Systems for workstation-mounted radiant panels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11680717-B1
Application number	US-202117212285-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 25, 2021
Priority date	Nov 20, 2017
Publication date	Jun 20, 2023
Grant date	Jun 20, 2023

Abstract

A workstation cooling system includes a radiant panel configured to be disposed in a workstation. The workstation cooling system also includes a water supply conduit configured to provide a cooling water flow to an inlet of the radiant panel and a water return conduit configured to receive the cooling water flow from an outlet of the radiant panel. The workstation cooling system additionally includes a control valve configured to receive control signals to adjust the cooling water flow provided to the radiant panel to enable the radiant panel to absorb heat to maintain a target temperature of the workstation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A workstation cooling system, comprising:
a workstation disposed in a room and comprising a work surface and a thermostat, wherein the work surface comprises a radiant panel having a fluid return conduit, and wherein the thermostat is configured to receive user input indicating a target workstation temperature;
a control valve coupled to the radiant panel, wherein the control valve is configured to adjust a fluid flow provided to the radiant panel to enable the radiant panel to maintain the target workstation temperature;
a fluid bypass conduit coupled between the control valve and the fluid return conduit; and
a controller configured to:
operate a displacement heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system to maintain a target room temperature by adjusting air movement from a first portion of the room surrounding the workstation to a second portion of the room; and
operate the control valve to maintain the target workstation temperature indicated by the user input and received by the thermostat by increasing the fluid flow to the radiant panel or enabling the fluid flow to bypass the radiant panel via the fluid bypass conduit.

2. The workstation cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to maintain the air movement to facilitate stratification of the air within the room and reduce recirculation of contaminants within the room.

3. The workstation cooling system of claim 1 , comprising the displacement HVAC system, wherein the displacement HVAC system comprises a delivery opening configured to supply conditioned air to a first portion of the room and a return grill configured to remove return air from an second portion of the room.

4. The workstation cooling system of claim 3 , wherein the displacement HVAC system is configured to mix outside air with the return air downstream of the return grill and upstream of the delivery opening.

5. The workstation cooling system of claim 3 , wherein the displacement HVAC system comprises:
an air handler configured to receive the return air from the return grill; and
a sterilization device disposed within the air handler and configured to clean the return air before the return air is conditioned and provided to the room via the delivery opening.

6. The workstation cooling system of claim 5 , wherein the sterilization device comprises a filter configured to remove contaminants from the return air.

7. The workstation cooling system of claim 3 , wherein the first portion of the room is defined below a horizontal midline of the room, and wherein the delivery opening is disposed below the horizontal midline of the room.

8. The workstation cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises a memory storing a pre-programmed schedule, and wherein the controller is configured to operate the displacement HVAC system and the control valve according to the pre-programmed schedule.

9. The workstation cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to operate the control valve to maintain an additional target workstation temperature indicated by additional user input and received by the thermostat by decreasing the fluid flow to the radiant panel or enabling the fluid flow to avoid the fluid bypass conduit.

10. A cooling system, comprising:
a displacement heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system configured to supply conditioned air to a first portion of a room and remove return air from a second portion of the room;
a radiant panel having a fluid return conduit and configured to be disposed in a workstation within the room, wherein the workstation comprises a thermostat configured to receive user input indicating a target workstation temperature;
a control valve or pump coupled to the radiant panel, wherein the control valve is configured to manage fluid flow through the radiant panel to adjust transfer of radiant energy between the radiant panel and the workstation to maintain the target workstation temperature;
a fluid bypass conduit coupled between the control valve and the fluid return conduit; and
a controller configured to:
operate the displacement HVAC system to maintain a target room temperature by adjusting air movement from the first portion of the room to the second portion of the room; and
operate the control valve to maintain the target workstation temperature indicated by the user input and received by the thermostat by increasing the fluid flow to the radiant panel or enabling the fluid flow to bypass the radiant panel via the fluid bypass conduit.

11. The cooling system of claim 10 , wherein the displacement HVAC system comprises:
a delivery opening configured to supply the conditioned air to the room; and
a return grill configured to remove the return air from the room.

12. The cooling system of claim 10 , wherein the displacement HVAC system comprises a sterilization device configured to clean outside air before the outside air is conditioned into the conditioned air and supplied to the room.

13. The cooling system of claim 10 , comprising a temperature sensor disposed at the workstation, wherein the controller is configured to:
receive sensor signals indicative of a current temperature of the workstation from the temperature sensor; and
maintain the current temperature of the workstation within a threshold from the target workstation temperature.

14. The cooling system of claim 10 , comprising:
a plurality of radiant panels that comprises the radiant panel; and
a plurality of workstations that comprises the workstation, wherein the plurality of radiant panels are configured to be disposed in the plurality of workstations.

15. The cooling system of claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to activate a compressor and a blower of the displacement HVAC system to supply the conditioned air to the first portion of the room in response to determining that a threshold quantity of the plurality of workstations is not within a predefined threshold from a respective target workstation temperature.

16. The cooling system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to operate the control valve to maintain an additional target workstation temperature indicated by additional user input and received by the thermostat by decreasing the fluid flow to the radiant panel or enabling the fluid flow to avoid the fluid bypass conduit.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions configured to, when executed, cause at least one processor to:
provide first control signals to a displacement heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system configured to maintain a target room temperature by supplying conditioned air to a first portion of the room and remove return air from a second portion of the room; and
provide second control signals to a control valve to cause a fluid flow to bypass a radiant panel disposed in a workstation via a fluid bypass conduit in response to user input received by a thermostat of the workstation to increase a target workstation temperature.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the computer-executable instructions are configured to cause the at least one processor to provide the second control signals to the control valve to cause the fluid flow to avoid the fluid bypass conduit in response to additional user input received by the thermostat of the workstation to decrease the target workstation temperature.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of cla

Assignees

• Usaa

Inventors

• Weems John Andrew

Classifications

• F24F5/0003

  Exclusively-fluid systems · CPC title

• F24F3/08 Primary

  with separate supply and return lines for hot and cold heat-exchange fluids {i.e. so-called "4-conduit" system} · CPC title

• F24F2005/0025

  using heat exchange fluid storage tanks · CPC title

• F25D17/02

  for circulating liquids, e.g. brine · CPC title

• F25B23/003

  using selective radiation effect · CPC title