Blow Through Air Handler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016169540-A1
Application number	US-201615052292-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 24, 2016
Priority date	Jun 26, 2009
Publication date	Jun 16, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An air handling unit has an enclosure, a heat exchanger disposed within the enclosure, and a heating element substantially co-located with the heat exchanger within the enclosure. An air handling unit has a cabinet with a first air opening and a second air opening. A blower is disposed within the cabinet adjacent to the first air opening and a heat exchanger is disposed within the cabinet adjacent to an air outlet of the blower unit and also adjacent to the second air opening. At least one heating element is located adjacent the heat exchanger. A method of constructing an air handling unit includes forming an air handling enclosure, mounting a blower in the air handling enclosure, mounting a heat exchanger in the air handling enclosure downstream of the blower, and mounting at least one heating element in the air handing enclosure downstream of the blower.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of operating a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
providing an enclosure comprising a plurality of sides and having an air supply opening in one of the plurality of sides and an air return opening in another of the plurality of sides; disposing a blower within the enclosure; disposing a heat exchanger within the enclosure downstream of the blower and in the discharge airflow path of the blower, wherein the heat exchanger comprises a first section and a second section, and wherein each of the first section and the second section comprises a plurality of fins; disposing at least one electronically-powered resistive heating element substantially co-located with the heat exchanger and downstream of the heat exchanger in the discharge airflow path of the blower; providing an airflow through the enclosure via a discharge airflow path of the blower between the blower and the air supply opening in a downstream direction, the discharge airflow path having a longitudinal axis; and orienting the plurality of fins of the first section of the heat exchanger and the plurality of fins of the second section of the heat exchanger longitudinally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the discharge airflow path of the blower to stabilize the airflow exiting the heat exchanger prior to the airflow contacting the at least one electrically-powered resistive heating element.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure is a blow through air handler.

3 . The air handling unit of claim 1 , wherein the air return opening is configured in a side of the cabinet.

4 . The air handling unit of claim 1 , wherein the air return opening is disposed in a lower end of the cabinet.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a “V-frame” heat exchanger.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the at least one electrically-powered resistive heating element is at least partially disposed between the first section of the heat exchanger and the second section of the heat exchanger

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
disposing the heat exchanger and the at least one electrically-powered resistive heating element adjacent to the air supply opening.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
disposing the blower adjacent to the air return opening.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises an “A-frame” heat exchanger.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrically-powered resistive heating element is at least partially disposed between at least one of the first section of the heat exchanger and the second section of the heat exchanger and at least one of the plurality of sides of the enclosure.

11 . A method of operating a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
providing an air handling unit comprising a first air opening and a second air opening; disposing a blower unit adjacent to the first air opening, wherein the blower unit comprises an air outlet and, and wherein the blower is configured to provide an airflow via a discharge airflow path having a downstream direction that extends from the air outlet of the blower to the second air opening, the discharge airflow path having a longitudinal axis; disposing a heat exchanger comprising a first section and a second section adjacent to and downstream of the air outlet of the blower unit in the discharge airflow path of the blower unit and adjacent to the second air opening, wherein each of the first section and the second section comprise a plurality of fins; disposing at least one electrically-powered resistive heating element substantially co-located with the heat exchanger and downstream of the heat exchanger in the discharge airflow path of the blower unit, adjacent to the second air opening, and at least partially between the first section of the heat exchanger and the second section of the heat exchanger; and orienting the plurality of fins of the first section of the heat exchanger and the plurality of fins of the second section of the heat exchanger longitudinally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the discharge airflow path to stabilize an airflow exiting the heat exchanger prior to the airflow contacting the at least one electrically-powered resistive heating element.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the first air opening is configured in a side of the cabinet.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the first air opening is disposed in a lower end of the cabinet.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a “V-frame” heat exchanger.

15 . A method of constructing an air handling unit, comprising:
forming an air handling unit having an air supply opening and an air return opening; mounting a blower in the air handling unit adjacent to the air return opening, the blower being configured to provide an airflow via a discharge airflow path having a downstream direction that extends from an air outlet of the blower to the air supply opening, and the discharge airflow path having a longitudinal axis; mounting a heat exchanger in the handling unit adjacent to the air supply opening and downstream of the blower in the discharge airflow path of the blower, the heat exchanger comprising a first section and a second section adjacent to and downstream of the air outlet of the blower, and each of the first section and the second section comprising a plurality of fins; mounting at least one heating element in the air handing enclosure adjacent to the air supply opening and downstream of the heat exchanger in the discharge airflow path of the blower; and configuring the plurality of fins of the first section of the heat exchanger and the plurality of fins of the second section of the heat exchanger to stabilize an airflow exiting the heat exchanger prior to the airflow contacting the at least one electrically-powered resistive heating element by orienting the plurality of fins of the first section of the heat exchanger and the plurality of fins of the second section of the heat exchanger longitudinally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the discharge airflow path.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the air handling unit comprises an air supply section and an air return section.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein mounting the heat exchanger and the at least one heating element comprises co-locating the heat exchanger and the at least one heating element in the air supply section of the air handling enclosure.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the blower is located in the air return section of the air handling unit.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the air return opening is configured in a side of the cabinet.

20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the air return opening is disposed in a lower end of the cabinet.

Assignees

• Trane Int Inc

Inventors

• Hancock Stephen S

Classifications

• Y10T29/4935

  Heat exchanger or boiler making · CPC title

• F24H3/0411

  for domestic or space-heating systems · CPC title

• B23P19/00

  Machines for simply fitting together or separating metal parts or objects, or metal and non-metal parts, whether or not involving some deformation {(connecting metal parts or objects by metal-working procedures B21J, B23K)}; Tools or devices therefor so far as not provided for in other classes (hand tools in general B25) · CPC title

• F28B1/06

  using air or other gas as the cooling medium · CPC title

• F24H3/12

  with additional heating arrangements · CPC title