U.S. patent application number 15/194182 was filed with the patent office on 2016-10-20 for modular, high-throughput air treatment system.
This patent application is currently assigned to EnVerid Systems, Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is EnVerid Systems, Inc.. Invention is credited to Israel BIRAN, Udi MEIRAV.
Application Number | 20160303503 15/194182 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44368819 |
Filed Date | 2016-10-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160303503 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
MEIRAV; Udi ; et
al. |
October 20, 2016 |
MODULAR, HIGH-THROUGHPUT AIR TREATMENT SYSTEM
Abstract
Air treatment modules, systems and methods for removing
contaminants from indoor air are provided. Device embodiments may
include one or more air inlets, one or more air outlets and a
plurality of inserts which each include at least one adsorbent
material. The inserts may be arranged separate from each other to
form a plurality of substantially parallel air flow paths between
the one or more air inlets and one or more air outlets. The
adsorbent material may be arranged for regeneration within the air
treatment module using thermal swing desorption and/or pressure
swing desorption. Related systems, methods and articles of
manufacture are also described.
Inventors: |
MEIRAV; Udi; (Newton,
MA) ; BIRAN; Israel; (Avihayil, IL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
EnVerid Systems, Inc. |
Needham |
MA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
EnVerid Systems, Inc.
Needham
MA
|
Family ID: |
44368819 |
Appl. No.: |
15/194182 |
Filed: |
June 27, 2016 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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14221961 |
Mar 21, 2014 |
9375672 |
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15194182 |
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13024214 |
Feb 9, 2011 |
8690999 |
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14221961 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60H 3/06 20130101; Y02C
10/04 20130101; F24F 2110/10 20180101; B01D 53/62 20130101; B01D
2259/4566 20130101; F24F 2110/70 20180101; F24F 2003/1625 20130101;
B01D 2257/708 20130101; B01D 2253/108 20130101; F24F 2110/40
20180101; B01D 53/72 20130101; B01D 2259/4575 20130101; B01D
2259/40007 20130101; F24F 3/1603 20130101; B01D 2259/40043
20130101; B01D 53/0407 20130101; B01D 2253/104 20130101; B01D
2253/204 20130101; Y02C 20/40 20200801; B01D 2253/106 20130101;
F24F 13/28 20130101; B01D 2257/504 20130101; B01D 2258/06 20130101;
B60H 2003/0691 20130101; F24F 2003/1639 20130101; B01D 53/0446
20130101; F24F 2003/1621 20130101; Y02C 10/08 20130101; B01D 53/047
20130101; B01D 2259/4508 20130101; F24F 11/30 20180101; B01D
2253/102 20130101; B01D 53/0462 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B01D 53/047 20060101
B01D053/047; F24F 11/00 20060101 F24F011/00; B60H 3/06 20060101
B60H003/06; F24F 13/28 20060101 F24F013/28; B01D 53/04 20060101
B01D053/04; F24F 3/16 20060101 F24F003/16 |
Claims
1. An air treatment system for removing contaminants from indoor
air, the system comprising: an air treatment module having one or
more first air ports, one or more second air ports, and at least
one insert including an adsorbent material; controls configured to
cause the system to operate in at least three operational modes
including: an active adsorption mode in which the adsorbent
material of the at least one insert adsorbs one or more
contaminants from an indoor airflow, a regeneration mode for
releasing contaminants from the adsorbent material of the at least
one insert when exposed to a purging airflow, and a disconnect mode
where substantially no air flows through the module, one or more
valves arranged and configured to direct, during one or another
operational mode, at least one of the indoor airflow and the
purging airflow to flow to and from the treatment module via the
first air ports and the second air ports; and wherein: during the
active adsorption mode, one of either the first air ports or the
second ports is configured to receive the indoor air flow and the
remaining one of the first air ports or the second air ports not
receiving the indoor airflow is configured to expel the indoor
airflow such that the indoor airflow flows over and/or through
adsorbent material of the at least one insert, and during the
regeneration mode, one of the first air ports or the second air
ports is configured to receive the purging airflow and the
remaining one of the first air ports or the second air ports is
configured to expel the purging airflow such that the purging
airflow flows over and/or through the adsorbent material of the
plurality of inserts.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one insert comprises
a plurality of inserts.
3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a support frame having
one or more structural support members for supporting the at least
one insert, wherein the one or more first air ports and the one or
more second air ports are formed by the support frame and the at
least one insert.
4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a support frame, the
at least one insert positioned within the support frame at an angle
of less than about 30 degrees relative to air flow paths between
the one or more first air ports and the one or more second air
ports.
5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a support frame
including an inlet side and an outlet side, wherein the one or more
first air ports are formed in the inlet side and the one or more
second air ports are formed in the outlet side.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more first air ports
and the one or more second air ports are formed adjacent to each
other along one side of a support frame.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the air treatment module is
configured to be incorporated within an HVAC system.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more first air ports
and the one or more second air ports are offset from each
other.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the adsorbent material is
selected from the group consisting of molecular sieves, zeolite,
activated charcoal, silica gel, porous alumina and
metal-organic-framework materials.
10. The system of claim 1, wherein the adsorbent material removes
at least one of carbon dioxide and volatile organic compounds from
the indoor air.
11. The system of claim 1, wherein the adsorbent material is heated
during the regeneration mode so as to facilitate regeneration of
the adsorbent material.
12. The system of claim 1, wherein the purging airflow received
during the regeneration mode is heated prior to flowing over and/or
through the adsorbent material.
13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a heating source
configured to heat the adsorbent material and/or the purging
airflow.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein the heating source includes one
or more of solar energy, electric energy, gas, oil, hot water and
waste heat.
15. A method for removing contaminants from indoor air, comprising:
providing a system comprising: a source of indoor air providing an
indoor airflow containing one or more contaminates; a source of
purging air configured to provide a purging airflow to release
contaminants adsorbed by an adsorbent; an air treatment module
having one or more first air ports, one or more second air ports,
and at least one insert including an adsorbent material; controls
configured to cause the system to operate in at least three
operational modes including: an active adsorption mode in which the
adsorbent material of the at least one insert adsorbs one or more
contaminants from an indoor airflow, a regeneration mode for
releasing contaminants from the adsorbent material of the at least
one insert when exposed to an purging airflow, and a disconnect
mode where substantially no air flows through the module; and one
or more valves arranged and configured to direct, during one or
another operational mode, at least one of the indoor airflow and
the purging air flow to flow to and from the module via the first
air ports and the second air ports; and upon selection of the
active adsorption mode, directing the indoor airflow to one of
either the first air ports or the second ports of each module;
flowing the indoor airflow over and/or through the adsorption
material of the at least one insert so as to adsorb contaminants
thereon, the resulting airflow comprising a scrubbed indoor
airflow; directing the scrubbed indoor airflow to the remaining one
of the first air ports or the second air ports not receiving the
indoor airflow to expel such airflow from each module; upon
selection of the regeneration mode, directing the purging airflow
to one of the first air ports or the second air ports of the
module; flowing the purging airflow over and/or through the
adsorption material of the at least one insert so as to release
adsorbed contaminants, the resulting purging airflow containing the
released contaminants being thereafter directed to the remaining
one of the first air ports or the second air ports to expel such
airflow from each module; and upon selection of the disconnect
mode, ceasing the flow of an airflow through the module.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the system further comprises a
support frame having one or more structural support members for
supporting the at least one insert, wherein the one or more first
air ports and the one or more second air ports are formed by the
support frame and the at least one insert.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein the system further comprises a
support frame, the at least one insert positioned within the
support frame at an angle of less than about 30 degrees relative to
air flow paths between the one or more first air ports and the one
or more second air ports.
18. The method of claim 15, wherein the system further comprises
support frame including an inlet side and an outlet side, wherein
the one or more first air ports are formed in the inlet side and
the one or more second air ports are formed in the outlet side.
19. The method of claim 15, further comprising heating the
adsorbent material during the regeneration mode so as to facilitate
regeneration of the adsorbent material.
20. The method of claim 15, further comprising heating the purging
airflow received during the regeneration mode prior to flowing over
and/or through the adsorbent material.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 14/221,961, filed Mar. 21, 2014, titled
"Modular, High-Throughput Air Treatment System," which is in turn a
continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/024,214, of the
same title and filed on Feb. 9, 2011 (and patented as U.S. Pat. No.
8,690,999). The disclosures of both applications are herein by
reference in their entireties.
FIELD
[0002] The subject matter described herein relates to removing
contaminants from indoor air using regenerable adsorbent materials
included within one or more air treatment modules of a scalable air
treatment system.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning ("HVAC")
systems are common and indeed essential in most, if not all, modern
buildings, structures and other human-occupied spaces. HVAC systems
seek to maintain the indoor air quality ("IAQ") at an acceptable
level within such spaces by providing comfortable and healthy
conditions in terms of air temperature, humidity, composition and
cleanliness. HVAC systems constitute a significant part of a
building's energy budget, particularly in extreme climates.
[0004] The heating, ventilating and air conditioning functions of
HVAC systems cooperate to maintain thermal comfort, acceptable IAQ
levels and pressure relationships between two or more
human-occupied spaces within a building or other structure. HVAC
systems, for example, may circulate air through the rooms of a
building using an air handling unit, which mechanically forces air
to flow through a network of ducts installed within the building,
while adjusting air temperature and humidity to maintain
comfortable conditions. While these typical HVAC systems have one
or more air filters for capturing small particles and/or vapors,
more thorough treatment is well-beyond the capability of these
conventional filters. As a result, to maintain the IAQ of a
building at an acceptable level, traditional HVAC systems exhaust
some fraction of the contaminated indoor circulating air outside
the building as exhaust air and replace it with some amount of
fresh outside air, also known as "makeup air". This process of
changing or replacing indoor circulating air with makeup air is
done primarily to counteract the accumulation of organic and
inorganic contaminants created by human occupants, machines (e.g.,
computers or copiers), cleaning agents, building materials and/or
pesticides, which gradually compromise the quality and safety of
the indoor air. Removing such contaminants directly from the indoor
air, rather than replacing the indoor air with makeup air from
outside a building, may reduce the energy required to cool,
dehumidify and/or heat makeup air or eliminate the need to use
makeup air altogether.
SUMMARY
[0005] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be directed to a
practical, modular and scalable system for removing contaminants
from the circulating air in an HVAC system, utilizing regenerable
adsorbent materials and an adsorption-desorption cycle. Treating
large volumes of indoor air having low concentrations of organic
and inorganic contaminants requires bringing large volumes of
adsorbent materials into intimate contact with large volumes of
circulating indoor air. It may be advantageous to treat large
volumes of circulating indoor air without requiring large pressure
gradients and using minimal power and energy consumption. It may
also be advantageous to use air treatment systems that are scalable
and relatively compact in size so as to be readily installed in
existing buildings by human operators. Furthermore, different
buildings may have different air flow requirements and contaminant
levels. To efficiently and practically manufacture and deploy air
treatment systems adaptable to a wide variety of buildings, it may
be advantageous to provide a modular air treatment system design
based on a relatively limited set of standard products that are
easily manufactured and combine to provide scalable solutions for
different building sizes and air quality requirements. It may also
be advantageous to make air treatment systems that are easily
integrated with existing HVAC systems rather than replacing
existing infrastructure.
[0006] The present disclosure is thus directed to air treatment
modules for removing contaminants from indoor air that may include
one or more air inlets, one or more air outlets and a plurality of
inserts that may each include at least one adsorbent material,
where the inserts may be arranged separate from each other to form
a plurality of substantially parallel air flow paths between the
one or more air inlets and one or more air outlets. In some
embodiments, the at least one adsorbent material may be arranged
for regeneration within the air treatment module using at least one
of thermal swing desorption and pressure swing desorption. In some
embodiments, the plurality of inserts may be arranged in a
sheet-like form. Some embodiments may include a support frame
having one or more structural support members for supporting the
plurality of inserts, wherein the one or more air inlets and one or
more air outlets are formed by the support frame and the plurality
of inserts. Some embodiments may include an air intake plenum
adjacent an intake side of the air treatment module and in
communication with the one or more air inlets and an air outtake
plenum adjacent an outtake side of the air treatment module and in
communication with the one or more air outlets.
[0007] Embodiments of the air treatment module may also be
configured for incorporation within a heating, ventilation and/or
air conditioning system. The air treatment module may include one
or more valves that control the amount of indoor air that flows
between the air treatment module and the heating, ventilating
and/or air conditioning system. In some embodiments, the one or
more valves may substantially stop indoor air from flowing between
the air treatment module and the heating, ventilation and/or air
conditioning system. In other embodiments, the one or more valves
may be used to divert only a portion of the total amount of indoor
within the heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning system into
the air treatment module. In some embodiments, the air treatment
module may involve positioning the plurality of inserts within the
support frame at an angle relative to the plurality of
substantially parallel air flow paths between the one or more air
inlets and one or more air outlets. The air treatment module may
also have one or more air inlets and one or more air outlets of the
support frame that are offset from each other to force indoor air
flowing between the one or more air inlets and one or more air
outlets to flow through the at least one adsorbent material. In
some embodiments, the at least one adsorbent material may be
selected from the group consisting of zeolite, activated charcoal,
silica gel, porous alumina and metal-organic-framework materials
and/or may remove carbon dioxide or volatile organic compounds from
the indoor air.
[0008] Embodiments of the air treatment modules of the present
disclosure may also include a support frame that includes an inlet
side and an outlet side, where one or more air inlets are formed in
the inlet side and one or more air outlets are formed in the outlet
side. The one or more air inlets and one or more air outlets may be
formed adjacent to each other along one side of the support frame.
In some embodiments, the air treatment module may be positioned
downstream of a central cooling unit of the heating, ventilation
and/or air conditioning system. In some embodiments, the air
treatment module may include sensors to measure temperature,
pressure, flow rate and/or gas composition.
[0009] The present disclosure may also relate to air treatment
systems for removing contaminants from indoor air. These systems
may include a plurality of air treatment modules which may each
have one or more air inlets, one or more air outlets and one or
more inserts. The inserts may each include at least one adsorbent
material, according to some embodiments. The at least one adsorbent
material may be arranged for regeneration within each of the
plurality of air treatment modules using at least one of thermal
swing desorption and pressure swing desorption. In some system
embodiments, the plurality of air treatment modules may be aligned
adjacent to each other and in communication with a common inlet
plenum and a common outlet plenum and the one or more inserts of
the plurality of air treatment modules may form a plurality of
substantially parallel air flow paths. In some embodiments, the one
or more inserts may be arranged in a sheet-like form. Some system
embodiments may include arranging the plurality of air treatment
modules in a vertical stack and/or horizontally. The air treatment
systems of the present disclosure may be positioned within a
commercial, residential, industrial, military or public building,
depending on the particular embodiment.
[0010] The present disclosure also contemplates methods for
removing contaminants from indoor air. The methods may include
providing a plurality of air treatment modules, where each air
treatment module may have one or more air inlets, one or more air
outlets and one or more inserts which may each include at least one
adsorbent material. The at least one adsorbent material may be
arranged for regeneration within each of the plurality of air
treatment modules using at least one of thermal swing desorption
and pressure swing desorption. The methods may also include
arranging the plurality of air treatment modules adjacent to each
other, wherein the one or more inserts of the plurality of air
treatment modules may form a plurality of substantially parallel
air flow paths. The methods may further include directing the flow
of the indoor air from an air intake plenum into the one or more
air inlets of the plurality of air treatment modules, through one
or more of the plurality of substantially parallel air flow paths,
through one or more of the at least one adsorbent material and
through the one or more air outlets into an air outtake plenum. In
some embodiments, the air inlet plenum and air outlet plenum may be
configured for communication with a heating, ventilation and/or air
conditioning system. In some embodiments, the one or more inserts
may be arranged in a sheet-like form.
[0011] The details of one or more variations of the subject matter
described herein are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the
description below. Other features and advantages of the subject
matter described herein will be apparent from the description and
drawings, and from the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and
constitute a part of this specification, show certain aspects of
the subject matter disclosed herein and, together with the
description, help explain some of the principles associated with
the disclosed embodiments. In the drawings,
[0013] FIG. 1 shows an HVAC system according to some embodiments of
the present disclosure.
[0014] FIG. 2a shows an embodiment of an air treatment module
according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0015] FIG. 2b shows a plurality of the air treatment modules of
FIG. 2a stacked vertically according to some embodiments of the
present disclosure.
[0016] FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of an air treatment module
according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0017] FIGS. 4a and 4b show an embodiment of an air treatment
module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIG. 4a shows the inlet end of the air treatment module and FIG. 4b
shows the outlet end of the air treatment module.
[0018] FIGS. 5a and 5b show an embodiment of an air treatment
module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIG. 5a shows the inlet end of the air treatment module and FIG. 5b
shows the outlet end of the air treatment module.
[0019] FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of an air treatment module
according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0020] FIG. 7 shows an arrangement of a plurality of air treatment
modules according to some embodiments of the present
disclosure.
[0021] FIG. 8 shows an arrangement of a plurality of air treatment
modules according to some embodiments of the present
disclosure.
[0022] FIG. 9 shows a plurality of air treatment modules stacked
vertically and in fluid communication with a common inlet plenum
and a common outlet plenum, according to some embodiments of the
present disclosure.
[0023] FIG. 10 shows a plurality of air treatment modules stacked
vertically and in fluid communication with a common inlet plenum
and a common outlet plenum, according to some embodiments of the
present disclosure.
[0024] FIG. 11 shows a plurality of air treatment modules arranged
horizontally and in fluid communication with a common inlet plenum
and a common outlet plenum, according to some embodiments of the
present disclosure.
[0025] FIG. 12 shows an embodiment of an air treatment module
according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0026] Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like
elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0027] Devices, systems and methods for removing contaminants from
indoor air using high-capacity, regenerable adsorbent materials
arranged in a compact, parallel configuration are provided herein.
Some embodiments of the present disclosure may be directed to
modular and scalable air treatment modules having one or more
removable inserts including one or more adsorbent materials. The
air treatment modules may be vertically stacked and/or horizontally
arranged to form a compact air treatment system for providing a
large surface area for removing contaminants from large volumes of
circulating indoor air. Embodiments of the present disclosure may
provide air treatment systems that improve indoor air quality using
high-capacity adsorbent materials, such as for example molecular
sieves for removing contaminants, like carbon dioxide
(CO.sub.2).
[0028] FIG. 1 shows a basic configuration of an HVAC system 100. In
some embodiments, the system 100 may be located within a building,
vehicle or other structure and configured for heating, ventilating
and/or air conditioning a human-occupied space 110. Some
embodiments of the system 100 may be used for heating, ventilating
and/or air conditioning a plurality of human-occupied spaces 110
within a building, vehicle or other structure. A building according
to the present disclosure may include without limitation an office
building, residential building, store, mall, hotel, hospital,
restaurant, airport, train station and/or school. A vehicle
according to the present disclosure may include without limitation
an automobile, ship, train, plane or submarine.
[0029] In some embodiments, the system 100 may include a central
air handling unit 120 and an air treatment system 150. The air
treatment system 150 may be located upstream of the air handling
unit 120 or downstream of the unit 120, as shown in FIG. 1. The air
handling unit 120 and air treatment system 150 may be in fluid
communication with each other, as well as human-occupied space 110,
via a network of ducts 160. In some embodiments, the amount of
indoor air that flows into and out of the air treatment system 150
may be automatically and/or manually controlled by one or more
valves. The valves may be positioned within the ducts 160 upstream
and/or downstream of the air treatment system 150. In some
embodiments, the valves may serve to isolate the air treatment
system 150 from the rest of the system 100 such that there is no
fluid communication between the system 100 and air treatment system
150 and air flow into and out of the system 150 is substantially
stopped.
[0030] As shown in FIG. 1, indoor air may flow into the ducts 160
as return air received from one or more intakes 170 (e.g., vents
and/or ducts) of human-occupied space 110 and flow toward air
handling unit 120, as indicated by arrow 130. Air handling unit 120
may include, among other things, a blower for circulating air
through the ducts 160 and into and out of human-occupied space 110
and heating or cooling elements and filter racks or chambers for
heating, cooling and cleaning the air. Air released from the air
handling unit 120 may be referred to as supply air, the flow of
which is denoted in FIG. 1 by arrows 140. In some embodiments of
the present disclosure, the one or more valves of the system 100
and/or air treatment system 150 may be adjusted to allow some or
all of the supply air to be diverted to the air treatment system
150 and thereafter recombined with the main flow of supply air
flowing towards human-occupied space 110, as denoted by arrows 140.
Embodiments of the air treatment system 150 of the present
disclosure may be configured to remove unwanted gases, vapors and
contamination, including without limitation volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) and CO.sub.2 produced within human-occupied space
110 by human occupants. Other contaminant gases found within
human-occupied space 110 that may be removed by air treatment
system 150 may include without limitation carbon monoxide, sulfur
oxides and/or nitrous oxides. Some embodiments of system 100 may be
configured with an air treatment system 150 capable of removing
enough contaminants from the circulating air received from
human-occupied space 110 so as to reduce or eliminate the need to
replace any of the circulating air within system 100 with makeup
air from outside the building, vehicle or other structure.
[0031] According to some embodiments, air treatment system 150 may
remove contaminants from the circulating indoor air received from
human-occupied space 110 by forcing the air to flow through one or
more adsorbent materials positioned within air treatment system
150. In some embodiments, one or more adsorbent materials may be
oriented within the air treatment system 150 to provide
substantially parallel flow paths through which the air may be
directed. As the circulating indoor air flows through the one or
more adsorbent materials, molecules of one or more contaminants
within the air may be retained and captured by and within the
adsorbent material(s). Adsorbent materials may include, but are not
limited to, zeolites and other molecular sieves, activated
charcoal, silica gel, porous alumina and metal-organic-framework
materials.
[0032] In some embodiments, one or more of the adsorbent materials
may be regenerated. More specifically, as contaminants accumulate
on the surface of an adsorbent material, that material may
eventually become saturated with contaminants such that additional
contaminants cannot be adsorbed. The total amount of contaminant(s)
captured by an adsorbent material prior to saturation may depend on
the size, thickness and/or volume of the adsorbent material
included within air treatment system 150, as well as many other
parameters, including without limitation, the type of adsorbent,
the species and concentration of contaminants and the temperature.
Upon saturation, embodiments of the present disclosure may be
configured to regenerate or remove the contaminants from the
adsorbent material. Some embodiments may regenerate an adsorbent
material using thermal swing desorption and/or pressure swing
desorption. Such regeneration may cause the adsorbent material to
release trapped contaminants by elevating the temperature of the
adsorbent material and/or flowing a relatively inert purge gas
through the adsorbent material. In some embodiments, the adsorbent
materials of the present disclosure may be regenerated within the
air treatment system 150 without being removed.
[0033] Embodiments of the adsorbent materials used in the air
treatment modules and systems of the present disclosure may be
configured in various shapes and sizes according to design
requirements. In some embodiments, an adsorbent material may be
configured as a sheet of material generally square and/or
rectangular in shape. The sheet of adsorbent material may be formed
entirely of adsorbent material and hardened to provide a rigid
sheet of adsorbent material and/or may be included within a rigid
support frame. In some embodiments, the adsorbent material be
sprayed, sprinkled or otherwise attached to a porous rigid support
sheet of material such as a screen. Specific dimensions of the
adsorbent material may depend upon and vary according to the
requirements of the HVAC system within which the air treatment
system 150 is incorporated.
[0034] In some embodiments, one or more inserts of adsorbent
material within air treatment system 150 may be relatively thin to
eliminate the need to use large pressures to force air through the
adsorbent material. On the other hand, those same embodiments may
also require that the adsorbent material not be too thin so as to
reduce its ability to sufficiently capture and retain contaminants.
Furthermore, if an insert of adsorbent material is too thin there
may also be insufficient adsorbent material mass to collect the
required amount of contaminants over extended periods of time,
especially if one of the targeted contaminants (like CO.sub.2)
occurs in relatively large amounts. Accordingly, the size, shape
and number of inserts of adsorbent material used with an embodiment
of the air treatment system 150 may be determined based on
balancing various factors including, but not limited to, flow
impedance, pressure gradient, adsorbent capacity and physical
arrangement.
[0035] Embodiments of the present disclosure may achieve desired
flow throughput and impedance requirements by arranging two or more
inserts of adsorbent material in a substantially parallel flow
configuration. In parallel flow configurations of the present
disclosure, air streams through the two or more inserts may
contribute additively to produce the overall flow of air through
the air treatment system. In some embodiments, the size of the one
or more inserts which include adsorbent material may be configured
for easy transport and manual installation by human operators. Some
embodiments of the inserts may be configured in a sheet-like form.
For example, the present disclosure provides for generally
rectangular inserts of adsorbent material which may be less than
1.5 meters in length per side and weigh no more than a few tens of
kilograms. Some embodiments may use thin inserts of adsorbent
material to avoid excessive air flow resistance. For example,
insert thickness may be no more than a few centimeters, according
to some embodiments. Inserts according to the present disclosure
may also weigh approximately 10 kg each. In the case of packed
zeolite, which has an approximate density of 1 g/cm.sup.3, a 10 kg
insert could be approximately 70 cm.times.70 cm.times.2 cm. Forty
inserts of this size may represent a total surface area of 20
m.sup.2 and the need to have air flowing through forty inserts in a
substantially parallel configuration may require an extremely
efficient arrangement, as explained in more detail below.
[0036] Embodiments of the air treatment system 150 may include two
or more air treatment modules (see, e.g., FIG. 2) arranged
vertically and/or horizontally for accommodating higher throughputs
of circulating indoor air by providing two or more inserts of
adsorbent material in parallel. Each air treatment module may have
one or more inserts of adsorbent material. Embodiments of the
present disclosure may configure the geometric layout of the
inserts of adsorbent material in a highly compact arrangement to
provide numerous, possibly hundreds, of inserts of adsorbent
material in a scalable and relatively discreet footprint.
[0037] Advantages associated with arranging numerous inserts of
adsorbent material in a parallel and compact configuration may be
appreciated by considering the actual amount of adsorbent material
and air flow required in an average office building. Under normal
conditions, an average human may produce approximately 40-50 grams
of CO.sub.2 per hour. To counteract this accumulation of CO.sub.2,
an air treatment system of an HVAC system for a 200-person
human-occupied space may be designed to adsorb and remove
approximately 10 kg of CO.sub.2 per hour. Because the density of
CO.sub.2 is about 2 kg/m.sup.3, the volume of CO.sub.2 in this
example would equal 5 m.sup.3. Thus, if the percentage of CO.sub.2
in the air is to be kept below 0.1%, the air treatment system would
have to scrub the equivalent of at least 5,000 m.sup.3 of indoor
air every hour to remove the 5 m.sup.3 of CO.sub.2 from the
human-occupied space.
[0038] Although molecular sieves have been known to adsorb up to
20% of their weight in CO.sub.2 under normal temperature and high
concentration conditions, in reality it is more proper to assume a
smaller capacity due to a variety of factors, including limited
range of temperature swing, low concentration conditions, the
presence of humidity and the accumulation of contaminants. An
adsorption capacity of 5-10% of the adsorbent mass per cycle is
common, although for some adsorbents and conditions smaller numbers
could be more realistic. Thus, an insert of adsorbent material may
be dimensioned to collect the amount of CO.sub.2 created within a
single adsorption-desorption cycle. An air treatment system
designed for continuous 2-hour operation and regeneration cycles at
10 kg per hour of CO.sub.2, would require 400 kg of adsorbent, and
more if the adsorption capacity is lower than 5%.
[0039] FIG. 2a shows an embodiment of an air treatment module 200
according to the present disclosure. The air treatment module 200
may include a support frame 240 and, in some embodiments, be
generally configured as a rectangular prism, as shown in FIG. 2a.
The support frame 240 may have side walls 242, an inlet end wall
244, outlet end wall 245, a top panel 246 and a bottom panel 248.
In some embodiments, the support frame 240, as well as the support
frames for any air treatment module of the present disclosure, may
be formed out of a single monolithic panel of material or by
rigidly joining the various panels (242, 244, 245, 246, 248)
together. The support frame 240, as well as the support frames for
any air treatment module of the present disclosure, may be made
from any one or more suitable materials, including without
limitation, metal, fiberglass or plastic. The support frame 240 may
also include one or more air inlets 210. Air inlet 210 may be
formed within inlet end wall 244 or, in some embodiments, may be
formed by and between inlet end wall 244, side walls 242 and top
panel 246 or bottom panel 248. That is, inlet end wall 244 may
extend only partially along the height, H, of the support frame
240. The support frame 240 may also include one or more air outlets
220. Air outlet 220 may be formed within outlet end wall 245 or, in
some embodiments, may be formed by and between outlet end wall 245,
side walls 242 and top panel 246 or bottom panel 248. That is,
outlet end wall 245 may extend only partially along the height, H,
of the support frame 240. The embodiment of the air treatment
module 200 shown in FIG. 2a includes one air inlet 210 formed
(e.g., machined) in inlet end wall 244 and one air outlet 220
formed (e.g., machined) in outlet end wall 245. In some
embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2a, the air inlet 210 may be formed
in the inlet end wall 244 toward the top panel 246 and the air
outlet 220 may be formed in the outlet end wall 245 toward the
bottom panel 248, such that the air inlet 210 and air outlet 220
are offset from each other.
[0040] Embodiments of the air treatment module 200 may also include
an insert 230. The insert 230 may be positioned partially or
entirely within the support frame 240 and, in some embodiments, may
be arranged in a sheet-like form. In some embodiments, the insert
230 may traverse the entirely length, L, of the support frame 240
and/or the entire width, W, of the support frame 240. In some
embodiments, the insert 230 may be positioned substantially at the
midpoint of the height, H, of the support frame 240, as shown in
FIG. 2a. While FIG. 2a shows insert 230 oriented substantially
parallel to the top panel 246 and/or bottom panel 248 of the
support frame 240, embodiments of the present disclosure
contemplate various orientations of the insert 230 within the
support frame 240. The insert 230 may be formed as an integral
portion of the support frame 240 or may be removably inserted into
the support frame 240, such as by sliding the insert 230 into the
support frame 240 from a side or an end of the frame 240. In such
embodiments, a side wall 242, inlet end wall 244 and/or outlet end
wall 245 may be removable to provide an opening for insert 230 to
be inserted and/or removed as needed. The insert 230 may be held
within support frame 240 by any suitable means, including without
limitation, clips attached to, or channels or tracks formed in, the
side walls 242, inlet end wall 244 and/or outlet end wall 245. Such
configurations may also apply to any inserts and support frames of
any embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0041] The insert 230 may be and/or include one or more adsorbent
materials through which circulating indoor air passes, according to
embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the
insert 230 may be a porous material, such as a rigid screen or
tray, to which one or more adsorbent materials may be attached or
otherwise supported by. In some embodiments, the insert 230 may be
a rigid body of one or more adsorbent materials.
[0042] In operation, circulating indoor air from a human-occupied
space (see FIG. 1) may be caused to enter the air treatment module
200 at air inlet 210 from a duct (see FIG. 1), flow through insert
230 and exit air treatment module 200 at air outlet 220. According
to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2a, because the outlet end wall 245
is closed above the insert 230, the circulating indoor air entering
the air inlet 210 is forced to flow through the insert 230 to reach
the air outlet 220. As the circulating indoor air flows through
insert 230, it intimately contacts the one or more adsorbent
materials and one or more targeted contaminants are removed from
the circulating indoor air by the adsorbent material.
[0043] FIG. 2b shows an air treatment system 285 having a
configuration of eleven air treatment modules 200 stacked
vertically. The air treatment modules 200 may be arranged to create
parallel air flow paths or channels. In some embodiments, the air
outlets 220 of each air treatment module 200 may feed into a common
outlet plenum 270. A common inlet plenum (not shown) may be
provided at the air inlets 210 to feed each air treatment module
200 with circulating indoor air. Some embodiments of the air
treatment system 285 may include connectors 290 which extend
between the air inlets 210 and air outlets 220 and the common inlet
plenum (not shown) and common outlet plenum 270, respectively.
[0044] FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of an air treatment module 300
having a support frame 340 and an insert 330 positioned within
support frame 340. The support frame 340 may have side walls 342,
an inlet end channel 344, an outlet end channel 345, a top panel
346 and a bottom panel 348. An air inlet 310 may be formed directly
below the inlet end channel 344 by and between the side walls 342,
inlet end channel 344 and the bottom panel 348. An air outlet 320
may be formed directly above the outlet end channel 345 by and
between the side walls 342, outlet end channel 345 and the top
panel 346. The inlet end channel 344 may be configured as part of
the top panel 346 or as a separate component rigidly attached to
the top panel 346. The outlet end channel 345 may be configured as
part of the bottom panel 348 or as a separate component rigidly
attached to the bottom panel 348. In FIG. 3, a side wall 342 is
removed for purposes of illustrating the arrangement of insert 330
within the support frame 340. As shown in FIG. 3, the insert 330
may be positioned on an angle relative to the top panel 346 and/or
bottom panel 348. In some embodiments, the insert 330 may be
removably inserted into the support frame 340 and sized
appropriately so as to be held in place within the support frame
340 by inlet end channel 344 and outlet end channel 345, as FIG. 3
illustrates. Insert 330 may be arranged in a sheet-like form.
[0045] In operation, circulating indoor air from a human-occupied
space (see FIG. 1) may be caused to enter the air treatment module
300 at air inlet 310 from a duct (see FIG. 1), flow through insert
330 and exit the air treatment module 300 at the air outlet 320. As
shown in FIG. 3, the orientation of the insert 330 within the
support frame 340 blocks the flow path of the circulating indoor
air entering the air inlet 310 to cause the air to flow through the
insert 330 to reach the air outlet 320. As the air flows through
insert 330, it intimately contacts one or more adsorbent materials
included within or on insert 330 and one or more targeted
contaminants are removed from the air. As shown in FIG. 3, the air
inlet 310 and the air outlet 320 are not offset vertically from
each other as in the embodiment of FIG. 2a. In some embodiments,
because it may be necessary to arrange a large number of air
treatment modules 300 together, the height, H, of each air
treatment module 300 may be minimized by adjusting the angle of the
insert 330 within the support frame 340. The insert 330 may be
inserted and/or removed through an opening in one or both of the
side walls 342 or by removing a side wall 342, an inlet end channel
344 or an outlet end channel 345.
[0046] FIGS. 4a and 4b show an embodiment of an air treatment
module 400 according to the present disclosure. The air treatment
module 400 may include a support frame 440 having side walls 442, a
top panel 446 and a bottom panel 448. In some embodiments, the air
treatment module 400 may have two or more inserts 430 positioned
partially or entirely within the support frame 440 and traversing
substantially the entire length, L, and width, W, of the support
frame 440. Inserts 430 may be arranged, according to some
embodiments, in a sheet-like form, as shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b. In
some embodiments, the two or more inserts 430 may be substantially
parallel to each other and include one or more adsorbent materials.
The inserts 430 may be held in position within the support frame
440 by tabs 450 formed on the side walls 442 of the support frame
440 and/or by inlet end baffles 411 and outlet end baffles 421.
Some embodiments of the module 400 may position two or more inserts
430 within the support frame 440 in an orientation substantially
parallel to the top panel 446 and/or bottom panel 448 of the air
treatment module 400. An air inlet 410 may be formed by and between
the side walls 442 and the inserts 430, as shown in FIG. 4a. Two or
more air outlets 420 may be formed by and between the side walls
442, top panel 446, bottom panel 448 and inserts 430, as shown in
FIG. 4b. In some embodiments, one or more inlet end baffles 411 may
be configured between the inserts 430 and the top panel 446 and
bottom panel 448 and the side walls 442, as shown in FIG. 4a. In
some embodiments, one or more outlet end baffles 421 may be
configured between the inserts 430 and the top panel 446 and bottom
panel 448 and the side walls 442, as shown in FIG. 4b. The baffles
(411, 421) may be integrally formed as part of the side walls 442,
top panel 446 and/or bottom panel 448 or may be separate components
rigidly attached to the side walls 442, top panel 446 and/or bottom
panel 448.
[0047] In operation, circulating indoor air from a human-occupied
space (see FIG. 1) may be caused to enter the air treatment module
400 at air inlet 410 from a duct (see FIG. 1), flow through inserts
430 and exit the air treatment module 400 at air outlets 420. As
shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b, the side walls 442 and outlet end baffle
421 cooperate to provide a closed flow path into which the
circulating air enters after passing through air inlet 410. As a
result, the circulating indoor air is forced to flow upward or
downward through the inserts 430 to reach the air outlets 420. In
other words, on the inlet side, the air is only allowed to flow
into the space between the inserts 430 where a common inlet plenum
(not shown) may be placed but cannot exit the air treatment module
400 between the inserts 430 because the other end is blocked by
outlet end baffle 421. However, because there are air outlets 420
above and below the inserts 430, the air is forced to flow through
the inserts 430, whereby contaminants in the air are captured and
retained by the adsorbent material(s) of inserts 430. In some
embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b, the air flow paths within
the air treatment module 400 may be substantially parallel to each
other.
[0048] FIGS. 5a and 5b show an embodiment of an air treatment
module 500 according to the present disclosure. The air treatment
module 500 may include a support frame 540 having side walls 542, a
top panel 546 and a bottom panel 548. In some embodiments, the air
treatment module 500 may have two or more inserts 530 positioned
partially or entirely within the support frame 540 and traversing
substantially the entire length, L, and width, W, of the support
frame 540. Inserts 530 may be arranged, according to some
embodiments, in a sheet-like form. In some embodiments, the two or
more inserts 530 may be substantially parallel to each other and
include one or more adsorbent materials. The inserts 530 may be
held in position within the support frame 540 by and between tabs
550 (see FIG. 5b) formed on the side walls 542 of the support frame
540 and inlet end baffles 511 and outlet end baffles 521. Some
embodiments of the module 500 may position two or more inserts 530
within the support frame 540 in an orientation substantially
parallel to the top panel 546 and/or bottom panel 548 of the air
treatment module 500. Two or more air inlets 510 may be formed by
and between the side walls 542, top panel 546, bottom panel 548 and
inserts 530, as shown in FIG. 5a. Two or more air outlets 520 may
be formed by and between the side walls 542, top panel 546, bottom
panel 548 and inserts 530, as shown in FIG. 5b. In some
embodiments, two or more inlet end baffles 511 may be configured
between the side walls 542, top panel 546, bottom panel 548 and
inserts 530, as shown in FIG. 5a. In some embodiments, one or more
outlet end baffles 521 may be configured between the side walls
542, top panel 546, bottom panel 548 and inserts 530, as shown in
FIG. 5b. The baffles (511, 521) may be integrally formed as part of
the side walls 542, top panel 546 and/or bottom panel 548 or may be
separate components rigidly attached to the side walls 542, top
panel 546 and/or bottom panel 548.
[0049] In operation, circulating indoor air from a human-occupied
space (see FIG. 1) may be caused to enter the air treatment module
500 at air inlet 510 from a duct (see FIG. 1), flow through inserts
530 and exit the air treatment module 500 at air outlets 520. As
shown in FIGS. 5a and 5b, the side walls 542 and outlet end baffle
521 may cooperate to provide a closed flow path into which the
circulating indoor air enters after passing through air inlet 510.
As a result, the air is forced to flow upward or downward through
at least the inserts 530 directly above and below the closed flow
path to reach one or more of the air outlets 520. In other words,
air flows into the air inlets 510 from a common inlet plenum (not
shown) and into parallel flow paths from between the inserts 530.
Because the parallel flow paths between the inserts 530 are
enclosed by side walls 542 and outlet end baffles 521, the air is
forced to flow upward and downward through adjacent pairs of
inserts 530 and out one or more of the air outlets 520, whereby
contaminants in the air are captured and retained by the adsorbent
material of inserts 530. Thus, according to some embodiments of the
present disclosure, such as the air treatment module 500 shown in
FIGS. 5a and 5b, a large number of inserts including one or more
adsorbent materials for removing contaminants can be provided
within a compact space, creating a large number of parallel flow
paths with a large total effective cross-sectional area of
adsorbent material through which large volumes of circulating air
can pass.
[0050] FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of an air treatment module 600
according to the present disclosure. Air treatment module 600 may
include a support frame 640 having side walls 642, a top panel 646,
a bottom panel 648 and a back panel (not shown). In some
embodiments, the support frame 640 may be divided by a partition
670 located at approximately the midpoint of the width, W, of the
support frame 640 or at some other position along the width, W, of
the support frame 640. Some embodiments of the air treatment module
600 may be configured with one or more air inlets 610 and one or
more air outlets 620 located on the same side of the module 600, as
shown in FIG. 6. In some embodiments, the air treatment module 600
may have two or more inserts 630 positioned partially or entirely
within the support frame 640 and to one side of partition 670 to
form the one or more air inlets 610. Inserts 630 may be arranged,
according to some embodiments, in a sheet-like form. Inserts 630
may traverse substantially the entire length, L, and width, W, of
the support frame 640. In such embodiments, the inserts 630 may
have a notch or cut-out to accommodate the partition 670. In some
embodiments, the inserts 630 may traverse the entire length, L, but
extend only from a side wall 642 to the partition 670. In some
embodiments, one insert may extend the entire width, W, of the
support frame 640 and one insert may extend only between a side
wall 642 and the partition 670.
[0051] The two or more inserts 630 may be substantially parallel to
each other and/or the top panel 646 and/or bottom panel 648 of the
module 600 and include one or more adsorbent materials. Inserts 630
may be maintained within position in the support frame 640 by and
between tabs 650 formed on the side walls 642 of the support frame
640 and inlet end baffles 611 and outlet end baffles 621, as shown
in FIG. 6. Some embodiments of the module 600 may position two or
more inserts 630 within the support frame 640 in a substantially
horizontal orientation relative to the length, L, of the air
treatment module 600. Two or more air inlets 610 may be formed by
and between a side wall 642, partition 670, top panel 646, bottom
panel 648 and/or inserts 630, as shown in FIG. 6. Two or more air
outlets 620 may be formed by and between a side wall 642, partition
670, top panel 646, bottom panel 648 and/or inserts 630, as shown
in FIG. 6. In some embodiments, two or more inlet end baffles 611
may be positioned between a side wall 642, the partition 670, top
panel 646, bottom panel 648 and/or inserts 630, as shown in FIG. 6.
In some embodiments, one or more outlet end baffles 621 may be
configured between a side wall 642, the partition 670, top panel
646, bottom panel 648 and/or inserts 630, as shown in FIG. 6. The
baffles (611, 621) may be integrally formed as part of the side
walls 642, top panel 646 and/or bottom panel 648 or may be separate
components rigidly attached to the side walls 642, top panel 646,
partition 670 and/or bottom panel 648.
[0052] In operation, circulating indoor air from a human-occupied
space (see FIG. 1) may be caused to enter the air treatment module
600 at air inlet 610 from a duct (see FIG. 1), flow through inserts
630 and exit the air treatment module 600 at air outlets 620. As
shown in FIG. 6, the side walls 642 and outlet baffle 621 cooperate
to provide a closed flow path between the inserts 630 into which
the circulating indoor air enters after passing through air inlet
610. As a result, the air is forced to flow upward or downward
through the inserts 630 at least directly above and below the
closed flow path. In some embodiments, because inlet end baffles
611 may be positioned on the inlet side between partition 670 and a
side wall 642, the air that has passed through the inserts 630 is
directed toward and out of the air outlets 620. This configuration
and other similar embodiments may be useful in various
circumstances, including but not limited to when the overall system
layout requires a common inlet plenum and common outlet plenum to
be adjacent to each other along the same side of an arrangement of
air treatment modules. In some embodiments, placing the plenums
together on the same side of the air treatment module may make the
inlets and/or outlets on the opposite side of the air treatment
module 600 available to be used for regeneration or provides access
for service and/or maintenance.
[0053] As with embodiments of the air treatment module 200,
embodiments of the air treatment modules 300, 400, 500 and 600 may
also be arranged vertically and/or horizontally. For example, FIG.
7 shows an embodiment of a hybrid arrangement 700 of air treatment
modules where the inserts are oriented vertically rather than
horizontally. While the principle of operation and air flow
patterns are substantially the same as modules employing
horizontally-oriented inserts, the vertical orientation may differ
from a mechanical standpoint. That is, vertical inserts may have
several potential advantages, including that the inserts are less
likely to bow in the middle due to their own weight and, because
vertical inserts stand side-by-side rather than on top of each
other, a large number of inserts will not have to create a tall
vertical stack. A tall vertical stack has several mechanical
drawbacks, including but not limited, difficult access to the upper
modules for service and maintenance and a large weight load on the
lower modules in the stack due to cumulative weight. There may also
be less temperature and pressure variations in a horizontal
arrangement. On the other hand, horizontal arrangements require a
larger footprint which may not be available or desirable.
[0054] FIG. 8 shows an embodiment of a hybrid arrangement 800 of
air treatment modules where the inserts are oriented horizontally
but stacked in vertical columns joined to each other side-by-side.
The choice between vertically or horizontally oriented inserts may
be made with respect to any of the air treatment module embodiments
discussed herein.
[0055] The integration of multiple air treatment modules of the
present disclosure into an HVAC system may be achieved by attaching
the modules to a common inlet plenum and/or a common outlet plenum,
either or both of which may include a combination of valves and/or
shutters, as well as fans or blowers, to control the flow of air
during one of three possible modes of operation. More specifically,
in some embodiments, an air treatment module and/or arrangement of
air treatment modules (e.g., a vertical stack) according to the
present disclosure may have at least three modes of operation
including (1) active adsorption mode, (2) desorption/regeneration
mode and/or (3) shutdown or disconnect. In mode (1), indoor air may
flow from the ducts (see FIG. 1) into the air treatment system,
through the air treatment modules and back into the ducts. In this
mode, contaminants may be captured and retained by the adsorbent
materials within the air treatment modules and the treated air may
be returned to the ducts of the HVAC system.
[0056] In mode (2), the air treatment modules may be arranged for
regeneration by heat or another form of energy or by pressure swing
desorption, to cause the release of contaminants captured and
retained within the adsorbent material. In some embodiments,
contaminants that are released through regeneration may be removed
from the air treatment system by flowing purge gas or by pumping
away the released gases and disposing of the contaminants outside
the building, vehicle or other structure. Some embodiments may heat
the adsorbent materials by flowing heated purge gas through the air
treatment system and subsequently directing the heated purge gas to
flow outside. The purge gas may be heated inside the plenum or
externally using any available heat source, including without
limitation solar energy, electric, gas, oil, hot water and/or
so-called waste heat, for example heat from compressors or engines.
In some embodiments, a combination of two or more such heat sources
may be used to achieve the required performance and economic
objectives under changing conditions.
[0057] In mode (3), the air treatment modules may be disconnected
from the HVAC system and from the source of purge gas, by closing
any interconnecting valves or shutters. Disconnection and/or
isolation of the air treatment system from the HVAC system may be
necessary, for example, when the air treatment system is undergoing
maintenance and/or repair. Another possible mode of operation, mode
(4), may exist in some embodiments and be referred to as a "cool
down" mode, where a regenerated air treatment system is allowed to
cool down, e.g., with or without external air flow, before being
reconnected to the HVAC system to prevent unwanted heating of
internal air by the still-warm, regenerated air treatment
system.
[0058] FIG. 9 shows an embodiment of an air treatment system 900
configured with a stack of air treatment modules 950, a common
inlet plenum 975 and a common outlet plenum 995. In some
embodiments, such as the one shown in FIG. 9, the common inlet
plenum 975 and common outlet plenum 995 may be arranged on opposite
sides of the vertical stack formed by the air treatment modules
950. The common inlet plenum 975 and common outlet plenum 995 may
each be sealed off at the top of the vertical stack. In operation,
circulating indoor air 902 may enter at the bottom of the common
inlet plenum 975 and flow into the air inlets (not shown) of each
of the air treatment modules 950. Inside the modules 950, the
circulating indoor air 902 may be caused to pass through one or
more inserts included within each of the modules 950, exit the air
outlets (not shown) in each of the air treatment modules 950 and
flow into the common outlet plenum 995 as supply air 904. The
supply air 904 is directed downwardly to the bottom of the common
outlet plenum 995 and rejoins the main air flow of the HVAC system.
The velocity and amount of air flow 902 entering the common inlet
plenum 975 and supply air 904 exiting the common outlet plenum 995
may be managed by a central air handling unit (not shown here)
having fans, valves, shutters and other controls that govern the
operation of the unit.
[0059] As shown in FIG. 10, some embodiments of the present
disclosure may arrange the common inlet plenum 1075 and common
outlet plenum 1095 on the same side of the stack, for example, when
the air treatment modules 1050 are configured similar to those
depicted in FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 11, some embodiments of the
present disclosure may involve a horizontal air treatment system
having a multiple vertically-oriented air treatment modules 1150
joined together. In such embodiments, common inlet plenum 1175 and
common outlet plenum 1195 may be positioned horizontally as
well.
[0060] Some embodiments of the present disclosure may be directed
to an air treatment module 1200 that includes a support frame 1240
having side walls 1242, a top panel 1246 and a bottom panel 1248.
The module 1200 may also include two or more inserts 1230 oriented
at angles within the support frame 1240 relative to the top panel
1246 and/or bottom panel 1248. In some embodiments, adjacent
inserts 1230 may contact each other along an edge of the insert
1230. Some embodiments of inserts 1230 may be arranged in a
sheet-like form. Inserts 1230 may be held in place within the
support frame 1240 by tabs or channels (not shown). The support
frame 1240 may have an inlet end 1270 that is completely open and
an outlet end 1280 that is completely open. The orientation of the
inserts 1230 may form air inlets 1210 and air outlets 1220, as
shown in FIG. 10. The inserts 1230 may be removably inserted into
the support frame 1240 from one of the ends of the support frame
1240 or from a side by removing a side wall 1242.
[0061] In operation, circulating indoor air from a human-occupied
space (see FIG. 1) may be caused to enter the air treatment module
1200 at the air inlets 1210 from a duct (see FIG. 1), flow through
the inserts 1230 which form each air inlet 1210 and exit the air
treatment module 1200 at the air outlets 1220. As shown in FIG. 10,
each pair of angled inserts 1230 within the support frame 1240 form
an air inlet 1210 and, at the same time, blocks the flow path of
the circulating indoor air entering that air inlet 1210. As a
result, the air is caused to flow either upward or downward through
one of the two inserts 1230 which form the air inlet 1210 through
which the air entered the air treatment module 1200. As the air
flows through the inserts 1230, it intimately contacts one or more
adsorbent materials of insert 1230 and one or more targeted
contaminants are removed from the air. As with all the previously
described air treatment module embodiments, embodiments of air
treatment module 1200 may be arranged to form an air treatment
system of multiple air treatment modules.
[0062] Some embodiments of the air treatment systems described
herein according to the present disclosure may comprise two or more
separate vertical stacks or horizontal arrangements that may be
connected to a common plenum but operated and shuttered
independently. Such embodiments allow one (or more) air treatment
systems to undergo regeneration or shutdown while another air
treatment system is still actively treating the air flow, thus
providing uninterrupted service. The common plenum may be designed
to automatically switch between vertical stacks or horizontal
arrangements by opening and closing the appropriate valves,
shutters and/or blowers, as well as any other elements used to
control air flow and temperature. Some embodiments of the air
treatment systems according to the present disclosure may have
sensors and gauges, including but not limited to CO.sub.2 meters,
thermometers, flow meters and pressure gauges used to monitor
system functionality and trigger automatic switching between modes
of operation. One of switching function include without limitation
turning an air treatment system from active mode to regeneration
mode when elevated levels of contaminants are detected at the air
outlets or in the common outlet plenum.
[0063] The embodiments set forth in the foregoing description do
not represent all embodiments consistent with the subject matter
described herein. Instead, they are merely some examples consistent
with aspects related to the described subject matter. Although a
few variations have been described in detail above, other
modifications or additions are possible. In particular, further
features and/or variations may be provided in addition to those set
forth herein. For example, the embodiments described above may be
directed to various combinations and sub-combinations of the
disclosed features and/or combinations and sub-combinations of
several further features disclosed above. In addition, the logic
flows depicted in the accompanying figures and/or described herein
do not necessarily require the particular order shown, or
sequential order, to achieve desirable results. Other embodiments
may be within the scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *