Air handling unit for ventilating an enclosed area of ​​a building and assembly comprising such a unit

Abstract

Air handling unit (1) for a closed zone (20) to be ventilated, comprising a casing (2) with an air inlet (3) and an air outlet (4), said casing (2) housing a forced air circulation system (5) from the air inlet to the air outlet of the casing (2) and a plurality of juxtaposed units (61, 62, 63) comprising at least one air filtration unit (61) and one photocatalytic air treatment unit (63), said air treatment unit (63) comprising an air-permeable structure (7) supporting a photocatalyst (8), and an electromagnetic radiation source (9) comprising at least one lamp (91) and / or one diode (92) emitting UV radiation for the activation of at least said photocatalyst (8), the casing (2) being an outdoor casing (2) connectable via its air outlet (4) to the closed zone (20) ventilate, said units (61, 62, 63) comprise an air heating unit (62) in the form of an air / fluid heat exchanger and the air heating unit (62) is,taken with respect to the direction of airflow in the box (2), located downstream of the air filtration unit (61) and upstream of the air treatment unit (63). Figure for the abbreviation: Fig. 1,

Description

Title of the invention: Aeraulic unit for a closed area to be ventilated in a building and assembly comprising such a unit

[0001] The present invention relates to an air handling unit for a closed area to be ventilated in a building, such as a livestock building, and an assembly comprising such a unit.

[0002] It relates in particular to an air group for a closed area to be ventilated in a building, said group comprising a box comprising at least one air inlet and at least one air outlet, said box housing a forced air circulation system configured to generate an air flow from the air inlet towards the air outlet of the box and a plurality of units arranged on the path followed by said air flow between the air inlet and the air outlet of the box, said units arranged juxtaposed inside the box so as to be able to be successively crossed by the air flow generated by the forced air circulation system comprising at least one air filtration unit and one air treatment unit at least by photocatalysis, said air treatment unit comprising at least one air-permeable structure supporting at least one catalyst activatable by UV radiation called a photocatalyst,and a source of electromagnetic radiation comprising at least one lamp or diode emitting UV radiation for activating at least said photocatalyst. The letters UV mean the term ultraviolet.

[0003] Air treatment to purify the air and remove atmospheric, chemical and microbiological pollutants, such as bacteria or viruses, has developed in recent years, particularly in livestock buildings to remove dust from the air. In practice, air is removed from the closed area to be ventilated and, after treatment, is replaced by fresh air. To carry out such air purification, many purification installations use photocatalysis. Photocatalysis consists of the decomposition and degradation of pollutants on the surface of a catalyst under the action of light rays. Photocatalysis is part of air treatment by an advanced oxidation process (AOP). International application WO2022168590 describes such an air purification device.While these solutions can effectively treat the air contained in the closed area to be ventilated, they do not guarantee that no pollutants will enter the said closed area to be ventilated. The appearance of diseases, such as avian flu, requires reconsideration of the treatment of this air to eliminate any risk of contamination inside the closed area to be ventilated.

[0004] An aim of the invention is to propose an air handling unit of the aforementioned type, the design ensures a limited presence of pollutants in the closed area to be ventilated without harming the operation of said ventilation unit.

[0005] For this purpose, the invention relates to an airflow unit for a closed area of ​​a building to be ventilated, said unit comprising a box comprising at least one air inlet and at least one air outlet, said box housing a forced air circulation system configured to generate an air flow from the air inlet towards the air outlet of the box and a plurality of units arranged on the path followed by said air flow between the air inlet and the air outlet of the box, said units arranged juxtaposed inside the box so that they can be successively crossed by the air flow generated by the forced air circulation system comprising at least one air filtration unit and one air treatment unit at least by photocatalysis, said air treatment unit comprising at least one air-permeable structure supporting at least one catalyst activatable by UV radiation called a photocatalyst,and a source of electromagnetic radiation comprising at least one lamp and / or one diode emitting UV radiation for activating at least said photocatalyst, characterized in that the box is an outdoor box, in that said units comprise an air heating unit in the form of an air / fluid heat exchanger and in that the air heating unit is, taken with respect to the direction of circulation of the air flow from the air inlet towards the air outlet of the box,arranged downstream of the air filtration unit and upstream of the air treatment unit. The box 4 is a box connectable to the closed area to be ventilated. An external box is understood to mean a box positionable outside the closed area to be ventilated of the construction with the air outlet of the box forming the part of the box to be connected to the closed area to be ventilated. Thanks to the fact that the box is an external box intended to be positioned outside the closed area to be ventilated of the construction, the box is a box with the function of an air supply box for the closed area to be ventilated of the construction. As a result, all the air entering said closed area passes through the box and in particular through the air treatment unit of said box. Thus,the closed area can be pressurized if necessary and no pollutants enter via the fresh air inside the box. The arrangement of all the units inside the box allows for a compact unit. The fact that the air heating unit is arranged upstream of the air treatment unit allows for maintaining an optimal temperature inside the closed area to be ventilated, particularly during winter periods. This air heating unit also, due to its arrangement, guarantees a normal lifespan of the UV lamps or diodes activating the photocatalyst. In fact, in particular, the lifespan of UV lamps decreases sharply at temperatures below 10°C. The presence of this air heating unit also guarantees the efficiency of the UV lamps, because it is known that the efficiency of these lamps, especially UVc lamps, is zero at negative temperatures or at temperatures above 90°C. The air heating unit therefore ensures the efficiency of the air treatment unit in parallel with the heating of the incoming air.

[0006] According to one embodiment of the invention, the air filtration unit is formed of a plurality of filter bags arranged side by side inside the box in a direction transverse to the direction of circulation of the air flow inside the box from the air inlet towards the air outlet of the box.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the invention, the air / fluid heat exchanger of the air heating unit which is connectable to a heat source external to the box is an air / gas or air / water heat exchanger.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the invention, the UV radiation emitted by the at least one lamp or diode for activation of the photocatalyst comprises at least one UVc radiation which has at least one wavelength between 100 and 280 nm. The UVc radiation increases the efficiency of the air treatment.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the invention, the air handling unit comprises at least one temperature sensor arranged upstream of the air treatment unit and a sensor for measuring the electrical intensity of the at least one lamp or diode and a control unit configured to acquire the data provided by said sensors and to control the unit at least as a function of said data. The presence of these two sensors makes it possible to guarantee the durability of the UV lamps or diodes over time and their efficiency. The sensor for measuring the electrical intensity makes it possible to detect the extinction of a UV lamp or diode.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the invention, the air treatment unit comprises, in addition to the photocatalyst, an additional catalyst and an adsorbent. The photocatalyst can thus be in the form of a catalytic composition comprising, in addition to the photocatalyst, at least one adsorbent and an additional activated or activatable catalyst.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the invention, the photocatalyst is a semiconductor comprising at least one metal oxide preferably chosen from the group formed by tungsten, zinc and titanium oxides, the adsorbent when present is a porous carbon material or a mineral preferably chosen from the group of silicates, and the or at least one of the additional catalysts when present comprises at least one metal oxide preferably chosen from the group formed by nickel, manganese or cerium oxides.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the invention, at least one of the units is in the form of a drawer that can be extracted from the box by moving in a direction transverse to the direction of circulation of the air flow inside the box from the inlet towards the air outlet of the box. This results in easy maintenance of the air handling unit.

[0013] The invention also relates to an assembly comprising at least one ventilation unit for a closed area of ​​a building to be ventilated and a heat source, said ventilation unit comprising a box comprising at least one air inlet and at least one air outlet, said box housing a forced air circulation system configured to generate an air flow from the air inlet towards the air outlet of the box and a plurality of units arranged on the path followed by said air flow between the air inlet and the air outlet of the box, said units arranged juxtaposed inside the box so as to be able to be successively crossed by the air flow generated by the forced air circulation system comprising at least one air filtration unit and one air treatment unit at least by photocatalysis,said air treatment unit comprising at least one air-permeable structure supporting at least one catalyst activatable by UV radiation called a photocatalyst, and a source of electromagnetic radiation comprising at least one lamp and / or a diode emitting UV radiation for activating at least said photocatalyst, and the heat source being arranged outside the casing of the air handling unit, characterized in that the air handling unit is of the aforementioned type and the air / fluid heat exchanger of the air heating unit of the air handling unit is connectable to said heat source.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the invention, the heat source is a boiler or a heat pump.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the invention, the heat source is attached to the box. Brief description of the drawings

[0016] The invention will be better understood on reading the following description of exemplary embodiments, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

[0017] [Fig-1] represents a perspective view of an air handling unit according to the invention;

[0018] [Fig.2] represents a partial sectional view of an air handling unit conforming to the invention in the state connected to a closed area to be ventilated of a construction;

[0019] [Fig.3] represents a partial perspective view of a compliant air handling unit to the invention, certain walls of the box having been removed to better visualize the interior of the box;

[0020] [Fig.4] represents a partial perspective view of a compliant air handling unit to the invention, certain walls of the box having been removed to better visualize the interior of the box;

[0021] [Fig.5] represents a side view of an air handling unit according to the invention;

[0022] [Fig.6] represents a perspective view of the heat exchanger of a unit of air heating;

[0023] [Fig.7] represents a perspective view of an air treatment unit in exploded position of the elements constituting it.

[0024] As mentioned above, the invention relates to an airflow unit 1 intended for a closed zone 20 to be ventilated in a building, such as a livestock building, as in the example shown in [Fig. 2], and an assembly comprising such an airflow unit 1 and a heat source 19, as illustrated in [Fig. 1]. The airflow unit 1 comprises a box 2 of generally parallelepiped shape. This box 2 comprises, in this case, a top face, a bottom face, two end faces and two longitudinal faces. This box 2 is preferably made of metal with a frame made of synthetic material or metal and panels for filling the frame. This box 2 comprises at least one air inlet 3 and at least one air outlet 4. The air inlet 3 is here provided at one end face of the box 2 and the air outlet 4 at the opposite end face of the box 2.This box 2 houses a forced air circulation system 5 configured to generate an air flow from the air inlet towards the air outlet of the box 2. This forced air circulation system 5 comprises one or more fans. In the examples shown, two fans arranged side by side inside the box 2 are provided. The box 2 also houses a plurality of units 61, 62, 63 arranged on the path followed by the air flow between the air inlet 3 and the air outlet 4 of the box 2. The units are arranged juxtaposed inside the box 2 so that they can be successively crossed by the air flow generated by the forced air circulation system 5. These units 61, 62, 63 are thus arranged one behind the other inside the box 2 from the air inlet 3 of the box towards the air outlet 4 of the box 2.Box 2 is a box with the function of an air supply box for the closed zone 20 to be ventilated in the building. It is thus possible to maintain, if necessary, the closed zone 20 to be ventilated under overpressure. In addition, all the air entering the zone 20 to be ventilated has previously passed through the interior of box 2.

[0025] This box 2 is an external box 2 intended to be positioned outside the closed zone 20 to be ventilated of the construction. This box 2 is a box connectable to the closed zone 20 to be ventilated. The air inlet 3 of the box 2 forms a so-called fresh air inlet in the closed zone 20 to be ventilated. This air inlet 3 extends outside the closed zone 20 to be ventilated. The air outlet 4 of the box forms the part of the box 2 to be connected to the closed zone 20 to be ventilated of the construction.

[0026] The box 2 may be provided, on the air inlet side, with a cap or visor forming an awning to limit the entry of rain inside the air inlet as illustrated in [Fig.5]. The air outlet of the box may be equipped with at least one deflector to guide the air to enter the zone 20 to be ventilated of the construction.

[0027] The units 61, 62, 63 arranged in series inside the box 2 so that they can be successively crossed by the air flow comprise, from the air inlet 3 towards the air outlet 4 of the box 2, an air filtration unit 61 intended to filter the fresh air, an air heating unit 62 intended to heat the fresh air and an air treatment unit 63, at least by catalysis, intended to treat said fresh air before entering the closed zone 20 to be ventilated. Thus, the fresh air can be heated and is decontaminated at least partially before entering the closed zone 20 to be ventilated.

[0028] In the example shown in particular in [Fig. 3], the air filtration unit 61 is formed of a plurality of so-called filter bags 10 arranged side by side inside the box 2 in a direction transverse to the direction of circulation of the air flow inside the box 2 from the air inlet 3 towards the air outlet 4 of the box 2. The air heating unit 62 is, taken with respect to the direction of circulation of the air flow from the air inlet 3 towards the air outlet 4 of the box, arranged downstream of the air filtration unit 61 and upstream of the air treatment unit 63. This air heating unit 62 is a heating unit 62 in the form of at least one heat exchanger. Preferably, the air / fluid heat exchanger of the air heating unit 62 which is connectable to a heat source 19 external to the box 2, is an air / air or air / water heat exchanger.This heat source 19 can be a boiler or a heat pump. This heat source 19 can be attached to the box 2 as in the example illustrated in [Fig.l].

[0029] In the example of [Fig.l], the heat source 19 is a boiler attached to the box 2 and the heat exchanger is a water / air exchanger, said boiler being a water boiler. The use of a heat pump can make it possible, if necessary, to cool the air entering said box in summer.

[0030] The heat exchanger may be an air / water exchanger, as illustrated in [Fig.6] where the exchanger comprises a fluid circuit, in particular water, provided with an inlet and an outlet connectable to the hot water circuit of the heat source 19 such as a boiler. The heat exchange takes place between the water capable of being heated by the heat source 19 external to the box 2 and the filtered air entering the box 2.

[0031] The air treatment unit 63 is arranged downstream of the air filtration unit 61 and the air heating unit 62. This air treatment unit 63 at least by photocatalysis comprises at least one air-permeable structure 7 supporting at least one catalyst activatable by UV radiation called photocatalyst 8 and a source 9 of electromagnetic radiation comprising at least one lamp 91 and / or a diode 92 emitting UV radiation for activating at least said photocatalyst 8.

[0032] An example of such an air handling unit 63 is provided in [Fig.7]. The structure 7 air-permeable is preferably an openwork structure. This air-permeable structure 7 may be formed by a grid, as in the example shown. The photocatalyst 8 may be deposited on the air-permeable structure in the form of only a photocatalyst or a photocatalytic composition which may contain in addition to the photocatalyst 8, for example, an additional catalyst 14 and an absorber 15. Ideally, the photocatalyst 8 is a semiconductor comprising at least one metal oxide preferably chosen from the group formed by tungsten, zinc and titanium oxides. The adsorbent 15, when present, is a porous carbon material or a mineral preferably chosen from the group of silicates, and the or at least one of the additional catalysts 14, when present, comprises at least one metal oxide preferably chosen from the group formed by nickel, manganese or cerium oxides.

[0033] In the example shown in [Fig.7], the air treatment unit 63 comprises two air-permeable structures 7 each supporting at least one photocatalyst 8. Said air-permeable structures 7, each produced in the form of a grid, extend opposite one another and are arranged inside the box in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the air flow so as to be successively crossed by the air flow. These air-permeable structures 7 can be held in position inside the box 2 by means of a frame with each face of the frame formed by an air-permeable structure 7 carrying at least one photocatalyst.

[0034] The source 9 of electromagnetic radiation may be arranged inside the frame between said air-permeable structures 7. Of course, as a variant, a single air-permeable structure 7 may be provided. The presence of an air heating unit 62 upstream of the source 9 of electromagnetic radiation, taken with respect to the direction of circulation of the air flow from the air inlet towards the air outlet of the box 2, makes it possible to guarantee, on the one hand, the efficiency of the lamps 91 or diodes 92, and, on the other hand, a normal service life of said lamps 91 or diodes 92. Ideally, the UV radiation emitted by the at least one lamp 91 or diode 92 for activation of the photocatalyst 8 comprises at least one UVc radiation which has a wavelength of between 100 and 280 nm.

[0035] Preferably, the source 9 of electromagnetic radiation comprises at least two lamps 91 and / or diodes 92 emitting UV radiation to guarantee operation, including in the event of failure of a lamp or diode.

[0036] To ensure the proper functioning of the air handling unit 1, the latter may comprise at least one temperature sensor 11 arranged upstream of the air treatment unit 63 and a sensor for measuring the electrical intensity 12 of the at least one lamp 91 or diode 92 and a control unit 13 configured to acquire the data provided by said sensors 11, 12 and to control group 1 at least as a function of said data.

[0037] The control unit 13 is in the form of an electronic and computer system which comprises, for example, a microprocessor and a working memory. According to a particular aspect, the control unit 13 may be in the form of a programmable automaton.

[0038] In other words, the functions and steps described can be implemented in the form of a computer program or via hardware components (e.g. programmable gate arrays). In particular, the functions and steps operated by the control unit or its modules can be carried out by instruction sets or computer modules implemented in a processor or controller or be carried out by dedicated electronic components or components of the programmable logic circuit type (or FPGA which is the acronym for field-programmable gate array, which literally corresponds to in-situ programmable gate array) or of the application-specific integrated circuit type (or ASIC which is the acronym for application-specific integrated circuit, which literally corresponds to application-specific integrated circuit). It is also possible to combine computer parts and electronic parts.

[0039] When it is specified that the unit or means or modules of said unit are configured to carry out a given operation, this means that the unit comprises computer instructions and the corresponding execution means which make it possible to carry out said operation and / or that the unit comprises corresponding electronic components.

[0040] This control unit 13 can be arranged inside or outside the box 2. The control unit 13 is configured to acquire the data provided by the sensor 12 for measuring the electrical intensity of the lamps and / or diodes, and to control, in the event of one of them going out, a device for emitting an audible and / or luminous alert signal. The ventilation unit 1 can therefore comprise such a device for emitting an audible and / or luminous alert signal arranged inside the box. Alternatively, this device for emitting an audible and / or luminous alert signal can be offset from the box. This device for emitting an alert signal can, when the alert signal is an audible signal, be in the form of an alarm. When the alert signal is a visual signal, this device can be in the form of a lamp capable of lighting up or going out.

[0041] The control unit 13 is also configured to control the forced air circulation system 5 and the air heating unit 62, for example by opening / closing the fluid circuit supplying the heat exchanger of the air heating unit 62. The control unit 13 is in particular configured to control the air heating unit 62 according to the data provided by the temperature sensor 11. This makes it possible to control the air heating unit 62 according to a temperature setpoint inside the zone 20 to be ventilated but also according to the outside temperature conditions to ensure efficiency and maintenance of the life of the lamps and / or diodes.

[0042] The control unit 13 can also acquire data from a pressure switch measuring the difference in pressure upstream and downstream of the air filtration unit to anticipate wear or a filter change in the filtration unit. Of course, all the elements described above can also ideally be controlled manually.

[0043] Finally, to complete the aeraulic group 1 and assist in its maintenance, at least one of the units 61, 62, 63 described above is in the form of a drawer that can be extracted from the box 2 by displacement in a direction transverse to the direction of circulation of the air flow inside the box from the air inlet towards the air outlet of the box. It is thus sufficient, to change the unit, for example the air treatment unit, to extract the drawer from the box via a longitudinal face of the box, then to replace it with a new drawer. The design of the aeraulic group as described above therefore makes it possible, for all the air that must enter the closed zone 20 to be ventilated, to modify the temperature of said incoming air flow and to decontaminate it safely.

Claims

Claims

1. Aeraulic group (1) for a closed zone (20) to be ventilated of a building, said group (1) comprising a box (2) comprising at least one air inlet (3) and at least one air outlet (4), said box (2) housing a forced air circulation system (5) configured to generate an air flow from the air inlet (3) towards the air outlet (4) of the box (2) and a plurality of units (61, 62, 63) arranged on the path followed by said air flow between the air inlet (3) and the air outlet (4) of the box (2), said units (61, 62, 63), arranged juxtaposed inside the box (2) so as to be able to be successively crossed by the air flow generated by the forced air circulation system (5), comprising at least one unit (61) air filtration and an air treatment unit (63) at least by photocatalysis,said air treatment unit (63) comprising at least one air-permeable structure (7) supporting at least one catalyst activatable by UV radiation called photocatalyst (8), and a source (9) of electromagnetic radiation comprising at least one lamp (91) and / or one diode (92) emitting UV radiation for activating at least said photocatalyst (8), characterized in that the box (2) is an external box (2), in that said units (61, 62, 63) comprise an air heating unit (62) in the form of at least one air / fluid heat exchanger, in that the air heating unit (62) is, taken with respect to the direction of circulation of the air flow from the air inlet (3) towards the air outlet (4) of the box (2), arranged downstream of the air filtration unit (61) and upstream of the treatment unit (63) of air,in that the group comprises at least one temperature sensor (11) arranged upstream of the air treatment unit (63) and a sensor for measuring the electrical intensity (12) of the at least one lamp (91) or diode (92) and a control unit (13) configured to acquire the data provided by said sensors (11, 12) and to control the group (1) at least as a function of said data.,

2. Aeraulic group (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the air filtration unit (61) is formed of a plurality of filter pockets (10) arranged side by side inside the box (2) in a direction transverse to the direction of circulation of the air flow inside the box from the air inlet (3) towards the air outlet (4) of the box (2).

3. Air handling unit (1) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the air / fluid heat exchanger of the air heating unit (62) which is connectable to a heat source (19) external to the box (2) is an air / gas or air / water heat exchanger.

4. Aeraulic group (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the UV radiation emitted by the at least one lamp (91) or diode (92) for activation of the photocatalyst (8) comprises at least one UVc radiation which has at least one wavelength between 100 and 280 nm.

5. Aeraulic group (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the air treatment unit (63) comprises, in addition to the photocatalyst (8), an additional catalyst (14) and an adsorbent (15).

6. Aeraulic group (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the photocatalyst (8) is a semiconductor comprising at least one metal oxide preferably chosen from the group formed by tungsten, zinc and titanium oxides, in that the adsorbent (15), when present, is a porous carbon material or a mineral preferably chosen from the group of silicates, and in that the additional catalyst (14), when present, comprises at least one metal oxide preferably chosen from the group formed by nickel, manganese or cerium oxides.

7. Aeraulic group (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that at least one of the units (61, 62, 63) is in the form of a drawer extractable from the box (2) by displacement in a direction transverse to the direction of circulation of the air flow inside the box from the inlet (3) towards the air outlet (4) of the box (2).

8. Assembly comprising at least one ventilation unit (1) for a closed area of ​​a building to be ventilated and a heat source (19), said ventilation unit (1) comprising a box (2) comprising at least one air inlet (3) and at least one air outlet (4), said box (2) housing a forced air circulation system (5) configured to generate an air flow from the air inlet (3) towards the air outlet (4) of the box (2) and a plurality of units (61, 62, 63) arranged on the path followed by said air flow between the air inlet (3) and the air outlet (4) of the box (2), said units (61, 62, 63) arranged juxtaposed inside the box (2) so as to be able to be successively crossed by the air flow generated by the circulation system (5)

9.

10. air comprising at least one air filtration unit (61) and one air treatment unit (63) at least by photocatalysis, said air treatment unit (63) comprising at least one air-permeable structure (7) supporting at least one catalyst activatable by UV radiation called photocatalyst (8), and a source (9) of electromagnetic radiation comprising at least one lamp (91) and / or one diode (92) emitting UV radiation for activating at least said photocatalyst (8), and the heat source (19) being arranged outside the box (2) of the aeraulic group (1), characterized in that the aeraulic group (1) is in accordance with one of claims 1 to 7 and in that the air / fluid heat exchanger of the air heating unit (62) of the aeraulic group (1) is connectable to said heat source (19). Assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that the heat source (19) is a boiler or a heat pump. Assembly according to one of claims 8 or 9, characterized in that the heat source (19) is attached to the box (2).

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