Directional control valve and method for setting connections

A directional control valve including air connections for exhaust air, feed air, outside air and waste air; two respective functional connections of a heating path and a cooling path; a switching element that is configured to connect each of the air connections with exactly one of the functional connections so that the exhaust air is fed back through the heating path as the feed air in a heating position, and the exhaust air fed back through the cooling path as the intake air in a cooling position, and the outside air is fed through the heating path in a winter ventilation position as the feed air, and the outside air is fed through the cooling path in a summer ventilation position as the feed air.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a directional control valve and a method for controlling connections between air connections.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Directional control valves (DCV) open and close fluid connections, e.g., in the field of heating and air conditioning for air flows by moving a single switching element (8) into one of plural discrete switching positions.

Methods of the generic type recited supra are used for selecting one of four discrete operating modes of a heating and air conditioning system for an interior of a building, whereinExhaust air is drawn from the interior space,Feed air is fed into the interior space,Outside air is drawn from the ambient, andWaste air is discharged into the ambient.There are four operating modes:Heating, wherein exhaust air is heated in the heating path and fed back as feed air,Cooling, wherein the exhaust air dissipates heat in the cooling path and is fed back as feed air,Winter ventilation, wherein outside air is heated in the heating path and fed as feed air, andSummer ventilation, wherein the outside air is cooled in the cooling path and fed as feed air.

Methods using flaps and/or slides arranged in air ducts are well known. Combinations of heat pumps and heat accumulators are well known for supplying habitation units with hot water.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Thus, it is an object of the invention to simplify controlled heating, air conditioning and ventilation for interior spaces.

The invention proposes directional control valve, comprising: air connections for exhaust air, feed air, outside air and waste air; two respective functional connections of a heating path and a cooling path; a switching element that is configured to connect each of the air connections with exactly one of the functional connections so that the exhaust air is fed back through the heating path as the feed air in a heating position, and the exhaust air fed back through the cooling path as the intake air in a cooling position, and the outside air is fed through the heating path in a winter ventilation position as the feed air, and the outside air is fed through the cooling path in a summer ventilation position as the feed air.

Directional control valves are designated according to a number of connections per switching position and a number of switching positions so that the directional control valve is designated as an 8/4 directional control valve. The directional control valve according to the invention facilitates selecting an operating mode for controlled interior space heating air conditioning and ventilation by adjusting a single switching element.

Advantageously, the switching element in the directional control valve according to the invention is disk shaped and includes cutouts, wherein the air connections are connected through the cutouts with the functional connections. The directional control valve according to the invention can include the air connections and the functional connections respectively in disc shaped subassemblies that are arranged above and below the switching element. Assembling or disassembling and thus maintaining and cleaning the directional control valve according to the invention is thus facilitated.

Since the directional control valve according to the invention only includes a single moving part, it is much less failure prone compared to known flap systems. Malfunctions caused by a failure or incomplete opening or closing of induvial flaps do not occur.

Advantageously, the switching element according to the invention is arranged in the directional control valve according to the invention pivotable about an axis. Air connections and functional connections that are associated with one another and the respective cutouts of the switching element can then be arranged in concentric circles about the axis.

Advantageously, the cutouts to the air connections for exhaust air and feed air in the directional control valve according to the invention are arranged in a first circular ring and the air connections for outside air and waste air are arranged in a second circular ring radially offset from the first circular ring and/or the functional connections of the heating path and the cooling path are arranged in separate circular rings about the axis.

Advantageously, a directional control valve according to the invention includes in particular an electric drive for the switching element. The drive facilitates adjusting the switching element.

Advantageously a directional control valve according to the invention includes a control for the drive, the control facilitates an automatic selection of a switching position of a switching element based on an external parameter e.g., a time of the day or in particular a temperature or humidity measured at one of the air connections or based on a combination of several parameters of this type.

Advantageously, a directional control valve according to the invention includes additional air connections for additional feed air and/or exhaust air. A directional control valve according to the invention then facilitates selecting between different feed and/or exhaust air flows. In particular, a directional control valve according to the invention can be operated as a proportional valve which determines portions of the incoming and outgoing air flows through the position of the switching element.

Advantageously, a new device for controlling a temperature of an interior space of a building with a heat storage device includes a directional control valve according to the invention wherein the heat pump is arranged in the cooling path. A device of this type according to the invention uses heat from the outside air or excess heat from the exhaust air. Advantageously the heat pump puts heat into the heating path in the device according to the invention.

Advantageously a device according to the invention includes a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between exhaust air and outside air. In this embodiment the heat pump is only required to utilize residual heat that remains in a respectively warmer air flow downstream of the heat exchanger.

Advantageously, a device according to the invention includes a heat accumulator wherein the heat pump charges the heat accumulator and the heat pump and/or the heat accumulator releases the heat into the heating path. In the device according to the invention the heat accumulator can buffer the heat recovered by the heat pump and not immediately absorbed in the heating path so that the heat accumulator can transfer the heat to the waste air or to the feed air at a predetermined point in time.

As an alternative to buffering in a heat accumulator heat from the heat pump can be transferred to the heating path through a heat exchanger in particular through a reverse flow heat exchanger in the device according to the invention.

Advantageously, a device according to the invention includes a fan in the heating path and/or in the cooling path. These fans facilitate fine adjustment of the heating and cooling power.

Improving upon the known method it is proposed according to the invention that the connections are controlled by selecting switching positions of a directional control valve between the air connections and the functional connections on the other side. The method according to the invention is performed by a directional control valve according to the invention and yields the same advantages described supra regarding the device according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The device1illustrated inFIG.1is used for controlling a temperature in an interior space of a building. The device1includes a heat accumulator2and a heat pump3which is configured as an essentially cylindrical unit4that functions as a wash water heat pump and is available from the Danish manufacturer Vesttherm under the product designation VT3130 and a directional control valve5according to the invention. The jacket6of the heat accumulator2includes a heating path7connected in parallel with the heating element of the heat pump3wherein the heating path7heats the water in the heat accumulator2.

The air conduits to the heat pump3and to the heating path7include fans. The fan in the heating path7controls the portions of the heat which are transferred by the heat pump directly into the heating path7and into the heat accumulator2.

The directional control valve5according to the invention illustrated in detail inFIGS.2A and2Bincludes a disk-shaped switching element8and a top disk9arranged there above and a base disk10arranged below the switching element8.

The circular top disk9illustrated inFIGS.3A and3Bincludes four air connections12,13,14,15for exhaust air from a non-illustrated interior of a building, for feed air going into the interior, for outside air from an ambient of the building and for waste air going into the ambient. Channels16formed in the top disk9lead from the air connections12,13,14,15to circular segment shaped openings17at a bottom side18of the top disk9.

As illustrated in detail inFIGS.4A and4Bthe essentially circular base disk10includes four circular segment shaped openings20at a top side19wherein the openings20lead through channels21formed in the base disk10into two functional connections22for the heating path7and two other functional connections23at a bottom side24of the base disk10for the cooling path25through the heat pump3.

In an assembled condition of the directional control valve5the openings17are arranged at the bottom side18of the top disk9above openings at the top side19of the base disk10and the essentially circular switching elements8is arranged between the top disk9and the base disk10. A position of the top disk9and the base disk10relative to each other is fixed whereas the switching element8is pivotable about a center axis26of the directional control valve5.

The switching element8shown in detail inFIG.5includes six cutouts28arranged in an inner circular ring27about the center axis26wherein the air connections12,13for exhaust air and feed air can be connected through the six cutouts28and through functional connections22,23optionally with the heating path7or the cooling path25. The switching element8includes four additional cutouts30arranged in an outer circular ring29about the axis26wherein the air connections14,15for the outside air and the waste air are connected through the four additional cutouts30and through the functional connections22,23optionally with the heating path7or the cooling path25.

FIG.6Aillustrates the directional control valve5in the heating position31.FIG.6Billustrates the directional control valve5in the cooling position32.FIG.6Cillustrates the directional control valve5in the winter ventilation position33; andFIG.6Dillustrates the directional control valve5in the summer ventilation position34.

In the heating position31the exhaust air absorbs heat from the heat accumulator2in the heating path7and is fed back into the interior as feed air. The outside air transfers heat in the cooling path25through the heat pump3to the heat accumulator2and is discharged as waste air.

In the cooling position32the exhaust air transfers heat in the cooling path25through the heat pump3to the heat accumulator2and is fed back as feed air. The outside air absorbs excess heat from the heat accumulator2in the heating path7and is discharged as waste air.

In the winter ventilation position33, the outside air absorbs heat from the heat accumulator2in the heating path7and is introduced into the interior space as feed air. The exhaust air transfers heat to the heat accumulator2in the cooling path25through the heat pump3and is discharged to the ambient as waste air.

In the summer ventilation position34the outside air transfers heat in the cooling path25through the heat pump3to the heat accumulator2and is fed into the interior space as feed air. The exhaust air absorbs excessive heat in the heating path7from the heat accumulator2and is discharged as waste air.

The switching element8is pivotable by an electric drive about the axis26into the heating position31, the cooling position32, the winter ventilation position33and the summer ventilation position34. The drive and the fans are connected with a control for controlled ventilation of the interior space, wherein the control determines the switching position of the directional control valve8and a speed of the fans according to a temperature and humidity of the exhaust air and of the ambient air automatically.

By incomplete approximation of the position of the switch element8to the heating position31, the cooling position,32the winter ventilation position33of the summer ventilation position34, the openings17of the top disc9can be opened partially relative to the respective openings20of the base disc10which controls the respective air flows proportional to a position of the switch element8.

A second embodiment of the device according to the invention substantially corresponds to first embodiment of the device1according to the invention, however respectively includes an additional air connection for exhaust air and feed air. The second embodiment of the device according to the invention is particularly suitable for a ventilation of an additional interior space, a living space and additionally a bathroom with a shower that is air separated from the living space, advantageously respectively in the winter ventilation position and in the summer ventilation position.

REFERENCE NUMERALS AND DESIGNATIONS

1device2heat accumulator3heat pump4sub assembly5directional control valve6jacket7′ heating path8switching element9top disc10base disc11top side of top disc12exhaust air connection13feed air connection14outside air connection15waste air connection16channel in top disc17opening in bottom side of top disc18bottom side of top disc19top side of base disc20opening in top side of base disc21channel in base disc22functional connection to heating path23functional connection to cooling path24bottom side of base disc25cooling path26axis27inner circular ring28cut out in switching element29outer circular ring30cut out31heating position32cooling position33winter ventilation position34summer ventilation position