Plenum box
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional plenum boxes with rotary dampers face issues of incomplete airflow shutdown and difficulty in making quick adjustments to air flow, leading to suboptimal air distribution and maintenance challenges.
Innovation Solution
A plenum box with a pressure distribution pipe featuring varying perforation types and sizes along its axial direction, combined with a cone-shaped regulating damper and actuator, allows for precise control of air flow and easy maintenance by enabling complete airflow closure and integration with a central control system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a fixed rotary damper with 50% aperture cross-section is disposed inside the plenum box above the outlet, then uniform spread and distribution of air flow is achieved, but it makes cleaning inside the pressure distribution pipe difficult and maintenance time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the rotary damper from the plenum box interior and relocates it to the pressure distribution pipe. This allows the damper to be accessed and cleaned through the pipe's external structure without disassembling the plenum box, thereby maintaining uniform air flow distribution while significantly improving ease of maintenance and cleaning.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces an intermediary access structure on the pressure distribution pipe that allows maintenance personnel to reach and clean the rotary damper without directly accessing the plenum box interior. This intermediary mechanism resolves the conflict between maintaining uniform air flow and enabling easy cleaning.
2Ease of operation
If traditional rotary dampers are used in pressure distribution pipes, then air flow regulation is possible, but they do not entirely shut off air flow in the closed position, resulting in continuous air flow into the plenum box
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the traditional rigid rotary damper with a flexible membrane-based closure mechanism. This flexible membrane can completely seal the pressure distribution pipe opening, ensuring total air flow shutdown when closed, while still allowing for easy regulation of air flow when partially open. The flexibility of the membrane enables both complete closure and adjustable regulation.
3Ease of manufacture
If a perforated pressure distribution pipe is used, then air flow distribution is achieved, but the total aperture cross-section is constant in the axial direction, limiting the rate of air volume increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by varying the perforation characteristics along the axial direction of the pressure distribution pipe. Different sections of the pipe have different numbers, sizes, or densities of perforations, allowing the total aperture cross-section to increase in the axial direction. This enables a faster rate of air volume increase into the plenum box while maintaining effective air flow distribution through the perforated structure.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The invention relates to a plenum box (1a, 1 b) 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).