Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Me-thod Eor arranging of ventilatio_ of building and
structure Eor applying of the method
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus
Eor ventilating a buildingO More particularly, the present
invention relates to a method and apparatus for ventilating
a building wherein a pressure that is different than the
outside pressure is induced in certain rooms of the
building.
In most of the buildings in use today, it is a problem
to secure ventilation of the buildings under all
circumstances. Particularly, in buildings to be heated
the quality and quantity of the replacing air and the
distribution of the replacing air into different rooms is
often poor. In air-conditioned buildings, where the air
is cooled off, such as in warm conditions, the problems
are the disadvantages caused by humidification of
constructions and the arranging of the ventilation in a
reliable way. When endeavouring to heat the replacing air
brought in from the outside, advantage is~not sufficiently
taken of the energy contained in the walls.
When using mechanical air-conditioning apparatuses air
from the inside of the building is continuously~removed and
replacing air is brought inside. The replacing air must
be either hea~ed or cooled off 9 depending on the circum-
stances, prior to introducing it into the room spaces, and
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into the inlet channels for the replacing air. DiEferent
kinds oE set-ups are arranged Eor these purposes.
Similarly, air Erom the room spaces must be removed with
the help of different kinds of equipmen-~. These types of
tube networks, channels made for the leading of the air,
and the cleaning, cooling or heating apparatuses are
expensive and bulky; and their mounting, cleaning and
maintenance requires much time and costs. ~dditionally,
the heat energy contained in the interspace between ~lle
ceiling and the rGof is not sufEiciently taken advantage
of Eor heating the replacing air. One problem is also the
costs arising from the air-conditioning operation when
using mechanical air-conditioning Eor bringing-in and
removing the air.
It is an object of the present Invention to bring about
a method for arranging the ventilation oE a building, by
which method some above-mentioned disadvantages of tHe
present methods are eliminated. In particular, it is an
object of the present invention to bring forth a method,
having no expensive tube systems and/or channels for trans-
port of either replacing or exhaust air. Additionally, it
is an object of the present invention to bring forward a
method which is easy to use and dependable in operation.
Further an object of the present inven~ion is to bring
about a structure that is favourable to produce and the
air-conditioning of which works efficiently and reliably.
~ccording to the invention, air under higher pressure
is led from one side to the other side of the wall mainly
through the air permeable insulating materials o~ the wall
and is directed by means of directing materials, ~hich are
essentially less air permeable compared with the insulation
materials in the wall. When there is an under pressure in
the room space the air flows through the wall from the
outside indoors. Coorespondingly, if there is a positive
-~ pressure in the room space, the flowing direction is from
~ the indoors out.
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When endeavouxing to heat the buldings, the replacing
air must be heated before leading it into the room space.
In the method according to the present invention the
replacing air is led through the wall, when an under
pressure is induced in the room space. EIereby the
replacing air is at the same time heated by the heat
energy contained in the wall of the building. The air is
led through an opening formed in the outer wall of the
building and is directed by the insulation materials
indoors. When using the method of the present invention no
particular replacing air channels or heat exchangers are
required, because the wall of the building is functioning
both as an air channel and as a heat exchanger. During
the heating season the replacing air is taken mainly
through the walls, but during the warm period, e.g. in the
summer, the replacing air can be taken in by other manners
as well, for instance through windows and ventilation
gates. Suitable thermal insulation materials may be used,
which at the same time function as puriEiers and filters
~or the replacing air.
Under hot circumstances and for special purposes, Eor
instance in refrigerated warehouses or the like, the indoor
temperature is endeavoured to be kept lower than the
outdoor temperature. When the pressure in the interior
~5 spaces of the building is higher than the pressure
outdoors, air will escape from the interior space ou~
through the walls of the building as directed by the
directing materials. No separate exhaust channels are
required ~or this purpose and at the same time problems
arising Erom humidification are prevented.
With the invention, a simple and eficient air
circu ation system is achieved, wherein the replacing air
is circulated within the materiaIs of the walls of the
building un~il it is suf~iciently heated and is thereafter
directed into the interior spaces. Correspondingly, during
the cooling of the building the exhaust air is circulated
within the materials of the walls, whereat the air is
heated and the wall is cooled of, until the air is led out.
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With the help of the directing materials and the air
circulation in the part of the heat energy penetrating
through the walls oE the bulding is recovered during
heating and the convection flowing occurring in the walls
is prevented. Correspondingly during cooling the wall is
cooled off with air coming from the interior spaces.
Materials suitable for use as directing material are
known, such as for instance plastic, fibreboard, glue
layers or the like. The directing material is essentially
less air permeable than the insulation material, and holes
may be formed thereln to change its air permeability
properties. The directing material can be chosen from
either partly air permeable material or in some
applications totally air impermeable material is used.
In one advantageous embodiment, in which in the room
spaces is or into there is induced an under pressure, the
replacing air is taken mainly through the outer wall of
the building inside the wall, is circulatea within the
interior parts of the wall and is led into the room space
mainly from the upper part of the room space. In this
way, the air is heated during its circulation, but is,
however, cooler than the air of the room and it is
efficiently mixed with the air of the room. In another
embodiment the replacing air is mainly taken in from the
lower part of the wall of the building into the wall, is
circulated in the interior parts of the wall and led into
the room space from its upper part. In t'nis way, the air
is directed upwardly when warming up and into the inside
of the building as a consequence of the under pressure~
In the room space it causes circulation and exchange of
the air.
In yet another the replacing air is taken mainly from
the upper part of the wall of the building into the inside
of the wall, is circulated in the inner parts of the wall
and is led in the room space mainly from the upper parts
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of the room space. In this wa~, the cold replacing air is
directed first downwards and at a certain spot upwards
inside the wall, whereat an ef~icient heat transEer from
the wall into the replacing air is achieved.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the
replacing air is taken both from the upper part and the
lower part of the wall, and possibly also rom the middle
part, into the interior of the wall, is circulated in the
inner parts of the wall and is led into the room space
mainly from the upper part of the room space. In this way,
the whole wall can be efficiently talcen advantage of as an
air-conditioning channel as well as a heat exchanger. In
this and in the other applications the replacing air can at
least partly be directed to the room space of the buildiny
from other spots than from the uppermost part of the room
space, but the best result is achieved by leading the
replacing air into the upper part of the room space.
In the method of the present invention, the heat in
the interspace between the ceiling and the roof is taken
advantage of by leading the replacement air into these
spaces and Erom there to the room spaces through the air
permeable thermal insulation materials placed in the
ceiling. The temperature of these spaces can be S-10C
higher than the outdoor temperature during the winter and
with the method this additional heat energy can be talcen
advan-tage o~.
In the favourable application o~ the invention, in
which in the room spaces is or into there is induced a
positive pressure, the air is led from the room space into
the inside o~ the wall, it is circulated within the inner
of the wall and led out mainly from the lower part of the
wall. Under this Icind of circumstances, where the
temperature of the outdoor air is generally higher than
the temperature in the room space, the air led out is
cooling off the wall and at the same time becoming warmer.
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Hence, the temperature of the wall is changing relatively
evenly from the inside to the outside and the disadvantages
caused by the humidification are prevented. In this appli-
cation the air can be taken out from the room space through
openings arranged in the wall sheathing.
In the method of the present invention, the air is
taken into the inside of the wall mainly through openings
arranged on the exterior or the interior surface of the
wall. The exterior and interior surEaces are formed of
directing material which is less air permeable than the
insulation material and in some applications of totally
impermeable material.
Suitable insulation material, w~lich is Eor instance
thermal insulation material, filtrates impurities from the
replacing air and also pre-humidifies the air, whereb~ the
air is healthy and pleasant.
The present invention is explained in greater detail by
referring to the attached drawings, in which
FIGURE l depicts in the cross-section, the walls of a
building for applying the ventila~ing method of the present
invention.
FIGURE 2 depicts a second embodiment of a building wall
in cross-section for performing a ventilating method
according to the present invention.
FIGURE 3 depicts a third embodiment oE a building wall
in cross-section for ventilating between rooms in a
building.
FIGURE 4 depicts a fourth embodiment of a structure of
walls according to the present invention~
Referring to Figure l, the walls 2 of a building
according to a first embodiment of the present invention
contain air permeable thermal insulation materials 3 and
air directing materials 4, which are substantially less air
permeable -than the insulation materials 3. The walls of
the building are equipped mainly with air impermeable outer
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surfaces, in which are Eormed the openings 5a, 5b for
intaking replacement air. The opening 5a is formed in the
lower part of the wall and the opening 5b in the upper part
of the wall. In this embodiment in the upper part of the
wall is arranged to extend inwardly beneath the roof the
directing material 4a, which directs air into the other
space through opening Sb into a channel 7 which has an air
permeable thermal insulation layer situated therein. No
other air-conditioning openings are required to be provided
for the attic spaces. Within the wall, a section of air
directing material is disposed having an opening 5 Eormed
in a central portion thereof. Additionally, the interior
side o~ the wall and the interior ceiling are equipped with
air impermeable material. An opening 5c is formed in an
upper portion of the interior side of the wall. The
ceiling is provided with air permeable thermal insulation
material. In one embodiment of the present invention,
openings may be provided in the directing material which
lines the interior ceiling to allow air ~rom the attic
space to flow into the room space 1.
In the room space 1 of the building, an under pressure
may be induced by mechanical means such as a blower. The
replacing air is taken in through the walls, specifically
through the openings 5a and 5b. The air, which has come
through the lower opening 5a, circulates through the open-
ing 5 to the upper part of the wall and through the opening
5c into the room space 1. The air which has come through
the upper opening circulates via the channel 7 within the
attic space 6, passes through the thermal insulation layer
of the wall and through the opening 5 to the interior parts
of the wall and into the room space through the opening 5co
; In this way, the air can be direc-ted in the wished manner
hy means of the directing materials and be led into the
room space for instance through the base of an illuminator,
whereby the heat from the illuminator also heats the
incomlng air.
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In Figure 2, a second embodiment oE the present
inven-tion is illustrated, wherein outside air is taken in
solely through the opening 5b in the upper part of the
wall. The directing material is in this embodiment
arranged to extend from the upper part oE the wall close
to the lower part of the wall, whereat the air is
circulated efficiently in the structures of the ~7all.
In the emhodiment illustrated in Figure 3 the replacing
air is brought in solely through the opening 5a in the
lower part of the wall. Several directing material sheets
are disposed within the wall Eor circulating the air inside
the wall.
In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 4, the
directing material is placed relatively close to the inner
face of the wall. In this way, the space between the
external surface of the wall and the directing material can
be filled with material that is less air permeable or
insula-tion material which can act as an insulation layer.
Also the air coming from the attic space is circulated in
the interior ceiling and in the wall as directed by the
directing materials, as shown in Figure 4.
In all of the disclosed embodiments, air will flow
from the room space 1 outwardly through the passages
defined by the directing materials in the opposite
; 25 direction from that described above.
It should be understood that the invention is not
limited to the disclosed embodiments but it can vary
within the scope of the appended cla;ms. The method is
suitable for use while renovating old buildings, as well
as in building new ones. The form and the position of the
directing sheets in the walls can vary according to the
desired air flow pattern. In certain applicatons only a
part of the wall is made use of when taking in the
replacing air.
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