US2478617A - Air conditioning system - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 9, 1949. F. o. ANDEREGG AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM F iled March 18, 1948 I? I 3y V s m W w 0 A a Patented Aug. 9, 1949 AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM Frederick 0. Anderegg, Somerville, N. J assignor to John B. Pierce Foundation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 18, 1948, Serial No. 15,607

2 Claims.

This invention relates to air conditioning systems which provide for both cooling and .dehumidiflcation of the air.

In my U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,336,456 there is disclosed dehumidifying apparatus utilizing a pervious, porous wall between a flow of air to be dehumidified and a how of heated air, a cooling 0011 being disposed at that surface of the pervious, porous wall against which the air to be dehumidified impinges. Thus, the fugacity of the moisture-laden air is lowered and the latent heat of vaporization absorbed by the cooling coil. Moisture condenses upon the pervious, porous wall, is passed through the pores to the heated air stream, and is carried away thereby.

In the present system substantially the same dehumidifying principle is employed, but in combination with a refrigeration system for supplying both the cooling coil with a cooling medium and the opposite face of the pervious, porous wall with warmth. The resulting structural combination provides very effective air conditioning at minimum cost.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide an effective air conditionin system which may be installed and operated at minimum costs.

Another object is to achieve both cooling and dehumidiflcation of air by means where regenerationof the dehumidifying agency is automatic.

A further object is to utilize, in an air conditioning system, both the cooling effect andthe heat produced by a refrigerating mechanism, such heat being that which is normally wasted.

Additional objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred specific embodiment of the system illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an inside elevation of a portion of the wall of a building with which the system of the invention is incorporated, part of the inside wall surfacing being broken out to illustrate otherwise hidden elements of the system;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of F18. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the lirfe 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawing: As illustrated, the system is installed within an exterior wall of a building, a bay portion ll, Fig. 3, being annexed to the normal wall structure to house the refrigerating mechanism of the system and to provide a flow channel i2 for heated air. 4

A flow channel I! for air to be conditioned is defined within the wall ll of the building between adjacent studs Ito and lib thereof and the interior wall facing l4. Between the flow channels l2 and ii there is disposed a partition I! which embodies a slab ii of pervious. porous material. This slab I6 is advantageously the calcium hydrosilicate or calcium hydroaluminate material known by the trade-mark Mr-noporite," as manufactured pursuant tothe disclosure of U. 8. Patent No. 1,932,971 issued October 31, 1933 to Huttemann et al. entitled Method of making light weight block, or the similar specially treated dehydrating material disclosed in my U. S. Patent No. 2,005,401 issued September 9, 1941 and entitled Dehydrating material.

One face of the slab I6 is exposed to the flow channel l2, while the opposite face thereof is exposed to the flow channel l3. Thus, it might be said that the respective flow channels are arranged back-to-back with the slab ii partitioning the two.

The refrigerating mechanism comprises the usual compressor l1 and piping II which carries the hot compressed refrigerant to the expansion valve l9, from which the cooling or refrigerating coil 20, here shown of serpentine formation, extends.

The piping i8 carrying the hot compressed redisposed in the flow channel l2 at the lower part thereof, the piping l8 advantageously bearing fins 18a for the purpose of more easily giving up the heat to exterior air which enters flow channel l2 through lower opening 2land leaves through upper opening 22. The piping I9 is preferably located adjacent the face of the pervious, porous slab l6, and bailles 23 are preferably provided interiorly of the flow channel II for diverting the inflowing air against the face of slab it. Thus, the air flowing into flow channel l2 from the outside is heated as it enters and impinges against the exterior surface of the pervious porous slab I 6 in heated, moisture-receptive condition.

The serpentine refrigerating coil 20 is positioned closely against the interior face of the pervious, porous slab I 6, and may even be partially embedded therein. A fan 24 serves to draw the air to be conditioned into the flow channel l3 through upper register opening 25, such air passing downwardly over the cooling coils 20 and the interior face of pervious, porous slab I, contact with such cooling coil and slab face being facilitated by means of bailles 20. In its contact with the cooling coils and interior face of the pervious, porous slab Ii, the air to be conditioned will lose moisture to the slab because of its lowered fugacity and loss of heat of vaporization, and will at the same time. be cooled to a suitable conditioned temperature. Such air passes back into the space from which it ame by means of the lower, exit register 21. Any drip of condensed moisture from the cooling coils 20 will be disposed of by the drain 2|.

Accordingly. it is seen that both the cooling eflect and the heat generated by the refrigerating device are effectively utilized for conditioning the air, which makes for great eillciency of operation.

While the refrigerating mechanism as a whole, with the exception of the cooling portions thereof, is here illustrated as disposed within the flow channel l2, it is within the province of the invention to dispose the compressor per 'se elsewhere. utilizing only the finned piping "\to heat the air flowing through said flow channel l2.

Whereas this invention is here illustrated and described with respect to a a preferred specific embodiment thereof it should be understood that various changes may be made therein and various other embodiments may be constructed on the basis of the teachings hereof by those skilled in the art without departing from the novel inventlve concepts defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. An air-conditioning system, comprising structure defining two air-flow ch'annels, one for air to be conditioned and one for heated air; a

air and arranged to impart its normally waste heat to air flowing into and through said channel,

the cooling coil of said refrigerating mechanism being disposed within the said air-conditioning channel, at and extending along the exposed face of said porous wall; means for circulating interior air to be conditioned through the said air conditioning channel; entrance and exit orifices for exterior air at opposite ends of the said heated air channel, and bailles provided inwardly of both flow channels to direct the air flowing therethrough against the respective opposite faces of the moisture-pervious wall.

2. An air-conditioning system, comprising structure defining two air-flow channels, one for air to be conditioned and one for heated air; a moisture-pervious, porous wall dividing the two channels, one from the other; refrigerating mechanism disposed within the said channel for heated air and arranged to impart its normally waste -moisture-pervious, porous wall dividing the two a heat to air flowing into and through said channel, the cooling coilof said refrigerating mechanism being disposed within the said air-conditioning channel, at and extending along the exposed face of said. porous wall; means forcirculating interior air to be conditioned through the said air conditioning channel; and entrance and exit orifices for exterior air at opposite ends of the said heated air channel, wherein the system is built into the framework'of an exterior wall of a building.

FREDERICK 0. ANDEREGG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are ofrecord in the file of this patent:

, UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date X 1,937,288 McGraw Nov. 28, 1933 1,986,863 Terry Jan. 8, 1935 2,223,586 Thomas Dec. 3, 1940 2,336,456 Anderegg Dec. 14, 1943

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