Air Handling Unit That Eliminates Corner Singularities and Eddies for High Energy Efficiency and Its Evaporator Heat Exchanger Coil Arrangements

Abstract

An air handling unit with a cross-sectional profile of continuous curvature eliminates corner singularities and eddies for high energy efficiency in comparison to rectangular air handling units. A housing has an outer shell, an inner shell, and an insulation shell between the outer and inner shells. A blower and motor assembly forces air through an air intake opening over a heat exchanger, and out through an air discharge opening. An upper door and a lower door in the wall of the housing allow maintenance access to the blower and motor assembly and the heat exchanger. Three heat exchanger coil arrangements are also disclosed: an A-coil arrangement, a parallel coil arrangement, and a circular coil arrangement.

Description

[0001]The current application claims a priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 62 / 054,584 filed on Sep. 24, 2014.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates generally to air handling. More particularly, the present invention relates to central air conditioners and heat pumps.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]An air handling unit of any central air conditioner and heat pump or similar systems is a chamber that encloses devices that generate, control and circulates conditioned air throughout a building or structure where the system is installed. The air conditioning process provides the desirable cooling, dehumidifying, heating, air quality and comfortable environment within the building or structure. The energy efficiency of such a central air conditioning system depends largely on the level of efficiency of each device, such as the heat exchanger, the blower fan and motor assembly; and the air filter within an air handling unit of the system. The co...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent text describes the technical benefits of using an air handling unit with a shape of continuous curvature, such as a circular or cylindrical shape, to improve energy efficiency in air conditioning and heat pump systems. The design prevents corner flow singularities and eddies that lead to energy dissipation and heat formation within the chamber. By reducing the blower motor power consumption, the air conditioning system achieves higher energy efficiency.

Problems solved by technology

The rectangular air handling units are subject to corner flow singularities and eddies resulting in energy dissipation in form of heat within the chamber.

The supply of more energy by the blower motor to accomplish the desired airflow rate will result in a decrease in the efficiency of the air conditioning system.

In the circular air handler, however, there are weak concentric flow recirculation or eddies.

However, the numerical and hotwire smoke visualization methods used here revealed that the flow eddies are further weakened toward the center and suppressed by the heat exchanger installed in the core region of the circular or cylindrical air handling unit.

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