EP1146292B1 - Air generating device having controlled temperature in particular for livestock breeding - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an air generator with controlled temperature, especially for livestock buildings or industrial, this generator consisting of a box housing at least one burner and at least one fan dilution to propel in a room, at temperature desired, the air circulating in said box.

The hot air generators used for reheating air, especially in livestock buildings, presents still a number of drawbacks. These generators are today generally exclusively used as heating device. They usually have a only source of air supply constituted either by outside air or fresh air, either from local air or recycled air. In this second case, the use of air room allows a reduction in energy consumption, especially in winter because it is cheaper to heat air close to room temperature than air outdoor temperature dependent on conditions climate. However, since the air used is air of the room, the generator is generally placed at inside the building. This results in risks fire. Furthermore, the composition of this air requires a parallel installation of significant ventilation. Finally, the burners used in this type of generator are usually burners atmospheres whose power range is reduced. The generator operation is discontinuous in this case and consists of a succession of judgments and implementations walking requiring increased monitoring and increasing energy consumption.

In case the generator supply air is constituted by the outside air, there is a combustion better quality with production, coming out of generator, with hot air less loaded with oxides of carbon and nitrogen. However, in this case, consumption energy is important and humidity problems can arise especially in winter when the air is more dry. Conversely, this generator can, in certain conditions, partially meet the requirements of ventilation.

Generators with two air supply sources are appeared on the market a decade ago as illustrate the international patent application WO 96.19701 and US-A-5,290,188 from the same applicant. In international application WO 96.19701, the temperature controlled air generator has a recycled air inlet shown in (80) in the figures, closable by means of obturating members represented in (84) and (90), an external air inlet shown in (62), closable by means of shutter members shown in (86) and (90) and an external air inlet shown in (76) for the supply of fresh air to the burner. The cooperation of air inlet shutters (80) and (62) makes it possible to obtain, inside the box, a flow air consisting of a mixture of fresh air flow and flow recycled. However, in this case, each air inlet is closed by means of a sealing member which is attached thereto clean, these shutter members can be controlled by synchronous operation to allow opening of an air inlet parallel to the closure of another air inlet. The very arrangement of the air inlets means that to this particular conception of the shutter members. It is the same in the generator described in the patent US Patent 5,290,188. Indeed, this generator comprises at the level from the box an external air inlet shown in (53) and closable by means of closing members, an outside air inlet (40) intended to supply the burner and a recirculated air inlet (69) closed by means a shutter member (67). Again, the layout air inlets on opposite walls requires fitting each entry of a particular obturation member which is clean and then to develop a mechanism actuation of each of the shutter members of so that they work in synchronism. The result is an organ control device. complex obturation and multiplication of organs shutter.

An object of the present invention is to provide a temperature controlled air generator whose design simplified allows reduced energy consumption while by authorizing one use of this generator at a time as a heating and ventilation device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a temperature controlled air generator whose design makes it possible to comply as much as possible with the heating instructions and ventilation of the room.

To this end, the invention relates to an air generator with temperature controlled especially for livestock building or industrial, this generator consisting of a box housing at least one burner and at least one fan dilution to propel in a room, at temperature desired, the air circulating in said box, this generator comprising at least two sources of air supply, one of recycled air drawn from the room to be heated, the other fresh air from outside the room, the generator also includes a mixer controllable airflow to obtain a flow in the box fresh air or a recirculated air stream or a mixture of air fresh and recycled air depending on variations in climatic conditions and / or ventilation needs of occupants of the room, this mixer tap consists of a shutter mobile located at the confluence of the supply veins in recirculated and fresh air to regulate the flow said air supply sources.

Thanks to the design of this air generator and particular thanks to the presence of the aeraulic mixer unique, it is possible to simultaneously heat the room while adapting the heating to the ventilation needs of the local without harming energy consumption. The realization of the mixer in the form of a single movable flap eliminates the need for control devices complex.

la figure 1 représente une vue schématique d'un générateur conforme à l'invention, le caisson ayant été représenté avec une paroi transparente ;

la figure 2 représente une vue schématique d'une autre forme de réalisation d'un générateur d'air conforme à l'invention et

la figure 3 représente une vue de détail de la conception du mitigeur aéraulique.

The invention will be clearly understood on reading the following description of exemplary embodiments, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a generator according to the invention, the box having been shown with a transparent wall;

FIG. 2 represents a schematic view of another embodiment of an air generator according to the invention and

FIG. 3 represents a detailed view of the design of the aeraulic mixing valve.

The temperature-controlled air generator, shown under the general reference 1, object of the invention, is more particularly intended to be used in the context livestock buildings or industrial buildings.

This air generator can be placed indifferently to outside or inside the room to be heated.

This generator 1 is constituted, in a manner known per se, a box 2, generally metallic, housing at least a gas burner 3 and at least one fan 4 of dilution. This dilution fan 4, arranged upstream or downstream of the burner 3, is intended to propel, by suction or blowing, the air circulating in said box in a room at a desired temperature. For this do, box 2 is equipped with a hot air outlet shown at 9 in the figures.

To allow the fan to operate dilution, the air generator conventionally comprises at least one air inlet. Note that the flow of the dilution fan, usually constant, is chosen depending on the volume of the room to be heated to allow heating of the entire room volume.

Characteristically to the invention, the generator 1 has at least two sources of air supply, one, shown in 5 in the figures, of recycled air drawn in the room to be heated, the other, shown in 6 aux figures, fresh air from outside the room. The fresh air inlet 6 thus consists of an opening formed in the bottom wall or in a side wall of the generator housing positioned outside the building, while the inlet 5 for recycled air is formed by a tube connected to a side wall of the generator of such so that the bottom wall of the tube is arranged coplanar at the bottom wall of the housing and that the end of the tube opens directly above the opening defining the entrance 6 fresh air.

This generator 1 also includes a ventilation mixer 7 controllable to obtain an air flow in box 2 fresh air or a recirculated air stream or a mixture of fresh air and air recycled according to variations in conditions and / or occupants' ventilation needs from the local. So, thanks to such a generator, it is possible obtain 0 to 100% fresh air flow or 0 to 100% recirculated air flow or a mixture of fresh air and air recycled in any proportions determined by operator based on parameters chosen by this last, especially depending on weather conditions and / or the ventilation needs of the occupants of the premises.

In the examples shown in Figures 1 to 3, this mixer tap consists of a single movable flap 7 arranged at the confluence of the recycled air supply streams and in fresh air to regulate the flow of said sources 5, 6 air supply. The flap 7 is thus arranged at the intersection of inputs 5, 6 delimiting in the housing of the generator of the perpendicular opening planes between them. The plans for opening the inputs 5, 6 in the housing of the generator thus form a dihedral, the flap 7, of preferably housed inside the volume of the dihedral, being hingedly connected to the dihedral edge, this edge constituting the pivot axis of the flap 7. In the examples shown, the pivot axis of flap 7 is horizontal. He could similarly have been disposed vertically, the entry 6 being in this case provided in a side wall of the generator housing. This component 7 can be moved manually using a pull tab 10 allowing the flap to pivot around an axis 11 of rotation, as shown in Figure 3, or else be motorized by a servomotor controlled by a PLC. The arrangement of this component at the confluence of veins allows this component to be used as a obturation member unique for the two air intakes 5, 6 and to simplify its command on the move because naturally, when it closes a certain percentage entry, it opens the other entry in the same percentage at the same time.

Thanks to the presence of this unique aeraulic mixer, the temperature controlled air generator can both perform the functions of a heater and fan while maintaining energy consumption at a reasonable level consistent with that of a generator of air used exclusively as a heating device.

To perfect the functioning of such an air generator and in particular optimize the operating periods of a such generator, the burner 3, housed in the box of the generator, may be of the gas induction by air type. This type of burner makes it possible in particular to obtain a range of extended heating power setting. Usually, this heating power adjustment range includes values can vary from 1 to 10 while the burners classical atmospheres have a power of heaters can vary within a range of 1 to 3. Par elsewhere, these air induction type burners are safer because they don't require a power supply in pressurized gas. The gas is introduced into the air in function of the air flow, this air flow being obtained at by means of a fan supplied with primary air generally corresponding to outside air. Otherwise, it is generally observed that the combustion obtained by means of this type of burner is of better quality, in particular in terms of quantity of nitrogen and carbon oxides products. This type of burner can also be used with a combustion support, also called flame catcher, of the type consisting of a set of fibers metal formed from an iron-chromium-aluminum alloy supplemented with at least one rare earth such as yttrium. Of such combustion supports are marketed today by the Acotec Company located in Belgium. The combination of this burner and a combustion support of the type constituted by metallic fibers allows to increase so considerable range of power adjustment heated. This gives a heating power which can vary from 1 to 10 and not more than 1 to 3 as in the state of the technique. This results in a decrease in the frequency of switching between the on and off positions of the burner. This results for the user in an absence feeling of discomfort which was due to the inertia of conventional burners.

The same advantages in terms of widening the range of adjustment of the heating power can be obtained at using a burner consisting of at least two burners respectively connected to a common pipe gas supply. In this case, one of the burners says master, BM, is equipped with a device for igniting the air / gas mixture and a flame control device while the other burner (s), called slaves, BE, are free from such devices. Each burner can be independently supplied with gas through a lockable link with controlled opening / closing between the gas supply source and burner. The opening / closing of each link is carried out according to a predetermined order depending on the relative positioning burners on the common gas supply line so as to allow automatic ignition of the flame of a BE slave burner by contact of the mixture air / gas expelled from said burner with the flame of a burner master BM or adjacent slave BE.

The shutter with controlled opening / closing of the connection between a master or slave burner and the source gas supply can affect a lot of forms. It can thus be made up of a single organ common to all burners. In this case, this organ shutter is mounted in sliding sliding contact support inside the gas supply line and is axially movable inside said pipe for release and obstruct successively during its moving the connection port of a burner to the gas supply line. The displacement of this the shutter member can be operated manually or by means of a driving organ. This obturation member can by example consisting of a piston or a fitted drawer at least one external peripheral seal.

The obturation member can also be made up of a pre-calibrated closure member, such as a valve loaded by an elastic return means, the opening or respectively the closing is a function of the pressure gas prevailing inside the supply line in gas. The tare weight of each sealing member is chosen depending on the relative positioning of the burner at which said organ relates. The loaded shutters by an elastic return means, such as a spring, are arranged respectively inside the pipe gas supply, between the gas supply source line gas and the burner to which they relate.

Having in such an air generator at the same time a burner whose range of power setting heating is enlarged and an aeraulic mixing valve allows make the air generator fully controllable using of an automaton. These means for controlling the burner 3 and the mixer may be controlled and take into account in particular parameters including at least the outside temperature, the humidity inside the room and the temperature room environment.

Claims (6)

1. Generator (1) for air at controlled temperature, in particular for a stock rearing or industrial building, this generator (1) consisting of a box (2) housing at least one burner (3) and at least one bypass fan (4) to propel the air circulating in the said box (2) into premises at the desired temperature, this generator having at least two sources (5, 6) of supply of air, one (5) of recycled air drawn from the premises to be heated, the other (6) of fresh air originating from outside the premises, the generator also having a ventilation mixer (7) that can be controlled to obtain a flow of fresh air or a flow of recycled air or a mixture of fresh air and recycled air in the box (2), depending on the variations in the climatic conditions and/or the ventilation requirements of the occupants of the premises, characterised in that this mixer consists of a movable flap (7) arranged at the point where the supply streams of recycled air and of fresh air meet, for regulating the flow rate of the said sources (5, 6) of supply of air.
2. Generator (1) according to Claim 1,
   characterised in that the burner (3) is of the air-driven gas induction type so as to obtain an extended heating power adjustment range.
3. Generator (1) according to Claim 2,
   characterised in that the combustion aid for the burner consists of a set of metallic fibres based essentially on an iron-chromium-aluminium alloy.
4. Generator (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 3,
   characterised in that the burner consists of at least two burners respectively connected to a common gas supply pipe, one of the burners, termed the master burner (MB), being equipped with a device for igniting the air/gas mixture and a device for controlling the flame, whilst the other burner or burners, termed slave burners (SB), are devoid of such devices, it being possible for each burner to be supplied independently with gas via a controlled opening/closing connection which can be shut off between the gas supply source and the burner, the opening/closing of each connection taking place in accordance with a predetermined sequence depending on the relative positioning of the burners (SB, MB) on the common gas feed pipe so as to enable automatic ignition of the flame of a slave burner (SB) by contact of the air/gas mixture expelled by the said burner with the flame of an adjacent master burner (MB) or slave burner (SB).
5. Generator (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 4,
   characterised in that it has means for controlling the burner (3) and the mixer (7; 8A, 8B) depending on parameters including at least the external temperature, the hygrometry inside the premises and the ambient temperature of the premises.
6. Generator (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 5,
   characterised in that the air inlet sources (5, 6) in the generator delimit opening planes forming a dihedron between them, the flap (7) being connected in an articulated manner to the edge of the dihedron constituting the pivot axis of the flap (7).

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