Abstract:
An air handling unit includes a manifold having an inlet configured to receive a supply of air, a plurality of apertures formed in the manifold, the apertures enabling a passage of air from the manifold out of said the handling unit, a bypass plenum formed in the manifold, and a damper positioned within the bypass plenum. The damper is pivotable between a closed position and an open position to allow air from the manifold to exit the air handling unit without passing through the apertures when a pressure within the manifold exceeds a threshold pressure.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/109,709, filed on Jan. 30, 2015, and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/137,930, filed on Mar. 25, 2015, both of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to chilled beam apparatuses and, more particularly, to an active chilled beam or ceiling induction unit apparatus having an integrated barometric air damper for increasing the operational metrics of the active chilled beam apparatus. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Chilled beam apparatuses are well known in the art, and are utilized to efficiently condition the air within a confined space. Known chilled beam apparatuses can be passive in nature, relying upon only the natural air convection of a space to instigate the heat transfer within the active chilled beam apparatus. Or, in active chilled beam apparatuses, a blower unit can be utilized in addition to the natural convection currents of a space to promote the passage of air through the heat exchanging portion of the chilled beam unit. 
         [0004]    Known active chilled beam apparatuses effect the conditioning of the air within a space in accordance with the parameters of the chilled beam unit, including such considerations as the volume and pressure of the blower, the size of the unit itself and the nature of the heat transferring pipes and liquid therein. Known chilled beam apparatuses, however, are unable to pass additional blower air into the conditioned space without the air passing through the induction nozzles in the chilled beam apparatus. The additional air may be required to satisfy increased ventilation requirements. 
         [0005]    There therefore exists a need within the industry for the ability to increase the blower airflow to the active chilled beam apparatus, without changing the operation of the apparatus as a whole. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    With the forgoing concerns and needs in mind, it is the general object of the present invention to provide an active chilled beam apparatus. 
         [0007]    It is another object of the present invention to provide an active chilled beam apparatus that can increase the rate of blower air while bypassing the induction nozzles of the chilled beam apparatus. 
         [0008]    It is another object of the present invention to provide an active chilled beam apparatus that includes an integrated barometric air damper. 
         [0009]    It is another object of the present invention that the integrated barometric air damper is actuated as a result of a change in air pressure within the plenum or air manifold of the chilled beam apparatus. 
         [0010]    These and other objectives of the present invention, and their preferred embodiments, shall become clear by consideration of the specification, claims and drawings taken as a whole. 
         [0011]    According to an embodiment of the present invention, an air handling unit includes a manifold having an inlet configured to receive a supply of air, a plurality of apertures formed in the manifold, the apertures enabling a passage of air from the manifold out of said the handling unit, a bypass plenum formed in the manifold, and a damper positioned within the bypass plenum. The damper is pivotable between a closed position and an open position to allow air from the manifold to exit the air handling unit without passing through the apertures when a pressure within the manifold exceeds a threshold pressure. 
         [0012]    According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method for controlling a flow of air in an air handling unit includes the steps of, at a manifold, receiving a supply of air, passing the air from the manifold out of the air handling unit through a plurality of apertures in the manifold and, when a pressure within the manifold exceeds a threshold pressure, opening a damper associated with a bypass plenum to allow the air to exit the manifold without passing through the apertures. 
         [0013]    According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, an air handling unit includes a manifold having an inlet configured to receive a supply of air from a blower, a plurality of induction apertures formed in the manifold, the induction apertures enabling a passage of air from the manifold out of the air handling unit and being configured to induce a flow of air from a space below the air handling unit into the air handling unit, a bypass plenum formed in the manifold and configured to selectively direct air from the manifold to the space below the air handling unit without passing through the induction apertures, a damper positioned within the bypass plenum, the damper being pivotable between a closed position and an open position to allow the air from the manifold to exit the air handling unit through the bypass plenum when a pressure within the manifold exceeds a threshold pressure, and an actuator operatively connected to the damper, the actuator being adjustable to set said threshold pressure. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    The present invention will be better understood from reading the following description of non-limiting embodiments, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein below: 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  illustrates an isomeric, open top view of an active chilled beam apparatus, according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  illustrates a plan, open top view of the chilled beam apparatus  10 , shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  illustrates a plan, open bottom view of the chilled beam apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  illustrates an enlarged, isomeric view of the bottom of the chilled beam apparatus shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0019]      FIG. 1  illustrates an isomeric, open top view of an active chilled beam apparatus  10 , according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the chilled beam apparatus  10  includes an upper air manifold  12  that is supplied with a variable flow of input air via an air aperture  14 , as connected to a blower assembly (not shown) or the like. As will be appreciated, the top cover of the air manifold  12  has been removed from  FIG. 1 , in order to expose to view the structure of the chilled beam apparatus  10 , however this top cover would be in place during actual operation of the chilled beam apparatus  10 . 
         [0020]    As is well known, air that is fed into the air manifold  12  via the air aperture  14  and non-illustrated blower is expelled out the bottom of the chilled beam unit  10  via entraining air holes  16 , oriented along either longitudinal side of the air manifold  12 . 
         [0021]    As also seen in  FIG. 1 , an air bypass plenum  18  is formed adjacent one distal end of the chilled beam apparatus  10 . The air bypass plenum  18  includes an integral and selectively pivotable baffle or air damper  20 , which itself is connected to a gravity weighted actuator  22 .  FIG. 2  illustrates a plan, open top view of the chilled beam apparatus  10 , shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0022]    For its part,  FIG. 3  illustrates a plan, open bottom view of the chilled beam apparatus  10 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the central portion of the chilled beam apparatus  10  includes a heat transfer section  24  comprised of one or more windings of conditioning tubes  26 . As is also well known, these conditioning tubes  26  contain fluid of variable temperature, and provide the surface area necessary to effectuate heat transfer between induced air passing up and through the heat transfer section  24 . The conditioning tubes  26  may be supplied with recirculated conditioning fluid via any number of known fluid conditioning systems, without departing from the broader aspects of the present invention. 
         [0023]      FIG. 3  also illustrates entrained air passageways  28 , which extend along the longitudinal axis of the chilled beam apparatus  10  and are in fluid communication with the entraining air holes  16 . The entrained air passageways  28  provide a pathway of egress to the air that has been conditioned by the heat transfer section  24  of the chilled beam apparatus  10 . The air bypass  18 , and integrated air damper  20  and weighted actuator  22 , are also shown in  FIG. 3 . It will be readily appreciated that a suitable grating or fin structure ( 30 ; shown in more detail in  FIG. 4 ) may cover the heat exchange section  24  and distal portion containing the air damper  20 , without departing from the broader aspects of the present invention. 
         [0024]      FIG. 4  illustrates an enlarged, isomeric view of the bottom of the chilled beam apparatus  10  shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the weighted actuator  22  includes a pivotable center axle  32  that is fixedly connected to the air damper  20 , such that rotation of axle  32  causes a resultant rotation of the air damper  20  within the air bypass plenum  18 . An adjustment pin and weight,  34  and  36 , respectively, are keyed to the central axel  32 . The position of the adjustment weight  36  may be selectively shifted and fixed along the length of the adjustment pin  34 , in order to cause rotation of the axel  32  and air damper  20  when an appropriate air pressure force is applied to the air damper  20 , as will be discussed in more detail later. In an embodiment, various means may be employed to fix the weight  36  in position on the pin  34  such as, for example, a friction fit or a set screw. 
         [0025]    In operation, the air manifold  12  of chilled beam apparatus  10  is supplied with air via the aperture  14  and a non-illustrated blower assembly. As the pressure of air within the air manifold  12  is selectively increased, the biasing effect of the weight  36  is overcome, and the air damper  20  will be caused to rotate and open. Once the air damper  20  has opened, the pressurized air within the air manifold  12  will stream out of both the air holes  16 , as well as the air plenum  18 , and into the space below the chilled beam apparatus  10 . 
         [0026]    It is therefore an important aspect of the present invention to provide additional ventilating air to the space without the necessity of pushing the air from the blower through the nozzles  16 , thereby avoiding a high pressure loss and more energy consumption of the blower. Thus, by providing the air plenum  18 , and selectively opening the same, the rate of heat exchange and resultant dispersal of conditioned air into the space below the chilled beam apparatus  10 , is efficiently increased. 
         [0027]    Moreover, it will be readily appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that the weight  36  may be adjusted anywhere along the length of the adjustment pin  34 , thereby enabling rotation of the air damper  20  whenever the air pressure within the air manifold  12  exceeds a predetermined magnitude. In particular, the position of the weight  36  may be adjusted along the length of the adjustment pin  34  in order to selectively increase or decrease the magnitude of the air pressure within the manifold that is required to open the damper  20 . For example, moving the weight  36  to a position along the pin  34  spaced from the axle  32  will decrease the threshold pressure (within the manifold  12 ) necessary to cause the damper  20  to open, while moving the weight closer to the axle  32  along the pin  34  will increase the threshold pressure necessary to open the damper  20 . In this manner, the air damper  20  passively occupies a closed position until and unless the air pressure within the air manifold  12  increases to a predetermined amount, dictated by the position of the weight  36 , thus causing the air damper  20  to pivot to an open state. 
         [0028]    It is envisioned that the chilled beam apparatus  10  of the present invention may be controlled such that when additional air conditioning is demanded from the system, and when the air supply to the air manifold  12  is thereafter increased, that the integrated air damper  20  will open, providing additional ventilation air to the space below the apparatus  10  without the necessity of pushing the air through the nozzles  16 . Likewise, when an increased rate of ventilation air is no longer required, and when the air pressure within the air manifold  12  has decreased below a predetermined magnitude, the air damper  20  will again close, returning the chilled beam apparatus to it normal operation. 
         [0029]    Although this invention has been shown and described with respect to the detailed embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of skill in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed in the above detailed description, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of this disclosure.