DE9218368U1 - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

HANSA Ventilators and Mechanical Engineering
NEUMANN GmbH & Co. KG
PO Box 11 20

26680 Saterland

Air conditioner

B e s h e r i v i b

The invention relates to an air conditioning device according to the preamble of claim 1.

For the air conditioning of rooms with high internal heat loads, which are caused for example by electronic data processing systems, telephone exchanges and similar heat sources, air conditioning units are essential in order to ensure that these systems are operational. Since such systems must be operated without interruption, particularly high demands are placed on the cost-effectiveness, quality and operational reliability of the air conditioning units.

To ensure uninterrupted air conditioning, i.e. in particular to dissipate heat from the heat loads caused by electronic data processing systems, telephone exchanges and the like, the air conditioning units are designed to be redundant, i.e. additional redundant units are installed which are in constant operational readiness and which, in the event of failure of a corresponding unit or in the event of malfunctions in the operating unit, are automatically switched on.

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The control and regulation system is put into operation. To ensure even utilization, the main and redundant devices are operated alternately, so that the device that is not in operation serves as a redundant device and is kept in standby mode.

In known, redundant air conditioning units, the entire system is designed twice, i.e. all inlet and outlet openings of the unit are provided twice, as are the air conditioning equipment such as fans, filters, condensers, evaporators, compressors and possibly heat pipes. However, this separation between the operating unit and the redundant unit, which are put into operation alternately while the other unit ensures operational readiness, requires a considerable amount of space to set up the units.

The installation of redundant devices is therefore only possible without problems in buildings that offer sufficient space for doubling the installed capacity of the air conditioning unit in order to accommodate all the components and units. In many cases, however, only the installation of an air conditioning unit with a specified capacity and thus a specified volume is possible, but the installation of a redundant device fails due to the limited space, so that structural measures are required to create the redundancy that is absolutely necessary for the operational reliability of the systems to be air-conditioned, which leads to a significant increase in the cost of such facilities.

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Because air conditioning units are operated all year round, considerable demands are still placed on the economic efficiency of these units, i.e. the aim is to use free cooling in addition to mechanical cooling devices (condensers, evaporators, heat pipes) to reduce energy consumption while ensuring that rooms are air-conditioned at the most constant temperature and humidity possible, provided that external conditions permit this.

If a fault is not caused by the air conditioning unit itself but by a failure of the power grid, such buildings usually have emergency power systems installed that ensure an emergency power supply for a limited period of time in autonomous operation. However, such emergency power systems require extremely high investment costs for a case that occurs extremely rarely when there is a secure power supply.

In addition, power supply devices in the form of batteries are installed in such buildings, but in the event of a fault these are only used for the electronic data processing system or telephone exchange system itself. However, it is not possible to use the energy stored in the batteries for emergency operation of air conditioning units, as fans or air conditioning units with direct current and/or with a voltage that differs from the usual mains voltage of 220/380 volts are not commercially available and cannot be switched over.

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The object of the present invention is to create an air conditioning unit of the type mentioned at the beginning which ensures the highest level of operational reliability, has a minimum space requirement and can be operated all year round with the greatest possible economy.

This object is achieved according to the invention by the characterizing feature of claim 1.

The solution according to the invention enables an extremely space-saving arrangement by dividing the housing of the air conditioning unit into a core area and at least one additional area, while ensuring the highest level of operational reliability through the use of redundant fans, as well as optimal operation of the air conditioning unit all year round and thus maximum economic efficiency.

The claimed concept and design of the air conditioning unit allows a compact construction, since all elements of the air conditioning unit are provided in the core area of the air conditioning unit housing, such as exhaust and exhaust air fans, filter devices, mechanical cooling devices and their parts such as evaporator, condenser and compressor, as well as a heat pipe and the control, regulating and display devices as well as connection and safety devices, if applicable, while the redundancy and/or bypass air flows are guided in at least one additional area adjacent to the core area. This can be achieved by arranging redundancy fans, in particular installed horizontally, or by combining air flows generated by main and redundancy fans arranged in the core area in

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a collecting channel formed in the additional area, which is connected to a corresponding outlet opening.

In addition, the creation of several bypass flow paths achieves maximum efficiency by bypassing the mechanical cooling devices using free cooling, resulting in lower air resistance, which increases air flow while simultaneously reducing energy costs for the mechanical cooling devices. At the same time, the use of free cooling enables a further increase in operational reliability, since in the event of a failure of the mechanical cooling devices or the supply network that feeds the air conditioning unit, if the fans are the only source of energy, the room to be air-conditioned can be air-conditioned without interruption, even over a longer period of time, with an increased air flow if necessary.

Finally, the installation of redundant fans also ensures maximum operational reliability, since in the event of a failure of one or more main fans, the redundant fan(s) can be switched over immediately, so that there is no interruption in the air conditioning of the room to be supplied.

An advantageous embodiment of the solution according to the invention is characterized in that the motors of the main and redundant fans are fed from converters whose voltage supply inputs are connected to an alternating or three-phase network and/or a direct voltage network

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and whose control inputs are connected to a control and regulating device. The converters can consist of converters with a DC intermediate circuit connected to a three-phase network or a standby power system on the one hand and the fan motors on the other hand and of inverters connected to a battery system on the one hand and the fan motors on the other hand, whereby the fan motors are alternately connected to the converters with a DC intermediate circuit and the inverters for the greatest possible safety.

This design of the solution according to the invention enables an uninterrupted power supply to the fans and mechanical cooling devices according to a graduated safety plan. In normal operation, the fans and the compressor of the mechanical cooling devices are supplied from the AC or three-phase supply network via converters with a DC intermediate circuit, whereby the speed of the fan motors can be controlled within wide limits by appropriately timing the converters. If the AC or three-phase supply network fails, it is possible to switch to an existing emergency power system, which ensures the power supply for the fans and the compressor of the mechanical cooling device.

If there is no emergency power system or if the emergency power system fails, the fans can be supplied with power from an inverter, which is connected on the input side to a battery arrangement, which is used for electronic data processing systems and telephone exchanges in the event of a fault. Automatic

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By switching the power supply to the inverter, the existing battery direct voltage of, for example, 60 volts is converted into an alternating or three-phase voltage of a suitable voltage level or frequency depending on the desired speed, so that the fans connected to it ensure the continued operation of the air conditioning unit by utilizing free cooling, since the refrigeration systems have to be switched off due to the normally low capacity of the batteries.

A further advantageous embodiment of the solution according to the invention is characterized in that the additional area(s) is/are arranged above and/or below the core area of the air conditioning unit housing.

By arranging the additional area above and/or below the core area of the air conditioning unit housing, no additional space is required to create a redundant air conditioning unit, so that even in spatial conditions that were previously only suitable for accommodating one air conditioning unit, redundancy of the air conditioning unit, which is essential for ensuring operational safety, is possible.

Since the additional areas are provided with the inlet and outlet openings of the air conditioning unit, chambers in the additional areas can optionally be used to guide air or to create bypass air flows and/or to accommodate redundant fans, preferably arranged horizontally, whereby the horizontal arrangement of the redundant fans enables the advantage of a low installation height of the redundant air conditioning unit.

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A corresponding advantageous embodiment of the solution according to the invention is characterized in that the exhaust air fan and the exhaust air redundancy fan are arranged in a chamber connected to the exhaust air opening and are connected via flaps arranged on the pressure side to a first exhaust air chamber, which is connected via a condenser to a second exhaust air chamber, that both exhaust air chambers are connected via a flap to an exhaust air opening, that the second exhaust air chamber is connected via a first bypass flap to an outside air chamber connected to the outside air opening, that the supply air fan and the supply air redundancy fan are arranged in a chamber with the filter and the evaporator, with a second bypass flap leading to the outside air chamber between the supply air fan and the supply air redundancy fan on the one hand and the filter and evaporator on the other, and that flaps arranged on the pressure side of the supply air fan and supply air redundancy fan are connected to an additional area having the supply air opening.

The parallel arrangement of main and redundant fans ensures redundant operation of the air conditioning unit, whereby the external device configuration is maintained by including redundant fans by arranging an additional area designed as a collecting shaft for the supply air fans.

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The configuration and arrangement of the flap system also makes it possible to create a large number of flow paths within the air conditioning unit in order to ensure extremely economical operation all year round by including or bypassing at least some of the additional units of the air conditioning unit and also to ensure operation in extreme emergencies by utilizing free cooling. The flap arrangement means that the mechanical cooling devices and the filter can be bypassed if necessary, but on the other hand an exhaust air flow can be mixed into the outside air flow to prevent the filter from icing up. Bypasses can be created in any operating mode, i.e. both in outside air operation and in recirculation and mixed operation.

A further advantageous embodiment of the solution according to the invention is characterized in that the main and redundant fans are arranged on both sides of the mechanical cooling devices.

The arrangement of the main and redundant fans on both sides of the mechanical cooling devices enables the internal air flows to be guided through the mechanical cooling devices and past the mechanical cooling devices. At the same time, the installation of the additional areas creates the possibility of providing bypass air flows that both counteract filter icing and enable the guidance of supply air flows that make use of the principle of free cooling or a mixture of outside air and exhaust air in any way.

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by including the mechanical cooling devices or by bypassing the mechanical cooling devices.

An advantageous embodiment of this solution according to the invention is characterized in that a first chamber of the core area is divided by a condenser into a first sub-chamber with the exhaust air fan and a second sub-chamber with the exhaust air redundancy fan, which are connected via their pressure-side flaps to a first additional area, of which a flap arranged on the pressure side of the exhaust air fan is arranged in the second sub-chamber behind the condenser in the flow direction, that flaps are arranged on the suction side of the supply air fan or supply air redundancy fan arranged in a chamber of the core area on both sides of an evaporator, which are connected to the first chamber and that the flaps arranged on the pressure side of the supply air fan and supply air redundancy fan are connected to a second additional area having the supply air opening, wherein the first additional area preferably has two additional chambers which are connected to one another via a second bypass flap and that the outside air opening and the exhaust air opening are each provided with a louvre flap and the filter (81) is arranged in the second chamber (132) of the core region (10).

A further advantageous embodiment of the solution according to the invention is characterized in that the redundancy fans in the two additional areas adjacent to the core area are preferably arranged horizontally.

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In this configuration of the air conditioning unit, the additional components, i.e. fans and additional chambers, are attached to the core system, whereby in normal operation only the core area is activated, while the additional fans or redundancy fans are not in operation and therefore no air flows through them, so that these additional fans represent redundancy options as "stand-by fans" in normal operation. In the event of redundancy, i.e. if one or both main fans fail, the redundancy fans can be switched on without interruption and thus ensure uninterrupted operation of the air conditioning unit. The redundancy fans can also be used in normal operation, for example to rotate the fans to ensure they are used evenly or to temporarily shut down the main fans in the event of maintenance or repairs.

Due to the arrangement and configuration of the flap system, all units can be optionally included in the internal air flow of the device or bypassed, so that optimal operation is possible by utilizing free cooling in terms of economic efficiency and safety, e.g. against filter icing. Even in extreme emergencies, i.e. in the event of a power failure or an existing emergency power system, emergency operation is possible for several hours by using the main fans or redundant fans, bypassing the mechanical cooling devices, with an increased air flow if necessary.

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Application of free cooling can be fed from a battery system and thus used for suitable heat removal from the room to be air-conditioned.

An advantageous embodiment of this solution according to the invention is characterized in that the core area has a first chamber connected to the outside air opening and the exhaust air opening; a second chamber connected to the first chamber via a second bypass flap and containing the filter; a third chamber containing the condenser and connected to the first chamber; a fourth chamber containing the evaporator and connected to the second chamber; a fifth chamber containing the exhaust air fan and connected to the third chamber and a sixth chamber containing the supply air fan and connected to the fourth chamber, with a third bypass flap arranged between the third chamber and the fourth chamber and the condenser in the third chamber and the evaporator in the fourth chamber being arranged in such a way that the exhaust air flow is guided past the condenser to the supply air fan or through the condenser to the exhaust air fan.

The configuration of the core area makes it possible to direct the exhaust air and/or outside air supplied to the air conditioning unit either past the filter and/or the mechanical cooling devices. The bypass concept designed in this way makes it possible to bypass the internal resistance caused by the filter or the mechanical cooling devices in order to enable operation using free cooling with optimum efficiency.

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A further advantageous embodiment is characterized in that the first additional area contains a first chamber connected to the outside air opening via an outside air flap; a second additional chamber connected to the exhaust air opening and to the first additional chamber via a first bypass flap; a third additional chamber containing the exhaust air redundancy fan and a fourth additional chamber connected to the exhaust air opening, that the first and second additional chambers are connected to the first chamber of the core area, that the third additional chamber of the additional area is connected to the third chamber of the core area, and that the flaps of the exhaust air fan and exhaust air redundancy fan arranged on the pressure side open into the fourth additional chamber of the additional area.

The arrangement of one of the redundancy fans in a first additional area adjacent to the core area enables redundant operation without additional space for a redundant extension of the air conditioning unit. At the same time, the division of the additional area into several chambers creates the prerequisite for any mixture of exhaust air and outside air to be possible, so that, for example, in the case of free cooling, filter icing can be effectively prevented by appropriately mixing exhaust air flows.

A further advantageous embodiment of the solution according to the invention is characterized in that the second additional area consists of a fifth additional chamber containing the supply air redundancy fan and a sixth additional chamber which is connected to the supply air opening and the pressure side of the

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exhaust air fan in the core area and the flap arranged on the pressure side of the supply air redundancy fan and that the supply air redundancy fan is connected on the suction side to the second chamber of the core area.

The arrangement of the second redundant fan in the second additional area, which is also directly adjacent to the core area and is preferably arranged below the core area, creates the prerequisite that this redundant extension of the air conditioning unit is not associated with an increase in the required footprint and that both the main fan and the additional fan are connected to the supply air opening, so that the external device configuration does not have to be changed compared to a non-redundant air conditioning unit, which in the case of existing rooms to be air-conditioned has the advantage that existing air conditioning unit configurations with corresponding air ducts do not have to be changed.

The idea underlying the invention will be explained in more detail using the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawing. They show:

Figure 1 shows a first air conditioning configuration with

an additional area adjacent to a core area and main and redundant fans arranged in parallel in a chamber;

Figure 2 a block diagram of the power supply

the fan motors;

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Figure 3

a second air conditioning unit configuration with additional areas arranged above and below a core area with fans arranged on both sides of the mechanical cooling devices;

Figures 4 to 17

schematic representations of the internal air flows at different flap positions of an air conditioning unit configuration according to Figure 3;

Figure 18

a third air conditioning unit configuration with additional areas arranged above and below a core area in which redundant fans are arranged and

Figures 19 to 32

different internal air flows depending on the flap positions of an air conditioning unit configuration as shown in Figure 18.

Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of an air conditioning unit with a redundant fan system. The air conditioning unit has a housing 1, the dimensions of which essentially correspond to a conventional air conditioning unit and the internal configuration of which has been modified in such a way that a redundant unit is created, the external air duct connections of which correspond to those of conventional units.

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The air conditioning unit shown in Figure 1 has a core area 10 and an additional area 12 arranged below the core area, which is provided with the supply air outlet 24. The core area 10 has an outside air inlet 21, two exhaust air outlets 221 and 222 and an exhaust air inlet 23, of which the outside air inlet 21 is provided with a flap 55 and the exhaust air inlets 221 and 222 are provided with flaps 561, 562, which are preferably designed as louvre flaps.

A first chamber 120 of the core area 10 is connected via the outside air flap 55 to the outside air inlet 21 and via an intermediate floor 126 to a chamber 125 that accommodates the filter 81. A second chamber 121, 122 of the core area 10 is divided by a condenser 82 into two sub-chambers 121 and 122, each of which is connected to an exhaust air outlet 221 or 222 via flaps 561, 562. The second sub-chamber 122 is connected to the first chamber 120 via a first bypass flap 571.

A third chamber 123 of the core area 10 contains an exhaust air fan 31 and an exhaust air redundant fan 32, which are arranged in parallel in this chamber. The third chamber 123 is connected to the exhaust air inlet 2 3 and to the first sub-chamber 121 via two flaps 51, 52 arranged on the pressure side of the fans 31, 32. In addition, a further bypass flap 59 is provided in the third chamber 123 of the core area 10, which leads to the fourth chamber 124, in which a supply air fan 41 and a supply air redundant fan 42 are arranged in parallel and which also contains the filter 81 and an evaporator 83.

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A fifth chamber 125 branches off from the first chamber 120, which is connected to the first chamber 120 via a second bypass flap 572. From this fifth chamber 125, another bypass flap 58 leads into the fourth chamber 124 of the core area 10, wherein the further bypass flap 58 is arranged in the intermediate floor 126 of the core area at a point that leads into the fourth chamber 124 between the fans 41, 42 and the evaporator 83.

On the pressure side of the supply air fan 41 or supply air redundant fan 42, flaps 53, 54 are arranged in the floor of the core area 10 and lead into an additional area 12, which has a supply air outlet 24 on the front or rear of the housing 1.

Figure 1 shows a schematic of the air flows that are possible when the air conditioning unit is in operation, which allow for optimal operation in terms of both operational safety and cost-effectiveness with the compact design of the air conditioning unit shown in Figure 1. Normally, one of the two exhaust air and supply air fans 31, 32 or 41, 42 arranged parallel to one another in a chamber of the core area 10 is in operation, while the other exhaust air or supply air fan is in standby mode so that it can be put into operation immediately if one fan fails in order to ensure that the air conditioning unit is ready for operation.

This mode of operation does not, of course, exclude the possibility of both fans being put into operation if necessary, i.e. in particular in the case of free cooling without involving the mechanical cooling devices.

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in order to enable an increased air flow, i.e. a high air throughput. This mode of operation is particularly conceivable if, in the event of a failure of the supply network or of a possibly existing emergency power system, the mechanical cooling devices are switched off and the fans are fed from a battery system and operation with free cooling is set up.

The outside air flow a entering the first chamber 12 0 of the core area 10 through the outside air inlet 21 and the outside air flap 55 passes through the filter 81 and evaporator 83 into the inlet of the supply air fans 41, 42 when the bypass flaps 572 and 58 are closed and from there via the flaps 53, 54 arranged on the pressure side of the supply air fans 41, 42 into the chamber formed by the additional area 12 to the supply air outlet 24. If the bypass flaps 572, 58 are opened, the outside air flow passes as a bypass flow b past the filter 81 and evaporator 83, which form a higher flow resistance, into the supply air fan chamber, so that with reduced flow resistance, outside air operation, i.e. operation with free cooling, is possible, in which the supply air flow c either passes through the Supply air fan 41 or the supply air redundant fan 42 as the air flow.

The exhaust air flow d entering the third chamber 123 of the core area 10 via the exhaust air inlet 2 3 is transferred into an air flow e or f depending on the start-up of the exhaust air fan 31 or the exhaust air redundant fan 32 and from there reaches the first sub-chamber 121 via the flaps 51, 52 arranged on the pressure side of the exhaust air fans 31, 32 and from there with the exhaust air flap open

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561 and closed exhaust air flap 562 to the exhaust air outlet 221 as exhaust air flow g, bypassing the condenser 82, while with closed exhaust air flap 561 and open exhaust air flap 562 the exhaust air flow h is directed through the condenser 82 to the exhaust air outlet 222.

When the first bypass flap 571 is open, part of the exhaust air flow reaches the first chamber 120 of the core area 10 and thus the outside air flow a, so that at low outside air temperatures, in order to avoid filter icing, part of the warm exhaust air flow is led to the outside air flow. In this operating mode, by appropriately opening or partially opening the exhaust air flaps 561, 562, operation with complete or partial switching on of the condenser 82 is possible, so that an optimized operating mode can be achieved depending on the outside air temperature and the necessary switching on of the mechanical cooling devices.

Finally, by opening the bypass flap 59, it is possible to direct part or all of the exhaust air flow d as air flow i into the fourth chamber 125 of the core area 10 to the suction side of the supply air fans 41, 42, so that a pure recirculation mode is created if necessary. Here too, by appropriately mixing air flows, a mixed mode is possible, in which the exhaust air flow d can be accompanied by an outside air flow a or b, including the filter 81 or evaporator 83.

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Figure 2 shows a block diagram to explain the power supply of the fans from a supply network, a backup power system or a battery system.

A converter 91 is connected to a 220 volt AC network or a 380 volt three-phase network with a rectifier part 911. The intermediate circuit voltage supplied by the rectifier part 911 is smoothed in a DC intermediate circuit 912 and fed to a two- or three-phase inverter part 913, depending on the design of the fan motors, whereby the inverter output voltage can be changed in its level and/or frequency by a control and regulating device 90 for controlling the speed of the fan motors by means of angle control or changing the clock frequency.

An inverter 92 is connected to a battery system with a direct current of, for example, 60 volts and has a direct current part 921 which is connected to an inverter 922 which, analogously to the inverter part 913 of the converter 91, outputs a two- or three-phase voltage to the supply air and exhaust air fans, where the preferred output voltage is a three-phase voltage of 380 volts, the frequency and voltage level of which can be varied to change the speed of the supply air and exhaust air fans.

The power supply for the supply air and exhaust air fans shown in Figure 2 can be used both in the air conditioning unit according to Figure 1 with main and redundant fans arranged in a chamber and with regard to the device configuration shown in the figures described below for

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uninterruptible power supply of the supply air and exhaust air fans from an AC and three-phase supply network, a backup power system or a battery system can be used.

Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of an air conditioning unit with a core area 10 and additional areas 11, 12 arranged above and below the core area 10 with additional chambers that allow different operating modes involving a redundant fan system in the core area 10 of the air conditioning unit.

The core area 10 of the air conditioning unit shown in Figure 3 has exhaust air fans 31, 32 arranged on both sides of a condenser 82 in chambers 130, 131 and 132 arranged next to and above one another, as well as supply air fans 41, 42 arranged on both sides of an evaporator 83. A filter 81 is also arranged in the lower chamber 132 of the core area 10, but can also optionally be provided in a separate chamber connected to the lower chamber 132, which is shown in Figure 3 by the dashed arrangement of the fan 81.

The additional area 11 arranged above the core area 10 has at least two additional chambers 115, 116 separated from one another by a bypass flap 67, in front of which one additional chamber 115 is connected to the exhaust air outlet 22 and to the exhaust air inlet 23 via an exhaust air flap 66 and the other additional chamber 116 is connected to the outside air inlet 21 via an outside air flap 65. The flaps 611, 62 arranged on the pressure side of the exhaust air fans 31, 32

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lead into the one additional chamber 115 of the first additional area 11. In addition, a further flap 612 is arranged in the flow direction of the exhaust air flow behind the condenser 82 and enables the exhaust air flow or partial exhaust air flow to be guided via the one exhaust air fan 31 through the condenser 82 to the additional chamber 115 or 116.

In the intermediate floor of the core area 10, flaps 68, 69 are provided, which are arranged on the suction side of the supply air fans 41, 42. On the pressure side of the supply air fans 41, 42, flaps 63, 64 are arranged, which lead into the additional chamber formed by the second additional area 12 and thus to the supply air outlet 24.

The air conditioning unit configuration according to Figure 3 enables, by including a redundant fan system, an optimized mode of operation with various bypass options via the flap system shown or the additional chambers provided in the additional areas 11, 12, so that in normal operation a room can be air-conditioned with the lowest possible energy consumption and, if necessary, a graduated emergency operation can be carried out, in which either an existing emergency power system or a battery system for supplying electronic data processing equipment or a telephone exchange can be included.

Figures 4 to 17 show various operating modes, which will be briefly explained below, where the same reference numbers also designate the same parts of the air conditioning unit.

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Figure 4 shows a mixed operation in which a part of the exhaust air flow is mixed into the outside air flow by opening the bypass flap 67 in the additional area 11, for example at low outside air temperatures to prevent the filter 81 from icing up. The exhaust air flow is guided through one exhaust air fan 31 and split into two partial flows by opening the flaps 611 and 612, respectively, one partial flow of which passes through the condenser 82 into the additional chamber 115, while the other partial flow is guided around the condenser 82.

Depending on the position of the flaps 611 and 612, the air flow passing through the condenser 82 can be varied. By opening the flap 68 arranged on the suction side of the supply air fan 42 and the flap 64 arranged on the pressure side of this fan 42, the exhaust air/outside air mixture is passed past the evaporator 83 via the additional area 12 to the supply air outlet 24. The extent to which the supply air is composed of exhaust air and outside air is determined by the flap position of the louvre flap 68.

Figure 5 shows a mixed operation involving the mechanical cooling devices and a bypass for mixing exhaust air into the outside air, for example for filter defrosting. As can be seen from the illustration in Figure 5, in this case the second exhaust air fan 32 and the one supply air fan 41 are put into operation, both of which are arranged in the flow direction of the exhaust air or outside air behind the condenser 82 or evaporator 83.

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Figure 6 shows a pure outside air operation, in which the exhaust air is guided through the condenser 82 via the one exhaust air fan 32 to the exhaust air outlet with the bypass flap 67 closed. The outside air passes through the outside air inlet 21 through the filter 81 to a supply air fan, which is arranged in the flow direction in front of the evaporator 83, so that the outside air flow is not guided via the evaporator 83 and thus with a low flow resistance to the supply air outlet 24.

Figure 7 shows a configuration corresponding to the air flow according to Figure 6, whereby a part of the exhaust air flow is additionally directed via the bypass flap 68 to the supply air fan 42.

Figure 8 shows an operating mode in which part of the exhaust air is mixed with the outside air by opening the first bypass flap 67 in the additional area 11.

The mode of operation according to Figure 9 corresponds to the mode of operation shown above according to Figures 6 and 7 with the exception that, with the inclusion of mechanical cooling, the outside air flow is guided through the evaporator 83 to the supply air fan 41.

The operating mode according to Figure 10 corresponds to the operating mode according to Figure 9 with the proviso that part of the exhaust air flow is fed to the supply air fan 41 via the bypass flap 69 on the suction side, whereby the composition of the supply air flow from the outside air and the exhaust air flow depends on the position of the bypass flap 69.

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Figure 11 corresponds to the operating mode according to Figure 9 with the proviso that by opening the first bypass flap 67 in the additional area 11, part of the exhaust air is mixed with the outside air while the operating mode remains otherwise unchanged.

Figure 12 shows an outside air operation in which the exhaust air is guided via the one exhaust air fan 31 and by opening the flaps 611 and 612 partially through the condenser 82 into the additional chamber 115 of the additional area 11 and from there to the exhaust air outlet 2 2. The degree of cooling of the supply air depends on the position of the flaps 611, 612, which determines the size of the bypass flow past the condenser 82.

Figure 13 shows an operating mode corresponding to that shown in Figure 12, whereby by opening the bypass flap 69, a portion of the exhaust air flow is fed to the supply air fan 41. Here too, the position of the bypass flap 69 determines the extent to which the exhaust air is mixed with the outside air cooled as it flows through the evaporator 83.

Figure 14 shows an operating mode corresponding to Figure 12, wherein part of the exhaust air is mixed into the outside air flow by opening the first bypass flap 67 in the additional area 11.

Figure 15 shows an operating mode in which the damper position causes outside air operation, whereby the evaporator 83 is bypassed by starting up the supply air fan 42 connected upstream of the evaporator 83, while part of the exhaust air is passed through the condenser.

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sator 82 and the other part is passed past the condenser 82 by opening the flap 611 arranged on the pressure side of the exhaust air fan 31.

Figure 16 shows an operating mode corresponding to the operating mode according to Figure 15 with the proviso that by opening the bypass flap 68 a part of the exhaust air flow is mixed into the supply air fan 42 upstream of the evaporator 83.

Finally, Figure 17 shows an operating mode corresponding to that according to Figure 15, whereby part of the exhaust air is directed to the outside air by opening the first bypass flap 67.

Figure 18 shows a third device configuration in which, in contrast to the second configuration according to Figure 3, redundant fans are preferably arranged horizontally in the additional areas 11, 12 and, in conjunction with the additional chambers formed in the additional areas 11, 12, ensure both safe operation through a redundant fan system and optimal operation both in normal operation and in the event of a fault.

The core area 10 of the air conditioning unit housing 1 has 6 chambers in which all the units required for normal operation of the air conditioning unit are arranged. The first chamber 101 is divided into two sub-chambers, which are connected to the first and second additional chambers 111, 112 of the additional area 11 arranged above the core area 10.

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which in turn are connected to the exhaust air inlet 2 3 or via an outside air flap 75 to the outside air inlet 21 .

The first chamber 101 of the core area 10 also has the control panel including the displays of the air conditioning unit. The first chamber 101 is connected to a second chamber 102 via an intermediate floor 107, in which a filter 81 is arranged in the flow direction to the one sub-chamber of the first chamber 101 connected to the outside air inlet 21. A bypass flap 78 is provided in the connection between the other sub-chamber of the first chamber 101 of the core area 10 and the second chamber 102, which serves to bypass the filter 81.

An evaporator 82 is arranged in a third chamber 103 of the core area 10. The third chamber 103 is connected to a fourth chamber 104 via an intermediate flap 79, in which the evaporator 83 of the mechanical cooling device and, in the embodiment shown, the compressor of the mechanical cooling device are arranged. The third chamber 103 is directly connected to one subchamber of the first chamber 101 and the fourth chamber 104 is directly connected to the second chamber 102. A fifth chamber 105 contains an exhaust air fan 31, which is connected to a chamber 114 of the additional area 11 via a pressure-side flap 71. A supply air fan 41 is arranged in a sixth chamber 106 of the core area 10, which is directly connected on the suction side to the fourth chamber 104 and on the pressure side to the additional area 12 via a flap 73.

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The additional area arranged above the core area 10

11 has 4 additional chambers 111 to 114, of which the first additional chamber 111 is directly connected to one subchamber of the first chamber 101 of the core area 10 and via the outside air flap 75 to the outside air inlet 21 and via a first bypass flap 77 to the second additional chamber 112. The second additional chamber 112 is directly connected to the exhaust air inlet 23 and the other subchamber of the first chamber 101 of the core area 10.

A horizontally arranged exhaust air redundancy fan 32 is arranged in the third additional chamber 113 and is directly connected on the suction side to the third chamber 103 of the core area 10. On the pressure side, the exhaust air redundancy fan 32 is connected via a flap 72 to the fourth additional chamber 114 of the additional area 11, into which the fan outlet of the exhaust air fan 31 opens via the flap 71 arranged on the pressure side and which is provided with the exhaust air outlet 22.

The additional area located below the core area 10

12 has two chambers 121, 122, of which one additional chamber 121 serves to accommodate the supply air redundancy fan 42, which is also arranged horizontally, and is connected to the second chamber 102 of the core area 10. The supply air redundancy fan 42 is connected on the output side via a flap 74 arranged on the pressure side to the other additional chamber 122, into which the output connection of the exhaust air fan 41 also opens via a flap 73 arranged on the pressure side and which is provided with the supply air outlet 24.

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The condenser 82 and the evaporator 83 are arranged in the third and fourth chambers 103 and 104 of the core area 10 in such a way that an exhaust air flow can be guided past both the condenser 82 and the evaporator 83 when the bypass flap 79 is open.

Depending on the operation of one or the other exhaust air and supply air fan 31, 32 or 41, 42 and depending on the position of the individual flaps of the flap system, the different operating modes shown below are possible, from normal operation to the various redundancy cases, which will be explained in more detail using Figures 19 to 32, the operating mode of which is then shown in more detail.

For normal operation, the core area contains all the fans and units required for the air conditioning unit to function, which can be used for optimized operation of the air conditioning unit thanks to the flap configuration. Bypass devices and additional units are arranged outside the core area, and their functions are explained in the following examples.

In normal operation, the fans and compressor can be supplied with energy from the normal network or from any emergency power system that may be present. The fans can be switched from three-phase current 220/380 volts to direct current (60 volts and other voltages if necessary). Due to the low capacity of the batteries, the refrigeration systems can be switched off in the event of a fault, i.e. if the supply network and any emergency power system that may be present fail.

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Bypass options for air mixing are possible between the outside and exhaust air inlets 21 and 23, so that filter icing can be effectively prevented by mixing in exhaust air or, if required, filtering of the exhaust air in recirculation mode is possible. To bypass the resistances within the device and thus save energy, exhaust air mixing is possible via the bypass flaps 78 and 79. In this case, in recirculation or partial load mode, the recirculation or partial load flow is not passed through the filter 81 or the evaporator 83. This results in considerable energy savings.

This mode of operation can be described as normal operation in the special configuration of the additional areas attached to the core area with the fans 32 and 42 and additional chambers 111 to 114 and 121, 122, since the additional fans 32 and 42 are not in operation and are not flowing through. The additional fans 32, 42 represent redundancy options in this operating case.

In redundant operation , two different operating states or options are provided at the same time, namely the redundancy case in the event of failure of the fans 31, 41 of the core area or device and the operating situation of an energy saving option when free cooling is used. The bypass construction creates the possibility of bypassing internal resistances (e.g. evaporator and condenser).

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In a first redundancy case, after a fault occurs in the fans 31 and/or 41 of the core device, the replacement fans 32, 42 are switched on from the supply network via the automatic control system. In this case, the louvre flaps 71, 73 arranged on the pressure side of the fans 31, 41 of the core housing 10 are closed and the louvre flaps 72, 74 on the redundancy fans 32, 42 are opened.

In a second redundancy case, the redundancy fans 32, 42 can be operated both from the normal power grid and from the emergency power supply network, i.e. even in the event of an external fault in the normal power grid, emergency power operation with the redundancy fans 32, 42 is possible, although this can also be carried out in principle with the fans 31, 41 of the core area 10.

In a third redundancy case, if the normal power grid and an existing emergency power system fail, the replacement fans 32, 42 are not operated with a voltage of 220/380 volts, but are supplied with direct current (e.g. 60 V) via battery power through automatic switching from the control system. The redundancy fans 32, 42 and the associated frequency converters are designed in such a way that they can be automatically switched to direct current with 60 V. The fans 31, 41, 32, 42 and the associated frequency converters are designed in such a way that all units can be operated with 220/380 volts alternating or three-phase current as well as with 60 volts direct current. This means that

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This results in a multitude of redundancy and switching options as well as an extreme increase in the operational reliability of the air conditioning unit.

To optimize operation, the principle of free cooling is used wherever possible. Due to the special arrangement of the redundant fans 32, 42 and the additional chambers serving as bypass flow paths and the arrangement of the flaps, the air flow for utilizing free cooling can be selected in such a way that the units for thermal treatment of the air flows can be bypassed with all their resistance. This results in low drive power for the fans and consequently high energy savings.

In the case of redundancy, the drive power saved can be used to increase the air volumes for the redundant fans, so that improved heat dissipation and thus increased safety can be ensured with increased outside air volumes, but without mechanical cooling. In addition to the physical behavior of the fans (less pressure and therefore more air), the speed-adjustable drives can be controlled to higher speeds/air volumes.

The additional bypass flap 78 next to the filter 81 in the filter chamber can be used to create a bypass, through which exhaust air can be mixed with the outside air flow, bypassing the filter 81 and the filter resistors. This means that if the outside air temperature is too low,

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Under favourable energy conditions, the supply air temperature can be adjusted depending on the required operating conditions.

In detail, Figures 19 to 32 show the following operating modes, where the same reference numbers indicate the same parts of the air conditioning unit.

In Figure 19, the exhaust air fan 31 and the supply air fan 41 are in operation in the core area 10 of the air conditioning unit and by opening the first bypass flap 77, an exhaust air component is mixed into the outside air, while by opening the flaps 78 and 79, a bypass is created for the exhaust air past the evaporator 83 or with a partial air flow through the evaporator 83. The supply air reaches the supply air outlet 24 via the flap 73 opened on the pressure side of the supply air fan 41 via the second chamber 122 of the additional area 12.

Figure 20 shows an operating mode in which the exhaust air fan 31 and the supply air fan 41 in the core area 10 of the air conditioning unit are stopped, while the exhaust air redundancy fan 32 and the supply air redundancy fan 42 are in operation. By opening the first bypass flap 77, part of the exhaust air is mixed with the outside air to flow through the filter 81, part of the exhaust air is passed past the filter 81 by opening the bypass flap 78 and reaches the supply air redundancy fan 42 as an exhaust air-outside air mixture, from where it reaches the supply air outlet 24 via the flap 74 arranged on the pressure side. Part of the exhaust air is passed via the exhaust air redundancy fan 32 past the condenser 82 via the

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Exhaust air redundancy fan 3 2 arranged flap 72 to the exhaust air outlet 22. Of course, here too, the main and redundant fans are interchangeable and are also used alternately in normal operation in order to achieve the most even utilization of the fans possible.

Figure 21 shows an outside air operation in which the outside air flowing in via the outside air inlet 21 is guided through the filter 81, the evaporator 83 and the exhaust air fan 41 to the supply air outlet 24 via the second chamber 122 of the additional area 12. The exhaust air flowing in via the exhaust air inlet 2 3 is guided directly via the exhaust air redundancy fan 32 to the exhaust air outlet 22, without the exhaust air being guided through the condenser 82 when the exhaust air fan 31 is switched off.

The operating mode shown in Figure 22 corresponds to the operating mode according to Figure 21 with the proviso that a part of the exhaust air flow is captured on the suction side by the supply air fan 41 by opening the flap 79 past the evaporator 83 and is discharged to the supply air outlet 24.

The operating mode shown in Figure 2 3 also corresponds to the operation shown in Figure 21, whereby however, by opening the first bypass flap 77, part of the exhaust air is mixed into the outside air, for example to prevent the filter from freezing up. In a slightly modified form, this operating mode can also be used for pure recirculation operation with filtering of the exhaust air, whereby the outside air flap 75 is closed, the first bypass flap 77 is opened and the redundancy fans 32, 42 are shut down.

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Alternatively, the supply air fan 41 can be switched off and the supply air redundancy fan 42 switched on, so that the flow resistance of the evaporator 8 3 is switched off.

Figure 24 shows an outside air operation in which the exhaust air fan 31 and the supply air redundancy fan 42 are put into operation so that the outside air flow is guided via the filter 81, the supply air redundancy fan 42 and via the second chamber 122 of the additional area 12 to the supply air outlet 24. The exhaust air flow passes via the exhaust air inlet 23, the condenser 82 to the suction side of the exhaust air fan 31 and from there via the flap 71 arranged on the pressure side to the exhaust air outlet 22.

The operation shown in Figure 25 corresponds in turn to the operation shown in Figure 24 with the proviso that by opening the bypass flap 78, part of the exhaust air flow is guided past the filter 81 to the supply air redundancy fan 42.

Figure 26 shows an operation of the air conditioning unit corresponding to that shown in Figure 24, with the difference that by opening the first bypass flap 77, part of the exhaust air flow is mixed with the outside air flow.

In the operating mode shown in Figure 27, both redundant fans are switched on, while the exhaust air and supply air fans 31, 41 arranged in the core area are switched off. The outside air flow is directed via the outside air inlet 21, the outside air flap 75, the filter 81 and the supply air redundant fan 42 to the supply air outlet 24.

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while the exhaust air flow is guided via the exhaust air inlet 2 3 and the exhaust air redundancy fan 32 and the flap 72 arranged on the pressure side of the exhaust air redundancy fan 32 to the exhaust air outlet 22. In this operating mode, the flaps 71 and 73 arranged on the pressure side of the exhaust air fan 31 and the supply air fan 41 are closed.

The operating mode shown in Figure 28 corresponds in turn to the operating mode according to Figure 27 with the proviso that by opening the first bypass flap 77, a part of the discharge flow is mixed with the outside air flow.

By opening the bypass flap 78, part of the exhaust air flow is guided past the filter 81, while the further operation according to Figure 29 corresponds to the operation shown in Figure 27.

In Figures 30 to 32, the exhaust air and supply air fans 31, 41 arranged in the core area are again switched on, while the redundant fans 32 and 42 arranged in the additional areas 11 and 12 are switched off. Figure 30 shows an outside air operation in which the mechanical cooling devices are included in the air flows, whereby the outside air flow is guided via the filter 81, the evaporator 83 and the supply air fan 41 to the supply air outlet 24, while the exhaust air flow reaches the exhaust air outlet 22 via the exhaust air inlet 23, the condenser 82 and the exhaust air fan 31.

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The operating mode according to Figure 31 differs from that according to Figure 30 in that by opening the bypass flap 79, a part of the exhaust air flow is fed to the outside air flow behind the evaporator 83, i.e. in this case this part of the exhaust air flow is led past the evaporator 83.

Finally, Figure 32 shows a configuration of the flap system, in which part of the exhaust air flow is fed back into the outside air by opening the first bypass flap 77, while otherwise the mode of operation corresponds to the mode of operation shown in Figure 30.

The flow conditions inside the device shown and explained above make it clear that through the use of the fans 32, 42 arranged in the additional areas and through the configuration of the flap system, different operating modes are possible, which enable operation involving the mechanical cooling devices and the filter, but also bypassing these units of the air conditioning unit, so that, depending on the outside temperatures and the target temperature required in the room to be air-conditioned, energy-saving operation is made possible by using free cooling, which, if necessary, also enables emergency operation with increased air flow bypassing the mechanical cooling devices from a battery system in the event of a failure of the supplying power supply network or any emergency power system that may be present.

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In addition to the thermal devices shown, the use of heat pipes or other air conditioning units is of course also possible.

The design of the air conditioning unit shown in the figures described above is extremely compact and does not require a larger footprint than a normal, non-redundant air conditioning unit, so that this compact air conditioning unit can also be installed in rooms that previously did not allow the installation of redundant air conditioning systems.

Claims (17)

HS123 Page 39 Claims 1. Air conditioning unit with a housing that has openings for outside air, supply air, exhaust air and exhaust air and in which a fan system with main and redundant fans and a flap system for recirculation air operation, outside air operation or mixed operation as well as units for filtering and/or thermal treatment of the air flows are arranged, characterized, the housing (1) has a core area (10) with all units (81, 82, 83) and the main fans (31, 41), that the core area (10) is connected directly or via flaps to at least one additional area (11, 12) which contains an opening for the outside air, supply air, exhaust air and/or exhaust air, and that the main and redundant fans (31, 32; 41, 42) and the flaps (51 to 59; 61 to 69; 71 to 79) of the flap system are arranged and operable in the housing (1) in such a way that the air flows can be guided through at least some of the units (81, 82, 83) or around at least some of the units (81, 82, 83). 2. Air conditioning device according to claim 1, characterized in that the additional region(s) (11, 12) is/are arranged above and/or below the core region (10). HS123 Page 40 3. Air conditioning unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the main and redundant fans (31, 32; 41, 42) are connected on the pressure side to a flap (51 to 54; 61 to 64) which leads into a chamber of the core area (10) or the additional area (11, 12) with an exhaust air or supply air opening. 4. Air conditioning unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the main and redundant fans (31, 32; 41, 42) consist of supply air and exhaust air fans which are supplied with outside air and/or exhaust air on the suction side. 5. Air conditioning device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the exhaust air fan (31) and the exhaust air redundancy fan (32) are arranged in a chamber (123) connected to the exhaust air opening (23) and are connected via flaps (51, 52) arranged on the pressure side to a first exhaust air chamber (121), which is connected via a condenser (82) to a second exhaust air chamber (122), that both exhaust air chambers (121, 122) are connected via a flap (561, 562) to an exhaust air opening (221, 222) each, that the second exhaust air chamber (122) is connected via a first bypass flap (571) to an outside air chamber (120) connected to the outside air opening (21), that the supply air fan (41) and the supply air redundancy fan (42) are arranged in a chamber (125) with the filter (81) and the evaporator (83), wherein between the supply air fan (41) and the supply air redundancy valve HS123 Page 41 tilator (42) on the one hand and the filter (81) and evaporator (83) on the other hand, a second bypass flap (572 or 58) leads to the outside air chamber (12 0), and that flaps (53, 54) arranged on the pressure side of the supply air fan (41) and supply air redundant fan (42) are connected to an additional area (12) having the supply air opening (24) (Figure 1). 6. Air conditioning device according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the main and redundant fans (31, 32; 41, 42) are arranged on both sides of the units for thermal treatment of the air flows (82, 83). 7. Air conditioning device according to claim 6, characterized in that a first chamber (131) of the core region (10) is divided by a condenser (82) into a first sub-chamber with the exhaust air fan (31) and a second sub-chamber with the exhaust air redundancy fan (32), which are connected via their pressure-side flaps (611, 612; 62) to a first additional region (11), of which a flap (612) arranged on the pressure side of the exhaust air fan (31) is arranged in the second sub-chamber in the flow direction behind the condenser (82), that flaps (68, 69) are arranged on the suction side of the supply air fan (41) or supply air redundancy fan (42) arranged in a chamber (132) of the core region (10) on both sides of an evaporator (83), which are connected to the first chamber (131), and that the pressure-side flaps (611, 612; 62) of the Supply air fan (41) and HS123 Page 42 Flaps (63, 64) arranged in the supply air redundancy fan (42) are connected to a second additional area (12) having the supply air opening (24).
(Figures 3 to 17) 8. Air conditioning device according to claim 7, characterized in that the first additional area (11) has two chambers (115, 116) which are connected to one another via a second bypass flap (67) and that the outside air opening (21) and the exhaust air opening (22) are each provided with a louvre flap (65, 66). 9. Air conditioning device according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the filter (81) is arranged in the second chamber (132) of the core region (10). 10. Air conditioning device according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the redundant fans (32, 42) are preferably arranged horizontally in two additional regions (11, 12) adjacent to the core region (10). 11. Air conditioning device according to claim 10, characterized in that the core area a) a first chamber (101) connected to the outside air opening (21) and the exhaust air opening (23); HS123 Page 43 b) a second chamber (102) connected to the first chamber (101) via a second bypass flap (78) and containing the filter (81); c) a third chamber (103) containing the capacitor (82) and connected to the first chamber (101); d) a fourth chamber (104) containing the evaporator (83) and connected to the second chamber (102); e) a fifth chamber (105) containing the exhaust air fan (31) and connected to the third chamber (103) and f) a sixth chamber containing the supply air fan (41) and connected to the fourth chamber (104) (106) wherein a third bypass flap (79) is arranged between the third chamber (103) and the fourth chamber (104) and the condenser (82) in the third chamber (103) and the evaporator (83) in the fourth chamber (104) are arranged so that the exhaust air flow is guided past the condenser (82) to the supply air fan (41) or through the condenser (82) to the exhaust air fan (31). HS123 Page 44 12. Air conditioning device according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the first additional area (11) a) a first chamber (111) connected to the outside air opening (21) via an outside air flap (75); b) a second additional chamber (112) connected to the exhaust air opening (23) and via a first bypass flap (77) to the first additional chamber (111); c) a third additional chamber (113) containing the exhaust air redundancy fan (32) and d) a fourth additional chamber (114) connected to the exhaust air opening (22) contains that the first and second additional chambers (111, 112) are connected to the first chamber (101) of the core area (10), that the third additional chamber (113) of the additional area (11) is connected to the third chamber (103) of the core area (10), and that the flaps (71, 72) of the exhaust air fan (31) and the exhaust air redundant fan (32) arranged on the pressure side open into the fourth additional chamber (114) of the additional area (11). 13. Air conditioning device according to one of the preceding claims 10 to 12, characterized in that the second additional area (12) consists of a fifth additional chamber (121) containing the supply air redundancy fan (42) and a sixth additional chamber (122) which is connected to the supply air opening (24) and the pressure side of the exhaust air fan (41) in the core area. HS123 Page 45 area (10) and the flap (74) arranged on the pressure side of the supply air redundancy fan (42) and that the supply air redundancy fan (42) is connected on the suction side to the second chamber (102) of the core area (10). 14. Air conditioning device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the motors of the main and redundant fans (31, 32; 41, 42) are fed from converters (91, 92) whose voltage supply inputs are connected to an alternating or three-phase current network and/or a direct current network and whose control inputs are connected to a control and regulating device (90). 15. Air conditioning device according to claim 14, characterized in that the converters (91, 92) consist of converters (91) with a direct current intermediate circuit connected to a three-phase network or a backup power system on the one hand and to the fan motors on the other hand, and of inverters (92) connected to a battery system on the one hand and to the fan motors on the other hand. 16. Air conditioning device according to claim 15, characterized in that the fan motors are alternately connected to the converters (91) with a direct current intermediate circuit and the inverters (92). HS123 Page 46 17. Air conditioning device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fans (31, 32; 41, 42) are speed-controlled.