Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system economizers having sliding doors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11859837-B2
Application number	US-202117343853-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2021
Priority date	Jun 10, 2021
Publication date	Jan 2, 2024
Grant date	Jan 2, 2024

Abstract

The disclosed technology includes devices and systems for an economizer of a heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. The disclosed technology can include an economizer for an HVAC system comprising a housing, an air inlet extending through a wall of the housing, a sliding door configured to transition between a closed position and an open position, and a controller configured to cause the sliding door to transition between the closed position and the open position based on temperature data. The sliding door can comprise a first portion forming a barrier and a second portion comprising at least one aperture. In the closed position, the first portion can align with the air inlet and substantially prevent ambient air from moving through the air inlet. In the open position, the second portion can align with the air inlet and permit the ambient air to move through the air inlet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An economizer for a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the economizer comprising:
a housing;
an air inlet extending through a wall of the housing;
a sliding door configured to transition between a closed position and an open position, the sliding door comprising:
a first portion forming a barrier, and a second portion comprising at least one aperture, wherein when the sliding door is in the closed position: (i) the first portion is aligned with the air inlet in a vertical orientation and configured to substantially prevent ambient air from moving through the air inlet, and (ii) the second portion is disposed in a first non-vertical orientation; and
wherein when the sliding door is in the open position (i) the second portion is aligned with the air inlet in the vertical orientation and configured to permit the ambient air to move through the air inlet via the at least one aperture, and (ii) the first portion is disposed in a second non-vertical orientation; and

a controller in communication with a temperature sensor of the HVAC system, the controller being configured to:
receive temperature data from the temperature sensor, the temperature data being indicative of a temperature of ambient air;
in response to determining that the temperature of the ambient air is within a predetermined temperature range, output a first control signal to transition the sliding door to the open position; and
in response to determining that the temperature of the ambient air is not within the predetermined temperature range, output a second control signal to transition the sliding door to the closed position.

2. The economizer of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
receive humidity data from a humidity sensor of the HVAC system, the humidity data being indicative of a humidity of ambient air;
in response to determining that the humidity of the ambient air is within a predetermined humidity range, output a third control signal to transition the sliding door to the open position; and
in response to determining that the humidity of the ambient air is not within the predetermined humidity range, output a fourth control signal to transition the sliding door to the closed position.

3. The economizer of claim 1 , further comprising a motor configured to transition the sliding door between the closed position and the open position.

4. The economizer of claim 1 , wherein the first portion comprises a plurality of panels configured to align to create a seal and prevent airflow.

5. The economizer of claim 4 , wherein the sliding door further comprises a plurality of sealing elements affixed to the plurality of panels such that, when the plurality of panels are planarly aligned, the plurality of sealing elements create a seal between adjacent panels of the plurality of panels.

6. The economizer of claim 1 , wherein the second portion comprises a screen.

7. The economizer of claim 1 , wherein the second portion comprises a plurality of louvers.

8. The economizer of claim 1 , wherein the second portion comprises a plurality of panels, wherein each of the plurality of panels are spaced apart from each other such that the plurality of panels permits the ambient air to be drawn into the housing.

9. The economizer of claim 1 further comprising a barometric relief damper configured to permit at least a portion of return air to exit the housing, wherein when the sliding door is in the open position, the sliding door is configured to direct the at least a portion of the return air toward the barometric relief damper to exit the housing.

10. The economizer of claim 1 , wherein the sliding door is configured to move along a track.

11. The economizer of claim 10 , wherein the track is configured to direct the first portion of the sliding door into an airflow path of return air to at least partially obstruct the airflow path of return air when the sliding door is in the open position.

12. An HVAC system comprising:
a heat exchanger;
an air moving device configured to move air across an outer surface of the heat exchanger; and
an economizer comprising:
a housing;
an air inlet extending through a wall of the housing;
a sliding door configured to transition between a closed position and an open position, the sliding door comprising:
a first portion forming a barrier, and a second portion comprising at least one aperture, wherein when the sliding door is in the closed position: (i) the first portion is aligned with the air inlet in a vertical orientation, and (ii) the second portion is disposed in a first non-vertical orientation; and

wherein when the sliding door is in the open position (i) the second portion is aligned with the air inlet in the vertical orientation, and (ii) the first portion is disposed in a second non-vertical orientation.

13. The HVAC system of claim 12 further comprising a compressor, wherein the controller is further configured to:
output a first control signal to the compressor to cause the compressor to circulate refrigerant through the heat exchanger when the sliding door is in the closed position; and
output a second control signal to the compressor to cause the compressor to deactivate when the sliding door is in the open position.

14. The HVAC system of claim 12 further comprising a perforated plate configured to direct return air across the heat exchanger.

15. The HVAC system of claim 14 , wherein the perforated plate comprises a first portion having a first plurality of perforations having a first cumulative flow area and a second portion having a second plurality of perforations having a second cumulative flow area, the first cumulative flow area being greater than the second cumulative flow area.

16. A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system comprising:
a heat exchanger;
an air moving device configured to move air across an outer surface of the heat exchanger; and
a perforated plate configured to direct a flow of the air moved across the outer surface of the heat exchanger, the perforated plate comprising:
a first portion having a first plurality of perforations having a first cumulative flow area, and a second portion having a second plurality of perforations having a second cumulative flow area,
wherein the first cumulative flow area is greater than the second cumulative flow area and is configured to permit a greater amount of the air to pass across the outer surface of the heat exchanger than the second cumulative flow area; and

an economizer comprising a sliding door configured to be transitioned between a closed position and an open position, the sliding door comprising:
a first portion forming a barrier, and a second portion comprising at least one aperture, wherein when the sliding door is in the closed position, the first portion is aligned with an air inlet of the heat exchanger in a vertical orientation, and the second portion is disposed in a first non-vertical orientation, and
when the sliding door is in the open position, the second portion is aligned with the air inlet of the heat exchanger in the vertical orientation, and the first portion is disposed in a second non-vertical orientation.

17. The HVAC system of claim 16 further comprising:
a controller in communication with a temperature sensor of the HVAC system, the controller being configured to:
receive temperature data from the temperature sensor, the temperature data being indicative of a temperature of ambient air;
in response to determining that the temperature of the ambient air is withi

Assignees

• Rheem Mfg Co

Inventors

• Sadanandan Chitra
• Gopalnarayanan Sivakumar

Classifications

• F24F11/30 Primary

  for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring · CPC title

• F24F11/0008

  for air-humidification (F24F11/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F24F13/12

  built up of sliding members · CPC title

• F24F13/105

  composed of diaphragms or segments · CPC title

• F24F2110/10

  Temperature · CPC title