Plural Cooling, E.g., Precooling By Exhaust Patents (Class 62/95)
  • Patent number: 11041679
    Abstract: An energy recovery wheel includes a frame positioned within a passage of a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system. The frame is configured to rotate about an axis of the passage relative to the HVAC system and includes an opening that is configured to transmit an air flow. The energy recovery wheel also includes a heat transfer element coupled to the frame and positioned within the opening, where the heat transfer element is permeable and configured to transition between a closed orientation to occlude the opening and direct the air flow across the heat transfer element and an open orientation to substantially unblock the opening and mitigate interaction between the air flow and the heat transfer element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Sriram Ramanujam, Shashank B. Kadam, Karan Garg, Rammohan Sethuraj
  • Patent number: 11022374
    Abstract: A heat exchanger assembly, an indirect evaporative heat exchanger including the heat exchanger, and methods of operating the same. The heat exchanger assembly includes at least one tube, a plurality of sections, and a plurality of nozzles. The at least one tube is configured to (i) have a process fluid flow therethrough in a first direction and (ii) have a scavenger cooling medium flow over the outer surface of the tube in a second direction. The second direction intersects the first direction. The plurality of sections is aligned in the first direction. The plurality of nozzles are located above the at least one tube. At least one nozzle of the plurality of nozzles is (i) located in each of the plurality of sections and (ii) configured to selectively discharge coolant onto the portion of the tube in that section of the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Munters Corporation
    Inventors: Mark Fisher, Bryan Keith Dunnavant, Michael Boucher
  • Patent number: 10399408
    Abstract: A method and apparatus controls and/or regulates the evaporator temperature of an air conditioning system in a motor vehicle in cooling mode. When an outside air temperature exceeds a predetermined limit value, the evaporator temperature is controlled and/or regulated to a predetermined minimum evaporator temperature until a predetermined desired temperature in the interior of the vehicle is reached. After reaching the predetermined desired temperature in the interior of the vehicle, the evaporator temperature is increased until a predetermined interior humidity in the vehicle is reached, or the interior temperature is higher than the predetermined desired temperature for the interior of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Michael Heil, Mattias Bruce, Robert Salzberger
  • Patent number: 9790891
    Abstract: A Stirling engine power generation system comprises a first gas fired Stirling engine driving a scroll compressor to provide heat to a second Stirling engine powered generator. The second Stirling engine is partially submersed in a heat transfer medium that is heated by heat transfer fluid compressed by the Stirling scroll compressor and excess heat from gas firing. The invention further comprises a cam drive system with spherical cam followers, and multiple electrical generators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Inventor: James R. Moore, II
  • Publication number: 20140216080
    Abstract: An improved method of supplying pressurized cold gas consistently of predominately N2 and He at low flow rate (typically under 1 g/s) with a desired N2 liquid fraction to an instrument requiring such is disclosed. Pressurized ultra-dry nitrogen gas of a controlled mass-flow rate is cooled inside fine coils bathed in liquid nitrogen to condense it to a vapor fraction less than about 20% and typically under 3%. A second gas stream consisting of predominately nitrogen plus helium, supplied from a controlled pressure, is cooled in a separate set of coils to an exit mean temperature significantly above the temperature of saturated nitrogen vapor in this mixture. The fluid from the first (condensed) mixture is injected into the cooled gas from the second mixture and transferred through a thermally insulated line to the input of the instrument needing a supply of cold gas of a target vapor fraction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Inventor: F David Doty
  • Patent number: 8753566
    Abstract: The invention relates to methods and apparatuses for treating a condensate stream from a condenser that contains odorous compounds, such as various condensate streams produced in a rendering process. In one embodiment, the condensate stream is treated by adding an oxidizer to the liquid condensate stream to oxidize odor-causing compounds in the stream prior to being treated in a waste water pre-treatment system. In this manner, the odor resulting from these compounds can be reduced or eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Inventor: Stephen R. Temple
  • Patent number: 8272324
    Abstract: A system is provided for tempering, or controlling the temperature of a printing machine to maintain a desired temperature by the use of a cooling device. The cooling device prepares, on a first output, a tempering medium having at least one first desired temperature level, for a first supply current of the tempering medium for the components whose temperatures are to be controlled. The cooling device provides a first cooling process which can be carried out by a first fluid circuit. Tempering medium, which is to be cooled to a tempering temperature that is below the ambient, or an external temperature, are provided. A second cooling process is carried out by a device for cooling a second fluid circuit which is different from the first fluid circuit, by the use of outside air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Koenig & Bauer Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Klaus Georg Matthias Müller, Jürgen Marx, Karl Erich Albert Schaschek, Georg Schneider
  • Patent number: 8104306
    Abstract: A fan driven evaporator is one component for use in refrigeration applications such as an evaporative cooler which employs refrigeration. In one embodiment, a frosting evaporative cooler utilizes an evaporator in the shape of a squirrel cage blower that utilizes alternating and opposing flows of refrigerant in refrigerant tubing to allow for the dehumidifying and cooling of humid air without freezing over and losing air flow. A fan for use in coolers in humid conditions comprises a motor driving a centrifugal blower. At least two cooling coils that are parallel have cooling fins separating all the coils. The coils surround the blower wheel thereby matching the shape of the outside of the blower housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Inventor: Steven C. Elsner
  • Patent number: 7789128
    Abstract: The invention relates to a plate-type heat exchanger for drying a gaseous medium, especially air, comprising a stack of plates which are interconnected to define flow spaces between the plates, a gas-gas heat exchanger being formed in one portion of the stack, with a moist inlet gas stream flowing away from an inlet gas connection and a dried outlet gas stream flowing towards an outlet gas connection, both flowing next to each other through separate flow spaces to exchange thermal energy, and a gas-coolant heat exchanger being formed in another portion of the stack, with a coolant and the moist inlet gas stream flowing next to each other through further separate flow spaces for cooling purposes, and a flow connection being formed between an outlet of the gas-coolant heat exchanger and the gas-gas heat exchanger, in-cluding an overflow member to guide the dried outlet gas stream through the overflow member from the gas-coolant heat exchanger to the gas-gas heat exchanger The overflow member is formed of a stac
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Gea WTT GmbH
    Inventor: Peter Rehberg
  • Publication number: 20100199693
    Abstract: A system for increasing the efficiency of a conventional air conditioner includes: an evaporative air cooler having evaporative pads; and a frame that retains the air cooler so as to enclose a condenser of the air conditioner, thereby directing pre-cooled air from the air cooler to the air conditioner. The system includes a tray and a pump that pumps the water in the tray into the evaporative air cooler, and a sensor to refill the tray. The system may be retro-fitted onto existing air conditioners.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2010
    Publication date: August 12, 2010
    Inventor: David Andrew Benesch
  • Patent number: 7654307
    Abstract: An automotive air conditioning system is disclosed comprising an evaporative cooler in series with the conventional vapor compression system. The evaporative cooler comprises an array of dry channels and a contiguous array of wet channels. The primary air stream to be conditioned by the evaporator of the conventional air conditioning system is preconditioned by the evaporative cooler by lowering its dry bulb temperature without changing its absolute humidity. An evaporator core is supported downstream of the evaporative cooler for receiving the primary air from the dry channels and thereby produces liquid condensate. The system is distinguished by conducting the liquid condensate from the evaporator core to the wicking tank for use in the wet channels of the evaporative cooler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Mohinder Singh Bhatti, Ilya Reyzin, Kurt Dale Hollasch
  • Patent number: 7531131
    Abstract: A method using vibration for conditioning, air-conditioning, cooling and decontaminating, disinfecting and sterilizing physical media. The method includes a first vibratory action (13) performed on a regulated incoming current of the physical medium (2) so that the flow of the physical medium (2) is formed and the necessary and adequate conditions for cooling are created; a refrigerating medium (3) and a cold-absorbing medium (6) interact in a heat exchanging system (1); and another vibratory action (10) is performed on a cold-absorbing medium in order that the physical medium is continuously and/or periodically decontaminated and the necessary and adequate conditions for the functioning of the decontamination system in its steady state are created.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Inventors: Danil Doubochinski, Roman Prytkov
  • Patent number: 7437887
    Abstract: A recirculation cooling system including a refrigeration circuit, a water circuit, a tank and a pump, the evaporator of the refrigeration circuit being allocated to the water circuit in order to exchange heat. All components are contained in a housing. This invention provides a recirculation cooling system that can be positioned in a space-saving manner and is readily accessible for maintenance. The rear wall of the housing is positioned against and fixed to a vertical side panel of, for example, a switchgear cabinet, a machine housing or a wall. The interior of the housing is sub-divided into two sub-chambers by a partition, one sub-chamber being situated between the side panel and the partition and the second sub-chamber being situated between the partition and the front face of the housing. The condenser and the ventilator are located in the sub-chamber allocated to the front face of the housing and the tank and pump are located in the rear sub-chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Rittal GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Henno Hinder, Andreas Müller
  • Patent number: 7234309
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus of evaporative cooling for reducing the volume of an evaporative cooler by considerably lowering the temperature of a cooling fluid are disclosed. A first cooling fluid, which comprises most part of the cooling fluid evaporatively cooled by an outside air while passing through an evaporative cooling section after circulating in an apparatus to be cooled, re-circulates in the apparatus to be cooled. A second cooling fluid, which is separated from the cooling fluid after being cooled in the evaporative cooling section, passes through a sensible air-cooling section placed at an outside air inlet. Thereby, the inflow outside air is sensibly cooled. The second cooling fluid, which passes through the sensible cooling section, re-circulates in the evaporative cooling section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: Whizen Global Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Dae Young Lee, Jin Koo Lim, Hyun Ki Moon
  • Patent number: 7043934
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a water making device that collects the moisture contained in the atmosphere and condenses it into high purity water. In one embodiment, moist air entering the water making/water cooling system flows across an air filter, then a precooler heat exchanger (where the air stream is cooled to or close to its dew point) and then a water extraction heat exchanger, where the air stream is cooled further and water is extracted. The water that leaves water extraction heat exchanger is collected in a water collection device and passes from there through a primary water filter into a water storage tank. The air stream then passes across a reheat heat exchanger and exhausted to the outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: University of Maryland, College Park
    Inventors: Reinhard K. Radermacher, Hisham Fawzi
  • Patent number: 6931881
    Abstract: A portable, monoblock air conditioner including an evaporator positioned over a condenser, the condenser including heat transfer fins, and a partition positioned between the evaporator and the condenser, the partition formed with openings arranged for condensate to flow from the evaporator over the heat transfer fins of the condenser, wherein there are more than one of the openings over each heat transfer fin. Adjacent rows of openings over the heat transfer fins may be staggered with respect to each other. The heat transfer fins may have a hydrophilic coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: Amcor International Ltd.
    Inventor: Avner Movshovitz
  • Patent number: 6883602
    Abstract: An evaporator unit for use in the air conditioning system of a mass transit vehicle that includes a housing mounted inside the air conditioned section of the vehicle having a return air inlet connected to a supply air outlet by a flow passage. The evaporator coil of the air conditioner is mounted in the flow passage to cool the air moving through the passage. A heater coil is mounted behind the evaporator coil to selectively heat the air moving through the passage. A dehumidifying coil is mounted in front of the evaporator coil that utilizes ambient air to dehumidify the indoor air when the ambient air temperature is at a temperature below that at which the air conditioner cannot reliably operate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: Carrier Corporation
    Inventor: Alan S. Drucker
  • Patent number: 6837065
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a mist cooler and in particular to a means for cooling the air partially or wholly surrounding a conventional air cooled condenser of an air cooler or a refrigeration unit. The present invention is particularly adaptable as an addition, which works in conjunction with an existing air cooler by lowering the temperature of the air before the air enters the air intake of the air cooler or refrigeration unit. The present invention can be combined as an addition to any air conditioning air cooled condenser for residential, commercial, industrial, or institutional application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Inventor: Stephen Permetti
  • Patent number: 6680033
    Abstract: A large amount of treated gas containing odor components is efficiently deodorized by performing ozone deodorization after water molecule deodorization, and thereafter performing ion deodorization. A composite deodorization system is provided with a first chamber for performing the water molecule deodorization connected with a fermentation system by a gas introduction opening supplied with the treated gas containing odor components from the fermentation system, a second chamber for performing ozone deodorization connected with the first chamber by a flow passage tube, a third chamber for performing ion deodorization connected with the second chamber by a connection tube, an ozone filter incorporated at a connection position of the second chamber and the connection tube, and a third chamber having a gas discharge opening for discharging the treated gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Assignee: Asahi Environmental System Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideaki Ishii
  • Patent number: 6637234
    Abstract: An air conditioning unit (1) for interiors is disclosed, carrying out a method comprising the following steps: carrying out a first thermal exchange between a first quantity of air drawn from an interior to be conditioned (A) and a second quantity of air drawn from the external ambient (E) in a first heat exchanger (7); after the first thermal exchange conveying the second quantity of air to a thermal exchange bank (12) connected to a thermal recovery bank (10) both belonging to a refrigerating circuit to carry out a second thermal exchange; after the second thermal exchange conveying the second quantity of air to the interior to be conditioned (A); after the first thermal exchange effecting a further thermal exchange between the first quantity of air and the recovery bank (10) before discharging the first quantity of air to the external ambient (E).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Inventor: Federico Rossetto
  • Patent number: 6591902
    Abstract: An air conditioning system has a plurality of heat pipes including an input coil at the input end of a chiller for the passage of input air there through and an output coil at the output end of a chiller for the passage of output air there through. Each of the heat pipes has a vapor leg and a liquid leg coupling the vapor coil and liquid coil for the flow of a working fluid there through. At least one back flow abater is in the liquid leg for controlling the back flow of the working fluid within the liquid leg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Inventor: Richard W. Trent
  • Publication number: 20030037905
    Abstract: An air conditioning system utilizes heat transfer circulation of the change of two water phases where are liquid and water as primary and heat transfer of other air conditioning heat sources such as mechanical types or non-mechanical types as auxiliary mechanisms to perform composite heat transfer to thereby effectively reduce energy consumption required in heat transfer of the air conditioning systems and decrease thermal pollution resulting from the discharging of waste heat. A water circulation system within an air conditioning unit draws outdoor air into an air inlet passage. A discharge water pipe is located at one side of an indoor heat exchanger to use water in the water circulation system as a heat exchange medium. A large portion of air conditioning load is removed before the incoming air reaches the indoor heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2001
    Publication date: February 27, 2003
    Inventor: Kuo-Liang Weng
  • Patent number: 6467539
    Abstract: Cooling equipment, which may be connected to the water discharge from a working or operating machine with a water (20/20′) cooling circuit (2) to make the water re-circulate once cooled (24), characterized in that the cooling equipment comprises: at least one cooling tower (21-21′) with an extended surface for wetting and evaporation; at least one air flow generator device (3-31) for easing the evaporation; at least one closed cycle frigorific circuit (1) whose condenser (12) is placed downstream (12′) of the cooling tower (21-21′) with respect to the air flow (3-31) and whose evaporator (14) is placed downstream of the water cooling circuit (2) for exchanging heat with the cooled water (22) in the cooling tower (2-21′) for then making the water re-circulate in the operating machine (24).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventor: Enrico Medessi
  • Patent number: 6434963
    Abstract: An air cooler has a casing containing two air flow paths through one of which cooled fresh air is supplied to a house, while the other receives stale air from the house. An efficient heat exchanger pre-cools the fresh air with the heat extracted from the stale air, Further cooling is achieved by evaporative cooling of water from two honeycomb structures respectively spanning the two air flow paths. A pump circulates cooled water to the upper end of one of the structures from the lower end of the other structure which receives, at its upper end, the water which has percolated down through the upper structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Inventor: John Francis Urch
  • Patent number: 6394174
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a system and a method for reclaiming process water in a manufacturing plant and more particularly, relates to a system and a method for reclaiming process water from a cooling tower exhaust gas which contains at least 80% relative humidity by utilizing a heat exchanger equipped with cooling elements that are cooled by a flow of exhaust gas formed by a general exhaust and a scrubber exhaust from a semiconductor fabrication facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd
    Inventor: Yi-Jang Hsieh
  • Patent number: 6283738
    Abstract: It is an improvement of a package-type compressor that is used for the air compression, refrigerating and air conditioning The compressor is a double scroll compressor that a laps are formed on both sides of an end plate of orbiting scroll. A scroll compressor element is disposed above a motor and a dryer is disposed further above the scroll compressor element. A cooling fan is installed in the motor. A cooler that cools operation gas through the compressor element is disposed above the cooling fan. A partition plate defines a first flow passage for cooling the motor and the compressor element and a second flow passage for cooling the cooler. A first suction port sucking external air to the first and second flow passages is provided on a casing side wall locating in a direction extending from the motor shaft. A suction partitioning plate is attached to a casing sidewall opposite to the casing side wall having the first suction port. The second suction port is lower than the first suction port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuaki Shiinoki, Akira Suzuki, Isamu Kawano, Natsuki Kawabata
  • Patent number: 6193486
    Abstract: It is an improvement of a package-type compressor that is used for the air compression, refrigerating and air conditioning. The compressor is a double scroll compressor that a laps are formed on both sides of an end plate of orbiting scroll. A scroll compressor element is disposed above a motor and a dryer is disposed further above the scroll compressor element. A cooling fan is installed in the motor. A cooler that cools operation gas through the compressor element is disposed above the cooling fan. A partition plate defines a first flow passage for cooling the motor and the compressor element and a second flow passage for cooling the cooler. A first suction port sucking external air to the first and second flow passages is provided on a casing side wall locating in a direction extending from the motor shaft. A suction partitioning plate is attached to a casing side wall opposite to the casing side wall having the first suction port. The second suction port is lower than the first suction port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuaki Shiinoki, Akira Suzuki, Isamu Kawano, Natsuki Kawabata
  • Patent number: 6085529
    Abstract: A heat exchanger comprising a precooler and reheater core adjacent a chiller core, first heat transfer passages extending through both cores through which incoming air passes in a first direction, second heat transfer passages extending through the chiller core through which coolant passes in heat exchange relationship with incoming air and perpendicular to the first direction, and third heat transfer passages extending through the precooler and reheater core through which cooled air from the chiller core passes in heat exchange relationship with the incoming air and perpendicular to the first direction. A manifold contiguous with both cores conducts chilled air from the chiller core to the third set of heat transfer passages.Incoming air is chilled in the chiller core and thereafter exchanges heat with the incoming air in the precooler and reheater core to precool the incoming air to form water droplets and to raise the temperature of the chilled air to a usable temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2000
    Assignee: American Precision Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy J. Galus, David F. Fijas
  • Patent number: 5913360
    Abstract: A heat exchanger for dehumidifying an air stream including heat conducting plates which serve as the heat exchange surface for precooling and reheating the air during the dehumidification process. Cooling conduits are positioned in a plane parallel to a plane defined by the heat conducting plates, such that cooling occurs in the intake air stream and heating occurs in the exhaust air stream, and the air flow is redirected in a small plenum chamber located at an end of the channels adjacent to the cooling conduits. A system is also provided which includes a plurality of heat exchangers joined edge corner to edge corner sharing a common cooling coil and a common plenum chamber. The heat exchange system includes a fan for conducting air through the heat exchangers and through the cooling coil, a manifold assembly which includes an intake damper, exhaust damper, and baffle dampers, and a cooling damper disposed in a condensate collection chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1999
    Assignee: Nautica Dehumidifiers, Inc.
    Inventor: Walter Stark
  • Patent number: 5845505
    Abstract: A heat exchanger comprising a precooler and reheater core adjacent a chiller core, first heat transfer passages extending through both cores through which incoming air passes in a first direction, second heat transfer passages extending through the chiller core through which coolant passes in heat exchange relationship with incoming air and perpendicular to the first direction, and third heat transfer passages extending through the precooler and reheater core through which cooled air from the chiller core passes in heat exchange relationship with the incoming air and perpendicular to the first direction. A conduit conducts chilled air from the chiller core to the third set of heat transfer passages.Incoming air is chilled in the chiller core and thereafter exchanges heat with the incoming air in the precooler and reheater core to precool the incoming air to form water droplets and to raise the temperature of the chilled air to a usable temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1998
    Assignee: American Precision Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy J. Galus, David F. Fijas
  • Patent number: 5816315
    Abstract: A heat exchanger for dehumidifying a stream of air including heat conducting channel walls which serve as the heat exchange surface for precooling and reheating air during the dehumidification process. Cooling conduits are positioned in a plane parallel to a plane defined by the heat conducting walls, such that cooling occurs both in the intake and exhaust airstreams, and the airflow is redirected in a small plenum chamber located at an end of the channels adjacent the cooling conduits. A system is also provided which includes a plurality of heat exchangers in series sharing a common cooling coil and a common plenum chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1998
    Assignee: Nautica Dehumidifiers, Inc.
    Inventor: Walter Stark
  • Patent number: 5806582
    Abstract: A method and an arrangement for controlling heat transfer in a ventilation apparatus or an air conditioning apparatus, in which heat contained in exhaust air is recovered into supply air by means of a heat transfer circuit having fluid circulation. Additional heating or additional cooling energy is supplied to the heat transfer circuit when the heat transfer is insufficient for maintaining a desired temperature of the supply air. To optimize the heat recovery, the supply of additional heating or cooling energy is minimized by measuring the temperatures and fluid flows of the heat transfer fluid and of the additional energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1998
    Assignee: ABB Installaatiot oy
    Inventors: Esko Tapio Santavuori, Ingmar Erik Rolin, Seppo Juhani Leskinen
  • Patent number: 5799728
    Abstract: Apparatus for dehumidifying air comprising two cooling coils operable in a first mode for circulating coolant at a temperature above 32.degree. F. and below the dew point of the air through one of the coils and for circulating coolant at a temperature below 32.degree. F. through the other, and operable in a second mode wherein the circulation of coolant is reversed. In one version of the apparatus, shown in FIG. 1, air flows continuously in one direction first through one coil and then the other; in another version of the apparatus, shown in FIG. 3, the direction of air flow is also reversed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1998
    Assignee: MEMC Electric Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Bryan Blume
  • Patent number: 5761908
    Abstract: A self-contained ventilation apparatus is disclosed for ventilating buildings, e.g., patient rooms such as hospital rooms, waiting rooms, hospital operating rooms, doctors' offices, and clinics, especially rooms contaminated with infectious microorganisms. One or more blowers is provided. When there are two blowers, a first blower is provided for discharging room air to the atmosphere and a second blower is provided for introducing fresh outside air to the room to provide a continuous supply of fresh air to the room which is free of disease organisms. Both streams of air pass through an air-to-air heat exchanger to adjust the temperature of the incoming air to approach that exhausted from the room. When filters are used, both currents of air are preferably filtered, e.g., with a high efficiency particle air (HEPA) filter. Provision is made for automatically maintaining room air pressure at the desired value (typically below that of surrounding rooms) as filters gradually become clogged with dust.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignee: Air Quality Engineering
    Inventors: Heidi D. Oas, Dennis E. Welch
  • Patent number: 5727623
    Abstract: A pair of heat exchangers of generally cylindrical shape are coaxially coupled to the opposite ends of a cylindrical air-water separator. Each heat exchanger has a stack of heat transfer disks brazed together to define two alternating sets of intercommunicating flow paths. The first set of flow paths of the first heat exchanger receives high-temperature, high-humidity air under pressure, which is precooled by low-temperature, low-humidity air flowing to the second set of flow paths from the air-water separator. The precooled high-humidity air is directed through an internal passageway in the separator into the second heat exchanger, in which the air is cooled by heat exchange with a coolant. The cooled high-humidity air is then directed into the separator for reduction of the moisture. The low-temperature, low-humidity air is then afterheated by precooling the incoming high-temperature, high-humidity air in the first heat exchanger, for subsequent delivery to a load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1998
    Assignee: Orion Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masuo Yoshioka, Hiromoto Ohta, Toshiaki Yamagishi, Noritake Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 5725048
    Abstract: In vehicles having drive systems with a highly variable degree of heat generation but in which the total quantity of heat generated is small, the heat given off is inadequate to warm the vehicle properly. The cooling system must nevertheless be designed for the worst-possible operating point, i.e. the greatest amount of heat generated, even if it is generated only briefly. It is the purpose of the present development to make the best possibly exergetic use of the available energy sources while ensuring that the drive components are cooled. The air extracted from the passenger compartment (1) comprises a proportion of exhaust air and one of recirculated air, where the recirculated air is heated in the heat exchanger (9) for the cooling circuit (16) of the drive system and taken to the passenger compartment. The system is particularly suitable for electric vehicles, vehicles with hydrogen and hybrid drives and vehicles developing little heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1998
    Assignee: Behr GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Roland Burk, Thomas Heckenberger, Hans-Joachim Krauss, Michael Loehle
  • Patent number: 5653115
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for conditioning air for an enclosure is disclosed in which a stream of outside ambient air is dried in a desiccant core and cooled; thereafter the air stream is further cooled by passing the same over a cooling element whose surface temperature under normal operating conditions is higher than the dew point of the cooled and dried air leaving the heat exchanger. The thus cooled outside air stream is supplied to the enclosure while return air is withdrawn from the enclosure and supplied to desiccant core to pass in heat and moisture exchange relation to the outside air stream in order to remove moisture sorbed by the desiccant material from the outside air stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 5, 1997
    Assignee: Munters Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen C. Brickley, Nancy Banks, Larry Klekar
  • Patent number: 5630322
    Abstract: Workpieces are quenched by gases in a heat-treatment system (1) and the circulated gases are recooled on cooling surfaces (12, 15) in at least one heat exchanger (11, 14), the cooling surfaces (15) of the heat exchanger (14) are cooled by a primary refrigeration unit (20) and a refrigerant to temperatures below 0.degree. C., preferably to temperatures below -20.degree. C. or even below -40.degree. C., to increase the intensity of the quenching. To reduce the size and power of the refrigeration unit (20), the quenching gas is sent in succession through at least one heat exchanger (11) cooled with water and at least one heat exchanger (14) cooled by a refrigerant. To reduce the size and power of the refrigeration unit (20) even further, this unit and a secondary refrigerant are used initially to cool down a storage volume of the primary refrigerant, such as a cooling brine, being stored under little or no pressure, to a temperature below 0.degree. C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 20, 1997
    Assignee: Ald Vacuum Technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Paul Heilmann, Klaus Loser, Friedrich Preisser
  • Patent number: 5423187
    Abstract: A rooftop air conditioning unit for conditioning air in a conditioned space is provided with a rotary regenerative exchanger where sensible and latent heat transfer occur between exhaust air and fresh air with the use of a rotary regenerative exchanger. The exchanger is secured to the housing of the unit in front of a side opening adjacent the air circuit thereof. The position of the exchanger avoids a modification in the conditioned air ductwork of the conditioned space and allows sharing the same roof reinforcement structure with the original unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1995
    Assignees: Bernard Fournier, Gisele Surprenant Lemieux
    Inventor: Bernard Fournier
  • Patent number: 5421171
    Abstract: Cooling apparatus comprises a cooling chamber such as a freezing tunnel having a pipeline for introducing liquid nitrogen into it and an exhaust passage for cold nitrogen vapor. The exhaust passage extends through a rotary regenerative heat exchanger. Downstream of the heat exchanger is a fan operable to draw the exhaust gas through the heat exchanger. A second passage extends through the heat exchanger and is arranged for the flow therethrough of relatively warm air, whereby, in operation, the air is able to transfer heat to the exhaust gas in the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 6, 1995
    Assignee: The BOC Group plc
    Inventor: David G. Wardle
  • Patent number: 5402542
    Abstract: A fluidized bed includes an air blower, a heater, an air/air heat exchanger with auxiliary fans, and an air/cold water heat exchanger. The fluidized bed includes a remotely disposed portable water chiller that provides the cold water for circulating in the air/cold water heat exchanger. The water chiller includes a water refrigeration unit and a water pump. Flexible tubing carries cooled water from the water chiller to the air/cold water heat exchanger and relatively warmed water from the air/cold water heat exchanger to the water chiller. Each of the free ends of the tubing, the water chiller, and the air/cold water heat exchanger, is provided with mating male or female connectors to enable the tubing to be selectively connected and disconnected between the water chiller and the air/water heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1995
    Assignee: SSI Medical Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Jean-Louis Viard
  • Patent number: 5390505
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for cooling, air which apparatus includes an indirect evaporative cooler, an indirect contact chiller, a reheat coil component, an ice-thermal-storage component and an ice-manufacturing refrigeration chiller to provide alternative air-flow paths and alternative component combinations. Alternative fluid-flow paths are provided through electable combinations of the several components to effect the desired lowering of air temperature, relative humidity and air density in the cooled air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1995
    Assignee: Baltimore Aircoil Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Glenn W. Smith, William D. McCloskey, Robert E. Cates
  • Patent number: 5333470
    Abstract: An air conditioning system uses heat-pipes in combination with a cooling coil to increase either the dehumidification capacity or the efficiency and capacity of an air-conditioning system. In the dehumidification mode, the secondary cooling coil is inactive, and the heat pipes operate as a heat exchanger between the warm return air and the cold supply air of the air conditioning system to precool the return air and reheat the supply air, increasing the latent capacity of the main cooling coil. In the efficiency and capacity boosting mode, the secondary cooling coil is activated by introducing a portion of the cooling fluid from the air-conditioning system. This results in a neutralization of the effect of the heat pipes as well as an increase in effective heat-exchange area between the cooling fluid and the air, therefore produces an increase in the capacity of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1994
    Assignee: Heat Pipe Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Khanh Dinh
  • Patent number: 5317907
    Abstract: In an air conditioning apparatus, the refrigerant discharged from a compressor of an outdoor unit is passed through an outdoor heat exchanger, the refrigerant having passed through the outdoor heat exchanger is passed through an indoor heat exchanger of an ambient air-conditioning unit and the refrigerant having passed through the indoor heat exchanger is returned to the compressor to cool the whole space in the room. At the same time, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor is passed through the outdoor heat exchanger, the refrigerant having passed through the outdoor heat exchanger is passed through indoor heat exchangers of a plurality of personal air-conditioning units and the refrigerant having passed through the indoor heat exchangers is returned to the compressor to separately cool the discrete spaces in the room.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 7, 1994
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Keiichiro Shimizu, Eiji Kuwahara, Manabu Kitamoto, Masao Amano, Yasunori Ichikawa, Masayuki Hibi, Keizo Iwata
  • Patent number: 5299633
    Abstract: A heat exchanger device for refrigeration driers in compressed-air installations is described. Such heat exchanger devices have an air/air heat exchanger (1) and a refrigerant/air heat exchanger (2). According to the invention, the air/air heat exchanger is produced as a plate heat exchanger and the refrigerant/air heat exchanger is produced as a combined tube/plate heat exchanger. The tube/plate heat exchanger has at least one unit containing a tube coil being coiled in a meandering manner and forming two spaced broad sides, and two plates, each plate being fastened at one of the two broad sides (FIG. 1 ).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 5, 1994
    Assignee: Autokuhler GmbH & Co. KG.
    Inventors: Werner Bruggemann, Josef Gievers
  • Patent number: 5193352
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for cooling, air which apparatus includes an indirect evaporative cooler, a direct-contact ice-water chiller, a reheat coil component, an ice-thermal-storage component and an ice-manufacturing refrigeration chiller to provide alternative air-flow paths and alternative component combinations. The method provides alternative fluid-flow paths through electable combinations of the several components to effect the desired lowering of air temperature, relative humidity and air density in the cooled air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1993
    Assignee: AMSTED Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Glenn W. Smith, William D. McCloskey, Robert E. Cates
  • Patent number: 5179998
    Abstract: A heat recovery ventilating dehumidifier provides fresh, cool, low relative humidity air to a building or room during warm weather, and warm fresh air during cold weather. Fresh air is drawn into the heat recovery ventilating dehumidifier, cooled and dehumidified by heat exchange by exhausting stale air in a first heat exchanger, then further cooled and dehumidified by passage through a refrigerant coil. After passage through the refrigerant coil the fresh cool air passes through a second heat exchanger, cooling exhausting stale air and in exchange becoming less cool to reduce the relative humidity. The cool, fresh air having a lowered relative humidity is then used to ventilate a building or room. The cooled exhausting stale air then passes through the first heat exchanger cooling the fresh warm incoming air. In the winter time the refrigerant coil is replaced by a heater and heat is recovered from the exhausting stale air and transferred to the incoming fresh air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1993
    Inventor: Nicholas H. Des Champs
  • Patent number: 5107919
    Abstract: An improved air dryer for pneumatic systems (10). The improved air dryer (10) employs air-to-air and an air-to-refrigerant heat exchanger portions (12-14) that are substantially parallel and coextensive. Each heat exchanger portion (12-14) is made up of a plurality of tube units (16-52), each tube unit (16-52) having three concentric tubes (22-24-26-58-60-68). The intermediate tube (60) of the air-to-refrigerant portion (14) includes a helically deformed central portion (66) to increase surface area and create turbulence within adjacent passageways (70-74). The tubes (16-52) terminate at each end in separate header units (34-40-46-80-86-92). Incoming air is passed co-currently, then countercurrently, in the-air-to-air portion (12) with air that has been dried, whereupon a pre-cooling stage is achieved. This pre-cooled air is then passed counter-currently, then co-currently, to refrigerant in the air-to-refrigerant portion (14) for causing condensation of moisture therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1992
    Assignee: Pioneer Air Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Sanjiv K. Basseen, Richard A. Harlan, Masoud Zarif
  • Patent number: 4939907
    Abstract: An evaporative precooling unit for use with a conventional refrigerant type air-conditioning system having an exteriorly mounted compressor housing including a compressor, a condenser, a side air inlet, a top air outlet and a fan for directing air through the side air inlet and out the top air outlet to cool the compressor and condenser, includes a precooler housing dimensioned to be installed over the side air inlet of the compressor housing. The precooler housing may utilize either water saturated pads or spray nozzles to provide evaporative cooling to the air entering the compressor housing. In an alternative embodiment, a precooler housing having a bottom cooled air outlet dimensioned for registry with the top air outlet of the compressor housing is utilized to supply cooled air to the compressor and condenser upon reversal of the compressor cooling fan blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 10, 1990
    Inventor: Marc F. Taylor
  • Patent number: 4934451
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for conditioning air is disclosed. The invention captures condensation from an evaporator coil and pumps the chilled condensation through a coil to precool the air before the air flows over the evaporator coil. During a heating cycle, the invention captures waste heat from the furnace with a radiator system which includes through the coil to warm the air as it flows through the air handling unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 19, 1990
    Inventor: James R. Colvin