METHOD AT VENTILATION SYSTEMS AND ARRANGEMENT FOR DISTRIBUTING AIR TO ROOM UNITS

PROCEDE APPLICABLE A DES SYSTEMES ET DISPOSITIFS DE VENTILATION DESTINES A DISTRIBUER L'AIR A DES UNITES DE SALLES

English Abstract

The present invention
relates to a method in
ventilation systems with
separate branch conduits
(6) to each room to be
vented to distribute air
to the rooms in flows
adequately adapted for each
of the separate room. The
invention is characterized
in that the air to each of
the separate rooms are
fed by branch conduits
(6) having a flexible cover
permitting a non rectilinear
laying in a system of joists
and in walls, and being
connected to one or several
air distributing centrals (5)
wherein means (7) are used
for an individual adjustment
of the flow of air to each separate branch conduit (6) emerging in the rooms
through inflow means (8) with a pressure drop being low
compared to the pressure drop in the conduit (6) relating to friction losses.

French Abstract

La présente invention concerne un procédé s'appliquant à des systèmes de ventilation comportant des embranchements de gaines (6) desservant chacune des pièces à ventiler de façon à distribuer l'air dans les pièces avec des débits adaptés à chacune des pièces. L'invention est caractérisée en ce que l'air servi dans les différentes pièces est alimenté par des embranchements de gaines (6) comportant des couvercles flexibles permettant une pose non rectiligne dans un système de solives et dans des murs. L'invention est caractérisée par un raccordement à au moins une centrale de distribution (5) comportant des organes (7) permettant un réglage individualisé du débit d'air aboutissant à chaque embranchement de gaine (6) aboutissant aux buses de soufflage (8), et ce, avec une chute de pression relativement faible par rapport à la perte de charge en gaine (6) imputable à la friction.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. A method in a ventilation system with separate branch conduits (6) to
each room to be vented for distributing the air to the rooms in flows
adequately
adapted for each room, by at least one air distributing central having means
to
be used for an individual adjustment of the flow of air to each separate
branch
conduit characterized in that the air to each of the separate rooms is fed by
branch conduits (6) having a flexible cover permitting a non rectilinear
laying in a
system of joists and in walls, and emerges into the rooms through inflow means
(8) with a pressure drop being low compared to the inherent pressure drop in
the
conduit (6) relating to friction losses, whereby said individual adjustment of
the
flow of air is performed by throttling means.
2. A method according to the claim 1, characterized in that the at least one
distributing central (5) is equipped with adjustable means (7) in connection
to the
separate branch conduits (6), which adjustable means (7) will be given a basic
setting in connection to the installing of the ventilation system, and which
basic
setting is calculated with the aid of a calculating program.
3. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that the set positions of
the adjustable means (7) are activated by a central controlling unit having a
microprocessor and a software being unique for the current ventilation system
with the marginal conditions and priorities being established regarding blower
capacity, lengths of conduits, and need of ventilation for the different room
units.
4. Ventilation system with separate branch conduits to each separate room
to be vented, for distributing the air to the rooms in flows adequately
adapted for
each room, wherein said branch conduits are connected to the at least one air
distributing central having means to be used for an individual adjustment of
the
flow of air to each separate branch conduit, characterized in that said branch
conduits have a flexible cover, permitting a non rectilinear laying in a
system of
joists and in walls, that inflow means, through which air emerges into said

6
separate rooms, have a pressure drop being low compared to the inherent
pressure drop in the conduit relating to friction losses, and that said means
to be
used for individual adjustment of the flow of air comprise throttling means.
5. Ventilation system as claimed in claim 4, characterized in flow meters
arranged in each air flow conduit in the ventilation system, in a central
microprocessor equipped controlling unit arranged to receive signals from the
flow meters indicating the current flow in each branch conduit, wherein a
changing of the settings of the adjustable means (7) will take place, when
needed for a comfortable or a priority point of view.
6. Ventilation system according to claim 5, characterized in that heat
exchanger means are arranged in the evacuation means at each room unit and
in outflow conduits connected thereto to collect the heat energy in the
outflowing
air.
7. Ventilation system according to claim 6, characterized in that the heat
exchanger means also is used as evaporating means in an air dehumidfier and
that the room unit is used as a drying room for laundry.
8. Ventilation system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said distributing central
(A, B) is adapted for performing the method of any one of claims 1 to 3 and
further comprises an outer connecting case.
9. Ventilation system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the outer connecting
case is of a plastic material with several adaptors for the branch conduit,
and
where adjustable means (7) for flow control are arranged at each adaptor.
10. Ventilation system according to claim 8, characterized in a
microprocessor equipped control unit recieving signals from a flow meter in
each
branch conduit and which, according to an established program schedule, will

7
activate the adjustable means (7) to re-establish the desired ventilation in
the
room units.

Description

CA 02317558 2000-06-29
WO 99/37956 PCT/SE99/00004
METAOD AT VENTiLATION SYSTEMS AND ARRANGEMENT FOR DISTRIB[TIING AIR TO ROOM
UNITS
The present invention relates to a method in ventilation
systems and to an arrangement for distributing air to room units.
In conventional ventilation systems the air is distributed to
each room by branch conduits connected to one or serveral main
conduits. The flow of air to each room is adjusted by individual
settings of the inflow means of the rooms. The inflow means in
rooms close to the input of the main conduit have to be throttled
pretty hard to stop these rooms from having a too big flow of air
compared to rooms situated further down the main -conduit. Such a
throttling will often cause a disturbing noise.
The individual settings and adjustments of each room to a
desired flow of air is difficult and time-consuming to obtain as each
adjustment in one room will influence the flows of the rest of
connected rooms. To obtain a desired balance the adjustments and
the settings have to be carried out in several steps. Nevertheless,
after a final balancing of the system the set balance can be altered
by resetting the inflow means in any of the rooms to reduce
draught or to improve the ventilation.
The main object of the present invention is to easily create
possibilities for an simple installation of a venting system having a
prearranged basic setting of the necessary air flow to each room
unit.
Another object of the invention is to disclose a method for
calculating the whole ventilation system regarding needed or
desired air change for each room unit included in the system.
Yet another object of the present invention is to disclose a
method using a computerized calculating program with a simulating
capacity in connection to the dimensioning of venting system in
which priority can be done for perfect ventilation in certain room
units and for different loads and during different conditions.
Another object of the present invention is to obtain a
ventilation system which is easy to install alsor for non-skilled
workers.
Yet another object of the present invention is to obtain a
venting technique in which flow meters are arranged in each flow
channel to each room unit and where flow measure data from the
flow meters are collected in a central 'microprocessorized control
unit, which, regarding to the changes in some or any of the flow
amounts in the flow channels, will calculate which changes in the
settings of the throttle means in all of the flow channels will give
the best achievable ventilation regarding priority and comfort.
Another object with the present invention is obtain a ventilat-
ing technique being used both with an over pressure in the inflow

CA 02317558 2006-11-24
2
means and with a self-draught in the outflow xneans, wherein an
automatic throttling of the flow in the outflow means will take
place by an increasing ehimney action, which throttling occcurs by
inserting a beat exchanger element in the outflow channel(s).
The above mentioned objects are obtained by a method and
by an arrangement having the characterizing clauses mentioned in
the claims.
More specifically, the invention is directed to a method in a ventilation
system with separate branch conduits to each room to be vented for
distributing
the air to the rooms in flows adequately adapted for each room, by at least
one
air distributing central having means to be used for an individual adjustment
of
the flow of air to each separate branch conduit. The method is characterized
in
that the air to each of the separate rooms is fed by branch conduits having a
flexible cover permitting a non rectilinear laying in a system of joists and
in walls,
and emerges into the rooms through inflow means with a pressure drop being
low compared to the inherent pressure drop in the conduit relating to friction
losses, whereby the individual adjustment of the flow of air is performed by
throttling means.
The invention is further directed to a ventilation system with separate
branch conduits to each separate room to be vented, for distributing the air
to
the rooms in flows adequately adapted for each room, wherein the branch
conduits are connected to the at least one air distributing central having
means
to be used for an individual adjustment of the flow of air to each separate
branch
conduit. The ventilation system is characterized in that the branch conduits
have a flexible cover, permitting a non rectilinear laying in a system of
joists and
in walls, that inflow means, through which air emerges into the separate
rooms,
have a pressure drop being low compared to the inherent pressure drop in the
conduit relating to friction losses, and that the means to be used for
individual
adjustment of the flow of air include throttling means.
By having the branch conduits to the separatc rooms equipped
with a flexible casing and to have these conduits connected to one
or several air distributing centrals with devices for an individual
adjustment of the air flow to each separate branch conduit and as
these conduits emerge in the room with a pressure drop being low
compared to the pressure drop caused by friction in the conduit, an
adjustment and setting of the flow amount to each room unit for

CA 02317558 2006-11-24
2a
each of the air distributing branch conduit can take place in
connection. to the distributing channel, which means that the branch
conduit can emerge in the room unit without any throttling, i.e. all
pressure drop will be in the conduit(s) and not in the inflow means
or in valves in connection to each room unit. Hereby conduits of
different size and/or numbers can be arranged from the
distributing central to eaeh room unit. This can be taken care of
already at the installation of the system according the invention as
the knowledge. regarding the amounts of air needed to obtain a
satisfactory ventilation/air exchange of each room unit is known in
advance. The numbers of branch conduits is also known as well as
the length of each separate branch conduit included in the system
which means that the pessure drop in each branch conduit is
calculated from the necessary flow to each room unit. By having the
possibility to gradually throttle the flows at the distributing central
at each floor by using throttle means, a complete solution regarding
the numbers of branch conduits to each room. in view of the length
of each branch conduit, will e.g. state as follows: "1,8 branch
conduits to the bath-/washing room unit on the second floor",
which means that one fully open branch conduit + a 20 % throttled
branch conduit shall be used for this room unit. This calculation and
also the installing instructions will be recieved with the delivery of
the venting system. This rtieans that also non-skilled workers can
install the system. In the simplest application of the invention any
change or adjustinent does hot need to be done after installation.
The installation will , in its cntircty work very satisfying.
Thus, in a ventilation. system according to the invention the air
is distributed to the different rooms by branch condaits connected
to a distributing central. The ventilation system accordning to the
present invention includes -inflow means with insignificant pressure
drop compared to the pressure drop in the branch conduit, i.e. the
resistance of the channel. Thus an accurate calculation of the air

CA 02317558 2000-06-29
WO 99/37956 3 PCT/SE99/00004
distribution in the system can be performed with knowledge of the
desired air flow to each room together with knowledge of the
length of the branch conduit.
The distributing centrals according to the invention have been
provided with adjustable throttling means in each connection for
branch conduits, which, when knowing the pressure drop charac-
teristics of the throttling means and the length of the branch
conduit, will, from the very beginning, allow a final adjustment/
setting of the air flow to each room. This adjustment is calculated in
advance. Thus the ventilation system according to the invention can
be adjusted and balanced without any measuring of the air flow or
pressure drops in the system.
However in a more sophisticated application of the invention
there is a better possibility to perform an effective ventilation with
a proportionately simple low powered structure having a low sound
level in certain preferred room units, while other secondary room
units in certain conditions will have a less effective change of air. In
a variant of the invention a greater portion of the capacity of the
ventilation system can be used to increase the air flow in a space
used as a drying cabinet or room.
According to the invention it is also simple to complete a basic
design of the ventilation system according to the invention, i.e. with
permanently preinstalled adjustment means for each room unit,
with a microprocessor equipped control unit and with air flow
sensors in each air distributing conduit by arranging the wiring for
these sensors already in the basic design of the system.
The invention will now be described in connection to the
enclosed drawings; where
Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a conventional ventilation
structure; and where
Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a ventilation structure
workning according to the invention.
In fig. 1 a blower means or a distributing central 1, a main
conduit 2 and branch conduits 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d together with
inflow means 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d are shown. At this plant most of the
pressure drop is normally in the inflow means, which very easily
will cause a disturbing noise. The adjusting of the air distribution
has to be done by checking all the inflow means and performing
measures of pressur drops and air flows repeadetly to have a well
balanced plant.
At the plant according to the invention - fig. 2 - there are
blower means or a distributing central 5 with branch conduits 6a,

CA 02317558 2000-06-29
WO 99/37956 4 PCT/SE99/00004
6b, 6c, 6d and 6e together with throttle means 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d and 7e
as well. Furthermore there are inflow means 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d och 8e.
At this plant the pressure from the distributing central 5 is
essentially constant. The desired air flow can be adjusted for each
rooom with knowledge of the flow-/pressure drop characteristics of
the branch conduits 6 and of the corresponding characteristics of
the throttling means 7. The pressure drop in the non-adjustable
inflow means 8 is insignificant. All of the adjustments can be
performed at one position and without any measurings. In bigger
plants there can be larger systems according to fig. 2 where several
distributing centrals 5 are connected to blower means. Often the
main conduit between the differnt distribution centrals 5 have such
big aera that the pressures in the different distribution centrals 5
are almost the same. This will simplify the calculations for distribu-
tion and adjustments.
The invention is not restricted to the above described embodi-
ment but modifications can be made within the scope of the enclos-
ed claims.

Representative Drawing