Air conditioning assembly
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Environmental chambers face challenges in achieving uniform temperature, humidity, and oxygen levels due to cluttered and inefficient air handling systems, leading to localized conditions that hinder scientific measurements and athlete training consistency.
Innovation Solution
An air conditioning assembly with a suspended ceiling and vertical wall creating a plenum space, incorporating fans and air conditioning means to generate laminar airflow, and sensors for precise control, while keeping equipment concealed to minimize clutter and maximize space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If numerous air handling devices are mounted inside the environmental chamber to control temperature, humidity, and oxygen levels, then the environmental conditions can be varied and monitored, but the equipment causes clutter within the chamber and creates localized climatic pockets that reduce uniformity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the air handling equipment from the environmental chamber interior and relocates it to the exterior. The air handling unit is positioned outside the chamber, and conditioned air is delivered through ductwork with multiple outlet ports distributed throughout the chamber. This extraction eliminates the clutter problem while maintaining the ability to control temperature, humidity, and oxygen levels uniformly across the entire chamber volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a centralized air handling approach to a distributed air delivery system. Instead of having all equipment in one location inside the chamber, the system uses multiple air outlet ports positioned at different locations and heights within the chamber. This spatial distribution across multiple dimensions ensures uniform environmental conditions while keeping the actual handling equipment outside the chamber.
2Device complexity
If air handling equipment is placed outside the chamber and connected through ductwork, then clutter is reduced, but localized conditions still occur at entrance and exit points
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the air delivery system into multiple independent outlet ports distributed throughout the chamber. Instead of a single air inlet, the system has multiple outlets positioned at different locations and heights. This segmentation allows conditioned air to be delivered uniformly across the entire chamber volume, eliminating localized condition variations at single entrance or exit points while maintaining the external air handling unit configuration.
3Temperature
If air flow outlet points are positioned to provide cooling, then temperature control is improved, but wind chill varies across different locations creating different training environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by positioning air outlet ports at specific locations and heights throughout the chamber to deliver conditioned air directly to areas where uniform conditions are needed. The system tailors the air delivery characteristics at each location to achieve overall uniformity, ensuring that temperature, humidity, and wind chill are consistent across the entire chamber volume, thereby providing a consistent training environment for all athletes regardless of their position.
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
Ensures uniform environmental conditions throughout the chamber, enhancing scientific accuracy and athlete training consistency by creating a clutter-free, aesthetically pleasing space with controlled laminar airflow.
Implementation Method 1
configured to create substantially laminar air flow throughout the environmental chamber
Implementation Method 2
configured to condition the air flow passing through said at least one fan
Implementation Method 3
create substantially laminar air flow throughout the environmental chamber
Data Source
AI summary
An air conditioning assembly for an environmental chamber includes a suspended ceiling below a structural ceiling creating a plenum space. The suspended ceiling is configured to cover a substantially horizontal plane of the environmental chamber while leaving a first perimeter gap adjacent to a wall of the environmental chamber and a second perimeter gap adjacent to an opposing wall of the environmental chamber. A substantially vertical wall covers a vertical plane of the plenum space. At least one fan draws air from one from the environmental chamber into the plenum space through the first perimeter gap and blows air from the plenum space into the environmental chamber through the second perimeter gap. At least one air conditioning means in fluid communication with the at least one fan conditions the air flow passing through the at least one fan. The air conditioning assembly creates substantially laminar air flow.