Air Handling Unit Panel Construction with Embedded Frame Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air handling unit construction methods result in compartmentalized units with exposed frame elements, poor air conditioning performance, and inability to accommodate thicker insulation panels, failing to meet the needs of industries requiring precise air handling.
Innovation Solution
A construction technique using insulation panels with embedded frame elements, sealed at junctures to form continuous, unbroken interiors, allowing for longer units with enhanced thermal insulation and sealed compartments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If conventional two-inch wall construction with frames and insulation panels is used, then the unit can be assembled with standard materials and methods, but the unit cannot exceed eighteen feet in length due to frame element size constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The wall is segmented into insulation panels with integrated frame elements embedded within them. Each panel is a self-contained unit that combines insulation material with structural framing, allowing panels to be connected end-to-end to create walls of any length without being constrained by separate frame element dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame elements and insulation panels are merged into a single integrated component. The frame elements are embedded within the insulation panels, combining the structural support function and the thermal insulation function into one unified element, eliminating the need for separate frame assembly and insulation installation.
2Ease of manufacture
If modular construction with separate sections is used, then the unit can be assembled from manageable components, but the interior becomes compartmentalized reducing air conditioning performance
Solution Approach 1:
The insulation panels with embedded frames create continuous, seamless wall surfaces that act as flexible shells. These panels can be assembled in modular fashion for ease of construction, but when joined together they form continuous interior surfaces without protruding frame elements, maintaining the flexibility needed for excellent air conditioning performance.
3Temperature
If four-inch thick insulation panels are used, then thermal insulation performance is enhanced, but no existing construction method accommodates such thick panels
Solution Approach 1:
The frame elements are positioned within the thickness dimension of the insulation panels rather than on the surface. By embedding frames within the four-inch thick insulation material, the design accommodates thick panels while maintaining structural integrity and ease of assembly, as the frames are integrated throughout the insulation volume rather than adding external complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the construction of large, continuous-compartment air handling units with improved thermal insulation and sealed structures, addressing the limitations of conventional methods.
Implementation Method 1
air-impermeable seals between the frame element and the insulation panels
Implementation Method 2
first and second insulation panels which confront the frame element at a juncture
Data Source
AI summary
An air handling unit includes a housing constructed from a plurality of insulation panels embedded with frame elements. The frame elements include at least a first frame element and a second frame element joined together by an inline connector. Each insulation panel includes an outer surface and an opposed inner surface, wherein the insulation panels all cooperate to form a common outer surface of the air handling unit formed of the outer surfaces of the insulation panels and a common inner surface of the air handling unit formed of the inner surfaces of the insulation panels. The common inner surface bounds and defines an interior space of the air handling unit. The frame elements are all inboard of the common outer surface, recessed and embedded within the insulation panels.