U.S. patent application number 14/053921 was filed with the patent office on 2014-02-06 for architectural heat and moisture exchange.
This patent application is currently assigned to ARCHITECTURAL APPLICATIONS P.C.. The applicant listed for this patent is Architectural Applications P.C.. Invention is credited to John Edward BRESHEARS.
Application Number | 20140034268 14/053921 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48425671 |
Filed Date | 2014-02-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140034268 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
BRESHEARS; John Edward |
February 6, 2014 |
ARCHITECTURAL HEAT AND MOISTURE EXCHANGE
Abstract
An architectural heat and moisture exchanger. The exchanger
defines an interior channel which is divided into a plurality of
sub-channels by a membrane configured to allow passage of water
vapor and to prevent substantial passage of air. In some
embodiments, the exchanger includes an opaque housing configured to
form a portion of a building enclosure, such as an exterior wall,
an interior wall, a roof, a floor, or a foundation.
Inventors: |
BRESHEARS; John Edward;
(Portland, OR) |
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Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Architectural Applications P.C. |
Portland |
OR |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
ARCHITECTURAL APPLICATIONS
P.C.
Portland
OR
|
Family ID: |
48425671 |
Appl. No.: |
14/053921 |
Filed: |
October 15, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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13942376 |
Jul 15, 2013 |
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14053921 |
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13747218 |
Jan 22, 2013 |
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13942376 |
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13185439 |
Jul 18, 2011 |
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13747218 |
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61365173 |
Jul 16, 2010 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
165/56 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24S 10/80 20180501;
Y02B 30/56 20130101; F24F 2003/1435 20130101; F24F 12/006 20130101;
F24F 3/147 20130101; F28D 21/0015 20130101; Y02E 10/44 20130101;
F24S 20/66 20180501; F28D 21/00 20130101; Y02B 10/20 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
165/56 |
International
Class: |
F28D 21/00 20060101
F28D021/00 |
Claims
1. An apparatus for enabling heat and moisture exchange within a
building, comprising: an exchanger housing including an exterior
wall which is substantially transparent to radiation within a
spectrum, the housing defining an interior channel configured to be
disposed within a building, to receive an incoming air stream from
an environment outside the building, to pass the incoming air
stream into an environment inside the building, to receive an
outgoing air stream from the environment inside the building, and
to exhaust the outgoing air stream to the environment outside the
building; a membrane, permeable to water vapor and substantially
impermeable to constituent gases of air, disposed within the
housing and dividing the interior channel into a first sub-channel
through which the incoming air stream may pass and a second
sub-channel through which the outgoing air stream may
simultaneously pass; and at least one radiation absorbing element
disposed within one of the sub-channels and configured to absorb
radiation passing through the exterior wall of the exchanger and to
transfer heat by convection to the air stream passing through the
sub-channel within which the radiation absorbing element is
disposed.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radiation absorbing
element is further configured to absorb radiation passing through
the membrane.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radiation absorbing
element is disposed within the first sub-channel and is configured
to transfer heat to the incoming air stream by convection.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radiation absorbing
element is disposed within the second sub-channel and is configured
to transfer heat to the outgoing air stream by convection.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the membrane is substantially
transparent to radiation within the spectrum, and wherein the
radiation absorbing element is configured to absorb radiation
passing through both the exterior wall of the exchanger and the
membrane.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the exchanger housing, the
membrane and the radiation absorbing element are collectively
configured to allow a desired fraction of radiation incident on the
exchanger housing to be transmitted to the building interior.
7. A system for enabling heat and moisture exchange between air
streams entering and leaving a building, comprising: a heat and
moisture exchanger including exterior walls constructed at least
partially from radiant energy transmitting enclosure material and
which define an interior channel; a membrane, permeable to water
vapor and substantially impermeable to constituent gases of air,
disposed within the interior channel and dividing the interior
channel into a first sub-channel through which a source air stream
may pass and a second sub-channel through which an exhaust air
stream may simultaneously pass; a first opening in the exterior
walls configured to allow ingress of the source air stream from an
external environment into the first sub-channel; a second opening
in the exterior walls configured to allow ingress of the exhaust
air stream from an interior enclosure of the building into the
second sub-channel; and at least one radiation-absorbing element
disposed within one of the sub-channels; wherein the energy
transmitting enclosure material has a transmissivity, the
radiation-absorbing element has a geometry, and the transmissivity
and the geometry are collectively configured to control a fraction
of energy incident on the exterior walls that is transmitted
through the exchanger to the interior enclosure of the
building.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one
radiation-absorbing element includes a plurality of discrete
radiation-absorbing elements.
9. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one
radiation-absorbing element includes a plurality of interconnected
radiation-absorbing elements.
10. The system of claim 7, wherein the exchanger is configured to
be coupled with an HVAC unit and to direct the source air stream
into the HVAC unit after the source air stream passes through the
exchanger.
11. A heat and moisture exchanger system, comprising: an exchanger
housing including exterior walls defining an interior channel; a
barrier disposed within the interior channel and partitioning the
interior channel into a first sub-channel adapted to receive a
source air stream and a second sub-channel adapted to receive an
exhaust air stream; and a plurality of radiation-absorbing elements
disposed within one of the sub-channels and each configured to
absorb radiant energy incident upon a surface of the
radiation-absorbing element, and to re-emit at least a fraction of
the absorbed energy by convection.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the exterior
walls is transparent to radiation within a first spectrum.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein the barrier is transparent to
radiation within the first spectrum.
14. The system of claim 12, wherein the barrier is transparent to
radiation within a second spectrum.
15. The system of claim 12, wherein the radiation-absorbing
elements are transparent to radiation within the first
spectrum.
16. The system of claim 12, wherein the radiation-absorbing
elements are disposed within the first sub-channel.
17. The system of claim 12, wherein the radiation-absorbing
elements are disposed within the second sub-channel.
18. The system of claim 11, wherein the radiation-absorbing
elements are discrete.
19. The system of claim 11, wherein the radiation-absorbing
elements are interconnected.
20. The system of claim 11, wherein first sub-channel is further
adapted to direct the source air stream toward a building interior,
wherein the exterior walls have a transmissivity, wherein the
radiation-absorbing elements have a geometry, and wherein the
transmissivity and the geometry are collectively configured to
control a fraction of energy incident on the exchanger housing that
is transmitted through the exchanger to the building interior.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCES
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 13/942,376, filed Jul. 15, 2013, which is a
continuation of U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13/747,218,
filed Jan. 22, 2013, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 13/185,439, filed Jul. 18, 2011, which claims
priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.
61/365,173, filed Jul. 16, 2010, each of which are incorporated
herein by reference. This application also incorporates by
reference in its entirety for all purposes the following: U.S. Pat.
No. 6,178,966, issued Jan. 30, 2001 and U.S. Patent Publication No.
2007/0151447 to Merkel, published Jul. 5, 2007.
INTRODUCTION
[0002] In centrally heated or cooled buildings, fresh air or
"makeup air" is typically added continuously to the total volume of
circulated air, resulting in some previously heated or cooled air
being exhausted from the building space. This can result in an
undesirable loss of energy and humidity from the building. Heat
exchangers are commonly used in the exhaust air and makeup airflow
paths of these systems to recover some of the energy from the
exhaust air and to induce warmer makeup air during heating
processes and cooler makeup air during cooling processes.
[0003] Materials used for heat exchangers commonly include metal
foils and sheets, plastic films, paper sheets, and the like. Good
heat exchange is generally possible with these materials, but
significant moisture exchange cannot easily be performed.
Desiccants, or moisture adsorbing materials, are occasionally
employed to transfer moisture. With this method, the desiccant
merely holds the moisture. To effectively transfer moisture between
gas streams, the desiccant must be relocated from the gas stream of
higher moisture content to the gas stream of lower moisture
content, requiring an additional input of mechanical energy. With
many desiccant materials, satisfactory performance can be achieved
only with the input of additional thermal energy to induce the
desiccant to desorb the accumulated moisture.
[0004] Heat and moisture exchange are both possible with an
exchange film made of paper. However, water absorbed by the paper
from condensation, rain, or moisture present in the air can lead to
corrosion, deformation, and mildew growth, and, hence,
deterioration of the paper exchange film.
[0005] The various types of heat and moisture exchangers in common
usage are generally contained within an opaque metal housing and
located at or near the building air-handling units in the
mechanical room, basement, or rooftop of the building. The nature
of moisture exchange requires a very large surface area in contact
with the gas stream, and, consequently, so-called total heat
exchangers are often very large in size when compared to heat-only
exchangers. A larger exchanger in the conventional locations
requires additional mechanical room space and/or additional
load-bearing capacity of the roof in the case of a roof-top
unit.
[0006] Porous polymeric or ceramic films are capable of
transferring both heat and moisture when interposed between air
streams of differing energy and moisture states. A system for heat
and moisture exchange employing a porous membrane is described in
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 54-145048. A study of
heat and moisture transfer through a porous membrane is given in
Asaeda, M., L. D. Du, and K. Ikeda. "Experimental Studies of
Dehumidification of Air by an Improved Ceramic Membrane," Journal
of Chemical Engineering of Japan, 1986, Vol. 19, No. 3. A
disadvantage of such porous composite film is that it also permits
the exchange of substantial amounts of air between the gas streams,
as well as particles, cigarette smoke, cooking odors, harmful
fumes, and the like. With respect to building indoor air quality,
this is undesirable. In order to prevent this contamination of
make-up air, the pore volume of a porous film is preferably no more
than about 15%, which is difficult and expensive to achieve
uniformly. Furthermore, a porous film made to a thickness of 5 to
40 micrometers in order to improve heat exchange efficiency tears
easily and is difficult to handle.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 6,178,966 to Breshears addressed the
shortcomings described above by describing an improved apparatus
for enabling heat and moisture exchange between makeup and exhaust
air streams in the heating and air conditioning system of a
structure. The apparatus included a rigid frame for holding a pair
of light transmitting panes, the frame and panes collectively
defining an interior cavity within the apparatus. The apparatus
could be integrated into the exterior walls of a building. The
light transmitting properties of the panes allow incident solar
radiation to permeate the panels, creating a more natural ambient
environment in the interior of the structure adjacent with the
panel, as well as raising the temperature of the air stream and the
water vapor permeable barrier to further enhance the exchange of
moisture through the barrier.
[0008] In the prior art Breshears apparatus, a
water-vapor-permeable barrier was provided within the apparatus, to
divide the interior of the apparatus into sub-channels for
receiving makeup and exhaust air streams, respectively. The barrier
was described as a composite film made of porous polymeric membrane
having applied thereto a water-vapor-permeable polymeric material
so as to form a non-porous barrier to block the flow of air and
other gas.
[0009] Despite overcoming some of the shortcomings of preexisting
systems, the prior art Breshears apparatus was limited in some
ways. For example, the disclosed apparatus was limited to
transparent structures configured to be integrated into the
exterior of a building. Furthermore, the polymeric membranes
described by Breshears were limited to certain particular membrane
materials.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view depicting an embodiment of a
heat and moisture exchanger ("exchanger") according to aspects of
the present teachings.
[0011] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of another embodiment of an
exchanger according to aspects of the present teachings.
[0012] FIG. 2B is a sectional side view of a portion of the
apparatus of FIG. 2A.
[0013] FIG. 3A is a perspective view of another embodiment of an
exchanger according to aspects of the present teachings.
[0014] FIG. 3B is a sectional side view of a portion of the
apparatus of FIG. 3A.
[0015] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another embodiment of an
exchanger integrated into an illustrative exterior building
wall.
[0016] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of an
exchanger integrated into an illustrative building roof.
[0017] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of an
exchanger integrated into an illustrative building floor.
[0018] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another embodiment of an
exchanger integrated into an illustrative building foundation.
[0019] FIG. 8 is an isometric view of another embodiment of an
exchanger showing an illustrative layer of insulation.
[0020] FIG. 9 is an isometric view of another embodiment of an
exchanger showing another illustrative layer of insulation.
[0021] FIG. 10A is a sectional top view of another embodiment of an
exchanger integrated into an illustrative weather-resistant wall
layer.
[0022] FIG. 10B is a sectional side view of the apparatus of FIG.
10A.
[0023] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of another embodiment of an
exchanger integrated into an illustrative building interior
wall.
[0024] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of another embodiment of an
exchanger integrated into an illustrative building intermediate
floor system.
[0025] FIG. 13 is a sectional view of the exchanger of FIG. 12,
showing the exchanger integrated into an illustrative building
underfloor plenum.
[0026] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of another embodiment of an
exchanger integrated into an illustrative building intermediate
ceiling system.
[0027] FIG. 15 is a sectional view of the exchanger of FIG. 14,
showing the exchanger integrated into an illustrative building
above-ceiling plenum.
[0028] FIG. 16 is a perspective view of another embodiment of an
exchanger, in which a portion of the exchanger is constructed from
radiant energy transmitting enclosure material.
[0029] FIG. 17 is a sectional view of a portion of the exchanger of
FIG. 16.
[0030] FIGS. 18-23 are magnified views of a portion of alternative
embodiments of the exchanger of FIG. 16, depicting various types of
radiant energy absorptive elements that may be disposed within the
exchanger of FIG. 16.
[0031] FIG. 24 is a schematic elevational view of an exchanger
system, showing how an exchanger may be coupled with a mechanical
cooling and ventilation apparatus through a dedicated fluid
communication channel.
[0032] FIG. 25 is a schematic elevational view of another exchanger
system, showing how an exchanger may be coupled with a mechanical
cooling and ventilation apparatus through a building plenum
space.
[0033] FIG. 26 is a schematic elevational view of still another
exchanger system, showing another manner in which an exchanger may
be coupled with a mechanical cooling and ventilation apparatus
through a building plenum space.
[0034] FIG. 27 is a schematic elevational view of yet another
exchanger system, showing how an exchanger may be coupled directly
with a mechanical cooling and ventilation apparatus.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0035] The present teachings relate to improved methods and
apparatus for recovering energy and/or moisture as air is added to
and exhausted from an enclosed space. These teachings may be
combined, optionally, with apparatus, methods, or components
thereof described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,178,966 to Breshears. However,
the present teachings expand upon the prior art teachings by
disclosing novel improvements such as an exchanger incorporated
into an opaque exterior building element. These and other aspects
of the present teachings are described in detail in the sections
below.
[0036] This description discusses some of the basic features of
heat and moisture exchangers according to aspects of the present
teachings, and focuses particularly on incorporating exchangers
into various external building elements, such as walls,
foundations, roofs, and slab floors configured to divide an
enclosed space from the ambient exterior and collectively referred
to as a building enclosure system. See FIGS. 1-10B.
[0037] FIG. 1 is a perspective view depicting an illustrative heat
and moisture exchanger (which may be referred to herein as simply
an "exchanger"), generally indicated at 10, according to aspects of
the present teachings. Exchanger 10 is an apparatus for enabling
heat and moisture exchange between air streams. An exchanger
housing, generally indicated at 12, includes an exterior wall 14
defining an interior channel 16 through which a gas may pass. A
barrier 18 is disposed within interior channel 16 and partitions
interior channel 16 into sub-channels 20 and 22, each of which is
adapted to receive a gas stream, such as a source air stream A and
an exhaust air stream B, respectively. Channel 16, and thus
sub-channels 20 and 22, may be in fluid communication with gas
stream sources via suitably located openings in housing exterior
wall 14 such as openings 24 and 26 shown in FIG. 1, which may in
turn include louvers, screens, or other elements configured to
direct flow and/or exclude foreign material.
[0038] In the embodiment of FIG. 1, exchanger housing 12, and in
particular housing exterior wall 14, is configured to form a
substantially opaque portion of a building enclosure system.
Accordingly, exchanger housing 12 may be constructed from any
suitable, substantially opaque material, such as steel, aluminum or
other metal, acrylic, polycarbonate or other plastic, wood,
composites, back-painted or non-transparent glass, or combinations
thereof. Furthermore, the exchanger housing may be sized and
proportioned such that it can be integrated into--and form a part
of--a building enclosure. For example, the housing may include a
structural frame and enclosing sheet material, and may be
configured as a panel forming one or more elements of an overall
panelized building enclosure system. As described in more detail
below, the exchanger housing may be implemented as a portion of the
building wall system, roof system, floor or foundation system, or
other part of the building's exterior.
[0039] Barrier 18, which divides interior channel 16 into
sub-channels 20 and 22, is generally permeable to water vapor and
substantially impermeable to the constituent gases of air, which
principally include nitrogen and oxygen. Various types of barriers
may be suitable for use with the present teachings, including
microporous polymeric membranes with appropriate characteristics.
One particularly suitable type of polymeric membrane is described
in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0151447 to Merkel, which is
hereby incorporated by reference into the present disclosure for
all purposes.
[0040] In a manner described in more detail below, source and
exhaust gas streams, respectively denoted throughout the drawings
as gas stream A and gas stream B, are directed through adjacent
sub-channels 20 and 22 within exchanger 10. Due to the proximity of
the air streams, heat may be conducted from the hotter gas stream
through barrier 18 and into the cooler gas stream, and moisture may
be transported from the gas stream of higher moisture content
through barrier 18 and into the gas stream of lower moisture
content. Various barrier configurations and resulting geometries of
sub-channels may be chosen depending on the desired heat transfer,
moisture transfer, and pressure drop characteristics. The following
paragraphs include descriptions of various such arrangements, with
barriers and sub-channels that function in a manner similar to
those described above.
[0041] FIG. 2A depicts another illustrative embodiment of a heat
and moisture exchanger, generally indicated at 40, according to
aspects of the present teachings. Pleated-barrier exchanger 40 is
similar to exchanger 10, including an exchanger housing 42 having a
housing exterior wall 44 defining an interior channel 46 through
which a gas may pass. A barrier 48 is disposed within interior
channel 46. Unlike the barrier in exchanger 10, barrier 48 is
formed in a corrugated or pleated fashion to allow a greater
barrier surface area to fit into a given interior channel 46, with
a corresponding increase in potential moisture and heat exchange.
FIG. 2B, which is a sectional side view of the exchanger in FIG.
2A, shows that the folds of barrier 48 may not reach to the inner
surface of housing exterior wall 44. Accordingly, a gap may remain
on either side to allow fluid communication within each of two
sub-channels 50 and 52 formed by the barrier. In other examples,
the folds of barrier 48 may be configured to contact the inner wall
surface of housing exterior wall 44, thus further subdividing
sub-channels 50 and 52 into a plurality of smaller sub-channels
having substantially triangular cross sections.
[0042] FIG. 3A depicts a perspective view of yet another
illustrative embodiment of a heat and moisture exchanger, generally
indicated at 80, according to aspects of the present teachings.
Multi-barrier exchanger 80 is similar to exchanger 10, including an
exchanger housing 82 having a housing exterior wall 84 defining an
interior channel 86 through which a gas may pass. In this example,
however, three barriers 88, 90, and 92 are disposed in channel 86,
forming four sub-channels 94a, 96a, 94b, and 96b. In this example,
gas stream A may flow through sub-channels 94a and 96a, while gas
stream B may flow through sub-channels 94b and 96b. This flow
pattern is more easily seen in the sectional side view shown in
FIG. 3B.
[0043] Similar arrangements having odd numbers of barriers with
corresponding even numbers of sub-channels are possible, such as
disposing five barriers within channel 86 to form six sub-channels
evenly divided between gas stream A and gas stream B.
Alternatively, some examples may have any number of barriers
forming any corresponding number of sub-channels, divided unevenly
between gas streams A and B. For example, four barriers may be used
to form five sub-channels, with three devoted to gas stream A and
two to gas stream B. In yet other examples, the barrier
arrangements of exchangers 40 and 80 may be combined to produce
parallel pleated or corrugated barriers, or even alternating
corrugated and flat barriers, in any case forming sub-channels with
corresponding shapes.
[0044] FIGS. 4-7 depict illustrative exchangers, which may include
features similar to those described above, integrated with various
aspects of a building enclosure system. For simplicity, FIGS. 4-7
are depicted and described below as incorporating exchanger 10 of
FIG. 1, but more generally, according to the present teachings any
of the previously described exchangers or permutations thereof may
be incorporated into aspects of a building enclosure system.
[0045] For example, FIG. 4 is a perspective view depicting an
illustrative exchanger 10 integrated into a building exterior wall
100. As depicted in FIG. 4, a portion of housing exterior wall 14
may be configured to act as an exterior portion of the building
enclosure system, and may be exposed to outdoor environmental
conditions. Accordingly, at least a portion of housing exterior
wall 14 may be constructed of weather-resistant material. Suitable
materials for the housing exterior wall may include stainless
steel; painted, coated, or anodized metal, plastic or wood with
coatings or sealants applied to reject moisture and air penetration
and retard degradation due to exposure to weather, or other
weather-resistant and durable materials. In some examples, a
portion of housing exterior wall 14 is exposed to outdoor
environmental conditions while another portion of housing exterior
wall 14 is exposed to a building interior. Exchanger 10 may thus
form an exterior wall portion and/or an interior wall portion of
the building enclosure system.
[0046] FIG. 5 depicts an illustrative exchanger 10 integrated into
a building roof 110. As with the exchanger integrated into wall
100, at least a portion of an exterior surface of housing exterior
wall 14 may be configured to be weather resistant, and may act as a
portion of roof 110. In the example of FIG. 5, gas streams A and B
pass through suitable building exterior openings at the side edge
of roof 110, and through suitable building interior openings
disposed in a ceiling 112 beneath roof 110. Similar to wall
integration, exchanger 10 may form an exterior portion and/or an
interior ceiling portion of roof 110.
[0047] FIG. 6 depicts a perspective view of another example of an
exchanger 10, in this case integrated into an illustrative building
floor 120. As depicted in FIG. 6, exchanger 10 may act as a portion
of floor 120, with suitable openings for gas streams A and B at a
building-interior surface of floor 120 and through an exterior wall
100. A portion of housing exterior wall 14 may be configured to act
as a portion of floor 120.
[0048] FIG. 7 depicts a perspective view of yet another example of
an exchanger 10, here integrated into a building foundation 130. As
depicted in FIG. 7, suitable openings in exchanger 10 configured to
accommodate gas flows A and B may be disposed at an outer surface
of building foundation 130 and at a building-interior floor. In
this example, exchanger 10 may form a portion of the outer surface
of foundation 130, and may be exposed to exterior environmental
conditions. Accordingly, at least a portion of exchanger 10 may
again be constructed of a weather-resistant material.
[0049] FIGS. 8 and 9 depict examples of exchanger systems including
an insulation layer 140 that may be disposed adjacent to at least a
portion of housing exterior wall 14. In FIG. 8, a single insulation
layer 140 is shown adjacent to one side of exchanger 10. In FIG. 9,
an alternative configuration is depicted, in which insulation layer
140 surrounds exchanger 10, with openings in layer 140 to allow
unhindered passage of gas streams A and B. These insulation layer
depictions are illustrative only. Many suitable thicknesses and
dispositions of insulation adjacent to exchanger 10 are
possible.
[0050] FIGS. 10A and 10B depict still another illustrative
exchanger system, including an exchanger 10 integrated into a
building exterior wall 100. In this example, exchanger 10 may be
further integrated into a rain screen enclosure system.
Specifically, rain screen layer 150 may be disposed on the exterior
side of building exterior wall 100, and may furthermore leave an
air gap 152 between layer 150 and wall 100. FIG. 10A is a top
sectional view depicting an example of this sort of arrangement,
showing that exchanger 10 may be configured to act as a portion of
a rain screen layer 150. As best seen in the sectional side view of
FIG. 10B, a portion of exchanger 10 may also pass through wall 100
to allow fluid communication between the external environment and
the building interior for gas streams A and B. To act as a part of
the rain screen enclosure system, an exposed portion of housing
exterior wall 14 of exchanger 10 may be constructed of
weather-resistant material. With layer 150, exchanger 10 may form a
continuous layer configured to preventingress of water into a
building.
[0051] FIGS. 11-27 depict various other embodiments and aspects of
exchanger systems according to the present teachings. More
specifically, FIG. 11 depicts how an exchanger may be integrated
into a building interior wall; FIGS. 12-13 depict how an exchanger
may be integrated into a building floor system; FIGS. 14-15 depict
how an exchanger may be integrated into a building ceiling system;
FIGS. 16-17 depict how an exchanger may be partially constructed
from radiant energy transmitting enclosure material; FIGS. 18-23
depict how various types of radiant energy absorptive elements may
be disposed within an exchanger to facilitate energy transfer
and/or absorption; and FIGS. 24-27 depict various ways in which an
exchanger may be coupled to a building's mechanical cooling and
ventilation apparatus.
[0052] More specifically, The following description discusses some
of the basic methods of configuration and integration of the heat
and moisture exchangers into elements of the building according to
the present teachings. See FIGS. 11-15.
[0053] FIG. 11 depicts an example of an exchanger system in which
the exchanger 10 is integrated into or incorporated within an
interior wall, interior partition, or other architectural element
200. As depicted in FIG. 11, suitable openings 24, 26 and pathways
to exchanger 10 may be disposed to accommodate gas flows A and B at
the exterior surface of the building and the at outer surface of
the interior wall or partition 200. These gas flow pathways and
openings 24, 26 are illustrative only. Many suitable configurations
of pathways and openings interconnecting with an exchanger 10 are
possible. The exchanger housing 14 depicted in FIG. 11 may be
concealed beneath the finished surface material of the wall or
partition 200, or the exchanger housing may itself comprise the
finished wall surface. Accordingly, at least a portion of the
external wall 14 of the exchanger 10 may be exposed to the building
interior and may be constructed of suitably durable material such
as steel, aluminum, wood, or other composite finished with paint or
other suitable coating.
[0054] FIG. 12 depicts an example of an exchanger system in which
the exchanger 10 is integrated into or incorporated within a
building floor system 220. As depicted in FIG. 12, suitable
openings 24, 26 and pathways to exchanger 10 may be disposed to
accommodate gas flows A and B at the exterior surface of the
building and the at surface of the building floor 220. These gas
flow pathways and openings 24, 26 are illustrative only. Many
suitable configurations of pathways and openings interconnecting
with exchanger 10 are possible. The exchanger housing 14 depicted
in FIG. 12 may be concealed beneath the finished surface material
of the floor 220, or the exchanger housing may itself comprise the
finished floor surface. Accordingly, at least a portion of the
external wall 14 of the exchanger 10 may be exposed to the building
interior and may be constructed of suitably durable material such
as steel, aluminum, wood, or other composite finished with
linoleum, carpet, or other suitable coating.
[0055] FIG. 13 depicts a cross section view of an exchanger system
in which the exchanger 10 is located in a void space or plenum 222
between a lower floor plane 200 and a raised floor plane 224. As
depicted in FIG. 13, suitable openings 24, 26 and pathways to
exchanger 10 may be disposed to accommodate gas flows A and B at
the exterior surface of the building and the upper surface of the
raised floor plane 224. These gas flow pathways and openings 24, 26
are illustrative only. Many suitable configurations of pathways and
openings interconnecting with exchanger 10 are possible.
[0056] FIG. 14 depicts an example of an exchanger system in which
the exchanger 10 is integrated into or incorporated within a
building ceiling system 240. As depicted in FIG. 14, suitable
openings 24, 26 and pathways to exchanger 10 may be disposed to
accommodate gas flows A and B at the exterior surface of the
building and the at surface of the building ceiling 240. These gas
flow pathways and openings 24 are illustrative only. Many suitable
configurations of pathways and openings interconnecting with
exchanger 10 are possible. The exchanger 10 depicted in FIG. 14 may
act as a portion of the building ceiling 240. Accordingly, at least
a portion of the external wall 14 of the exchanger 10 may be
exposed to the building interior and may be constructed of suitably
durable material such as steel, aluminum, wood, or other composite
finished with paint or other suitable coating.
[0057] FIG. 15 depicts a cross section view of an exchanger system
in which the exchanger 10 is located in a void space or plenum 242
between an upper roof or ceiling plane 240 and a lower ceiling
plane 244. As depicted in FIG. 15, suitable openings 24, 26 and
pathways to exchanger 10 may be disposed to accommodate gas flows A
and B at the exterior surface of the building and the upper surface
of the lower ceiling plane 244. These gas flow pathways and
openings 24, 26 are illustrative only. Many suitable configurations
of pathways and openings interconnecting with exchanger 10 are
possible.
[0058] The subsequent description also contemplates a heat and
moisture exchanger for integration into a portion of the building
enclosure. In this example certain portions of the exchanger may be
transparent to various spectra of radiation, resulting in transfers
of radiant energy between elements of the exchanger system. In this
embodiment, the transmissivity of the radiation-transmitting
elements and the geometry of the radiation-absorbing objects may be
configured to control the fraction of heat- or light-energy
incident on the exchanger housing that is transmitted through the
exchanger to the building interior. The absorptivity and emissivity
properties of the material from which the elements are made may be
determined and selected to enhance the transmission of radiation
within the desired spectra and simultaneously to maximize the
absorption of radiation outside the desired spectra. These
teachings expand upon the prior art teachings to address
shortcomings by disclosing a radiation-energy transferring
exchanger in which the energy-absorbing objects may be of various
geometries and materials and may be configured within one gas
stream or the other in order to best exploit the absorbed energy
that is re-emitted as heat via convection into that gas stream.
[0059] FIG. 16 is a perspective view depicting an illustrative
radiation-energy transferring heat and moisture exchanger (which
may be referred to herein as simply an "exchanger"), generally
indicated at 10, according to aspects of the present teachings.
[0060] Exchanger 10 is an apparatus for enabling heat and moisture
exchange between air streams while simultaneously enabling transfer
of radiant energy incident on the exchanger surface to certain
other elements within the assembly. An exchanger housing, generally
indicated at 12, includes exterior walls 320 which may be
transmissive to incident radiation over certain spectra. These
walls define an interior channel 16 through which a gas may pass. A
barrier 324 which is also transmissive to certain wavelengths of
radiation is disposed within interior channel 16 and partitions
interior channel 16 into sub-channels 20 and 22, each of which is
adapted to receive a gas stream, such as a source air stream A and
an exhaust air stream B, respectively. Channel 16, and thus
sub-channels 20 and 22, may be in fluid communication with gas
stream sources via suitably located openings in housing exterior
wall 320 such as openings 24 and 26 shown in FIG. 16, which may in
turn include louvers, screens, or other elements configured to
direct flow and/or exclude foreign material. The number and
configuration of sub-channels depicted in FIG. 16 are illustrative
only. Numerous permutations are possible, including those described
above and below. One or more opaque, radiation-absorbing elements
300 are arrayed within sub-channel 22 such that they are in fluid
communication with gas stream B. The radiation-absorbing elements
300 may be of metal, plastic, wood, composite, or any combination
of suitable materials. The radiation-absorbing elements may be
configured as solid or perforated sheets, slats, bars, woven mesh,
or other suitable geometries. The radiation-absorbing elements may
be disposed within sub-channel or sub-channels 22 such that the
elements are in fluid communication with gas stream B, or they may
be disposed within sub-channel or sub-channels 20 resulting in
fluid communication with gas stream A.
[0061] In the embodiment of FIG. 16, exchanger housing 12, and in
particular housing exterior walls 320, are configured to form a
partially transparent or translucent portion of a building
enclosure system. Accordingly, portions of the exchanger housing 12
may be constructed from any suitable, translucent or transparent
material, such as glass, acrylic, polycarbonate or other plastic,
or combinations thereof. Furthermore, the exchanger housing may be
sized and proportioned such that it can be integrated into--and
form a part of--a building enclosure. For example, the housing may
include a structural frame and enclosing sheet material, and may be
configured as a panel forming one or more elements of an overall
panelized building enclosure system. As described in more detail
below, the exchanger housing may be implemented as a portion of the
building wall system, roof system, floor or foundation system, or
other part of the building's exterior.
[0062] Barrier 324, which divides interior channel 16 into
sub-channels 20 and 22, is generally permeable to water vapor and
substantially impermeable to the constituent gases of air, which
principally include nitrogen and oxygen. Various types of barriers
may be suitable for use with the present teachings, including
microporous polymeric membranes with appropriate characteristics.
One particularly suitable type of polymeric membrane is described
in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0151447 to Merkel, which is
hereby incorporated by reference into the present disclosure for
all purposes.
[0063] In the configuration represented in FIG. 16, source and
exhaust gas streams, respectively denoted throughout the drawings
as gas stream A and gas stream B, are directed through adjacent
sub-channels 20 and 22 within exchanger 10. Due to the proximity of
the air streams, heat may be conducted from the hotter gas stream
through barrier 324 and into the cooler gas stream, and moisture
may be transported from the gas stream of higher moisture content
through barrier 324 and into the gas stream of lower moisture
content. Various barrier configurations and resulting geometries of
sub channels may be chosen depending on the desired heat transfer,
moisture transfer, and pressure drop characteristics. The
radiation-absorbing elements will absorb a fraction of the radiant
energy incident on their surface once it has been transmitted to
the exchanger housing interior through the housing exterior walls
320. The absorbed energy will be re-emitted in the form of heat
convected to the gas stream that is in fluid communication with the
elements. Through configuration and material properties of the
exchanger exterior walls 320 and the radiation-absorbing elements
300, the overall transfer of incident radiation through the
exchanger system and between its elements can be controlled.
[0064] FIG. 17 depicts a cross section view of an illustrative
radiation-energy transferring heat and moisture exchanger as
described above.
[0065] FIGS. 18-23 depict various possible configurations of
radiation-absorbing elements 300 configured within a sub-channel of
the exchanger formed in part by the disposition of a barrier 324
within the exchanger housing. The variations depicted in FIGS.
18-23 are illustrative only. Many variations of geometry and
configurations are possible.
[0066] The present teachings relate to improved methods and
apparatus for recovering energy and/or moisture as air is added to
and exhausted from an enclosed space. The heat and moisture
exchangers described in the present teachings may induce some
change in temperature and humidity of incoming ventilation air as
it passes through the exchanger by transfer to an outgoing air
stream also passing though the exchanger. In cases where further
alteration of the temperature or humidity of the incoming air
stream is desired beyond what is induced by the exchanger, the
exchanger may be interconnected and configured to operate with a
separate apparatus or device providing additional heating, cooling,
dehumidification or humidification to the airstream. This heating,
ventilating and air conditioning device (which may be referred to
herein as simply "HVAC") may be an apparatus of various types or
functions. An incoming gas stream, designated as A, is directed
through the heat and moisture exchanger and at some point on its
path of travel may also be processed by the HVAC in order to alter
its temperature and/or humidity. An outgoing gas stream, designated
as B, may be directed from the interior space to the exterior by
passing through the heat and moisture exchanger. The descriptions
that follow relate to methods in which a system of heat and
moisture exchangers and HVAC devices may be configured to alter the
temperature and humidity of an air stream as it is added to an
enclosed space. See FIGS. 24-27.
[0067] An enclosed space 410 is depicted in FIG. 24 that comprises
a heat and moisture exchanger 10 as described in the present
teachings. An HVAC 400 is disposed within or in service to the
enclosed space 410. The incoming gas stream A is directed from the
exterior through the exchanger 10 and is then conducted through an
enclosed duct or channel 402 and processed by the HVAC 400 before
it is introduced the enclosed space 410. The outgoing gas stream B
is directed from the enclosed space through the exchanger 10 to
exterior. FIG. 24 is illustrative only, and many possible
variations of an exchanger interconnected in fluid communication
with an HVAC via an enclosed channel or duct are possible.
[0068] An enclosed space 410 is depicted in FIG. 25 that comprises
a heat and moisture exchanger 10 as described in the present
teachings. An HVAC 400 is disposed within or in service to the
enclosed space 410. The incoming gas stream A is directed from the
exterior through the exchanger 10 and is then conducted through an
enclosed void or plenum 404 before being processed by the HVAC 400
and entering the enclosed space 410. The outgoing gas stream B is
directed from the enclosed space 410 through the exchanger 10 to
exterior. The plenum may be beneath the floor plane, above the
ceiling plane, behind a wall plane, or established through any
other means of partitioning to create a void in which air is
circulated. FIG. 25 is illustrative only, and many possible
variations of an exchanger interconnected in fluid communication
with an HVAC via a plenum are possible.
[0069] In FIG. 26, incoming air stream A is directed through an
exchanger 10 and into a plenum 404 where it is intermingled with a
recirculated air stream C that has passed from the enclosed space
410, processed by the HVAC 400 and then introduced into the plenum
404. The intermingled air stream is introduced into the enclosed
space 410. A portion of the air from the enclosed space is directed
to the exterior through the exchanger as gas stream B while a
different portion of the air from the enclosed space is directed
through the HVAC 400 as gas stream C. FIG. 26 is illustrative only,
and many possible variations of an exchanger and an HVAC
interconnected in fluid communication via a plenum are
possible.
[0070] FIG. 27 depicts and enclosed space 410 with an exchanger 10
and an HVAC 400 in service to it. The exchanger 10 is integrated
with, directly adjacent, or directly coupled to the HVAC 400. An
incoming air stream A is directed through the exchanger 10 and
processed by the HVAC 400 before it is introduced to the enclosed
space 410. An outgoing gas stream B is directed from the enclosed
space 410 through the exchanger 10 to exterior. FIG. 27 is
illustrative only, and many possible variations of an exchanger
directly coupled in fluid communication with an HVAC are
possible.
[0071] The disclosure set forth herein encompasses multiple
distinct inventions with independent utility. While each of these
inventions has been disclosed in its preferred form, the specific
embodiments thereof as disclosed and illustrated herein are not to
be considered in a limiting sense as numerous variations are
possible. Each example defines an embodiment disclosed in the
foregoing disclosure, but any one example does not necessarily
encompass all features or combinations that may be eventually
claimed. Where the description recites "a" or "a first" element or
the equivalent thereof, such description includes one or more such
elements, neither requiring nor excluding two or more such
elements. Further, ordinal indicators, such as first, second or
third, for identified elements are used to distinguish between the
elements, and do not indicate a required or limited number of such
elements, and do not indicate a particular position or order of
such elements unless otherwise specifically stated.
* * * * *