Perforated Plenum Box Damper for Fast Airflow Shutoff
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional plenum boxes with rotary dampers face issues of incomplete airflow shutdown, difficulty in quick flow adjustments, and poor cleanliness due to fixed damper positions, leading to suboptimal airflow distribution and maintenance challenges.
Innovation Solution
A plenum box design with a pressure distribution pipe featuring increasing perforations in the axial direction and a cone-shaped regulating damper, allowing for rapid airflow regulation, noise reduction, and easy maintenance by enabling the damper to be detached for cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a fixed rotary damper with constant aperture cross-section is used, then uniform spread of air flow is achieved, but quick adjustments of air flow are difficult and cleaning is impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the damper movable along the pressure distribution pipe instead of fixed. The damper can be positioned at different locations (first position for normal operation, second position for cleaning) to dynamically adjust its function. This resolves the contradiction by enabling quick airflow adjustments through movement while maintaining the ability to clean the system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the damper functionality by separating the airflow regulation function (when damper is at first position) from the cleaning function (when damper is at second position). This segmentation allows the same component to serve multiple purposes at different times, resolving the contradiction between operational flexibility and maintenance accessibility.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a perforated rotary damper is used to achieve low noise values, then noise is reduced, but complete shutdown of air flow is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The movable damper design allows it to be positioned at different locations along the pressure distribution pipe. When positioned at the second position (downstream), the damper can achieve complete airflow shutdown even with perforations, because its location blocks the flow path more effectively. This resolves the contradiction by using dynamic positioning to achieve both noise reduction and complete shutdown capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure distribution pipe acts as an intermediary element that, when combined with the movable damper at different positions, enables both noise reduction (through perforations) and complete shutdown (through strategic positioning). The pipe's geometry and the damper's position work together to achieve both functions simultaneously.
3Ease of repair
If the plenum box is opened for maintenance, then cleaning can be performed, but the fixed damper position makes cleaning inside the pressure distribution pipe difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The damper's ability to move to a second position downstream of the perforations provides direct access to the pressure distribution pipe interior for cleaning. This dynamic repositioning removes the obstruction caused by a fixed damper, resolving the contradiction between maintaining system integrity and enabling easy cleaning access.
Solution Approach 2:
The damper is designed to be movable to a cleaning position as a preliminary action before maintenance activities. This allows the cleaning path to be prepared in advance by repositioning the damper, making the subsequent cleaning process straightforward and accessible.
4Productivity
If the total aperture cross-section is increased in the axial direction, then air volume entering the plenum box increases faster, but the damper must be larger and harder to control
Solution Approach 1:
The movable damper design with varying aperture cross-section along the axial direction allows for dynamic control of airflow. The damper can be positioned at different locations to achieve different flow rates, and its movement along the pipe axis provides intuitive control. This resolves the contradiction by enabling fast airflow adjustment through simple positional changes while maintaining ease of operation through the natural geometry of the system.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a plenum box (1a, 1b) configured for use in a ventilation system (2) with flowing air in order to be able to quickly regulate flows between the ventilation system (2) and a room. The plenum box (1) comprises a pressure distribution pipe (4) which is disposed in an inlet (3) to the plenum box (1) and which itself comprises a regulating damper (5), and an outlet (6a, 6b). The inlet (3) is configured to have an air flow (7) passing through it. The pressure distribution pipe (4) extends inside the plenum box (1a, 1b) from the inlet (3), and the surface of the pressure distribution pipe (4) has perforations (8) which allow the air flow (7) to pass through them between the inside (9) and outside (10) of the pressure distribution pipe (4). The regulating damper (5) is disposed adjustably in the axial direction (11) inside the pressure distribution pipe (4) whereby the total aperture cross-section (12) of the perforations (8) per unit length varies in the axial direction (11) of the pressure distribution pipe (4).