DEVICE BY A WALL

Abstract: Device for improving the thermal insulation in a wall (20) by means of what is termed counterflow or dynamic insulation. The wall forms part of a delimitation of a primarily enclosed room (10) from an environment of divergent temperature. A columnar space (21) is delimited on one side with respect to the region of higher temperature by means of a primarily airtight layer (41) and with respect to its other side it is delimited by means of an air-distributing layer (29). The structure described allows the supply of air required for insulation into the insulation material (28) which is present between the space (21) and the cold side of the wall. In accordance with the invention apertures (23, 24) are disposed which in the upper and lower parts of the wall connect the columnar space (21) to the region of higher air temperature. A device (30) supplies air to the columnar space through the upper apertures (24), whereby one part of the air is forced into the insulation material (28) via the air-distributing layer (29) while the remaining air continues to, and outwards through, the lower apertures (23). A device (25) for increasing the turbulence of the air in the columnar space (21) is preferably disposed.

Description: DEVICE BY A WALL The present invention relates to a device for counteracting the flow of heat through a wall which divides off a primarily enclosed room with a temperature diverging from that of its environment. The rising price of energy is making it increasingly important to ensure wall insulation which is as good as possible. This holds true irrespective of whether the insulation is intended to prevent thermal transmission from or into a room. The former problem is current in countries with a cold climate, the latter, in countries with a warm climate. A prerequisite for achieving good indoor climate is also that of avoiding excessively large differences in temperature between the ceiling and floor of the room and the rapid drop in temperature that occurs in the case of poorly insulated walls. In order to avoid high energy costs it is desirable that to as small an extent as possible warm indoor air should be replaced by cold out¬ door air, or alternatively, cold indoor air by warm outdoor air. It is true that this can be accomplished with the aid of a heat ex¬ changer, but this generally involves extensived and expensive in¬ stallations. Moreover, it is difficult to achieve satisfactory fire protection in the case of central fan installations, and the risk is particularly great that in the event of fire smoke and toxic gases in a burning building are also spread to those parts of the building which have not yet been reached by the fire. The present invention relates to a device which fulfils the afore- mentioned desiderata and solves the problems discussed above. The inventions relates to a device in conjunction with a wall that forms part of a delimitation of a primarily enclosed room with re- spect to an environment of divergent temperature. For the sake of simplicity the invention is described in connection with only one wall, but the invention as such is naturally applicable to all walls that delimit the room with respect to an environment of divergent temperature. Such a wall always possesses one side that is wanner than the other. In accordance with the invention there is disposed in connection with the warm side of the wall a columnar and primarily enclosed space which by means of a primarily airtight layer is separated from the region of higher air temperature. The columnar space is limited in the direction of the cold side of the wall by an air-distributing layer that allows a certain degree of air movement into the insulation which is located between- the columnar space and the colder outer side of the wall. Apertures are disposed in the lower and upper part of the wall that connect the columnar space to the region of higher air temperature. In conjunction with the upper apertures there is disposed a device, e.g. a fan, for preferably con- tinous supplying of air to the columnar space, by which means air passes through the columnar space and out through the lower aper¬ tures, at the same time as part of the air is also forced into the insulation via the aforementioned air-distributing layer. The afore¬ mentioned flow of air into the insulation achieves what is termed counterflow or dynamic insulation, which involves a considerable lowering of the u-value. In a preferred embodiment devices are disposed insided the columnar space, e.g. spacer blocks, ribs, fibreglass fabric etc, which disturb the flow of air through the gap and thereby cause turbulence therein, which in turns improves the necessary flow of air into the insulation and thus the desired improvement in the overall insulation of the wall, which can be measured through a considerably lower u-value. In the embodiment of the invention where the warmer side of the wall faces towards the enclosed room, the air-supplying device (fan) is connected to a primarily enclosed compartment disposed in conjunction with the ceiling of the room and usually constituting its upper delimitation. One or several apertures are disposed between the com- OMPϊ partment and the room. In one embodiment the embodiment described in the preceding paragraph is supplemented by an air filter and/or a dehumidifier, alternative¬ ly,a humidifier. In certain embodiments heating devices are also disposed in conjunction with the compartment. Since the invention results in a considerable improvement to the insulation of the wall, it is often sufficient to make use solely of the waste heat that is produced by lighting in order to attain the required room tempera¬ ture. It is clear from the above description that each room comprises a separate unit, by means of which the risks of a spread of fire, smoke or gases in the case of central fan systems are completely avoided. The invention is described in greater detail in conjunction with fig. 1 which shows a partial section through a wall and a room. The figure depicts an embodiment of the invention in which a room 10 has an upper delimitation 11 comprising the ceiling of the room. A wall 20 is connected to the upper delimitation of the room. Seen from the outside, the wall is disposed in the conventional manner with a windtight layer, where required, an air layer, which is followed by one or several layers of insulating material 28. These parts of the wall are however omitted from the figure with the excep¬ tion of the insulating material which is partially shown in the figure. In the direction of the room there then follows an air- -distributing layer 29, a columnar space 21 and a primarily airtight layer 41 whose side facing closest to the room forms the delimiting surface 22 of the wall with respect to the room. Apertures 23 into the room 10 are disposed in conjunction with the lower part of the columnar space 21, and in conjunction with the upper part of this space there are disposed apertures 24 which open into a compartment 31 whose lower part forms the upper delimitation 11 of the room. There is further disposed in the columnar space 21 devices 25 for disturbing the air current and for achieving turbulence therein. Examples of such devices are spacer blocks, ribs, fibreglass fabric etc. The compartment 31 contains a device 30 for supplying air to the columnar space 21 through the aforementioned upper apertures 24. There are then disposed one after the other an air filter 33, a humidifier 34 and a heating device 32 as well as a dehumidifier 35. It can be seen from the figure that the aforementioned devices form an enclosed duct one end of which opens into the compartment 31 and the other end is connected to the upper apertures 24 in the delimita¬ tion of the columnar space 21. This thus ensures that once the treatment of the air in the aforementioned devices has been com¬ menced, no untreated air is mixed with the air that is supplied to the columnar space 21. Even if all these devices are found in the figure, the invention in its simplest form is applicable only with the employment of the device 30 for direct supplying of air to the columnar space 21. The compartment 31 is, in the embodiment shown, disposed in its lower part in.the delimitation 11 towards the room 10 with apertures 12 through which air passes into the compartment 31. The figure also shows a ventilation duct 26 connected to a fan device 27 for connecting the room 10 to the environment. This means makes it possible to undertake the supplementary changes of air between the room 10 and the environment which may be required. The figure also shows a delimitation wall 42 placed in the compart¬ ment 31. The delimitation wall 42 is used in those embodiments where the compartment 31 collaborates with more than one wall and where several walls are disposed with columnar spaces 21. Next to the upper delimitation of an enclosed room there is always formed a layer of air which is warmer than the air lower down in the ... QMPI room. In accordance with the embodiment of the invention shown in the figure the thermal energy of this air layer is put to use, in that the air from the layer in question is supplied by means of the device 30 to the columnar space 21 through the upper apertures 24. In the embodiment of the invention shown in the figure warm air is sucked into the compartment 31 through the apertures 12 in the upper delimitation of the room and is then taken in turn through the de- humidifier 35, the heating device 32, the humidifier 34, the air filter 33, in order to then pass through the devicer 30. In the simplest embodiment only the device 30 of the devices enumerated is used. In this simple embodiment the air is thus taken directly from the compartment 31 or alternatively from the warm air layer below the ceiling of the room to the columnar space 21. The air continous downwards from the apertures 24 through the column- ar space 21, whereby one part of the air is deflected outwards through the air-distributing layer 29 into the insulation material 28, while the rest of the air continues the entire way downwards to the lower apertures 23 and through them out into the room 10 close to the floor of the room. The required counterflow insulation is thus achieved. An obvious advantage besides the considerably improved insulation of the room comprises the combination of heating, air improvement and cellular division of a building which the invention makes possible. It can be seen from the description that each room and in certain cases even parts of the room comprise a separate unit, which natural¬ ly prevents the device in accordance with the invention from spread¬ ing fire, smoke or gases between adjacent rooms. In addition to the above description the invention will also be made clear in the following claims.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Device for counteracting the flow of heat through a wall (20) dividing off a primarily enclosed room (10) with a temperature diverging from that of its environment, whereby the wall, parallel to and close to the delimitation surface (22) of the wall is disposed at the warm side of the wall with a columnar, primarily enclosed space (21) delimited from aforementioned delimitation surface by means of a primarily airtight layer (41) and delimited from insulation material (28) disposed in the direction of the cold side of the wall by means of an air-distributing layer, characterised in that the columnar space in the lower part of the wall is connected by means of one or several apertures (23) to the space outside the de¬ limitation surface of the wall on the warm side of the wall, and that the columnar space in the upper part of the wall is connected by means of one or several apertures (24) to a device (30) for preferably continuous supplying of air to the columnar space, by which means air passes through the columnar space (21) whereby one part of the air is deflected outwards into the insulation material (28) through the air-distributing layer (29), while the remaining air in the columnar space is led directly to, and out through, the lower apertures (23). 2. Device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the colum¬ nar space (21) is disposed with devices (25) e.g. spacer blocks, ribs, fibreglass fabric etc, for disturbing the air current and achieving turbulence therein. 3. Device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the space outside the delimitation surface (22) of the wall (2Q) on the warm side of the wall is comprised by the enclosed room (10). 4. Device as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that the device (30) for supplying air is connected to a primarily enclosed compartment (31) located in connection with the upper delimi¬ tation (11) of the room and where the compartment is connected to the room by means of one or several apertures (12). 5. Device as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that one or several heating devices (32) are disposed in connection with the compartment (31). 6. Device as claimed in one of claims 3-5, characterised in that one air filter (33) and/or a dehumidifier (35) and/or a humid¬ ifier (34) is disposed or are disposed, respectively, in con¬ nection with the columnar space (21) of the wall, or the en¬ closed compartment (31) in connection with the upper delimita- tion of the the room (10) for cleaning the air that is supplied to the columnar space (21). 7. Device as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that the wall (20) is disposed with a duct (26) for air changes between the ropm (10) and the environment and that in connection with the duct there is preferably disposed a fan (27) for regulating the air changes between the room and the environment. 8. Device as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that the heat¬ ing devices (32) simultaneously comprise the lighting fittings of the room. 9. Device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the de¬ limitation surface (22) of the wall on the warm side of the wall faces away from the enclosed room (10).

Inventors: ARVIDSSON KJELL, ARVIDSSON, KJELL
Applicants: PROMACO I HALMSTAD AB, PROMACO I HALMSTAD AKTIEBOLAG
Application year: 1983
Main classification: E04B1
IPC codes: E04B1, E04C2