, the oblique angle may be any suitable angle to enable more efficient and more uniform air flow heating, such as, an angle between 0 degrees to 90 degrees, relative to the horizontal axis 154, the first or second air flow paths 254, 258, and/or the direction 262. Indeed, the oblique angle may depend on or may be at least partially based on the dimensions of the chamber 238 (e.g., volume, height 274, length 270, etc.), an operating parameter of the blowers 246, 250, a size (e.g., length) of the oblique heating coil 286, and/or another suitable parameter.

As will be appreciated, the housing 210 may include one or more inlets configured to receive air flow from the first blower 246 and/or the second blower 250. For example, the first wall 222 of the housing 210 may include a first inlet 300 and a second inlet 306 configured to direct air flows 254, 258 from the first and second blowers 246, 250, respectively, into the chamber 238. That is, the first blower 246 may be positioned above (e.g., relative to gravity) the first inlet 300 and configured to direct air flow 254 through the first inlet 300 into the chamber 238. Similarly, the second blower 246 may be positioned above (e.g., relative to gravity) the second inlet 306 and configured to direct air flow 258 through the second inlet 306 into the chamber 238. The first and second inlets 300, 306 may include any dimensions suitable to enable air flow to enter the chamber 238 from the first and second blowers 246, 250. As such, the first and second inlets 300, 306 may include dimensions that are based on a size, type, and/or configuration of the first and second blowers 246, 250. As will be appreciated, the oblique heating coils 286 may include a length and/or orientation that extends past the respective openings of the first and second inlets 300, 306. That is, the first side 288 (e.g., outer side) of each respective oblique heating coil 286 may extend past the respective first inlet 300 or second inlet 306 of the housing 210. In this way, the oblique angle of the oblique heating coils 286 and the orientation of the first side 288 extending past the respective inlets 300, 306 may reduce air flow bypass as air flow enters the chamber 238 through the inlet 300, 306.

As mentioned above, the first section 282 may include the baffle 298 configured to direct an air flow from the first blower 246 through the chamber 238. For example, the baffle 298 may be positioned diagonally, extending from the third side 230 to the second side 226. That is, a first side 302 of the baffle 298 may be coupled to the third side 230 of the housing 210, while second side 306 of the baffle 298 may be coupled to the second side 226, at a position offset (e.g., horizontally offset) from the third wall 230. The first side 302 and the second side 306 may be coupled or secured to the first wall 222 or the second wall 226 of the housing 210 via fasteners, pins, nuts and bolts, brazes, or other suitable fastening techniques. Indeed, the baffle 298 may be coupled to the housing 210 in a manner to enable removal upon a configuration change (e.g., field configuration change) of an HVAC unit from a down flow configuration to a side flow configuration, or vice versa.

In any case, the baffle 298 may extend along a width of the housing 210 extending along the lateral axis 182. In some embodiments, the baffle 298 may extend along the entire width of the housing 210, while in other embodiments, the baffle 298 may extend partially along the width of the housing 210. Indeed, the configuration of the baffle 298 extending from the third wall 230 to the second wall 226, and along the width of the housing 210, may block (e.g., partition) a corner 310 of the housing 210 from a remaining space of chamber 238, thereby blocking air flow from entering the corner 310. For example, as the first air flow 254 flows into the housing 210, the first air flow 254 may be directed by the baffle 298 along the first air flow path 278 in the direction 262, instead of entering the corner 310 of the housing 210. In this way, stagnant (e.g., unmoving) air flow may be reduced and/or blocked, and may be instead directed to the heating coils 206 and out of the chamber 238. In this way, the air flow and/or the heating coils 206 may not become overheated, resulting in more uniform heating of the air flow and reduced overheating of heating coils 206.

As noted above, the heating system 202 may be part of the HVAC unit 100 configured in a side flow configuration. In a side flow configuration, a supply air flow generated by the HVAC unit 100 may be discharged out of a lateral side of the HVAC unit 100 (e.g., lateral side 150 of HVAC unit 100). The housing 210 in the illustrated embodiment is arranged in a side flow configuration with the fourth wall 234 of the housing 210 having the supply air outlet 266 formed therein. Thus, the housing 210 is configured to discharge air flow via a lateral side of the housing 210. Accordingly, upon entering the first section 282 of the chamber 238, the first air flow 254 may contact one or more of the inner surfaces of the housing 210, one or more heating coils 206, and/or one or more baffles 298 to direct the first air flow 254 along the first air flow path 278 in the direction 262 (e.g., horizontal direction) along the horizontal axis 154 towards one or more downstream heating coils 206 and the supply air outlet 266 (e.g., discharge outlet) formed in the fourth wall 234 (e.g., lateral side) of the housing 210. As will be appreciated, a slant or an oblique angle of one or more heating coils below (e.g., vertically below, relative to gravity) the first blower 246 may enable the first air flow 254 to be directed along the first air flow path 278 in the direction 262.

Further, the chamber 238 may include a second section 314 configured to receive the second air flow 258 generated by the second blower 250. As shown, the second section 314 is positioned beneath the second blower 250 (e.g., relative to gravity). However, in other embodiments, the second blower 250 and the second section 314 may be arranged adjacent to each other relative to the axes 154, 182. In the illustrated embodiment, the second air flow 258 may be directed by the second blower 250 along a second air flow path 318 from the second blower 250, through the first wall 222 (e.g., second inlet 306) of the housing 210 and into the second section 314 of the chamber 238. In some embodiments, heating coils 206 may be positioned in the second section 314 of the housing 210 in a similar manner to the heating coils 206 within the first section 282 of the housing 210. That is, the second section 314 of the housing 210 may include one or more oblique heating coils 286 and one or more non-oblique heating coils 290. For example, within the second section 314 of the housing 210, the oblique heating coil 286 may be disposed under (e.g., under relative to gravity) the second blower 250 and the non-oblique heating coil 290 may under (e.g., under relative to gravity) the respective oblique heating coil 286 of the second section 314. In some embodiments, the heating coil 206 configuration of the second section 314 may reflect (e.g., mirror) the heating coil 206 configuration of the first section 282 of the housing 210. That is, the oblique heating coil 286 of the second section 314 of the housing 210 may be angled inward toward the center of the housing 210. Similarly, the non-oblique heating coil 290 of the second section 314 of the housing 210 may reflect the position of the non-oblique heating coil 290 of the first section 282 of the housing 210, relative to the central portion of the housing 210. In this way, heating efficiency and air flow may be improved within the housing 210 in both a down flow HVAC configuration and a side flow HVAC configuration.

As illustrated, the first air flow path 278 may extend through first section 282 and into the second section 314. Thus, the first air flow path 278 may extend to the second air flow path 318. However, in some embodiments, the first air flow path 278 extends from the first blower 246, through the respective heating coils 206 of the first section 282, through respective heating coils 206 of the second section 314 and to the supply air outlet 266, while the second air flow path 318 may extend from the second blower 250, through the second section 314, and across the respective heating coils 206 of the second section 314 and to the supply air outlet 266. For example, in some embodiments, the first and second blowers 246 and 250 may be operated individually and/or separately. Accordingly, the first blower 246 may operate to direct the first air flow 254 through the housing 210 to the supply air outlet 266 while operation of the second blower 250 is suspended, and the second blower 250 may operate to direct the second air flow 258 through the housing 210 to the supply air outlet 266 while operation of the first blower 246 is suspended. In some instances, during simultaneous operation of the first blower 246 and the second blower 250, the first air flow 254 may be directed through the housing 210 to combine with the second air flow 258 in the second section 314 of the housing 210 to generate a combined air flow. For example, the first air flow 254 may be directed through the housing 210 to combine with the second air flow 258 within the housing 210.

In any case, upon flowing across the heating coils 206, the first and second air flows 254, 258 may be heated by the heating coils 206 to produce the heated supply air flow 216 (e.g., supply air flow 142), and the heated supply air flow 216 may be discharged from the housing 210 via the supply air outlet 266. Thereafter, the heated supply air flow 142 may be directed to a room, building, or other conditioned space. It should be noted that, although the air flow paths 278 and 318 may generally extend through the housing 210 in the direction 262 along the horizontal axis 154 to direct air flows (e.g., first air flow 254 and second air flow 258) towards the supply air outlet 266, portions of the first and second air flow paths 278, 318 may also extend in other directions, such as a direction at least partially along the vertical axis 198. That is, each of the first and second air flow paths 278, 318 may be configured to direct air flows (e.g., first and second air flows 254, 258) through the chamber 238 and toward the supply air outlet 266 in multiple directions.

As discussed above, one or more heating coils 206 may have the first heating coil row 214 (e.g., top portion, upper surface, upper row) and the second heating coil row 218 (e.g., bottom row, lower surface, lower row). For example, the first heating coil row 214 may positioned above the second heating coil row 218 relative to gravity. The one or more heating coils (e.g., heating coil rows 214, 218, oblique heating coil 286, non-oblique heating coil 290) of the heating system 202 may be coupled to a power source 330. For example, the power source 330 may be an electric power source that enables a flow of electricity to pass through the heating coils 206 of the heating system 202. The power source 330 may be disposed within a component section 334 (e.g., enclosure) of the housing 210 configured to support one or more components of the heating system 202. For example, the component section 334 may be coupled to the third wall 230 of the housing 210 and may be at least partially defined by the third wall 334. In some embodiments, the component section 334 and the power source 330 may be disposed separate from the housing 210, such as, at a separate portion of the HVAC unit or separate from the HVAC unit generally. In any case, as one or more air flows are directed across the heating coils 206, heat may be transferred from the heating coils 206 to the one or more air flows, thereby increasing the temperature of the air flows before the air flows are discharged via the supply air outlet 266. In some embodiments, with the first heating coil row 214 and the second heating coil row 218 of each respective heating coil 206 stacked together, an amount of heat output achieved by each heating coil row 214, 218 may be controlled based on respective speeds of the first and second blowers 246, 250.

The heating system 202 may also include a controller 338, which may be disposed within the housing 210 in some embodiments. The controller 338 may be configured to control operation of the blowers 246, 250 and/or the heating coils 206, such as based on one or more operating parameters of the heating system 202 and/or of an HVAC system having the heating system 202. For example, the controller 338 may receive a signal indicative of a call for operation of the HVAC unit 100 and/or the heating system 202 in a cooling mode, and in response, the controller 338 may suspend operation of the heating coils 206. Thus, the heating coils 206 may not operate to heat the first and/or second air flows 254, 258 directed through the housing 210. The controller 338 may also receive a signal indicative of a call for operation of the HVAC unit 100 and/or heating system 202 in a heating mode, and in response the controller 338 may operate to activate the heating coils 206 to enable heating of the first and/or second air flows 254, 258 directed through the housing 210. In some embodiments, the controller 338 may also be configured to control operation of the blower assembly 242 (e.g., in the cooling mode, in the heating mode). While operating in the heating mode, the controller 338 may receive a signal indicative of a desired temperature set point for a conditioned room, and the controller 338 may be configured to operate the blower assembly 242 based on the desired temperature set point. That is, the controller 338 may be configured to operate the blowers 246, 250 independently or simultaneously and at different speeds and/or capacities, thereby enabling the heating system 202 to provide the supply air flow 216 at different temperatures and volumes based on a difference between the current temperature and the desired temperature set point. That is, independent and adjustable (e.g., different flow rates and/or speeds) operation of the blowers 246, 250 may enable the heating system 202 to control a heat output of the heating system 202. For example, if the difference between the current temperature of a conditioned room and the desired temperature for the conditioned room is above a first threshold value, the controller 338 may operate the first and second blowers 246, 250 simultaneously and at a full capacity to deliver the supply air flow 216 to the conditioned room. If the difference between the current temperature and the desired temperature is below the first threshold value, but above a second threshold value, the controller 338 may operate the first and second blowers 246, 250 simultaneously and at a reduced capacity to deliver the supply air flow 216 to the conditioned room. Further still, if the difference between the current temperature and the desired temperature is below the second threshold value, the controller 338 may operate the first blower 246 independently, while operation of the second blower 250 is suspended or may operate the second blower 250 while operation of the first blower 246 is suspended to deliver the supply air flow 216 to the conditioned room. Accordingly, by enabling the controller 338 to control the blowers 246, 250 flow rate and/or speed based on a desired temperature set point, efficiency of the heating system 202 may be increased as blowers 246, 250 are operated when needed. It should be appreciated that the controller 338 may be a dedicated controller of the heating system 202, a main controller of an HVAC unit having the heating system 202 (e.g., control board 48, control panel 82), a component of a control system of an HVAC system having the heating system 202, or any other suitable controller.

To facilitate control of one or more components of the heating system 202, the controller 338 may include a memory 342 with instructions stored thereon for controlling operation of the heating system 202 and components of the heating system 202. The controller 338 may also include processing circuitry 346 configured to execute instructions stored on the memory 342. For example, the processing circuitry 346 may include one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), one or more general purpose processors, or any combination thereof. Additionally, the memory 342 may include a non-transitory computer-readable medium that may include volatile memory, such as random-access memory (RAM), and/or non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), optical drives, hard disc drives, solid-state drives, or any other suitable non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry 346, may control operation of the heating system 202. Although FIG. 6 illustrates the controller 338 as being disposed outside of the housing 210, in some embodiments, the controller 338 may be disposed within the housing 210, such as in components section 334.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional, schematic side view of an embodiment of a heating system 204 having one or more heating coils 206 that may be incorporated with or in any of the systems described above with reference to HVAC unit 100 employing a down flow configuration. As discussed above, it will be appreciated that the components of heating system 204 may be the same as the component of heating system 202 illustrated in FIG. 7 with the exception of the air flow path(s) direction and supply air discharge. That is, the heating system 204 may include the same heating coil 206 configuration as the heating system 202. In this way, heating system 202, 204 may be used in either a side flow configuration or a down flow configuration of the HVAC unit 100, without reduced heating efficiency or uneven heating of the air flow and/or the heating coils 206. For example, the heating system 204 may correspond to the heating assembly 168 of FIG. 6, and the heating coils 206 may correspond to the heating coils 166 of FIG. 6. As will be appreciated, heating system 204 discharges a conditioned (e.g., heated) air flow through a bottom side of the heating system 204.

As discussed above, the heating system 204 may include the housing 210 defined by the first wall 222, second wall 226, third wall 230, fourth wall 234, fifth wall (e.g., front side), and a sixth wall (e.g., back side). However, as will be appreciated, in a down flow configuration of the HVAC unit, the heating system 204 may be configured to direct conditioned air flow through a supply air outlet 350 disposed in the second wall 226 (e.g., bottom side) of the housing 210. For example, heating system 204 may include the blower assembly 242 with the first blower 246 and the second blower 250. The first blower 246 may be positioned on the first wall 222 of the housing 210 near (e.g., proximate) the third wall 230 and configured to generate the first air flow 254. The second blower 250 may be positioned on the first wall 222 of the housing 210 near (e.g., proximate) the fourth wall 234 and configured to generate the second air flow 258. That is, the first and second air flows 254, 258 generated by the first and second blowers 246, 250, respectively, may be directed into the housing 210 and may travel along one or more air flow paths 374, 378 in the direction 354 towards a supply air outlet 350 (e.g., discharge outlet) disposed within the second wall 226 (e.g., bottom side) of the housing 210.

As will be appreciated, the heating system 204 may have a similar heating coil configuration as to heating system 202 illustrated in FIG. 7. That is, heating system 204 may have one or more oblique heating coils (e.g., oblique heating coils 286) positioned below (e.g., below relative to the direction of gravity) a respective blower 246, 250 and one or more non-oblique heating coils (e.g., non-oblique heating coils 290) positioned below (e.g., below relative to the direction of gravity) the one or more oblique heating coils. Specifically, the heating system 204 may include a first heating coil 358, a second heating coil 362, a third heating coil 366, and a fourth heating coil 370. For example, the first heating coil 358 may be positioned beneath the first blower 246, configured to heat the first air flow 254 generated via the first blower 246 and direct the first air flow 254 along a first air flow path 374. In some embodiments, the first heating coil 358 may be disposed at an oblique angle relative to the horizontal axis 154, the first air flow path 374, the second air flow path 378, and/or the direction 354. In some embodiments, the first heating coil 358 may be angled inward, relative to the horizontal axis 154, towards a central point of the heating system 204. In this way, the first air flow 254 may deflect off of a top face of the first heating coil 358, towards the supply air outlet 350.

The second heating coil 362 may be positioned at least partially beneath (e.g., beneath relative to gravity) the first heating coil 358, configured to heat the first air flow 254 originating from the first blower 246. In some embodiments, the second heating coil 362 may be positioned adjacent to the supply air outlet 350 disposed on the second wall 226 (e.g., bottom) of the housing 210. The second heating coil 362 may offset (e.g., horizontally offset) from the horizontal position of the first heating coil 358 to increase the heating area (e.g., heating coil area) in which the first air flow 254 may be directed over and/or through. In some embodiments, the second heating coil 362 may at least partially overlap (e.g., horizontally overlap) with the first heating coil 358 to reduce and/or prevent air flow bypass between the heating coils 206. The second heating coil 362 may be any length and width suitable to more efficiently heat air flow through the housing 210 (e.g., reduce air flow bypass past the heating coils 206), while reducing undesirable pressure drop as air flow is directed out of the heating system 204.

In some embodiments, the third and fourth heating coils 366, 370 may reflect the position (e.g., vertical position, horizontal position) and orientation (e.g., angle) of the first and second heating coils 358, 362 relative to a central point within the housing 210. That is, the third heating coil 366 may be positioned beneath the second blower 250, configured to heat the second air flow 258 generated via the second blower 250 and direct the second air flow 258 along a second air flow path 378. In some embodiments, the third heating coil 366 may be disposed at an oblique angle relative to the horizontal axis 154, the first air flow path 374, the second air flow path 378, and/or direction 354. In some embodiments, the third heating coil 366 may be angled inward, relative to the horizontal axis 154, towards the central point of the housing 210 and/or heating system 204, in an opposite direction of the first heating coil 358. In this way, the second air flow 258 may deflect off of a top face of the third heating coil 366, towards the supply air outlet 350 along the second air flow path 378 in the direction 354.

The fourth heating coil 370 may be positioned at least partially beneath the third heating coil 366, configured to heat the second air flow 258 generated via the second blower 250. In some embodiments, the fourth heating coil 370 may be positioned adjacent to the supply air outlet 350 disposed on the second wall 226 of the housing 210. The fourth heating coil 370 may be horizontally offset from the third heating coil 366 to increase the heating area (e.g., heating coil area) in which the second air flow 258 may be directed over and/or through. In some embodiments, the fourth heating coil 370 may at least partially overlap (e.g., horizontally overlap) with the third heating coil 366 to reduce and/or prevent air flow bypass between the heating coils 206. The fourth heating coil 370 and the second heating coil 362 may define a gap 382 between an end of the second heating coil 362 and an end of the fourth heating coils 370, configured to enable reduced obstruction of the air flow through the chamber 238 (e.g., without passing through the heating coils 206). In this way, the air flow through the housing 210 may experience reduced undesirable pressure drop while exiting the chamber 238, thereby improving efficiency of the heating system 204.

In some embodiments, in addition or alternative to the baffle 298 discussed above in FIG. 7, the heating system 204 may include an additional baffle configured to direct air flow from the second blower 250 through the chamber 238. For example, the additional baffle may be positioned diagonally, extending from the fourth wall 234 to the second wall 226 and extending along the width of the housing 210 along the lateral axis 182. The configuration of the additional baffle extending from the fourth wall 234 to the second wall 226, and along the width of the housing 210, may block (e.g., partition) an additional corner of the housing 210 from the chamber 238, thereby blocking air flow from entering the additional corner. For example, as the second air flow 258 flows into the housing 210 and past and/or through the third heating coil 366, the second air flow 258 may be directed by the additional baffle in the direction 354 towards the supply air outlet 350, instead of entering the additional corner of the housing 210 defined by the second and fourth walls 226, 234. In this way, stagnant or recirculating (e.g., unmoving) air flow may be reduced and/or prevented, reducing air flow overheating, heating coil 206 overheating, and increasing more uniform air flow heating.

As discussed above, the heating system 204 may include a controller 338 including processing circuitry 346 and memory 342. The controller 338 may be configured to control operation of the first and second blowers 246, 250 and the heating coils 206. In some embodiments, the controller 338 may be configured to operate a subset of heating coils 206 based on an operational mode of the HVAC unit (e.g., heating, cooling), a desired amount of heating and/or based on overheating of the heating coils 206 (e.g., a detected temperature). That is, upon receiving a call for heating, the controller 338 may be configured to operate a subset of heating coils 206 while suspending operation of a second subset of heating coils 206. In this way, the heating system 204 may provide supply air flow 216 at a desired temperature and may reduce electricity consumption. For example, the controller 338 may be configured to operate the first and third heating coils 358, 366 (e.g., oblique heating coils) while suspending operation to the second and fourth heating coils 362, 370 (e.g., non-oblique heating coils). The controller 338 may also be configured to operate the second and fourth heating coils 362, 370 while suspending operation to the first and third heating coils 358, 366. In some embodiments, the controller 338 may suspend heating operation of one side (e.g., section) of the heating system 204 while operating the other side (e.g., section) of the heating system 204. For example, the controller 338 may suspend operation to the first and second heating coils 358, 362 while operating the third and fourth heating coils 366, 370. Likewise, the controller 338 may suspend operation to the third and fourth heating coils 366, 370 while operating the first and second heating coils 358, 362. In this way, a desired heating of the air flow may be achieved through adjusting operation of the heating coils 206.

In some embodiments, the controller 338 may receive an indication that one or more heating coils 206 are overheating, and may shut down operation of one or more heating coils 206. For example, the heating system 204 may include a sensor 386 within the housing 210 configured to detect an interior temperature of the chamber 238. The sensor 386 may be positioned on the fifth wall (e.g., front wall) or sixth wall (e.g., side wall), and proximate a central position of the housing 210, such that a temperature indicative of the heating coil 206 temperature may be detected. However, the sensor 386 is not limited to the fifth or sixth walls of the housing 210, and may be positioned at any suitable location within the housing 210, for example, on the first wall 222, second wall 226, third wall 230, or fourth wall 234. Furthermore, the sensor 386 may be positioned at any location on the respective interior side of the housing 210, such as near the first wall 222, near the second wall 226, near the third wall 230, near the fourth wall 234, near the fifth wall, and/or near the sixth wall. In any case, the sensor 386 may detect and communicate a signal indicative of a temperature from within the housing 210 to the controller 338. Upon determination by the controller 338 that the temperature measurement is above a threshold temperature, the controller 338 may shut down or alter operation to one or more heating coils 206.

In some embodiments, the sensor 386 may be a limit switch, configured to suspend operation to the one or more heating coils upon changing an electrical configuration. For example, the limit switch may be electrically coupled directly to one or more heating coils 206, a power source, and/or the controller 338, where the limit switch is configured to suspend power (e.g., electrical power) to one or more heating coils 206 upon an interior temperature (e.g., detected interior temperature) of the housing 210 reaching and/or surpassing a threshold temperature. In some embodiments, the threshold temperature may be determined or may be at least partially based on an outlet air temperature (e.g., discharge temperature) of the heating system 204, an ambient temperature, and/or another suitable parameter. In some embodiments, multiple limit switches may be included in the heating system 204, configured to suspend operation to different heating coils 206. That is, a first limit switch positioned proximate to a first heating coil and electrically coupled to the first heating coil 206 may suspend operation to the first heating coil upon the interior temperature of the housing 210 (e.g., interior temperature near the first heating coil 206) reaching a first threshold. Similarly, a second limit switch positioned proximate to a second heating coil 206 and electrically coupled to the second heating coil 206 may suspend operation to the second heating coil upon the interior temperature of the housing 210 (e.g., interior temperature near the second heating coil 206) reaching a second threshold.

In some embodiments, the blowers 246, 250 of the blower assembly 242 may be direct drive fans (e.g., direct drive plenum fans) configured to produce one or more air flows (e.g., air flows 254, 258) to be directed through the housing 210. As will be appreciated, direct drive fans may include larger outlets than traditional fans (e.g., centrifugal blower), which may result in a lower air flow rate relative to traditional fans. Advantageously, the disclosed heating coil 206 arrangement may reduce undesirable back flow into the blower assembly 242 utilizing direct drive fans. That is, the larger vertical displacement of the first and third heating coils 358, 366 from the blowers 246, 250, may increase desirable air flow through the housing 210, compared to heating systems using traditional fans. Further, the horizontally offset arrangement of the first and third heating coils 358, 366 from the blower 246, 250 outlets may increase desirable air flow through the housing 210, compared to heating systems using traditional fans.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the heating system 202 or 204, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. As illustrated, the heating system 202, 204 may include a portion of the housing 210 such as the third wall 230, a fifth wall 390 (e.g., front side, wall, panel), and a sixth wall 394 (e.g., back side, wall, panel) opposite the fifth wall 390. As will be appreciated, the heating system 202, 204 may include any number of wall or sides in the uninstalled configuration configured to structurally support the heating coils 206. In this way, the heating system 202, 204 may be removably coupled to the HVAC unit such that the housing 210 may be defined by both the heating system 202, 204 and the HVAC unit (e.g., components of the HVAC unit) in a coupled configuration (e.g., installed configuration). In some embodiments, the heating coils 206 may be disposed within the chamber 238 crosswise to the fifth wall 390 and the sixth wall 394, and coupled to an interior of the fifth wall 390 and the sixth wall 394. The illustrated embodiment also includes similar elements and element numbers described above. For example, the heating system 202, 204 includes the power source 330 configured to provide power to various components of the heating system 202, 204 (e.g., the heating coils 206) to heat one or more air flows directed across the heating coils 206. In some embodiments, the heating system 202, 204 may include barriers 398 configured to isolate an exterior portion of the heating coils 206 from other components of the HVAC unit. Electrical connections may extend through the barriers 398 from the power source 330 to a power input of the heating coils 206, such as an input extending through the fifth and sixth wall 390, 394 to an exterior portion of the housing 210. The barriers 398 may electrical separate the electrical connections and power inputs from other components of the HVAC unit, reducing undesirable flow of electricity between the heating system 202, 204 and other components of the HVAC unit. As such, the barriers 398 may include an electrically insulating material, such as, elastomers, composites, fiber glass, and/or any other suitable material.

The barriers 398 may include any configuration desirable to enclose exterior portions of one or more heating coils 206. For example, the barriers 398 may extend along the horizontal axis 154 on the exterior of the fifth and sixth walls 390, 394 of the housing 210, to enclose electrical connections and/or power inputs of one or more heating coils 206 (e.g., non-slanted heating coils 290, second heating coil 362, fourth heating coil 370). The barriers 398 may also extend at an angle relative the horizontal axis 154 along the exterior of the fifth and sixth walls 390, 394 of the housing 210, to enclose electrical connections and/or power inputs of one or more heating coils 206 (e.g., oblique heating coils 286, first heating coil 358, third heating coil 366). However, the barriers 398 are not limited to the illustrated configuration, and may extend along the exterior of the housing 210 in any direction. Further, the barriers 398 may be coupled to the housing 210 by any suitable means, such as, fasteners, welding, chemical adhesives, and/or another suitable attachment method.

The techniques presented and claimed herein are referenced and applied to material objects and concrete examples of a practical nature that demonstrably improve the present technical field and, as such, are not abstract, intangible or purely theoretical. Further, if any claims appended to the end of this specification contain one or more elements designated as “means for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ” or “step for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ”, it is intended that such elements are to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f). However, for any claims containing elements designated in any other manner, it is intended that such elements are not to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f).

While certain features and embodiments have been illustrated and described, many modifications and changes may occur to those skilled in the art, such as variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, such as temperatures and pressures, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, and so forth, without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter recited in the claims. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the disclosure

Furthermore, in an effort to provide a concise description of the exemplary embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not have been described, such as those unrelated to the presently contemplated best mode, or those unrelated to enablement. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation specific decisions may be made. Such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure, without undue experimentation.

The techniques presented and claimed herein are referenced and applied to material objects and concrete examples of a practical nature that demonstrably improve the present technical field and, as such, are not abstract, intangible or purely theoretical. Further, if any claims appended to the end of this specification contain one or more elements designated as “means for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ” or “step for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ”, it is intended that such elements are to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f). However, for any claims containing elements designated in any other manner, it is intended that such elements are not to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f).

Claims

1. A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:

a housing defining a chamber configured to receive a first air flow and a second air flow, wherein the chamber comprises: a first section comprising a first heating coil disposed at a first oblique angle relative to an axis extending along a length of the chamber; and a second section comprising a second heating coil disposed at a second oblique angle relative the axis;

a first blower disposed within the housing and configured to direct the first air flow into the first section and across the first heating coil; and

a second blower disposed within the housing and configured to direct the second air flow into the second section and across the second heating coil.

2. The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a discharge outlet, and the housing is configured to direct the first air flow and the second air flow from the chamber through the discharge outlet.

3. The HVAC system of claim 2, wherein the discharge outlet is formed in a lateral wall of the housing or a bottom wall of the housing.

4. The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the first section comprises a third heating coil positioned beneath the first heating coil, relative to gravity, and the second section comprises a fourth heating coil positioned beneath second heating coil, relative to gravity.

5. The HVAC system of claim 4, wherein the third heating coil at least partially overlaps the first heating coil in a vertical direction, and the fourth heating coil at least partially overlaps the second heating coil in the vertical direction.

6. The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the first blower and the second blower each comprise a direct drive plenum fan.

7. The HVAC system of claim 1, comprising a baffle disposed within the chamber and configured to direct the first air flow or the second air flow towards a discharge outlet.

8. The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the first heating coil and the second heating coil are each angled inward towards to a central portion of the chamber.

9. A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:

a housing defining a chamber;

a first blower coupled to the housing, wherein the first blower is configured to direct a first air flow into the chamber;

a second blower coupled to the housing, wherein the second blower is configured to direct a second air flow into the chamber; and

a plurality of heating coils disposed within the chamber, wherein the plurality of heating coils comprising: a first heating coil disposed within the chamber and beneath the first blower, relative to gravity; a second heating coil disposed within the chamber and beneath the first heating coil, relative to gravity; a third heating coil disposed within the chamber and beneath the second blower, relative to gravity; and a fourth heating coil disposed within the chamber and beneath the third heating coil, relative to gravity.

10. The HVAC system of claim 9, wherein the first heating coil is disposed at a first oblique angle, relative to a direction of the first air flow into the chamber, the second heating coil is disposed at a first non-oblique angle, relative to the direction of the first air flow into the chamber, the third heating coil is disposed at a second oblique angle, relative to a direction of the second air flow into the chamber, and the fourth heating coil is disposed at a second non-oblique angle, relative to the direction of the second air flow into the chamber.

11. The HVAC system of claim 10, wherein the housing comprises a wall defining a discharge outlet configured to direct the first air flow and the second air flow out of the chamber and the housing, wherein the wall is a base wall of the housing.

12. The HVAC system of claim 10, wherein the housing comprises a wall defining a discharge outlet configured to direct the first air flow and the second air flow out of the chamber and the housing, wherein the wall is a lateral side wall of the housing.

13. The HVAC system of claim 10, wherein the first heating coil and the third heating coil are angled toward a central portion of the chamber.

14. The HVAC system of claim 9, comprising a limit switch disposed within the chamber, wherein the limit switch is configured to suspend power to at least one heating coil of the plurality of heating coils based on a temperature within the chamber.

15. A heating assembly of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:

a first wall;

a second wall;

a third wall coupled to the first wall and the second wall;

a components section including a power source, wherein the components section is at least partially defined by the third wall;

a plurality of heating coils coupled to the first wall and the second wall, wherein the plurality of heating coils is configured to receive electrical energy from the power source, and the plurality of walls comprises: a first heating coil extending at a first oblique angle relative to the third wall; a second heating coil extending at a first non-oblique angle relative to the third wall; a third heating coil extending at a second non-oblique angle relative to the third wall; and a fourth heating coil extending at a second oblique angle relative to the third wall.

16. The heating assembly of claim 15, wherein in an installed configuration of the heating assembly, the first heating coil and the second heating coil are at least partially aligned with a first blower of the HVAC system, and the third heating coil and the fourth heating coil are at least partially aligned with a second blower of the HVAC system.

17. The heating assembly of claim 15, wherein the first heating coil and the second heating coil at least partially overlap with one another along a vertical direction, and the third heating coil and the fourth heating coil at least partially overlap with one another along the vertical direction.

18. The heating assembly of claim 17, wherein the second heating coil is disposed below the first heating coil, relative to gravity, and the fourth heating coil is disposed below the third heating coil, relative to gravity.

19. The heating assembly of claim 15, wherein the first heating coil and the fourth heating coil are angled toward a central portion of the heating assembly.

20. The heating assembly of claim 15, comprising a baffle coupled to the first wall and the second wall, wherein the baffle extends from the third wall and is configured to direct an air flow toward at least the first heating coil and the second heating coil.