Abstract:
A modular recuperator apparatus and method that is used to pre-condition air treatment in a HVAC and air processing systems. A modular recuperating system enhances the overall efficiency of modern HVAC systems by reducing the required relative treatment of air within the system by supplying pre-conditioned fresh air into the system.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     This device and method relates to heating and cooling systems for modern structures that add pre-conditioned fresh air by a unique modular conditioner. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     Prior art devices of this type have relied on a variety of different designs that utilize typical HVAC components and regenerator to add pre-conditioned fresh air to an enclosed structure. Current components and installation method require a custom, one at a time design and assembly approach of each apparatus for each job. Existing component designs prevent mass production of standardized products for use on all related applications. Regenerators work on temperature and vapor pressure differentials between interior structure exhaust air and fresh air. Typical units of this type transfer 75% of this difference, see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,977,466 and 3,165,625. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 3,977,466 a room air-conditioning apparatus is disclosed that exchanges heat or moisture between fresh outside air and conditioned exhaust air from inside the building or room enclosure. The apparatus uses an exchange rotor and a blower. Exhaust building air is drawn into a chamber by the enclosed blower supplying same to the exchange rotor that transfers relative heat or cold to fresh make-up air entering the other side of the rotor by a supply fan. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 3,165,265 a heating ventilation device is shown wherein multiple blowers are secured to a single drive shaft and are disposed at an angular inclination within a enclosed cabinet. Heating elements are positioned below the blowers and heat outside air that is drawn in through the unit. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A modular regenerator apparatus and installation system that is used to pre-condition fresh make-up air in an HVAC air treatment installation. The modular component design allows for a variety of adaptive installation configurations to meet job requirements with the use of standardized interchangeable modular components that are divided in a unique triangular configuration. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the modular component units of the regenerator system; 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged side plan view of an inlet blower module; 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged side plan view of an exhaust blower module unit; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged side plan view of a regenerator module unit; 
     FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing the air flow path through a modular regenerator system; and 
     FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of an alternate modified assembly of component modular units with additional heating or cooling coils contained within. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1-3 of the drawings, a modular regenerator system can be seen comprising an exhaust inlet air module 11, a regenerator module 12 and a fresh inlet air module 13. The exhaust air module 11 comprises a sheet metal cabinet 14 having a front wall 15, a rear wall 16 and side wall 17, with a top 18 and a bottom 19 in this embodiment configuration. The sheet metal cabinet 14 is divided triangularly by an interior partition 20 extending between said front and rear walls 15 and 16 respectively at an angularly inclination therebetween. 
     The inner partition 20 defines a blower chamber 21 and an exhaust air inlet chamber 22 which would be in communication with a structure (not shown). The blower chamber 21 has a blower 21A and an apertured closure partition 23 as best seen in FIG. 1 of the drawings. The front wall 15 has a structure air inlet at 15A through which exhaust air from the structure (not shown) is supplied illustrated by the adjacent arrow EA. The rear wall 16 has a fresh air outlet 16A that supplies the structure (not shown) with pre-conditioned fresh air. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1-4 of the drawings, the regenerator module 12 can be seen comprising a support frame F having areas of reduced diameter at 24. The support frame F defines a regenerator chamber in which is positioned a self-contained rotating exchange rotor 25 as will be well known and understood by those skilled in the art. 
     Areas of reduced dimension at 24 divided triangularly by respective partitions 26 defining two equal triangular chambers 27 and 28. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1-3 of the drawings, the fresh air inlet module 13 can be seen comprising a sheet metal cabinet 13A having a front wall 29, a rear wall 30, a side wall 31, top wall 32 and a bottom 33. The sheet metal cabinet 13A is also divided into two equal triangular chambers 34 and 35 by an inner angularly positioned partition 36. 
     This critical aspect of this invention is in the triangular division of the exhaust inlet air module 11 and the fresh air inlet module 13 that allows for a compact modular design thereof which is the critical improvement of the invention over prior art. 
     The triangular division of the respective modules necessitates the similar division configuration of the hereinbefore described regenerator module 12. 
     Referring back now to the fresh inlet air module 13 of the triangular chamber 35 has an exhaust air blower 37 that pulls exhaust air through the regenerator system of the invention and exits same to atmosphere via a blower exhaust outlet indicated at 38. 
     Conversely, fresh make-up air indicated by flow arrows at FA is drawn through the regenerator system of the invention in the reverse direction, through the fresh air inlet 39 in the front wall 20 of the fresh air inlet module 13, through said triangular chamber 34 and the respective triangular chamber 26 of the regenerator module 12 and the interconnected blower chamber 21 by the blower 21A in the exhaust inlet air module 11 thereby supplying treated fresh air to the structure (not shown) via a blower outlet 16A. 
     Referring now to FIG. 5 of the drawings an air flow schematic can be seen that illustrates the exhaust and fresh air flow path through the regenerator system. Building air BA is drawn into the exhaust inlet air module 11, through the regenerator module 12 and exhausted to atmosphere (outside) through the fresh air inlet module 13. 
     Conversely, fresh air FA follows the reverse path through the regenerator system as hereinbefore described. 
     An alternate or modified version of the regenerator system modules can be seen in FIG. 6 of the drawings wherein an assembly insert module 40 is used to supplement the basic regenerator system. The assembly insert module 40 provides improved treatment of the make-up fresh air by introducing a conditioning coil 41 between the respective fresh air and exhaust air modules 11 and 13. The accessory insert module 40 comprises a cabinet 42 that is divided triangularly by a partition 43 to match the air flow paths hereinbefore defined. The conditioning coil 41 is positioned within a well at 43A within the triangular partition 43 closed off from the exhaust air flow path and in air flow communication with the respective fresh air module 13 and is used as a heating/cooling coil dependent on the seasonal requirements. 
     A second heat exchange rotor 44 in its own mounting frame 45 is positioned (in this example) at one end of said cabinet 42 to increase the overall efficiency of the system. 
     The addition of the assembly insert module 40 is used in this example to illustrate the variety of different modular configurations that can be achieved by use of the triangular divided modules 11, 12, and 13 as hereinbefore described. 
     It will thus be seen that an improvement to a regenerator air treatment system has been illustrated and described and that it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention, therefore