FI73307B - ANLAEGGNING FOER TORKNING AV FUKTIG RUMSLUFT OCH UTNYTTJANDE AV VAERMEENERGI INNEHAOLLANDE VATTENAONGA I VENTILATION. TRANSFERRED BEGINNING OF FOERSKJUTET DATUM PL 14 ç 09.07.84 - Google Patents

Description

1 73307

Equipment for drying moist room air and for utilizing the thermal energy contained in water vapor in ventilation 5

The invention relates to a device by means of which it is possible to control humidity problems in the ventilation of damp rooms, e.g. cattle shelters when heat becomes insufficient and in general when the outdoor air is considerably colder than room air, by producing the required amount of cold air . As it condenses, the water vapor releases the thermal energy it contains to the condensing surface, through which the thermal energy is transferred to heat the cold supply air flowing on the other side of the surface.

There are a large number of livestock shelters in our country, mainly dairy cattle-20, where in the coldest weeks of winter there are easily difficulties with temperature adequacy. These barns are often relatively old and their thermal insulation is not sufficient for the coldest times of winter. The result is either a sharp drop in the temperature of the barn or wetting of the barn when there is not enough thermal energy to remove all the moisture, which is the main function of ventilation during cold weather. In the worst case, both humidity and temperature of the barn tail vary greatly, which is a great strain on the animals and causes a decrease in yields as well as susceptibility to various diseases. In addition, the structures tend to rot under the influence of moisture.

The thermal economy of a livestock shelter is influenced, on the one hand, by the amount of thermal energy produced by the animal, the adequacy of thermal insulation and the amount of possible additional heat. On the other hand, the balance depends on the outside air temperature and the need for air recirculation, i.e. the heat loss from the ventilation. The need for air recirculation, in turn, depends mainly on the amount of water vapor to be removed when the temperature does not tend to rise too high. Thus, any addition of water to the barn air strains the thermal balance, and the removal of water can correspondingly reduce the need for recycling. Also, the humidity of the animals ’breath and feces is 5 a burden on ventilation, even when they are warm. The water vapor they contain and release from them usually has to be taken out, which requires warm, moisture-binding air to succeed. For example, the exhaled air of an animal is warm and very humid, which means that space must be found for the water vapor it contains in the barn air surrounding it as the temperature drops to the level of the room air.

The livestock shelters in use often lack replacement air inlets, and the air circulation in the barn is not always from the front of the cow to the rear. In addition, there is often no space on the main side of the cow to accommodate replacement air ducts lined with thick layers of insulation.

20

The problems of ventilation of livestock shelters described above are well known (Agricultural Electricity Use 2/1979: Ventilation of Animal Shelters, Association of Agricultural Centers, Association of Electricity Companies) and it is recommended to eliminate them e.g. adding thermal insulation and providing additional heat to the extent necessary. One solution model is presented in Finnish patent application 812020. In Kukkurainen's solution, the cold replacement air and the warm room air come into contact with each other through a thin le-30 plate so that heat exchange and replacement air heating takes place. The presented solution is mainly based on the utilization of a direct heat exchange event, as a result of which the required heat exchange surfaces are large. When the heated replacement air flows above the heat exchange surface, it tends to heat upwards after heating and then encounters the bulkhead surface adjoining the outside air, to which it transfers part of its thermal energy. Through the bulkhead structure this

II

3 73307 thermal energy enters the barn. In addition, the solution presented by Kukkurainen is poorly suited for retrofitting, especially in cramped spaces, where vertical heat exchangers can be hindered by vertical supports.

In other types of known solutions, the required cold surface is produced in the room by means of a heat pump. However, one such device operates only at one point in the 10th cattle shelter and requires electrical energy to operate continuously.

In practice, the measures needed to improve ventilation and thermal economy are often not carried out 15 due to the work and cost they require. The result is the continuation of unsatisfactory conditions for both animals and carers, as well as the rotting of structures.

Thus, the heat exchange efficiency of the device according to the invention focuses on the utilization of the thermal energy released in the condensation of moisture and the removal of moisture from the room air without increasing recycling, when known solutions tend to use mainly direct heat exchange. In addition, the device according to the invention is better applicable to old spaces than the known solutions.

The apparatus according to the invention is intended to solve the ventilation problem described above, which is described in the characterizing part of claim 1.

The main advantages of the invention compared to the prior art are the following: The device requires a small heat exchange and a sealing surface in relation to the heating power of the replacement air obtained, because the energy bound to the water vapor is specifically intended to be utilized. An even greater share of the heat recovered by the device is recovered. The suitability of the device for different spaces 4 73307 is better than in known devices with similar power. The device does not need separate operating energy. The heat recovery properties of the device can provide an opportunity to save on the thermal insulation costs of new structures, as the thermal insulation of new buildings is currently dimensioned to meet the needs of the short cold season.

Figure 1 shows a device according to the invention placed in a room. Cold replacement air can be taken through the bulkhead as shown but there are other possibilities. Cold replacement air flows through an adjustable cold air opening (1) to a housing structure (3) constructed of a plate which is highly conductive and very resistant to barn conditions (in the constructed specimen of aluminum tube). The thermal energy released on the outer surface of the housing structure (3) as a result of water condensation as well as the thermal energy transferred directly from the warm room air to the housing structure surface is transferred to the other side of the wall 20 (3) and further to the cold replacement air.

The heated air inside the housing structure tends to the top of the housing, from where it flows through the fresh air inlet (5) into the room. The condensation of moisture on the surface (3) is sits, the faster the more humid the room air. Water flows from the surface (3) into the trough (6) and further along it along the pipe (7) to the desired location. The amount of condensed water can be the amount of heat-2q energy “won” in the condensation event. The control flap (4) of the inlet opening (5) is shaped in such a way that it is possible to direct the replacement air in a horizontal movement towards the animals. The possibility of adjusting the cold air inlet opening (1) is important because by reducing the opening, excessive frosting and harmful freezing of the housing-35 field can be prevented by adjusting the position of the flap from the crank (2).

5 73307

Figure 2 is a schematic drawing of a fresh air inlet according to the invention suitable for a tubular housing. Figure 2a shows the inlet in the open position, where heated air from the top of the pipe can flow into the room 5. Figure 2b shows the inlet closed. With the cold air inlet (1) open, the air from the inlet as described describes its direction of movement, continuing to orient in the direction of the pipe. If this phenomenon is considered to be detrimental, it is possible to reduce the disadvantages of silencing the air in the lower part of the housing structure at the inlet opening, which silence the air in the longitudinal direction of the pipe (not shown). In the specimen, the flap (4) is made of styrox sheet.

Figure 3 shows the structure of the cold air inlet (1). By means of the control flap (8), the amount of cold air flowing into the housing structure (3) can be adjusted as desired by turning the crank (2). Figure 4 shows various models of tubular housing structure, which can be shaped from the finished pipe according to the requirements of the installation space. A gutter is attached to the lower part of the housing structure (3) so that all the water condensed on the surface (3) flows into it.

25 Damp places can form on different sides of the cattle shelter, eg at the bulkhead boundary, due to poor insulation and poor ventilation. Keeping these places dry can be facilitated by puncturing small openings (not shown in Fig. 30) in the housing structure, from which fresh replacement air from inside the housing structure can be directed as a shower to the desired places which remain drier due to the shower.

The solution according to Figure 5 has a housing structure delimited by the angle formed by the bulkhead and the walls 35, e.g. by a galvanized sheet metal plate. Separating the enclosure from the room with an uninsulated plate provides the necessary cold sealing surface as cold replacement air flows inside the enclosure. From the sealing surface (9), water flows into the chute (6) 6 73307 and further along the pipe (7) to the desired location. Such a solution comes into question especially when it is possible to take cold air from the corners of the barn and there is a sufficiently high (e.g. 40 cm) space 5 intact wall surface above the windows, doors, etc. in the bulkhead boundary. With a solution as described, a long, narrow replacement air inlet is achieved, which can be adjusted by means of strings (10). Such an inlet creates almost ideal conditions for the distribution of fresh air and for it-10 Mixing into the room air. A housing of the type shown can be built, for example, on impregnated wooden slats attached to the walls and bulkhead, whereby it is possible to keep the condensed water separate from the wall surfaces. Figure 6 shows an alternative to the structure of the housing 15 described above. The front surface (9) of the housing can be lowered freely on the gutter (6). The gutter (6) is attached to the wooden strip (11). The end of the housing can be made of the same material as the housing log, but it is easy to build from styrofoam, for example.

20

Figure 7 shows an alternative housing structure that can be bent from e.g. one plate. When bending the housing, the plate can be left under sufficient tension so that. as the cords (10) loosen, the gap (24) 25 increases to the maximum by the force of tension. With this structure, the long inlet shown in Fig. 5 is achieved and at the same time more sealing surface is formed. The air flowing from the fresh air inlet (24), illustrated by the arrow (22) in Fig. 9, entrains the air currents on both sides (23) of the housing-30 structure. The resulting currents contribute to the entry of new, wetter air in the vicinity of the condensation surfaces. According to the idea, the final shape of the housing structure depends on the space in which the housing is built. However, in order to avoid the accumulation of dust, it is advisable to make the horizontal part of the upper part of the housing as narrow as possible.

In order to facilitate the adjustment of the fresh air inlet gap (24), the adjustment cords (10) can be attached separately to the spool (14), whereby the entire long gap can be adjusted simply by twisting the crank (25), after which the spool is locked again.

It may prove advantageous to maintain a small gap at each point in the fresh air inlet gap (24) despite the fact that in the fully open position the gap is adjusted to a different size at different points. To provide a minimum gap, plates (15) of the desired thickness can be placed around the string: (10) in the upper part (9) of the sealing surface and between the upper flange of the housing.

When installing stretchable spacers (springs, rubber strips, etc.) on the cords (10), the gap can be adjusted if necessary! to its minimum at each point by turning the crank (25).

Fig. 8 is a top view of a part of the housing structure according to Fig. 7. The figure shows strips (18) made of rubber or other flexible and barn air-resistant material, the purpose of which is to prevent the leakage of cold replacement air from the lower part of the housing. When the strips are fastened at a suitable distance to the edges of the sealing surface (9), e.g. with pop rivets (19), the strips bend sufficiently when the gap (17) opens and at the same time seal the gap.

Fig. 9 shows a fastening head which can be applied at least to the housing structures according to Figs. 1 and 7. Spacers (20) are made of a suitable material, e.g. styrox plate, one edge of which is straight (against the fastening base) and the shape of the opposite edge When the spacers to be placed at different points in the housing, e.g. at intervals of 1 m, lower in order from the cold air inlet, the necessary lowering into the gutter (6) is achieved when the housing structure is tightened, e.g. with a rope against its base.

35

The gutter can be fastened to the lower part of the housing, e.g. with pelLi screws (26), so that it follows the lower part of the housing 8 73307 at a suitable distance.

In cold critical times, the throughput of the air dryers according to the invention may be sufficient to satisfy the need for recirculation of the entire replacement air. In addition, when conditions allow or require higher recycling power, normal inlets are required that are located in the room so that they work with the inlets of the dehumidifiers to form a functional whole.

10

If the barn has two or more rows of cows and the cows are placed with the feeding table in the middle, the housing structures according to the invention can be placed in the middle of the barn above the feeding table and fresh air can be directed to both sides,

The operation of the apparatus according to the invention is obtained, almost automatically also in connection with a gravity-operated deaeration system, by connecting the control flap of the exhaust flue to a thermostatic controller (not shown). The thermostat controller can operate, for example, on the bimetal principle or by taking advantage of the thermal expansion properties of a liquid or gas.

The invention may be modified and modified within the scope of the claims according to the conditions of use and the requirements,

Claims (7)

1 Auxiliary device for ventilation used in humid rooms such as barns and with the aim of controlling the humidity and heat conditions even during critical times which reduces the circulation requirement of the air 20 by condensing moisture from the room air and uses the heat energy released on a condensation area at the condensation and further to the potassium supply air and which is transmitted through a casing construction wall to the cold supply air flowing within the casing structure (3), characterized by e-drawing being produced in the room space with the aid of potassium air, which is more cold than its surroundings and on which a part of the room air humidity preferably condenses and emits its energy which is bound to the room air's problematic humidity for heating 3q of the supply air and dehumidifies the room air. 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the amount of potassium supply air is controlled by means of a flap (8) to prevent excessive frost formation in the height structure. Device according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the supply air is led into the space from the housing construction '(3) through a supply air supply II.