U.S. patent application number 11/852436 was filed with the patent office on 2008-03-20 for air column for under floor heating and cooling system.
Invention is credited to Duane K. McLennan, James Patterson, Julian Douglas Rimmer, Tim Simcoe.
Application Number | 20080070493 11/852436 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39189197 |
Filed Date | 2008-03-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080070493 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Rimmer; Julian Douglas ; et
al. |
March 20, 2008 |
Air Column for Under Floor Heating and Cooling System
Abstract
An air column for an under floor heating and cooling system in
which the fan wheel of the plenum fan is located at the bottom of
the air column enclosure and is radially aligned with the inlet to
the under floor air plenum.
Inventors: |
Rimmer; Julian Douglas;
(Winnipeg, CA) ; Patterson; James; (Chicago,
IL) ; McLennan; Duane K.; (Winnipeg, CA) ;
Simcoe; Tim; (Winnipeg, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SMITH, GAMBRELL & RUSSELL
SUITE 3100, PROMENADE II
1230 PEACHTREE STREET, N.E.
ATLANTA
GA
30309-3592
US
|
Family ID: |
39189197 |
Appl. No.: |
11/852436 |
Filed: |
September 10, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60825649 |
Sep 14, 2006 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
454/186 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24F 1/0007 20130101;
F24F 2221/40 20130101; F24F 1/0022 20130101; F24F 1/005
20190201 |
Class at
Publication: |
454/186 |
International
Class: |
F24F 7/007 20060101
F24F007/007 |
Claims
1. A air column that forces heated or cooled air into a plenum
inlet of an under floor air plenum located beneath an elevated
floor of an occupied space comprising: a. an air column enclosure
having: i. an intake section with an air inlet; ii. a discharge
section with a fan outlet; and iii. side walls interconnecting the
intake section and the discharge section, b. a plenum fan mounted
within the air column enclosure and having a rotatable fan wheel
that when rotated discharges air axially around its circumference
through the fan outlet, wherein the fan wheel, the fan outlet, and
the plenum inlet are radially aligned.
Description
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional
Patent Application Ser. No. 60/825,649 filed on Sep. 14, 2006,
which is incorporated herein in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to an air column for an under floor
heating and cooling system. Particularly, the present invention
relates to an air column in which the fan wheel of a plenum fan is
located at the bottom of the air column enclosure and is radially
aligned with the inlet to the under floor air plenum.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] A conventional, prior art air column 120, shown in FIG. 1,
forces heated or cooled air into an air plenum 114 located beneath
an elevated floor 112 of an occupied space 110. The air column 120
comprises a plenum fan 130 housed in a four-sided sheet metal air
column enclosure 122. The air column enclosure 122 has an upper
intake section 124 at the top, a discharge section 118 at the
bottom, and four side walls 144 interconnecting the intake section
124 and the discharge section 118. The plenum fan 130 draws air
from the primary air supply (fresh air) and air from the secondary
air supply (return air) into the intake section 124 of the air
column enclosure 122 and forces the air out of the air column
enclosure 122 through a fan outlet 138 of the discharge section
118. The intake section 124 of the air column enclosure 122 has two
or more openings 146 on the vertical sides with the option of
another inlet opening 146 at the top. Typically the intake section
124 of the air column enclosure 122 includes air filter panels 126
mounted in the intake section 124. Also, a conventional air column
120 typically has at least one heat exchanging coil 128 located in
the intake section 124 for heating or cooling at least a portion of
the airflow that enters the air column enclosure 122.
[0004] In a conventional air column, the plenum fan 130 comprises a
motor 132 and a fan wheel 136. The fan wheel 136 of the plenum fan
130 is located entirely above the elevated floor 112 of the
occupied space 110. Air is drawn downward from the intake section
124 of the air column enclosure 122 and forced into the under floor
air plenum 114 by the operation of the plenum fan 130. Because the
fan wheel 136 of the plenum fan 130 is located above the floor 112,
the plenum fan 130 first produces a horizontal airflow from the fan
wheel 136, followed by a downward airflow along the internal side
walls 144 of the air column enclosure 122, and followed by a
horizontal airflow into an inlet 116 of the under floor air plenum
114. Because of the downward airflow along the internal side walls
144 of the air column enclosure 122, a minimum clearance of at
least one half the fan wheel diameter is required between the fan
wheel 136 and all four side walls 144 of the air column enclosure
122 to minimize obstruction of the radial airflow produced by the
fan wheel 136. The one half diameter requirement is a minimum
requirement and is not considered an optimal clearance between the
fan wheel 136 and the side walls 144 of the air column enclosure
122. Consequently the width and depth of the air column enclosure
122 must be substantially larger than the diameter of the fan wheel
136.
[0005] Because the air is discharged by the fan wheel 136 in a
radial direction, the discharged air impinges perpendicularly on
the side walls 144 of the fan column enclosure 122 and must be
directed downward toward the plenum inlet 116 of the under floor
air plenum 114. Consequently, sound absorbing material must be
placed at the discharge point 142 of the fan wheel 136 to absorb
sound created by the impact of the air against the side walls 144
of the fan column enclosure 122. In addition, the sound absorbing
material must be configured to direct the airflow efficiently
toward the plenum inlet 116 of the under floor air plenum 114.
Installing and configuring the sound absorbing material adds to the
expanse of the air column enclosure 122.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to
provide a fan column that is smaller in size than a conventional
fan column, that provides optimum airflow, that produces less noise
than a conventional fan column, and that requires less horsepower
than a conventional fan column.
[0007] The present invention achieves the objects outlined above by
locating the fan wheel of the plenum fan below the elevated floor
of the occupied space and in radial alignment with the inlet to the
air plenum. With the fan wheel of the plenum fan in radial
alignment with the inlet to the under floor air plenum, air is
directly discharged from the fan wheel horizontally into the under
floor air plenum. Therefore, no change in direction of the airflow
occurs when the the fan wheel discharges the air prior to the air
entering the under floor air plenum.
[0008] Because of the air within the air column enclosure does not
change direction after discharge from the fan wheel, space between
the discharge point of the fan wheel and the sides of the air
column enclosure can be kept to a minimum clearance resulting in a
smaller air column enclosure. The resultant smaller air column
enclosure footprint allows for lower square footage of mechanical
room space.
[0009] Moreover, because the fan wheel does not discharge air
horizontally against the sides of the air column enclosure, noise
is reduced and the need for sound absorbing material, particularly
sound absorbing material configured to direct air within the air
column enclosure, is eliminated. Further, the static potential of
the plenum fan is maintained because the blast area of the fan
wheel does not require any abrupt air direction changes with
respect to the fan wheel rotation. This more efficient air
management will lower the system effect the fan experiences thereby
allowing the potential for lower motor horse power and energy
use.
[0010] Further objects, features and advantages will become
apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description
of the invention when taken in conjunction with the drawing and the
appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a front elevation section view of a prior art air
column.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a front elevation section view of an air column in
accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0013] Turning to FIG. 2, an occupied space 10 has an elevated
floor 12 with an air plenum 14 located beneath the floor 12. An air
column 20, comprising an air column enclosure 22 and a plenum fan
30, draws heated or cooled air from a primary air supply (fresh
air) and from a secondary air supply (return air) and forces the
heated or cooled air into the under floor air plenum 14. The heated
or cooled air flowing in the under floor air plenum 14 is
distributed through floor diffusers (not shown) to the occupied
space 10 to heat or cool of the occupied space 10.
[0014] The air column enclosure 22 comprises an intake section 24,
a discharge section 18 with four side walls 44 interconnecting the
intake section 24 to the discharge section 18. The air column
enclosure 22 is supported by a base 48 below the floor 12. The
intake section 18 has enclosure inlets 46 for admitting primary
and/or secondary air into the intake section 24 of the air column
enclosure 22. As shown in FIG. 2, the intake section has two filter
panels 26 mounted so that air passing through the intake section 24
passes through the filter panels 26. In addition, the intake
section has a heat exchanging coil 28 positioned so that air
passing through the intake section 24 passes through the heat
exchanging coil 28 thereby heating or cooling the intake air as
required. The discharge section 18 of the air column enclosure 22
includes a fan outlet 38 that is aligned with a plenum inlet 16 of
the under floor air plenum 14.
[0015] The plenum fan 30, comprising a fan motor 32, a bell shaped
fan intake 34, a fan wheel 36, and a driveshaft 40, is mounted
within the air column enclosure 22 so that the fan wheel 36 is
radially aligned with the fan outlet 38 and with the plenum inlet
16. The fan motor 32 is coupled to the fan wheel 36 by means of the
driveshaft 40. The fan wheel 36 is a conventional squirrel cage fan
that draws air axially into the center of the fan wheel through the
bell shaped fan intake 34. The rotation of the fan wheel 36 then
discharges the air radially at multiple discharge points at 42
around the circumference of the fan wheel 36. In order to prevent
vibration because of the extended length of the driveshaft 40, the
motor bearings, the fan bearings, and the driveshaft 40 are
designed to minimize shaft vibration. Rubber or spring mounts are
used to prevent transmitting vibration to the supporting base
48.
[0016] In operation, rotation of the fan wheel 36 draws air
(primary and/or secondary air) into the air column enclosure 22
through enclosure inlets 46. The air then passes through filter
panels 26 to remove particulate from the air. From the filter
panels 26, the air passes through the heat exchanging coil 28 where
the air is heated or cooled as required. The fan wheel 36 continues
to draw the air down the air column enclosure 22 along the side
walls 44 and axially into the bell shaped fan intake 34 of the
plenum fan 30. The continuing rotation of the fan wheel 36 radially
propels the air from the center of the fan wheel 36 through
multiple discharge points 42 around the circumference of the fan
wheel 36. The radially discharged air from the fan wheel 36 exits
the air column enclosure 22 through the fan outlet 38 and into the
plenum inlet 16 of the under floor air plenum 14.
[0017] Because the fan wheel 36 is aligned with the fan outlet 38
which is in turn aligned with the plenum inlet 16 of the under
floor air plenum 14, the air at the discharge points 42 around the
circumference of the fan wheel 36 does not impinge upon the side
walls 44 of the air column enclosure 22. Instead, the air, in an
unrestricted fashion, passes directly from the fan wheel 36 into
the under floor air plenum 14 without any change of direction. The
direct discharge of the air from the fan wheel 36 into the under
floor air plenum 14 results in reduced noise and reduced horsepower
requirements for the fan motor 32. Because of the reduced noise,
the need for sound insulation with in the air column enclosure 22
is reduced.
[0018] While this invention has been described with reference to
preferred embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that
variations and modifications can be affected within the spirit and
scope of the invention as described herein and as described in the
appended claims.
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