US2190998A - Air conditioning apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 20, 1940. w. s. SOMERS AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed June 22, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 JISqmers, M h

Feb; 20, 1940. w. s. SOMERS AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed June 22, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 glllig 5 a 7 1 a l My m m fi/ 1 hi fl SUM/6 n x 6 1 n" 2 6 6 Feb. 20, 1940. w. s. soMERs AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jun 22. 1358 Willazmfifiomw,

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Feb. 20, 1940. w. s. SOMERS 2,190,998

AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed June 22, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 4:

Patented at. 20, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS William S. Somers, Columbus, Ohio Application June 22, 1938, Serial No. 215,254

4 Claims.

This invention relates to air conditioning apparatus of the type adapted for controlling the temperature and other properties of atmospheres prevailing in residence or building rooms, or

5 other wall-confined areas.

In certain of its more specific aspects, theinvention provides a heating system for residences and other purposes wherein forced circulation of conditioned air is provided in combination with 10 steam or hot water heated radiator units.

In most of the forced air house heating systems commercially available at present, solid or fluid type fuels are burned to generate hot gases which are directed against the internal walls of 18 'heat exchangers and ultimately pass to the atmosphere, the air to be heated being forced orv drawn over the outer walls of such exchangers by passage through a confined casing, so that the air is thereby heated to required temperatures go for room delivery and passed through associated ducts or conduits to the rooms under temperature control. Most of these systems, operating under automatic or thermostatic regulation, provide intermittent high and low stage operations. Dur- 35 ing high; stage operation, the fuel burners are operated at maximum capacity to quickly heat the walls of the heat exchangers in order to satisfy the heat requirement as rapidly as possible, after which the burners are shut down to go low stage or pilot operation until a heat demand is again presented. These alternate requirements for quickly developed high stage operation result-in considerable fuel waste and'produce an undesired variation in temperature of the room 35 atmospheres in the intervals between high and low stage operation.

Steam and hot Water systems of the radiator type have had long and successful use in residence and-building applications, producing a high degree of warmth with economical fuel consumption. However, these latter systems require the placing or radiators in the individual rooms to be heated together with associated piping and control valves leading from the furnace "or boiler,

with the result that the same are not adaptable in general to the more modern forced air types of heating systems wherein room radiators are eliminated.

It is, therefore, a leading object of the inven- 5 tion to incorporate in a-modern forced air heating system a centrally disposed heating unit of the boiler-radiator type, wherein'the radiator or radiators is located in the same general casing as the boiler or combustion unit, and wherein l6 provision is made for forcing air to be heated over the radiator or radiators and thence through associated conduits to the various spaced points of room delivery, this system making possible the use of the economical and eificient hot water or steam heating units and the minimizing of '5 temperature differentials in the rooms under heat control.

Another object of the invention is to provide a heating system wherein a centrally disposed heater is used consisting primarily of a fuel-fired 10 boiler or steam generator which is arranged within a casing having communicating air inlet and discharging chambers, the boiler or generator having its water drum connected with a heat exchanger of the radiator type also mounted within said casing and so disposed that thermal circulation of hot water or steam from the drum of the generator -to the radiator is provided, provision being made in the system to effect the forced passage of air to be heated over the outer surfaces of the radiator and thence to the rooms to be heated, together with the return and filtration of the air following cooling thereof to the inlet chamber of the casing prior to the re-passage of such air over the radiator.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a heating or air conditioning system which is essentially simple andeconomical in its design and operation and which may be readily installed with a minimum of labor and expense in practically all types of residential and othe buildings.

taken through the apparatus on the plane indicated by theline H--II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan viewdisclosing the casing and plenum housing of the heating apparatus;

Fig. 4. is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken through the plenum housing and also disclosing the radiator section of the heating system; i

Fig. 5" ais a horizontal sectional view taken on the planindicated by the line Vf-Vmf Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a similar horizontal sectional view as Fig. 5, but disclosing an alternative arrangement of the dividing wallspf the plenum;

Fig. 7 is a detail horizontal sectional view on the line VlIVII of Fig. and disclosing the heat insulating jackets for the boiler or steam generator;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged vertical sectional view illustrating the joints uniting communicating sections of the air discharging conduit of the heater casing, the plane of the figure being indicated by theline VIIIVIII of Fig. l;

Fig; 9 is a similar view on the line IX-IX-of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional view through a modified form of heater casing wherein the boiler or steam generator is disposed in a separate chamber of the casing assembly;

Fig. 11 is a sectional view of a further modified form of the present invention wherein a single boiler or steam generator is employed to supply a heated fluid to a multiplicity of spaced radiators,

as in apartment house installations wherein individual control for each apartment is required with the use of a central heating unit.

Fig. 12 is a further modified form of the invention wherein the heat exchanger is arranged in both the return air and outgoing air compartments of the plenum housing of the heater casing.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, and especially to the form of the present invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive thereof,

. the numeral l designates the ohter casing of my improved heating apparatus.

be formed from sheet metal of relatively thin This casing may the casing I is disposed in the cellar, basement or forced by angular frames 25.- Connected with the frames 25 are air inlet or'return conduits 26 furnace room of a residence or other building, and because of its attractive external appearance, the same does not. in any way detract from the setting it, may occupy.

Within the casing, there is arranged a refractory furnace box 2 having a combustion chamher 3. Any suitable type of fuel may be burned within this chamber, either solid or fluid. In the present instance, however, an automatic hydrocarbon fluid burner has been indicated at 4, with its burner discharge pipe 5 entering the chamber 3, the burner as a whole being arranged within a compartment 6 formed in the lower right hand corner of the casing I (see Fig. 1). Air for the operation of the burner 4 enters the casingby way of the opening I, which is normally closed by means of a screen or its equivalent 8. The combustion gases, generated in the chamber 3, are utilized to heat a water boiler or drum 9 in order to effect the development of steam and, following eration. As shown in Fig. 1, the jacket L'ia may be formed with a plurality of perforations to allow a limited circulation of 'air between the Jacket and the boiler walls, the quantity of air admitted being controlled by the number and size of the openings.

The steam or hot water outlet of the boiler or drum 9 is connected by means of piping H with the upper manifold l2 of a stationary heat exchanger in the form of a substantially horizontallydisposed radiator. Hi. The latter, in this instance, comprises the upper manifold l2 and a parallel somewhat lower outlet manifold I 4, the two manifolds being connected by means of a plurality of spaced parallel, transversely extending tubes l-5v of considerably smaller diameter than said manifolds, and heat radiating fins iii are joined with the tubes I5 and extend transversely thereof in parallel spaced relationship with one another.

The outlet manifold I4 has its opposite ends I connected with return piping I! which leads to the bottom of the drum or boiler 9, in order that the cold or condensed heating fluid may be returned to said boiler or drum for reheating. Also, a pressure balancing pipe l8 unites'the piping I l with the return piping I! immediately ahead of the point of entry of the latter into the bottom of the boiler drum. By this arrangement, thermal circulation of the heating 'fiuid is automatically maintained with but a minimum of equipment and without the use of special injector means for the return of feed water leading to the boiler..

Mounted on top of the casing I is a plenum housing l9. Preferably, this housing includes rectangular and vertical side walls 20 and a horizontal top wall 2|. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the walls 20 have their vertical edges terminated in inwardlyextending adjoining flanges'22, whichare welded or otherwise secured together. These flanges act as guide ribs for the reception of the outer vertical edges of a pair of removable divisional plates 23--23. The side walls 20' of the housing l9 are formed with openings 24 reenand, with other sides of the housing, air outlet or discharge conduits 21. By the removal of the top wall 2|, it will be seen that the plates 23 may be adjusted to assume different positions in the thereof, whereas in Fig. 6, the said plates 23 are spOSitiOlled so that the conduits 26 for the dis-.

charge of warm'air are situated at'the top and at the right side of the figure and the return conduits 26 for the cool air at the left and bottom portions of the figure. This arrangement provides very considerable flexibility in the matter of heater casing installation and enables the conduits 26.and 2'! to be disposed wherever most advantageous, depending upon the physical conditions present in the room in which the heater casing is located and with respect to the position which the heater casing is to occupy in said room, the arrangement avoiding the crossing of the ducts, avoids interference with head room in a low ceiling basement-or cellar, and also enables theducts to be concealed to advantage between floor supporting joists or the like.

As shown in Fig. 5, cool air returning from the rooms of a building heated by the apparatus, enters the compartments 28 of the plenum housing and passes downwardly through the open bottom of these compartments into the interior of the casing l, passing freely around the piping II, I! and I8, the outer portions of the drum 9 and the duct l0, absorbing any heat which may be released from the surfaces of these elements. The return air thus drawn into the casing is then passed through one or more filter elements 29, composed of glass wool, or other equivalent ma-- terial, by which fine solids, carried in suspension in the returned air, may be caught in the strands of the filter and permanently trapped thereby. The filtered air is then delivered into a. chamber and enters the suction side of a blower or fan 3| operated by an electric motor 32. From the discharge side of the blower or fan 3|, a'vertical upwardly extending conduit section 33 leads the air in a confined stream in an upward direction, the section 3i terminating at its upper end in outturned flanges 34 which, as shown in Figs. 8 and '9, are joined with compiemental flanges 35 provided on the lower edges of an angularly directed conduit section 36 which opens at its upper end into the central compartment 31 of the plenum housing, this compartment being in open communication with the warm air discharge ducts or conduits 21. Also situated in the upper portion of the duct section 36 is the radiator or heat exchanger l3. As the air advanced from thefan or blower through the conduit sections 33 and 35 contacts with the highly heated exterior surfaces V of the radiator, including its manifolds l2 and I4,

. of sight.

ed casing so that they do nottake up space in the rooms of a building and, moreover, are out The arrangement permits of the use of the relatively small cross-sectional conduits now used in forced air heating systems and the correspondingly small inlet and outlet registers in the room walls. Aside from operating economy and simplicity, the outstanding advantage of,

the water vapor radiator type of heating element is the remarkable uniformity of room temperatures over prolonged periods of time, it being possible with the use of this system to hold room temperatures between limits of but a few degrees of variation.

In the modified form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 10, the casing la is provided internally with a divisional wall 40, which provides separate compartments 4| and 42 for the reception of the boiler or steam generator and the the air distributing and controlling elements, respectively. In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 11, the heat exchanger or radiator and the air circulating units are disposed in a casing 45 which is separate and spaced from the generator or boiler 9. Installations of this kind 7 are highly practicable for use in apartment buildings or the like, where it is desired to provide separate control for the heating of each individual apartment with a common boiler or steam generator for all of the units 45. In Fig. 11, a steam supply pipe 46, leading from a suitable source of steam'generation enters the casing 45 and is connected with the radiator unit disposed therein. The pipe- 46 is provided with a control valve 41 by means of which the steam supply to the radiator unit may be shut off. This and 5| respectively. The casing 45 includes filters.

54 and a motor driven fan or blower 55. The casings 45 are comparatively small and compact and will occupy but a minimum of room in an apartment, or they may be placed at any other convenient point in an apartment building.

In Fig. 12, the heat exchanger or radiator l3, instead of being located only in the air discharging compartment of the plenum housing, as shown in the preceding figures of the drawings, is extended so that portions thereof will be disposed in the receiving or return air compartments of the plenum housing, as indicated at l3a. Such an arrangement permits the air returning tothe heater casing to be preheated prior to its passage through the fan or blower 3|. It will be understood that it is within the scope of the invention to circulate a cooling fluid through the heat exchanger in periods of warm weather if it should be so desired.

What is claimed is:

1. In air conditioning apparatus, a heating unit comprising a casing divided internally into inner and outer chambers, steam generating means positioned in said outer chamber, a heat exchanger disposed in said inner chamber, said exchanger being in communication with said generator, a manifold provided at the top of said casing, partition means separating said manifold into warm and cool air'sections, the former communicatin with said inner chamber and the latter with said .outer chamber, and a motor driven blower positioned at the inlet to said inner chamber, the inlet to said blower being-in open communication with said outer chamber.

2. In air conditioning apparatus, a heating unit comprising a casing divided internally into inner and outer chambers, steam generating means positioned in said outer chamber, a heat exchanger disposed in said inner chamber, said exchanger being in communication with said generator, a manifold provided at the top of said casing, partition means separating said manifold into warm and cool air sections, the former communicatin with said inner chamber and the latter with said outer chamber, a motor driven blower positioned at the inlet to said inner chamber, the inlet to said blower being in open communication with said outer chamber, and means for filtering the air prior to its entrance into said blower.

3. In air conditioning apparatus, a heating unit comprising a casing divided internally into inner and outer chambers, steam" generating means positioned in said outer chamber, a heat exber, the inlet to said blower being in open communication with said outer chamber.

4. In air conditioning apparatus, a heating unit comprising a casing, a manifold provided at the top of said casing, partition means separating said manifold into warm and cool air sections, a hollow substantially vertically extending-column provided in said casing, the upper end of said column communicating with the warm air section of said manifold, the cold air section of the manifold being in open communication with the interior of said casing, a steam generator position in said casing, a heat exchanger extending transversely of said column, means for connecting said heatexchanger with said generator, a motor driven blower having the' outlet thereof connected with the lower end of said column, the inlet of said blower being in open communication with the interior of said casing, and an air filtering partition extending. across said casing between the inlet to said blower and said generator.

WILLIAM S. SOMERS.

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