Bypass humidifier with damper control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9404666-B2
Application number	US-56571609-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2009
Priority date	Sep 23, 2009
Publication date	Aug 2, 2016
Grant date	Aug 2, 2016

Abstract

An improved humidifier system for adding humidity to an air stream of an HVAC system. The humidifier system includes an air path that is configured to accept air from a first HVAC duct and return air to a second HVAC duct. A damper is disposed in the air path to selectively substantially block the flow of air in the air path, or to substantially not block the flow of air in the air path. In some cases, the damper may be a motorized damper, and the humidifier system may include a controller that is configured to cause the motorized damper to not substantially block the flow of air in the air path during a call for humidifier operation, and to substantially block the flow of air in the air path after the call for humidifier operation ends. Alternatively, the damper may be manually actuated, and an HVAC controller may be configured to notify when the damper should be moved (e.g. between seasons).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A humidifier system for adding humidity to an air stream of an HVAC system, the humidifier system comprising:
an air path configured to transport air from a first HVAC duct and return air to a second HVAC duct;
a humidifier comprising:
a housing that defines at least part of the air path, the housing defining an inlet port and an outlet port, wherein the inlet port is configured to be fluidly connected to the first HVAC duct and the outlet port is configured to be fluidly connected to the second HVAC duct;
a humidifier pad disposed within the housing fluidly between the inlet port and the outlet port such that at least some of the transported air in the air path flows through the humidifier pad;
the housing having a front, a back, a top, a bottom and two lateral sides, wherein the inlet port is in the back of the housing and the outlet port is in one of the two lateral sides of the housing, the front of the housing including a bypass duct member that defines at least part of the air path and extends laterally across the front of the housing from the outlet port, and wherein the housing has a removable cover in each of one or more of the two lateral sides of the housing to reveal one or more access apertures while the bypass duct member of the housing remains stationary, such that the humidifier pad is replaceable through the one or more access apertures in one or more of the two lateral sides of the housing while the bypass duct member of the housing remains stationary, and wherein each of the two lateral sides of the housing comprises a corresponding side panel that remains stationary while the humidifier pad is replaceable through the one or more access apertures, and wherein the removable cover in each of one or more of the two lateral sides of the housing is configured to substantially cover an opening in the corresponding lateral side of the housing not covered by the corresponding side panel;
a damper disposed in the housing and configured to selectively substantially block the flow of air in the air path or to substantially not block the flow of air in the air path; and
a controller configured to cause the damper to substantially not block the flow of air in the air path when a call for humidifier operation is present and to substantially block the flow of air in the air path after the call for humidifier operation ends.

2. The humidifier system of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor to detect a position of the damper.

3. The humidifier system of claim 1 , wherein the first HVAC duct is a supply duct and the second HVAC duct is a return duct of a residential or commercial building forced-air HVAC system.

4. The humidifier system of claim 1 , wherein a call for humidifier operation further includes a call for heat.

5. The humidifier system of claim 1 , wherein the controller causes the damper to substantially not block the flow of air in the air path for a time interval after the call for humidifier operation has ended.

6. The humidifier system of claim 1 , wherein the damper includes an electric motor for moving the damper between a closed position that substantially blocks the flow of air in the air path and an open position that does not substantially block the flow of air in the air path, wherein the electric motor is controlled by the controller.

7. The humidifier system of claim 6 , wherein the electric motor moves the damper from the open position to the closed position, and from the closed position to the open position.

8. The humidifier system of claim 6 , wherein the electric motor moves the damper from the open position to the closed position, and a bias mechanism moves the damper from the closed position to the open position.

9. The humidifier system of claim 8 , wherein the bias mechanism includes a spring.

10. The humidifier system of claim 6 , wherein the electric motor moves the damper from the closed position to the open position, and a bias mechanism moves the damper from the open position to the closed position.

11. The humidifier system of claim 10 , wherein the bias mechanism includes a spring.

12. The humidifier system of claim 1 , wherein the damper includes a single acting solenoid with a return spring for moving the damper between a closed position that substantially blocks the flow of air in the air path and an open position that does not substantially block the flow of air in the air path, wherein the single acting solenoid is controlled by the controller.

13. The humidifier system of claim 1 , wherein the damper includes a double acting solenoid for moving the damper between a closed position that substantially blocks the flow of air in the air path and an open position that does not substantially block the flow of air in the air path, wherein the double acting solenoid is controlled by the controller.

14. The humidifier system of claim 1 , wherein the damper includes a wax motor linear actuator with a spring return for moving the damper between a closed position that substantially blocks the flow of air in the air path and an open position that does not substantially block the flow of air in the air path, wherein the wax motor linear actuator is controlled by the controller.

15. A method for humidifying air in an air stream with a bypass humidifier having a housing that defines at least part of a bypass air path, the housing defining an inlet port and an outlet port, wherein the inlet port is configured to be connected to a first duct and the outlet port is configured to be connected to a second duct, wherein the bypass air path extends from the first duct to the second duct through the housing, the humidifier also having a humidifier pad disposed within the housing fluidly between the inlet port and the outlet port such that at least some of the bypass air flowing in the bypass air path flows through the humidifier pad, the housing having a front, a back, a top, a bottom and two lateral sides defined at least in part by two lateral side panels, wherein the inlet port is in the back of the housing and the outlet port is in one of the two lateral sides of the housing, and wherein the housing has one or more removable covers disposed within openings in one or more of the two lateral side panels of the housing to reveal access apertures such that the humidifier pad is replaceable through the access apertures in one or more of the two lateral side panels of the housing while the front side of the housing remains stationary, the humidifier further having a damper in the housing that is configured to selectively block or allow the flow of bypass air through the bypass air path, the method comprising the steps of:
having the damper open to allow the flow of bypass air in the bypass air path when an air handler is active and when a call for humidity is present;
having the damper closed to block the flow of bypass air in the bypass air path when the call for humidity is not present;
removing one or more of the removable covers in one or more of the two lateral side panels of the housing to reveal one or more access apertures while at least part of the front side of the housing remains stationary;
replacing the humidifier pad through the one or more revealed access apertures in one or more of the two lateral side panels of the housing while at least part of the front side of the housing remains stationary; and
replacing the one or more of the removable covers in one or more of the two lateral side panels of the housing.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the damper begins to close after a time interval following the expiration of the call for humidi

Assignees

• Terlson Brad
• Quam David
• Goh Christopher
• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Terlson Brad
• Quam David
• Goh Christopher

Classifications

• Y10S261/15

  Duct humidifiers · CPC title

• F24F6/043 Primary

  with self-sucking action, e.g. wicks · CPC title

• F24F6/04 Primary

  using stationary unheated wet elements · CPC title

• F24F2110/20

  Humidity · CPC title

• F24F11/0008 Primary

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