Energy recovery wheel assembly for an HVAC system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11041679-B2
Application number	US-201916259904-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2019
Priority date	Jan 21, 2019
Publication date	Jun 22, 2021
Grant date	Jun 22, 2021

Abstract

An energy recovery wheel includes a frame positioned within a passage of a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system. The frame is configured to rotate about an axis of the passage relative to the HVAC system and includes an opening that is configured to transmit an air flow. The energy recovery wheel also includes a heat transfer element coupled to the frame and positioned within the opening, where the heat transfer element is permeable and configured to transition between a closed orientation to occlude the opening and direct the air flow across the heat transfer element and an open orientation to substantially unblock the opening and mitigate interaction between the air flow and the heat transfer element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An energy recovery wheel for a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
a frame positioned within a passage of the HVAC system and configured to rotate about an axis of the passage relative to the HVAC system, wherein the frame includes an opening configured to transmit an air flow; and
a heat transfer element coupled to the frame and positioned within the opening, wherein the heat transfer element is permeable and configured to transition between a closed orientation to occlude the opening and direct the air flow across the heat transfer element and an open orientation to expose the opening and mitigate interaction between the air flow and the heat transfer element.

2. The energy recovery wheel of claim 1 , wherein permeable end surfaces of the heat transfer element are oriented crosswise to a direction of the air flow through the opening in the closed orientation.

3. The energy recovery wheel of claim 1 , wherein permeable end surfaces of the heat transfer element extend along a direction of the air flow through the opening in the open orientation.

4. The energy recovery wheel of claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer element is configured to pivot, between the closed orientation and the open orientation, about an additional axis that extends generally orthogonal to the axis of the passage.

5. The energy recovery wheel of claim 1 , comprising a guide ring coupled to the frame and configured to rotate about the axis relative to the frame, wherein the guide ring is configured to engage with the heat transfer element via a pin, and wherein rotational motion of the guide ring relative to the frame is configured to transition the heat transfer element between the closed orientation and the open orientation.

6. The energy recovery wheel of claim 5 , comprising an actuator configured to drive the rotational motion of the guide ring.

7. The energy recovery wheel of claim 6 , wherein the actuator is coupled to the frame.

8. The energy recovery wheel of claim 6 , wherein the passage is defined within a shroud of the HVAC system, and wherein the actuator is coupled to the shroud.

9. The energy recovery wheel of claim 1 , wherein the frame includes an inner hub and an outer ring disposed concentrically about the inner hub, wherein the heat transfer element extends between the outer ring and the inner hub and is pivotably coupled to the outer ring and the inner hub via a pair of pins.

10. An energy recovery wheel for a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
an inner frame disposed in an air flow path of the HVAC system and rotatable with respect to the HVAC system;
a plurality of dividers extending from the inner frame and positioned within the air flow path; and
a plurality of matrix segments configured to transfer heat and moisture between air flows, wherein each matrix segment of the plurality of matrix segments is mounted between a pair of dividers of the plurality of dividers, such that each matrix segment is configured to pivot relative to the inner frame.

11. The energy recovery wheel of claim 10 , wherein each matrix segment of the plurality of matrix segments is configured to occlude the air flow path in a respective closed position of the respective matrix segment and unblock the air flow path in a respective open position of the respective matrix segment.

12. The energy recovery wheel of claim 10 , comprising a central hub, wherein the inner frame includes an outer rim disposed about the central hub, and wherein the plurality of dividers are a plurality of spokes extending from the outer rim to the central hub.

13. The energy recovery wheel of claim 12 , wherein the central hub, the outer rim, and the plurality of spokes cooperatively define a plurality of receptacles, wherein each matrix segment of the plurality of matrix segments is configured to pivotably engage with a respective receptacle of the plurality of receptacles.

14. The energy recovery wheel of claim 13 , wherein each matrix segment of the plurality of matrix segments is pivotably mounted within the respective receptacle of the plurality of receptacles via a pin extending between the respective matrix segment and the central hub.

15. The energy recovery wheel of claim 10 , comprising an actuator configured to drive rotation of the inner frame within the air flow path of the HVAC system.

16. The energy recovery wheel of claim 10 , wherein each matrix segment of the plurality of matrix segments has a pie-shaped perimeter.

17. An energy recovery wheel for a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
a frame disposed within a passage of the HVAC system and rotatable about an axis of the passage relative to the HVAC system, wherein the frame includes a central hub, an outer ring disposed about the central hub, and a plurality of spokes extending between the central hub and the outer ring to form an opening therebetween; and
a matrix segment pivotably coupled to the frame and mounted within the opening, wherein the matrix segment is permeable and configured rotate relative to the frame between a closed configuration to occlude the opening and an open orientation to expose the opening.

18. The energy recovery wheel of claim 17 , wherein the matrix segment is pivotably coupled to the frame via a plurality of pins.

19. The energy recovery wheel of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of pins includes an outer pin configured to pivotably couple the matrix segment to the outer ring and an inner pin configured to pivotably couple the matrix segment to the central hub, such that the matrix segment is configured to rotate relative to the frame about an additional axis extending through the outer pin and the inner pin.

20. The energy recovery wheel of claim 19 , wherein the energy recovery wheel includes a guide ring rotatably coupled to the frame and configured to rotate about the axis relative to the frame, wherein the guide ring includes a slot formed therein, and wherein the slot is configured to engage with a tracing peg of the outer pin, such that rotation of the guide ring about the axis drives rotation of the matrix segment about the additional axis via sliding engagement between the tracing peg and the slot.

21. The energy recovery wheel of claim 19 , wherein the additional axis extends generally orthogonal to the axis of the passage.

22. The energy recovery wheel of claim 17 , wherein the matrix segment is positioned within the passage in the closed configuration, and wherein the matrix segment protrudes axially from the passage in the open configuration relative to the axis of the passage.

23. The energy recovery wheel of claim 17 , wherein the matrix segment extends radially from the central hub to the outer ring relative to the axis of the passage.

24. The energy recovery wheel of claim 17 , wherein the energy recovery wheel includes a first actuator configured to drive rotation of the frame about the axis and includes a second actuator configured to drive rotation of the matrix segment relative to the frame about an additional axis that extends generally orthogonal to the axis of the passage.

25. The energy recovery wheel of claim 24 , wherein the passage is defined within a shroud of the HVAC system, wherein the first actuator is coupled to the shroud, and the second actuator is coupled to the shroud or to the frame.

Assignees

• Johnson Controls Tech Co

Inventors

• Ramanujam Sriram
• Kadam Shashank B
• Garg Karan
• Sethuraj Rammohan

Classifications

• F28D19/044 Primary

  shaped in sector form, e.g. with baskets · CPC title

• F24F2203/108

  comprising rotor parts shaped in sector form · CPC title

• F24F2203/104

  Heat exchanger wheel · CPC title

• F24F2203/1012

  Details of the casing or cover · CPC title