Climate control system and air handler assembly for climate control system

Abstract

The invention relates to a climate control system and an air handler assembly for a climate control system. The climate control system may include a vapor compression circuit and an air handler assembly. The vapor compression circuit may include a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an expansion device, and an indoor heat exchanger. The indoor heat exchanger includes a conduit in fluid communication with the expansion device. The air handler assembly pushes air through a conduit of the indoor heat exchanger. The air handler assembly may include an airflow device having a valve and an air-to-air heat exchanger. The air-to-air heat exchanger may include a first heat exchanger conduit and a second heat exchanger conduit. Air flowing through the first heat exchanger duct may be in a heat transfer relationship with air flowing through the second heat exchanger duct. The airflow device may define a first airflow path and a second airflow path. The first airflow path may include a first heat exchanger conduit. The second airflow path may bypass the first heat exchanger conduit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a climate control system with sensible heat cooling and latent heat cooling. Background Technology

[0002] This section provides background information relevant to this disclosure and is not necessarily prior art.

[0003] Conventional vapor compression systems are typically used to cool spaces and reduce humidity. While such systems are generally effective for cooling spaces and reducing humidity, there is a need for a system that provides more efficient and customized sensible and latent heat cooling over a wider range of outdoor weather conditions. This disclosure provides such a system for providing more customized and efficient sensible and latent heat cooling in spaces. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This section provides a general overview of the disclosure, rather than a full disclosure of the entire scope or all features of the disclosure.

[0005] In one form, this disclosure provides a climate control system including a vapor compression loop and an air handling assembly. The vapor compression loop may include a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an expander, and an indoor heat exchanger. A compression mechanism causes a working fluid to circulate through the vapor compression loop. The outdoor heat exchanger is in fluid communication with the compressor. The expander is in fluid communication with the outdoor heat exchanger. The indoor heat exchanger includes a conduit in fluid communication with the expander. The air handling assembly is configured to propel air through the conduit of the indoor heat exchanger. The air handling assembly may include an airflow device having a valve and an air-to-air heat exchanger. The air-to-air heat exchanger may include a first heat exchanger conduit and a second heat exchanger conduit. Air flowing through the first heat exchanger conduit may be in a heat transfer relationship with air flowing through the second heat exchanger conduit. The airflow device may define a first airflow path and a second airflow path. The first airflow path may include the first heat exchanger conduit. The second airflow path may bypass the first heat exchanger conduit.

[0006] In some configurations of the climate control system described above, the valve is movable between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the valve allows airflow through a first airflow path and prevents airflow through a second airflow path. In the second position, the valve allows airflow through the second airflow path and prevents airflow through the first airflow path.

[0007] In some configurations of the climate control system in any or both of the paragraphs above, the valve is movable to a third position in which a first portion of the air entering the airflow device is allowed to flow through a first airflow path, and a second portion of the air entering the airflow device is allowed to flow through a second airflow path.

[0008] In some configurations of the climate control system described in any of the paragraphs above, the control module controls the movement of the valve based on humidity data received from the humidifier.

[0009] In some configurations of the climate control system in any one or more of the paragraphs above, a humidifier measures the humidity of the air upstream of the airflow device.

[0010] In some configurations of the climate control system in any of the paragraphs above, the control module compares the measured humidity value from the humidifier with a predetermined limit.

[0011] In some configurations of the climate control system in any of the paragraphs above, the control module compares the measured humidity value from the humidifier with the humidity setpoint.

[0012] In some configurations of the climate control system in any one or more of the paragraphs above, the predetermined limit is higher than the humidity setpoint.

[0013] In some configurations of the climate control system in any one or more of the paragraphs above, a first airflow path and a second airflow path are fluidly connected to an evaporator duct that supplies air from the airflow device to the indoor heat exchanger.

[0014] In some configurations of the climate control system described in any one or more of the paragraphs above, the evaporator duct supplies air to a second heat exchanger duct located downstream of the indoor heat exchanger.

[0015] In some configurations of the climate control system in any one or more of the paragraphs above, the airflow device includes a housing in which valves are disposed.

[0016] In some configurations of the climate control system in any one or more of the paragraphs above, the first airflow path and the second airflow path are separated from each other downstream of the first air inlet of the housing, and converge with each other downstream of the first heat exchanger duct and upstream of the first air outlet of the housing.

[0017] In some configurations of the climate control system in any one or more of the paragraphs above, the air-to-air heat exchanger is housed within the casing.

[0018] In some configurations of the climate control system in any one or more of the paragraphs above, the first air inlet of the housing is connected to and receives air from the return air duct.

[0019] In some configurations of the climate control system in any one or more of the paragraphs above, the second heat exchanger duct defines the second air inlet and the second air outlet of the airflow device.

[0020] In some configurations of the climate control system in any one or more of the paragraphs above, the second air outlet is connected to and supplies air to the air supply duct.

[0021] In some configurations of the climate control system in any one or more of the paragraphs above, the second heat exchanger duct defines a third airflow path through the airflow device.

[0022] In another embodiment, this disclosure provides an air processor assembly for a climate control system. The air processor assembly may include a return air duct, a housing, a valve, an air-to-air heat exchanger, an evaporator duct, an evaporator, and a supply air duct. The housing may include a first air inlet, a first air outlet, a first airflow path, and a second airflow path. The first air inlet may be connected to the return air duct and receive air from the return air duct. The valve may be disposed within the housing and movable between a first position allowing airflow through the first airflow path and preventing airflow through the second airflow path, and a second position allowing airflow through the second airflow path and preventing airflow through the first airflow path. The air-to-air heat exchanger may be disposed within the housing and may include a first heat exchanger duct and a second heat exchanger duct. Air flowing through the first heat exchanger duct may be in a heat transfer relationship with air flowing through the second heat exchanger duct. When the valve is not in the second position, air flows through the first heat exchanger duct. When the valve is in the first position and when the valve is in the second position, air flows through the second heat exchanger duct. The evaporator duct may be connected to the first air outlet and the second heat exchanger duct. The evaporator conduit can receive air from a first air outlet and can supply air to a second heat exchanger conduit. The evaporator can be disposed within the evaporator conduit and can include conduits configured to receive working fluid from a vapor compression system. The air supply conduit can be connected to the second heat exchanger conduit and can receive air from the second heat exchanger conduit.

[0023] In some configurations of the air processor assembly described above, the valve is movable to a third position in which a first portion of the air entering the housing is allowed to flow through a first airflow path, and a second portion of the air entering the housing is allowed to flow through a second airflow path.

[0024] In some configurations of the air processor assembly in any or both of the paragraphs above, the control module controls the movement of the valve based on humidity data received from the humidifier.

[0025] In some configurations of the air processor assembly in any or more of the paragraphs above, the humidifier measures the humidity of the air upstream of the housing.

[0026] In some configurations of the air processor assembly in any or more of the paragraphs above, the control module compares the measured humidity value from the humidifier with a predetermined limit.

[0027] In some configurations of the air processor assembly in any of the paragraphs above, the control module compares the measured humidity value from the humidifier with the humidity setpoint.

[0028] In some configurations of the air processor assembly in any one or more of the paragraphs above, the predetermined limit is higher than the humidity setpoint.

[0029] In some configurations of the air processor assembly in any one or more of the above paragraphs, the second heat exchanger duct defines a third airflow path through the housing.

[0030] Other application areas will become readily apparent from the descriptions provided herein. The descriptions and specific examples in this overview are intended for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0031] The accompanying drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only, representing selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a climate control system 10 with an airflow device based on the principles of this disclosure;

[0033] Figure 2 It is a three-dimensional diagram of the airflow device;

[0034] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional diagram of the heat exchanger of the airflow device;

[0035] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a heat exchanger;

[0036] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the airflow device with the valve in the first position;

[0037] Figure 6This is a cross-sectional view of the airflow device with the valve in the second position;

[0038] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of the airflow device with the valve in the third position; and

[0039] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating the method of controlling the valve.

[0040] Throughout the various views in the accompanying drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate the corresponding parts. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0042] Exemplary implementations are provided to make this disclosure thorough and to fully convey the scope to those skilled in the art. Numerous specific details, such as examples of specific components, apparatuses, and methods, are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of this disclosure. It will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that specific details are not required, that the exemplary implementations may be practiced in many different forms, and none of them should be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure. In some exemplary implementations, well-known processes, well-known apparatus structures, and well-known techniques are not described in detail.

[0043] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” may also be intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” and “having” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of the said features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein should not be construed as requiring them to be performed in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically indicated as such. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.

[0044] When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “joined to,” “connected to,” or “attached to” another element or layer, the element or layer may be directly on, joined to, connected to, or attached to the other element or layer, or there may be intermediate elements or layers present. Conversely, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly joined to,” “directly connected to,” or “directly attached to” another element or layer, there may be no intermediate elements or layers present. Other terms used to describe relationships between elements (e.g., “between” vs. “directly between,” “adjacent” vs. “directly adjacent,” etc.) should be interpreted in a similar manner. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0045] Although the terms first, second, and third, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers, and / or portions, these elements, components, regions, layers, and / or portions should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be used only to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, or portion from another. Unless explicitly indicated by the context, terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms used herein do not imply sequence or order. Therefore, the first element, component, region, layer, or portion discussed below may be referred to as a second element, component, region, layer, or portion without departing from the teachings of the exemplary embodiments.

[0046] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as “inside,” “outside,” “below,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” and “upper” are used herein to describe the relationship between one element or feature and another element or feature as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Spatial relative terms may be intended to cover different orientations of the device in use or operation other than those depicted in the drawings. For example, if the device in the figures is flipped, an element described as “below” or “below” other elements or features will be oriented “above” other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both above and below orientations. The device may be oriented in other ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptive terms used herein may be interpreted accordingly.

[0047] Reference Figures 1 to 8 A climate control system 10 is provided. As will be described in more detail below, system 10 is operable to provide sensible heat cooling and latent heat cooling (dehumidification) simultaneously and independently of each other. Figure 1As shown, system 10 includes a vapor compression circuit 12 and an air handling unit 14. The air handling unit 14 can be installed, for example, inside a building or residence. The air handling unit 14 can provide cooled and / or dehumidified air to rooms or spaces within the building or residence.

[0048] like Figure 1 As shown, the vapor compression circuit 12 may include a compressor 18 and an outdoor heat exchanger (e.g., a condenser) 20, an expansion device 22 (e.g., an expansion valve or a capillary tube) and an indoor heat exchanger (e.g., an evaporator) 26.

[0049] Compressor 18 pumps a working fluid (e.g., refrigerant) through vapor compression circuit 12. Compressor 18 can be, for example, a scroll compressor (including a first and second scroll with meshing helical scrolls), or any other type of compressor, such as a reciprocating compressor (including a piston reciprocally received in a cylinder) or a rotary vane compressor (including a rotor rotating within a cylinder). Compressor 18 can be a variable-capacity compressor capable of operating in full-capacity and reduced-capacity modes. In some configurations, compressor 18 may include additional or alternative capacity regulation capabilities (e.g., a variable-speed motor, vapor injection, impeded suction, etc.). Compressor 18 may include an intake inlet 30 and a discharge outlet 32. Inlet 30 may receive working fluid from indoor heat exchanger 26. The working fluid received through inlet 30 can be compressed in compressor 18 (via compression mechanism) and discharged through outlet 32.

[0050] The outdoor heat exchanger 20 may include coils or conduits 21 for receiving working fluid discharged from outlet 32 ​​of compressor 18. A fan (not shown) may push air (e.g., ambient outdoor air) through the coils of the outdoor heat exchanger 20 to facilitate heat transfer between the ambient outdoor air and the working fluid flowing through the coils of the outdoor heat exchanger 20. The outdoor heat exchanger 20 and compressor 18 may be located outdoors (i.e., outside a building, residence, or other space to be cooled by system 10). The indoor heat exchanger 26 and expansion device 22 may be located indoors (i.e., inside a building, residence, or other space to be cooled by system 10).

[0051] The working fluid flows from the outdoor heat exchanger 20 through the expansion device 22 and then through the indoor heat exchanger 26. The indoor heat exchanger 26 may include coils or conduits 27 for receiving the working fluid from the expansion device 22. The indoor heat exchanger 26 may be disposed within the air handling assembly 14 such that air flowing through the air handling assembly 14 may flow through or through the indoor heat exchanger 26. A fan 37 (disposed within the air handling assembly 14 or otherwise positioned to propel air throughout the air handling assembly 14) may propel air through the indoor heat exchanger 26 to facilitate heat transfer between the air in the air handling assembly 14 and the working fluid in the indoor heat exchanger 26.

[0052] In some configurations, the vapor compression circuit 12 may include one or more directional valves that are operable to switch the operation of the vapor compression circuit 12 between a cooling mode and a heating mode.

[0053] Air processor assembly 14 may include return air duct 38 and airflow device 40 (in Figure 1 , Figure 2 as well as Figures 5 to 7 (as shown in the diagram), evaporator duct 42 and supply air duct 44. As described above, the air processor assembly 14 may include a fan, which may be disposed in, for example, the return air duct 38, the airflow device 40, the evaporator duct 42 or the supply air duct 44. An air filter may also be disposed in, for example, any of the return air duct 38, the airflow device 40, the evaporator duct 42 or the supply air duct 44.

[0054] The return air duct 38 can receive air from one or more rooms or spaces in a building or residence and can supply air to the airflow device 40. The airflow device 40 can be fluidly connected to the return air duct 38, the evaporator duct 42, and the supply air duct 44.

[0055] The airflow device 40 may include a housing 50, a valve 52, and a heat exchanger 54. The airflow device 40 may define a first airflow path 56, a second airflow path 58, a first air inlet 60, a first air outlet 62, a second air inlet 64, and a second air outlet 66. In the example shown, the housing 50 defines the second airflow path 58, the first air inlet 60, and the first air outlet 62. In the example shown, the heat exchanger 54 defines the second air inlet 64 and the second air outlet 66. The housing 50 and the heat exchanger 54 cooperate to define the first airflow path 56.

[0056] Figure 1A fan 37 is shown positioned in the evaporator duct 42, downstream of the first air outlet 62 and upstream of the evaporator 26. However, it will be understood that the fan 37 can be positioned at any suitable location in the air processor assembly 14 to push air through the assembly 14.

[0057] The return air duct 38 can be connected to the first airflow path 56 and the second airflow path 58, such that air in the return air duct 38 can flow into the first airflow path 56 and / or into the second airflow path 58. The air in the first airflow path 56 is fluidly isolated from the air in the second airflow path 58. That is, the first airflow path 56 and the second airflow path 58 are separated from each other within the housing 50 (e.g., downstream of the first air inlet 60, at or near valve 52) and converge at or near the first air outlet 62. Air flowing through the first airflow path 56 flows through the heat exchanger 54. Air flowing through the second airflow path 58 bypasses the heat exchanger 54.

[0058] Valve 52 can be in the first position ( Figure 5 ), second position ( Figure 6 ) and the third position ( Figure 7 The valve 52 can move between the first and second airflow paths 56 and 58. In a first position, it allows airflow from the return air duct 38 through the first airflow path 56 and prevents airflow from the return air duct 38 through the second airflow path 58. In a second position, it allows airflow from the return air duct 38 through the second airflow path 58 and prevents airflow from the return air duct 38 through the first airflow path 56. In a third position, it allows a portion of the air from the return air duct 38 to flow through the first airflow path 56 and another portion of the air from the return air duct 38 to flow through the second airflow path 58. It will be understood that the valve 52 can be moved to additional positions between the first and second positions to adjust the amount of air allowed to flow through the first airflow path 56 and the amount of air allowed to flow through the second airflow path 58. In some configurations, the valve 52 can be moved to an unlimited number of positions between the first and second positions.

[0059] exist Figures 5 to 7 In the specific example shown, valve 52 is a plate or damper flap rotatably mounted to a wall 57 that separates a first airflow path 56 and a second airflow path 58 in housing 50. A motor (not shown) can drive valve 52 between a first position, a second position, and a third position. The control module can (at least in part) control the operation of valve 52 based on the relative humidity of the air in the return air duct 38 or the air in the space or room to be cooled. The relative humidity can be controlled by a humidifier 70 ( Figure 1The humidifier 70 can be installed to the return air duct 38 or in the space or room to be cooled. The control module can also (at least in part) control the operation of the compressor 18 based on temperature measurements from the thermostat and / or humidity measurements from the humidifier 70.

[0060] The heat exchanger 54 can be mounted to (or installed within) the housing 50. The heat exchanger 54 can be an air-to-air heat exchanger and can include one or more first heat exchanger conduits 72 and one or more second heat exchanger conduits 74 (see [link to relevant documentation]). Figure 1 and Figure 4 The air flowing through the first heat exchanger duct 72 is in a heat transfer relationship with the air flowing through the second heat exchanger duct 74. The second heat exchanger duct 74 defines a third airflow path (in addition to the first airflow path 56 and the second airflow path 58) through the airflow device 40.

[0061] The first heat exchanger conduit 72 and the second heat exchanger conduit 74 may each include multiple layers of airflow paths separated by thin walls. In this way, heat is exchanged between the air in the first heat exchanger conduit 72 and the air in the second heat exchanger conduit 74, while preventing the air in the first heat exchanger conduit 72 from mixing with the air in the second heat exchanger conduit 74. It will be understood that the heat exchanger 54 may be constructed in other ways.

[0062] The first heat exchanger duct 72 may be part of the first airflow path 56. That is, air flowing from the first air inlet 60 into the first airflow path 56 will flow through the first heat exchanger duct 72 before leaving the housing 50 through the first air outlet 62.

[0063] The second heat exchanger conduit 74 can be connected to the evaporator conduit 42 and the air supply conduit 44. That is, the second heat exchanger conduit 74 can define a second air inlet 64 and a second air outlet 66. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the second air inlet 64 is connected to and receives air from the evaporator pipe 42. The second air outlet 66 is connected to and supplies air to the supply air pipe 44.

[0064] like Figure 1As shown, the first end of the evaporator pipe 42 can be connected to the first air outlet 62, and the second end of the evaporator pipe 42 can be connected to the second air inlet 64. That is, the evaporator pipe 42 receives air from the first heat exchanger pipe 72 of the heat exchanger 54 and supplies air to the second heat exchanger pipe 74 of the heat exchanger 54. The evaporator 26 can be disposed within the evaporator pipe 42, or alternatively, the evaporator pipe 42 can extend through the evaporator 26. In either case, the air flowing through the evaporator pipe 42 is in a heat transfer relationship with the working fluid flowing through the pipe 27 of the evaporator 26 (e.g., the air in the evaporator pipe 42 is cooled by the working fluid in the pipe 27 when the air flows above and / or around the outer surface of the pipe 27).

[0065] like Figure 1 As shown, the air supply duct 44 can be connected to the second air outlet 66, allowing the air supply duct 44 to receive air from the second heat exchanger duct 74. The air supply duct 44 can supply air to the space or room to be cooled.

[0066] Continuing with reference to the accompanying drawings, the operation of system 10 will be described. As described above, the control module can operate compressor 18 (in response to a measured temperature and / or humidity in the space or room above a set point) to circulate the working fluid throughout the vapor compression loop 12, and the control module can operate fan 37 to push air through air processor assembly 14.

[0067] When fan 37 operates, indoor air (e.g., from the space or room) is drawn back into return air duct 38 and flows into the first air inlet 60 of the housing 50 of airflow device 40. When valve 52 is in the first position ( Figure 5 When the air from the first air inlet 60 flows into the first airflow path 56 (i.e., through the first heat exchanger duct 72) and exits the housing 50 through the first air outlet 62. The air from the first air outlet 62 flows through the evaporator duct 42 and through the evaporator 26, where heat from the air is absorbed by the working fluid flowing through the duct 27 of the evaporator 26. Thereafter, the air flows into the second air inlet 64 and into the second heat exchanger duct 74. The air flowing through the second heat exchanger duct 74 absorbs heat from the air flowing through the first heat exchanger duct 72. The air in the second heat exchanger duct 74 exits the airflow device 40 through the second air outlet 66 and flows into the supply air duct 44. As described above, the air in the supply air duct 44 flows into the space or room, thereby cooling the space or room and / or reducing the humidity in the space or room.

[0068] As described above, when valve 52 is in the second position ( Figure 6 When the valve is in the third position, airflow is prevented through the first airflow path 56 (and therefore airflow is prevented through the first heat exchanger duct 72), and all air from the first air inlet 60 flows into the second airflow path 58 and bypasses the first heat exchanger duct 72. Figure 7 When the air is in the first air inlet 60 or any other position between the first and second positions, a portion of the air flows through the first airflow path 56 (and flows through the first heat exchanger duct 72), and another portion of the air flows through the second airflow path 58 (and bypasses the first heat exchanger duct 72).

[0069] The control module can adjust the position of valve 52 (i.e., any position between and between the first and second positions) to reduce the humidity in a space or room in a way that reduces overcooling. That is, if the control module determines that a greater reduction in humidity is desired, it can control valve 52 to allow more air into the first airflow path 56 (and into the first heat exchanger duct 72). Allowing more airflow through the first heat exchanger duct 72 (in which the air is pre-cooled by air flowing through the second heat exchanger duct 74) will remove more humidity (absolute humidity) (i.e., the amount of humidity removed relative to that removed by a conventional air processor without airflow device 40) from the air flowing into the supply air duct 44.

[0070] If the control module determines that less humidity reduction (or no humidity reduction) is desired, the control module may control valve 52 to allow less air (or no air) to enter the first airflow path 56 (and into the first heat exchanger duct 72), or to allow air to bypass the first heat exchanger duct 72.

[0071] Pre-cooling more air in the first heat exchanger duct 72 will result in a greater reduction in humidity, but will also reduce the amount of sensible heat cooling to some extent (i.e., the air in the second heat exchanger duct 74 warms up as it pre-cools the air in the first heat exchanger duct 72). In other words, moving valve 52 closer to the first position will result in a greater reduction in humidity (more latent heat cooling), but less sensible heat cooling of the air supplied to the supply air duct 44. Conversely, moving valve 52 closer to the second position will result in a less reduction in humidity (less latent heat cooling), but more sensible heat cooling of the air supplied to the supply air duct 44. Therefore, if conditions cause the temperature in a space or room to be at or below a desired temperature setpoint, but the humidity to be above a desired humidity setpoint, system 10 can operate (with valve 52 in or near the first position) to reduce humidity without substantially overcooling the space or room (i.e., reducing or minimizing the amount of sensible heat overcooling).

[0072] Figure 8 A control method is described in which the control module can execute to control the position of valve 52. At step 100, the control module determines whether system 10 is operating (i.e., whether compressor 18 is operating). If the control module determines that system 10 is not operating, then at step 110, the control module determines whether the relative humidity of the air in the return air duct 38 (or in the space or room) measured by the humidifier 70 is higher than a predetermined limit. The predetermined limit may be higher than a humidity setpoint, and may, for example, be a humidity value that would be uncomfortable for most people or a value with a high probability of mold growth. If the control module determines that the relative humidity is higher than the predetermined limit (and / or if the control module determines that the temperature in the space or room measured by the thermostat is higher than a temperature setpoint), then the control module may initiate operation of system 10 (i.e., start compressor 18).

[0073] If the control module determines at step 100 that system 10 is operating, the control module may calculate the error values ​​of the following at step 130: (a) relative humidity and humidity setpoint, and (b) dew point temperature and setpoint temperature. At step 140, the control module may use proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control to continuously or intermittently adjust the position of valve 52 to achieve the desired latent heat cooling and sensible heat cooling.

[0074] Compared to existing air conditioning systems, the airflow device 40 and system 10 of this disclosure offer significant advantages. For example, system 10 with airflow device 40 allows for more efficient and effective sensible and latent heat cooling in a manner that reduces overcooling. Furthermore, airflow device 40 is a modular device that can be easily installed into a pre-existing air handling system with relatively simple modifications to the existing system.

[0075] The airflow device 40 and system 10 can provide more customized and efficient sensible and latent heat cooling in a space or room by selectively exchanging heat between the return air and supply air of system 10 (i.e., in the heat exchanger 54 of airflow device 40). For example, by adjusting the position of valve 52 (as described above), the cooling section dedicated to dehumidification can be adjusted to increase the relative humidity of the air by pre-cooling it with supply air upstream of evaporator 26. This makes the cooling within evaporator 26 primarily act on air saturated with water vapor. In this way, system 10 can dehumidify a space or room without overcooling it, which improves comfort and saves energy.

[0076] In this application, the terms "control module" or "controller" are used in place of the term "circuit" as defined below. The terms "module," "control module," "control circuit," or "control system" may refer to, be part of, or include the following components: Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC); Digital, Analog, or Mixed-Signal / Digital Discrete Circuit; Digital, Analog, or Mixed-Signal / Digital Integrated Circuit; Combinational Logic Circuit; Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA); Processor circuitry (shared, dedicated, or grouped) that executes code; Memory circuitry (shared, dedicated, or grouped) that stores code executed by the processor circuitry; Other suitable hardware components that provide the described functionality; or combinations of some or all of the above components in a system-on-a-chip.

[0077] This module may include one or more interface circuits. In some examples, the interface circuits may include wired or wireless interfaces connected to a local area network (LAN), the Internet, a wide area network (WAN), or a combination thereof. The functionality of any given module of this disclosure may be distributed across multiple modules connected via the interface circuits. For example, multiple modules may implement load balancing. In another example, a server (also referred to as a remote or cloud) module may perform some functions on behalf of a client module.

[0078] The terminology used above may include software, firmware, and / or microcode, and may refer to programs, routines, functions, classes, data structures, and / or objects. The term "shared processor circuit" covers a single processor circuit that executes some or all of the code from multiple modules. The term "group processor circuit" covers a processor circuit that executes some or all of the code from one or more modules in combination with additional processor circuits. References to multiple processor circuits cover multiple processor circuits on a discrete die, multiple processor circuits on a single die, multiple cores of a single processor circuit, multiple threads of a single processor circuit, or a combination of the foregoing. The term "shared memory circuit" covers a single memory circuit that stores some or all of the code from multiple modules. The term "group memory circuit" covers a memory circuit that stores some or all of the code from one or more modules in combination with additional memory.

[0079] The term "memory circuit" is a subset of the term "computer-readable medium." As used herein, the term "computer-readable medium" does not cover transient electrical or electromagnetic signals propagating through a medium (such as on a carrier wave); therefore, "computer-readable medium" can be considered tangible and non-transient. Non-limiting examples of non-transient, tangible computer-readable media are non-volatile memory circuits (such as flash memory circuits, erasable programmable read-only memory circuits, or mask read-only memory circuits), volatile memory circuits (such as static random access memory circuits or dynamic random access memory circuits), magnetic storage media (such as analog or digital magnetic tape or hard disk drives), and optical storage media (such as CDs, DVDs, or Blu-ray discs).

[0080] In this application, device elements described as having specific attributes or performing specific operations are specifically configured to have those specific attributes and perform those specific operations. Specifically, the description of an element for performing an action means that the element is configured to perform that action. The configuration of the element may include programming the element, such as programming the element by encoding instructions on a non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium associated with the element.

[0081] The apparatus and methods described in this application can be implemented, partially or completely, by a special-purpose computer created by configuring a general-purpose computer to perform one or more specific functions implemented in a computer program. The aforementioned function blocks, flowchart components, and other elements serve as software specifications that can be translated into a computer program by the routine work of a technician or programmer.

[0082] A computer program includes processor-executable instructions stored on at least one non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable medium. A computer program may also include or depend on stored data. A computer program may encompass a basic input / output system (BIOS) that interacts with the hardware of a special-purpose computer, device drivers that interact with specific devices of the special-purpose computer, one or more operating systems, user applications, background services, background applications, etc.

[0083] Computer programs may include: (i) descriptive text to be parsed, such as HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), XML (Extensible Markup Language), or JSON (JavaScript Object Notation); (ii) assembly code; (iii) object code generated from source code by a compiler; (iv) source code executed by an interpreter; and (v) source code compiled and executed by a just-in-time (JIT) compiler, etc. As an example only, source code may be written using syntax from languages ​​including: C, C++, C#, Objective-C, Swift, Haskell, Go, SQL, R, Lisp, etc. Fortran, Perl, Pascal, Curl, OCaml, HTML5 (Hypertext Markup Language, Fifth Revision), Ada, ASP (Active Server Pages), PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor), Scala, Eiffel, Smalltalk, Erlang, Ruby, Visual Lua, MATLAB, SIMULINK and

[0084] A prior description of embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. This prior description is not intended to be exhaustive or limiting of this disclosure. Elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but are interchangeable where applicable and can be used in selected embodiments, even if not specifically shown or described. Elements or features of a particular embodiment may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not considered to depart from this disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A climate control system, comprising: A vapor compression circuit, the vapor compression circuit comprising: A compressor, wherein the compression mechanism causes the working fluid to circulate through the vapor compression circuit; An outdoor heat exchanger, which is in fluid communication with the compressor; An expansion device, which is in fluid communication with the outdoor heat exchanger; and An indoor heat exchanger, the indoor heat exchanger including a conduit in fluid communication with the expansion device; and An air handling assembly configured to propel air through the duct of the indoor heat exchanger, the air handling assembly comprising: An airflow device includes a valve and an air-to-air heat exchanger, wherein the air-to-air heat exchanger includes a first heat exchanger pipe and a second heat exchanger pipe, wherein air flowing through the first heat exchanger pipe and air flowing through the second heat exchanger pipe are in a heat transfer relationship, wherein the airflow device defines a first airflow path and a second airflow path, wherein the first airflow path includes the first heat exchanger pipe, and wherein the second airflow path bypasses the first heat exchanger pipe.

2. The climate control system according to claim 1, wherein: The valve is movable between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the valve allows airflow through the first airflow path and prevents airflow through the second airflow path, and In the second position, the valve allows airflow through the second airflow path and prevents airflow through the first airflow path.

3. The climate control system according to claim 2, wherein, The valve is movable to a third position, in which the valve allows a first portion of the air entering the airflow device to flow through the first airflow path, and allows a second portion of the air entering the airflow device to flow through the second airflow path.

4. The climate control system according to claim 3, wherein, The control module controls the movement of the valve based on humidity data received from the humidifier.

5. The climate control system according to claim 4, wherein, The humidifier measures the humidity of the air upstream of the airflow device.

6. The climate control system according to claim 5, wherein, The control module compares the measured humidity value from the humidifier with a predetermined limit, wherein the control module compares the measured humidity value from the humidifier with a humidity setpoint, and wherein the predetermined limit is higher than the humidity setpoint.

7. The climate control system according to claim 3, wherein, The first airflow path and the second airflow path are fluidly connected to the evaporator duct, which supplies air from the airflow device to the indoor heat exchanger.

8. The climate control system according to claim 7, wherein, The evaporator duct supplies air to the second heat exchanger duct located downstream of the indoor heat exchanger.

9. The climate control system according to claim 8, wherein, The airflow device includes a housing, the valve is disposed in the housing, and wherein the first airflow path and the second airflow path are separated from each other downstream of the first air inlet of the housing, and converge with each other downstream of the first heat exchanger duct and upstream of the first air outlet of the housing.

10. The climate control system according to claim 9, wherein, The air-to-air heat exchanger is located inside the housing.

11. The climate control system according to claim 9, wherein, The first air inlet of the housing is connected to a return air duct and receives air from the return air duct.

12. The climate control system according to claim 11, wherein, The second heat exchanger duct defines a second air inlet and a second air outlet of the airflow device.

13. The climate control system according to claim 12, wherein, The second air outlet is connected to the air supply duct and supplies air to the air supply duct.

14. The climate control system according to claim 13, wherein, The second heat exchanger duct defines a third airflow path through the airflow device.

15. An air processor assembly for a climate control system, the air processor assembly comprising: Return air duct; The housing includes a first air inlet, a first air outlet, a first airflow path, and a second airflow path, wherein the first air inlet is connected to the return air duct and receives air from the return air duct; A valve, disposed within the housing and movable between a first position that allows airflow through the first airflow path and prevents airflow through the second airflow path and a second position that allows airflow through the second airflow path and prevents airflow through the first airflow path; An air-to-air heat exchanger is disposed within the housing and includes a first heat exchanger pipe and a second heat exchanger pipe, wherein air flowing through the first heat exchanger pipe and air flowing through the second heat exchanger pipe are in a heat transfer relationship, wherein air flows through the first heat exchanger pipe when the valve is not in the second position, and wherein air flows through the second heat exchanger pipe when the valve is in the first position and when the valve is in the second position; An evaporator pipe is connected to a first air outlet and a second heat exchanger pipe, wherein the evaporator pipe receives air from the first air outlet and supplies air to the second heat exchanger pipe; An evaporator, the evaporator being disposed within the evaporator piping and including piping configured to receive working fluid from a vapor compression system; and An air supply duct is provided, which is connected to the second heat exchanger duct and receives air from the second heat exchanger duct.

16. The air processor assembly of claim 15, wherein, The valve is movable to a third position, in which the valve allows a first portion of the air entering the housing to flow through the first airflow path and allows a second portion of the air entering the housing to flow through the second airflow path.

17. The air processor assembly of claim 16, wherein, The control module controls the movement of the valve based on humidity data received from the humidifier.

18. The air processor assembly of claim 17, wherein, The humidifier measures the humidity of the air upstream of the housing.

19. The air processor assembly of claim 18, wherein, The control module compares the measured humidity value from the humidifier with a predetermined limit, wherein the control module compares the measured humidity value from the humidifier with a humidity setpoint, and wherein the predetermined limit is higher than the humidity setpoint.

20. The air processor assembly of claim 19, wherein, The second heat exchanger duct defines a third airflow path through the housing.

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