Abstract:
A positive pressure heat pump system and method wherein a heat pump is housed within a cabinet having an outdoor blower section and a segregated indoor blower section. The heat pump condensing coil is positioned within the outdoor air blower section and a cooling coil is positioned within the indoor blower section. A variable angle vane is operable to divert pressurized and heated outdoor air, downstream of the condensing coil, from the outdoor air blower section into the indoor air blower section, upstream of the cooling coil, so that cooled and pressurized air is recycled into the interior of a building to maintain a positive pressure within the building relative to the surrounding ambient environment.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to an enhanced air handling system and method for creating an energy efficient and healthful building environment. More specifically, this invention relates to a novel positive pressure heat pump that uses heated and pressurized outside air to elevate the internal pressure within a building structure. 
     In the past, air handling and conditioning systems have been known that heat or cool air within a building or home environment for the occupant&#39;s comfort and safety. One type of previously known air handling system which has been widely utilized in home heating and in some small buildings is referred to as a heat pump. 
     A heat pump system is a closed fluid system driven by an electric powered compressor or pump. Fluid enters the compressor as a vapor and is compressed. During compression the fluid experiences an increase in pressure and temperature which is much greater than external ambient environments. The pressurized fluid then passes into a condensing coil where ambient air, less than the temperature of the vapor within the condenser, absorbs heat from the heat pump system and air outside the condensing coil is heated. During the condensing operation the internal vapor leaves as a liquid, still at a high pressure. The condensing coil is typically positioned outside of a user&#39;s home and a fan draws outside ambient air over and through the condensing heat exchanger or coil and the heated air is merely blown into the atmosphere at an elevated temperature. 
     The internal heat pump liquid then flows through an expansion valve where the liquid squirts into a relatively low pressure area. This reduction in pressure results in the liquid turning into a vapor and absorbing considerable heat in accordance with the physical laws of the latent heat of vaporization. A liquid vapor mixture then flows through another heat exchanger called an evaporator or cooling coil and heat from the indoor air is drawn into the cooler heat exchanger or cooling coil and thus into the heat pump system. A blower or fan then delivers the cooled inside air back into the interior of a home or building environment via air ducts. 
     Although heat pump air conditioning and handling systems are used to deliver, cool and condition indoor air flow, most homes and small offices have considerable air leakage around doors, windows fire places, etc. Since by a basis law of nature heat will flow from a hot body to a cooler body outside air, at an elevated temperature, continually moves into the interior of an air conditioned home environment. This flow brings air born dust, pollen, spores and the like into the home. In addition, in certain soil strata radon gas migrates into below-ground rooms of a home or small building. It would be highly desirable to provide a heat pump system that might obviate or minimize air born contaminants and gases entering into a home environment. Still further, it would be highly desirable to provide a heat pump system where noise pollution from operation of the system could be minimized. 
     The difficulties and limitations suggested in the preceding are not intended to be exhaustive, but rather are among many which demonstrate that although significant attention and energy have been devoted to improving features of heat pumps for decades, the features associated with the design and operation of heat pumps appearing in the past will admit to worthwhile improvement. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     It is, therefore, a general object of the invention to provide a novel positive pressure heat pump system and method that will obviate or minimize problems of the type previously described. 
     It is a specific object of the invention to provide an energy efficient positive pressure heat pump system and method. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a novel positive pressure heat pump method and system that will eliminate or minimize outdoor noise during operation. 
     It is yet another object of the invention to provide a novel positive pressure heat pump system and method that will provide an enhanced, healthful, home living environment. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel positive pressure heat pump system and method that will reduce a tendency of air born dust, pollen and/or spores from entering a living environment. 
     It is a related object of the invention to provide a novel method and system for reducing the rate at which radon gas may enter a home living enclosure. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a novel positive pressure heat pump system and method which is operable to efficiently remove air born contaminants from an interior living environment. 
     It is still another object of the invention to provide a novel heat pump system and method that is compact and entirely contained with the interior space of a living environment. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION 
     A preferred embodiment of the invention, which is intended to accomplish at least some of the foregoing objects, includes a system and method wherein a positive pressure heat pump is fashioned within an enclosed cabinet operable to be positioned, compactly, and entirely within a building or home environment. The cabinet is divided in two distinct sections, an outdoor blower section and an indoor blower section. The outdoor blower section includes an inlet port operable to receive outdoor air flow form an outdoor environment and an exit port to expel the outdoor air flow. Interiorly, the outdoor blower section includes a condensing coil, a compressor and a radial vane, outdoor air blower. The indoor blower section includes an interior air return port and an indoor duct, air exit port. The indoor blower section houses an air filter, a cooling coil and an indoor radial vane, indoor air blower. A variable diverting plate is positioned downstream of the outdoor blower section compressor and the radial vane positive pressure air blower. Outdoor air is thereby selectively diverted, at an elevated pressure and temperature, from the outdoor air section to a position in front of the indoor blower section filter and cooling coil so that pressurized air is added to the interior environment of the system and maintains an interior environment of a home or building to maintain an interior positive pressure with respect to a surrounding ambient environment. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic, axonometric view of a two story home, broken away to disclose interior detail, which depicts an operative environment of the subject positive pressure heat pump system and method; 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of outdoor air flow and indoor air flow paths in accordance with the subject positive pressure heat pump system and method; 
     FIG. 3 is a side view, broken away to disclose interior detail, of a heat pump cabinet in accordance with the invention disclosing a lower outdoor air blower section and an upper indoor air blower section; 
     FIG. 4 is another side view, again broken away to disclose interior detail, that is a ninety degree perspective with respect to the view depicted in FIG. 3; and 
     FIG. 5 (note again sheet 2) is a schematic illustration of a variable pressure diverting plate and adjustment mechanism to selectively vary the angle of the air diverting plate and thus the amount of positive pressure outdoor air diverted from a lower, outdoor air blower section into the upper, interior air blower section for filtering, cooling and blowing into the living environment. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Context of the Invention 
     Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals indicate like parts, FIG. 1 illustrates one presently preferred operating context of the invention. 
     One preferred operative context of the subject positive pressure heat pump system and method is a home environment such as schematically depicted in FIG. 1. A specific home design that is suited top utilize the subject invention is disclosed in applicant&#39;s prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,487. The disclosure of this patent is incorporated by reference as though set forth at length. Briefly, however, and with reference to FIG. 1, a two-story home  10  is disclosed having at least a partially below-grade first floor  12  and an upper floor  14 . In a preferred form an upper, outer wall surface  16  is separated from an inner wall surface  18  by a distance of 8″ to 12″ and is filled insulation  20 . AT a lower level  12 , a cinder block wall  22  is built up from a concrete floor  24 . Insulation  26  is positioned outside of the cinder block and is finished with an outer wall surface  28 . 
     The second floor  14  has floor surface  30 , a ceiling  32  and a conventional shingle roof  34 . The house depicted in FIG. 1 has a conventional brick and block fireplace  36  on the upper floor  14  and a similar fireplace  38  on the lower floor  12 . A single chimney  40  serves both units and dampers open from the fireplace well into open flue liners. The house has a complement of windows  42  on the upper level and half windows  44  on the lower level. The house further has one or more doors  46 . Fireplaces, windows, doors, etc. of the house permit air to seep into the house and carry in house dust, pollen, spores and other contaminants. In addition, a house, as described above, is also subject to receiving radon gas, a known carcinogen, which collects at subterranean levels in the basement or first floor  12 . The subject invention is a positive pressure heat pump unit  50  that is operably positioned completely within the house  10 . In this, the heat pump unit  50  has an outdoor air inlet  52  and exit  54 . These apertures, covered by grates, and ducts  56  and  58  provide an outside air in and out flow path, respectively. The flow of outside air is in the direction of arrow “A” and the exit is in the direction of arrow “B”. 
     Within the interior of the house, an indoor air inlet  56  admits and returns indoor air into the heat pump  50  in the direction of arrow “C”. Conditioned and filtered air is blown out of the top of the heat pump unit  50  via an exit duct  60  and into distribution ducts  62  and  64  which serve to distribute pressurized and conditioned air throughout the house. 
     Positive Pressure Heat Pump System 
     Turning now to FIG. 2, on sheet 2, there is a schematic diagram of components comprising a preferred embodiment of the subject invention. Within a heat pump cabinet  50 , note again FIG. 1, outside air flows in the direction arrows  68 , through a condensing heat exchanger  70  and into a radial vane outside air pump  72 . The outside air is heated as it passes through the condenser  70  and is pressurized by the air pump  72 . Most of the heated outside air is then blown in the direction of arrow  74  back into the ambient atmosphere. 
     A lower outdoor air blower section  76  is separated from an upper indoor air blower section  78  by a dividing wall  80  within the interior of the heat pump cabinet  50 . 
     Return indoor air, represented by arrows  82 , is drawn through a filter  84  and a cooling heat exchanger  86  by another radial vane pump  88 . The filtered and cooled indoor air is returned to the house environment in the direction of flow arrows  90 . 
     In order to increase the air pressure within the indoor system an aperture  92  is cut through the wall  80  and a variable angle diverter plate  94  serves to channel a portion of the heated and pressurized outside air downstream of the blower  72  in the direction of arrow  96 . The heated and pressurized outdoor air is then filtered and chilled before it is introduced by the blower  88  into the indoor environment of the house. This added pressurized air serves to increase the indoor air pressure above the outdoor ambient air pressure and create a positive pressure interior environment. The degree of positive pressure depends on the number of sources of air leakage for a particular house and the volume of outside air diverted into the indoor air system. 
     FIGS. 3 and 4 disclose broken away side views of the heat pump of a preferred embodiment of the invention. The heat pump cabinet  50  is separated by a dividing wall  80  into a lower outdoor air blower section  98  and an upper indoor air blower section  100 . 
     The lower outdoor air blower section houses a compressor  102  for the heat pump system. Outdoor air is drawn into the lower section  98  by a radial vane blower  72 . When the outdoor air is drawn in the direction of arrows “A” into the heat pump system, it first passes through and over the coils of heat exchange  70 . During this inflow the outside air is heated by the condensing coil  70 . The heated outside air then is drawn into the radial vane blower  72  and out of the heat pump in the direction of arrows “B”. 
     The upper, indoor air, blower section  100  includes an air filter  84  and a cooling coil  86  and a radial vane blower  88 . Indoor return air enters the upper section  100  in the direction of arrows “C” and is filtered, cooled, and exits in the direction of arrows “D”. 
     An aperture  92  is fashioned through the dividing wall  80  and a variable angle diverting plate  94  deflects heated and pressurized outdoor air downstream of the blower  72  and into a plenum chamber  104 . The heated and pressurized outdoor air travels through the plenum  104  and exits in the direction of arrows  106  upstream of the air filter  84  in the upper chamber  100 . 
     Turning now to FIG. 5, note again sheet 2, it will be seen that the diverting plate  94  is pivotally mounted adjacent the aperture  92 . Angular motion of the diverting plate  94  can be controlled by a number of mechanical linkages. One system includes a rod  108  that is threaded through a mounting  110  and terminates with an adjustment knob  112 . 
     In operation, the angle of the diverting plate  94  is regulated for an individual house or building by rotation of the control  112 . Heated and pressurized outdoor air is then delivered into the plenum chamber  104  and diverted to a position in the indoor air blower section  100  upstream of the filter  84  and cooling coil  86  for delivery into the interior of the house or enclosure for maintaining a positive pressure within the enclosure. 
     SUMMARY OF MAJOR ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION 
     The inventive positive pressure variable, heat pump provides advantages previously not known in connection with heat pump and other air handling units. In particular, the instant invention uses heated outside air, downstream from a condensing coil, and pressurizes the heated air by a radial vane exhaust blower. A variable, positive pressure, diverting plate, is introduced into the exhaust stream and diverts a portion of the heated exhaust to either increase or decrease the amount of pressure within a building or home structure. The unit generates the pressurized exhaust by using a radial vane, outdoor air blower to pull outside air through a condensing coil where the air is heated and then pressurized by the blower. In turn, an inside air blower receives both diverted pressurized exhaust and re-circulating indoor air which are both cooled by a cooling coil of the heat pump. This results in re-circulating indoor air that is pressurized higher than atmospheric pressure. This positive pressure air environment restricts pollutants from entering the building. 
     The present invention offers several major advantages over previous heat pump units. In particular, the novelty of the present positive pressure (variable), heat pump invention lies in the variable positive pressure diverting plate, wherein the diverting plate utilizes pressurized exhaust outside air to regulate the amount of pressure within a structure. The subject heat pump is self contained and the condensing unit is within the unit interior within a building, accordingly the outdoor noise associated with operation of an outdoor condenser is eliminated. 
     The indoor positive pressure created by the subject heat pump system and method reduces the tendency of air born dust, pollen and spores from entering a building environment through windows, doors, fireplaces, etc. Similarly, the interior positive pressure provided by the subject heat pump system and method reduces the tendency of radon gas to enter into the building atmosphere. 
     In describing the invention, reference has been made to preferred embodiments and illustrative advantages of the invention. Those skilled in the art, however, and familiar with the instant disclosure of the subject invention, may also recognize other additions, deletions, modifications, substitutions and/or other changes which will fall within the purview of the subject invention and claims.