WO2001009555A1

WO2001009555A1 - Modular air handling system and method for providing humidity and pressure control

Info

Publication number: WO2001009555A1
Application number: PCT/US2000/018459
Authority: WO
Inventors: George H. Timmerman; Ralph J. Cushing; Bradley Weyeneth
Original assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
Priority date: 1999-07-30
Filing date: 2000-07-06
Publication date: 2001-02-08
Also published as: AU5787500A

Abstract

A modular air handling supply system (100) and method for producing a supply of conditioned air for cooling purposes is disclosed. The modular air handling supply system (100) includes a module container (10) and ducting for transporting the air within said module container (10) and a blower (12) in operational connection with the ducting, wherein the conditioned air is propelled to at least one resource or facility, each of which is located external to the module container (10). The system (100) has the capability of supplying a remote resource or facility with a variable volume, temperature, humidity, and pressure of conditioned air.

Description

MODULAR AIR HANDLING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING HUMIDITY AND PRESSURE CONTROL

Technical Field

This invention relates generally to air handling systems and, more particularly, to a modular cooling system for conditioning air while utilizing an existing chilled water supply and source of water for humidification. Though not limited thereto, the present invention is particularly useful in connection with large computer installations which require a continuous or near-continuous supply of conditioned air for reliable operation.

Background Art

Individuals, businesses, and governments have grown increasingly dependent on the services and resources that are made available through the processing of computers and computerized control facilities. In spite of the explosive growth in the utilization of control circuits and personal computers in recent years, many computer applications continue to rely on the services provided by large computer mainframe installations. Such data processing facilities are often in continuous operation, twenty- four hours per day, three hundred and sixty- five days a year. The computer equipment typically found in mainframe computer rooms generates vast amounts of heat and requires a limited temperature environment in which to operate reliably. In addition, a continuous supply of clean air is necessary to prevent the buildup of dust or dirt, which could contaminate the electrical circuits and compromise the reliable operation of the equipment. Furthermore, the humidity of the air in which the equipment operates must be maintained within a finite range so as to avoid the risk of both static charges from dry air and condensation from excessive moisture. In short, a supply of conditioned air within acceptable ranges of volume, temperature, humidity, and purity is critical to the reliable operation of control and computer equipment. By way of clarification, the term, "conditioned air" , as utilized herein, is intended to describe a supply of air that has been modified such that the volume, temperature, humidity, and purity of the air is within acceptable limits for the facilities, space, or equipment that is being serviced by an air handling system.

While the thousands of mainframe computer installations in continuous operation throughout the world attest to the fact that many data processing facilities have provided at least basic cooling, filtration, and humidification operations, problems still exist. In fact, HVAC (heating, ventilating, air conditioning) systems have been designed and implemented for year-around operation, with energy conservation cycles to take advantage of lower ambient temperatures. Some of these systems are well known to be fully integrated systems that address the cooling and filtration requirements of electronic data processing and control equipment. However, such systems are designed and marketed in a finite number of configurations, such as in 5 , 10, 15, etc. ton cooling capacities or fixed CFM (cubic feet per minute) limits. Furthermore, many such systems address only one, or at most two, of the aforementioned conditioning elements of cooling, filtration, and humidification. Because of the critical nature of the services and resources provided by mainframe data processing systems and because of the finite operating temperatures and humidity in which such equipment can operate reliably, HVAC systems supporting computer facilities have been designed with redundant components in the form of backup compressors, pumps, and fan motors. However, such redundancy raises both the cost and size of such equipment. Furthermore, not all key components in such systems are duplicated, and a failure of any of these elements results in the HVAC system operating at reduced capacity or even being shut down to await parts and repair by skilled personnel.

The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above .

Disclosure of the Invention

In one aspect of this invention, a modular air handling system for producing a supply of conditioned air for humidity and pressure control is disclosed. The modular air handling system includes a module container and a primary duct work mechanism for transporting the air within the module container and a blower module for propelling the air within the primary duct work mechanism, along with a cooling coil module and humidification mechanism located within the module container, wherein a variable volume, temperature, and humidity of conditioned air is propelled by the blower module to at least one facility that is located external to the module container. In another aspect of the present invention, a method for producing a supply of conditioned air to facilities external to a modular air handling system is disclosed. The method includes the steps of housing the primary air handling apparatus of a blower module, a cooling coil module, a humidification mechanism, and a primary duct work mechanism within a module container and conditioning a supply of air and propelling a variable volume, temperature, and humidity of conditioned air to at least one resource located external to the module container.

Brief Description of the Drawing

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may be made to the accompanying drawing m which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a modular air handling system.

Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention Referring now to FIG. 1, an external structure for a module container 10 for enclosing the components of an air handling system on all sides, including a top and a bottom, is depicted. The entire air handling system, comprising the container structure, the interior components, and quick-connect couplings as more thoroughly disclosed below will collectively be referred to as the "modular air handling system" or "module" , hereinafter depicted by numeral 100.

The aforementioned sides of the module container 10 may traditionally include four sides of a rectangular structure. However, the module container 10 could also be round or any other known design for enclosing a space for the housing of equipment. It is intended that the entire module 100, including the module container 10 and internal components and connections is designed and constructed such that it can be moved intact from point of manufacture to an end site and from site to site regardless of location of the site. Such a feature permits complete replacement of the entire module 100 as a unit should any component fail, should the site no longer require the conditioning provided by the module 100, or should the site require a module 100 with more or less conditioning capacity. As such, the module 100 may have external connections such as lifting brackets (not shown) to facilitate the moving and loading of the module 100 by crane or other lifting means. Additionally, the module 100 may have wheels, rollers, or similar devices (not shown) operably connected to the bottom or sides of the modular container 10 to facilitate its mobility. By way of illustrative example, the modular container 10 may have nominal dimensions of five feet (5') deep by seven feet (7') high by ten feet (10') in length. However, the dimensions of the modular container 10 are a function of the size and number of components contained within and are not intended to be limited by the exemplary dimensions disclosed above. Given the size of the module container 10, its containment components including top, bottom, and sides may also be described as ceiling, floor, and walls, respectively.

The primary operational component of module 100 is a blower 12. Although only one blower 12 is shown, any number of blowers may be designed into a comparably- sized module container 10 to provide desired cooling, humidification, and air volume capacity. The blower 12 may be an integrated fan motor and impeller (not shown) mounted within a housing 13. In the alternative, the blower 12 may consist of a separate motor connected to an impeller by means of a belt, drive shaft, or similar device for turning the impeller (not shown) . The blower 12 propels a supply of air through a supply duct 14 to a conditioned air loop 16 servicing a facility or equipment (not shown) located in a space 18 external to the module container 10. The conditioned air loop 16 includes a supply duct 20 and a return duct 22, supplying a remote facility or equipment with conditioned air and returning that air to a return duct 24 in a relatively continuous cycle. The remote facility or equipment may be located immediately adjacent to the module 100, in which case the supply duct 20 and the return duct 22 will be relatively short in length. Alternatively, the space or equipment serviced by the modular air handling system 100 may be located some distance from the module 100, such as on a different floor within a building or in a building separate from the module 100 location. In such installations, the supply and return ducts 20 and 22, respectively, will be relatively long. The supply ducts 14 and 20 each terminate at the perimeter of the module container 10 with a quick-connect coupling 26. Similarly, the return ducts 22 and 24 each terminate at the perimeter of the module container 10 with a quick-connect coupling 28. The quick-connect couplings 26 and 28 comprise flexible links and connect/disconnect duct connections to facilitate the modular features of the inventive system by permitting rapid and convenient connection and disconnection of the module 100 from its surroundings by non-technical personnel, using non- specialized equipment. The facility served by the module 100 may be open space occupied by people, equipment, or both (not shown) , m which the module 100 provides conditioned air to control the humidity and air pressure within the facility. The supply duct 14 may also provide a supply of air to a space beneath the raised floor of a computer room (not shown) , thereby providing conditioned air to the computer room equipment and space through vents in the raised floor. The temperature, humidity, and air pressure in the space 18 is detected and reported by the sensors, 30, 32, and 34, respectively. While not shown m FIG. 1, the system is intended to include any of the sensory systems typically associated with blowers, electric motors, air conditioning systems, fluid chilling systems, humidification systems, and air handling equipment. Such sensory systems, by way of example and not limitation, detect such conditions as power on/off, motor stopped, motor running, air temperature, presence of smoke, humidity, air flow, water temperature, water flow, air pressure, and malfunction.

Connected to the supply duct 14 on the outlet side of the blower 12 is a sensor 36 for detecting and reporting the temperature of the air supply exiting the blower 12. The sensor 36 may be connected to a display panel (not shown) as more thoroughly disclosed below. An abnormally high reading by the sensor 36 may indicate a malfunction somewhere in the modular air handling system 100 or may indicate a malfunction or excessive heat in the facility serviced by the module 100, and a corresponding alarm indication may be signaled. A smoke detection sensor 38 will report the presence of any smoke in the supply duct 14 and will shut down the operation of the blower 12 and signal an alarm if smoke is detected. Also connected to the supply duct 14 on the outlet side of the blower 12 is a sensor 40 for detecting and reporting air flow exiting the blower 12. A fourth sensor 42 detects and reports the humidity of the air in the supply duct 14. This fourth sensor 42 is a high limit sensor that provides an alarm indication if the humidity in duct 14 exceeds a set point. The humidity sensor 32 controls the humidity of the external space 18. A low humidity condition, as detected by the sensor 32, will activate a humidity control 44 to open a supply of water to a spray nozzle 46 within the supply duct 14, thereby increasing the humidity of the air being propelled through the supply duct 14 to the external space 18. A water supply line 48 provides a source of water to the humidity control 44 and the spray nozzle 46 from a water source (not shown) located external to the module 100. The water supply line 48 terminates at the module container 10 with a quick-connect coupling 47. While the above discussion discloses a water supply line 48 as the source of humidification to the module 100, steam instead of water may be utilized without detracting from the inventive system. A high humidity condition, as detected by the sensor 32, will initiate the modulation of a chilled fluid valve 120 as discussed below to increase the flow of chilled fluid through a chilled fluid coil 110. The increased cooling effect resulting from the additional flow of chilled fluid through the chilled fluid coil 110 reduces the chilled fluid coil 110 surface temperature to below the dew point of the air flowing through return duct 24, thereby having a dehumidifying effect on the air. An excessively high or low humidity reading by the sensors 42 or 32 may indicate a malfunction somewhere in the modular air handling system 100 or may indicate a condition that could be damaging to the facility or equipment serviced by the module 100, and a corresponding alarm indication may be signaled.

The blower 12 is equipped with a variable volume control 49, thereby controlling the volume of air propelled by the blower 12 through the supply duct 14 into the external space 18. The variable volume control 49 may be a variable speed control for the blower 12, with a slower blower speed resulting in a lesser volume of air propelled by the blower 12 into the conditioned air loop 16. Alternatively, the control 49 may be a scroll cone volume control, thereby directly controlling the volume of air propelled through the supply duct 14 by the blower 12. Air from the space 18 is drawn into the module 100 and into the return duct 24 from the return duct 22 through the quick-connect coupling 28 by the suction action of the blower 12. The temperature and humidity of the return air in the return duct 24 are detected and reported by the two sensors 50 and 54, respectively. A sensor 52 detects and reports any smoke in the air flow in the return duct 24. Should either of the sensors 52 or 38 detect the presence of smoke, the system will activate the shut-down and isolation of the modular air handling system 100 by shutting off blower 12 and directing the damper controls 58, 78, and 60 to close vanes 62, 74, and 64 located in the supply ducts 20 and 70 and the return duct 22, respectively. The supply and return duct shut-off vanes 62 and 64, in addition to isolating the module 100 upon detection of smoke, may be utilized to isolate the modular air handling system 100 for repair or replacement without jeopardizing the supply of conditioned air to the space 18. Providing reliable and redundant conditioning systems to critical facilities or equipment located in a space 18 may require multiple modular air handling systems 100. While only one such module 100 is shown in FIG. 1, any number of modules 100 may be connected in parallel to serve a given space 18. Isolating one module 100 from the space 18 will not compromise the facilities or equipment located in the space 18, either because a backup module 100 may be brought online, either manually or automatically, or because the collection of modules 100 serving the space 18 provides sufficient excess cooling capacity.

Sensor 32 detects and reports space pressure within the external space 18 and should the space pressure as detected by sensor 32 drop below a minimum set point, the modular air handling system 100 can activate the introduction of outside air into the module 100 as make-up air. The modular air handling system 100 has the feature of being able to draw a supply of outside air from a space external to the modular container 10, mix the outside air with the return air drawn through the return ducts 22 and 24, and supply the mixed air to the facility or equipment in the external space 18 through the supply ducts 14 and 20. Outside air is drawn through a supply duct 66 by the suction action of blower 12 from a source external to the module container 10. The outside air is drawn through a quick-connect coupling 68 into a supply duct 70, mixes with the air in the return duct 24, and continues through the chilled fluid coil 110 as discussed below. Such an outside air feature brings several benefits to the inventive system. First, when the ambient temperature as detected by the sensor 80 is lower than the temperature of the air in the space 18 as detected by the sensor 30, the relatively cooler outside air will reduce the reliance on the chilled fluid coil 110 or an external air handler (not shown) to cool the air being supplied to the space 18. By utilizing outside air for at least partial cooling, less energy and therefore expense is expended to cool the air to an acceptable temperature than by means of a mechanically chilled fluid coil 110. Another advantage of the outside air feature is the ability to introduce an additional supply of air into the external space serviced by the module 100 and thereby increase the air pressure in the space 18. This feature is discussed more thoroughly below in conjunction with providing variable air pressure to the space 18 serviced by the module 100. The introduction of outside air into the modular air handling system 100 for energy conservation purposes is controlled by the operation of a return vane 72 and a supply vane 74, as controlled by damper controls 76 and 78, respectively. The return vane 72 is normally fully open, and the supply vane 74 is normally completely closed, thereby precluding supplying the module 100 with outside air. In those environments where a minimum supply of outside air is mandated by code, the damper control 78 will keep the supply vane 74 partially open so a requisite supply of outside air may be introduced into the return duct 24. The energy conservation aspect of the system is activated as the system detects the ambient temperature, as detected by the sensor 80, falling below a predetermined level as detected by the sensor 30. The damper control 78 opens the supply vane 74 to provide a supply of relatively cooler air through the supply ducts 66 and 70. The damper control 76 will correspondingly close the return vane 72 to control a constant supply of air being supplied to the blower 12, with at least some of the air being supplied through the supply ducts 66 and 70.

As discussed above, the outside air source is used to increase air pressure in the space 18. As the system detects a need to increase air pressure, based on sensor 34, the supply vane 74 will open by operation of the damper control 78 to provide an additional source of air to the blower 12. The supply vane 74 will modulate, by operation of the damper control 78, from fully closed to fully open, dependent upon the readings from the air pressure sensor 34. One drawback of the outside air feature of the module 100 is that outside air is often of inadequate quality for use within an interior facility or around sensitive control and computer equipment. The inventive system solves this problem by providing filtering and temperature control of the outside air before it mixes with the inside air and before it is propelled by the blower 12 to the external space 18. The outside air is drawn through a series of filters, 82, 84, 86, and 88, to provide the requisite quality of air to the space 18 being serviced by the modular air handling system 100. Filter 82 is a thirty percent (30%) filter, filter 84 is a ninety-five per-cent (80%) filter, filter 86 is a gaseous absorption filter, and filter 88 is a HEPA filter. Although four specific filters are shown, any number and type of filters, including only one, may be accommodated by the system, depending both on the particular quality of air that is required to best service the facility or equipment in the space 18 and on the environment of the space from which the outside air is drawn. Sensors 90 and 92 are exemplary sensors that may be utilized to detect an increase in air pressure across a particular filter and thereby signal a need to clean or replace that filter.

The temperature and humidity of the outside air being drawn into the module 100 through supply duct 70 are detected and reported by sensors 94 and 96, respectively. If the temperature of the outside air being drawn into supply duct 70 is below a pre-set minimum as detected by sensor 94, a pre-heat coil 98 will activate to heat the outside air. An excessively high or low humidity condition for the outside air, as detected by the sensor 96, will activate an alarm signal .

A sensor 106 detects and reports the air pressure differential across a filter 108 located in the return duct 24. A pressure differential above a pre-determined level is indicative that the filter 108 requires cleaning or replacing. Following filtration and following the mixing of air from the supply duct 70, the air in the return duct 24 is drawn across the chilled fluid coil 110, where the air may optionally be cooled. The air continues through the blower 12 and exits the module 100 at the quick-connect coupling 26 to provide conditioned air to facilities and equipment located external to the module 100 as described above. The chilled fluid coil 110 is supplied with chilled fluid through a chilled fluid loop 112, comprising a supply line 114, return lines 116 and 118, a bypass line 128, and the valve 120; and terminating at the perimeter of the module container 10 with a pair of quick-connect couplings 122. The chilled fluid directed through the loop 112 is supplied from a source (not shown) external to the module 100. Preferably, the fluid in the loop 112 for such a cooling process is a water or glycol -water solution. However, the fluid in the loop 112 is not limited to a water or glycol -water solution and may be any pumpable fluid that is capable of accepting and releasing cooling through chilled fluid coils. Two sensors 124 and 126 on the supply line 114 and the return line 118, respectively, detect and report the temperature of the fluid directed to and returning from the chilled fluid coil 110. A key feature of the modular air handling system 100 is the capability of automatically providing a variable volume, pressure, temperature, and humidity of conditioned air to facilities or equipment located external to the module 100. The pressure of air in a space 18 serviced by the module 100 is controlled by managing the volume of air propelled through the supply ducts 14 and 20 and as detected by the pressure sensor 34. As discussed briefly above, the pressure sensor 34 detects and reports air pressure in the space serviced by the modular air handling system 100. Such a sensing capability is particularly useful within the plenum space located beneath the raised floor panels for an equipment room. By way of example and not limitation, computer rooms often have computer equipment placed on a raised floor system in which the space between the structural floor and the raised floor panels is utilized to run cables, communications wires, power lines, and chilled fluid pipes. Additionally, the space is used as an open plenum in which cooled air directed into the space by air conditioning systems is released into the computer room through louvers, vents, and holes in the raised floor panels. Positive air pressure is required in this plenum space to propel the conditioned air through the raised floor panel openings to cool the equipment in the room. Sensing air pressure in this space that is less than a predetermined set point can indicate a malfunction in the air handling system supplying the room and also provide an early warning alarm prior to the room becoming excessively warm from lack of cool air. Upon detecting that the air pressure in the space serviced by the module 100 has dropped below a predetermined level, the variable volume feature of the blower 12 is activated as discussed above to increase the volume of conditioned air; and the supply vane 74 is opened by activation of the damper control 78 to provide an additional supply of air, and thereby increase the air pressure in the space 18. Similarly, should the sensor 34 detect a high pressure condition, damper control 78 is activated to ensure that supply vane 74 is modulated toward a closed position, and the variable volume feature of the blower 12 is deactivated to reduce the volume of air being propelled through the supply duct 14 into the space 18 until the air pressure in the space 18 is at the predetermined level. When a large, under-floor supply plenum is utilized in the space 18, or if an under- floor pressure sensor location is not preferred, the pressure sensor 34 may be located within an occupied portion of the space 18. Primary temperature control of the facility or equipment serviced by the modular air handling system 100 is provided by a separate air handling/coil module or modules (not shown) . Although the chilled fluid cooling coil 110 and the valve 120 may provide cooling, the primary operation of the coil 110 and the valve 120 in the present inventive system is for humidity control as discussed more thoroughly below.

Chilled fluid coil 110 and valve 120 are controlled by leaving sensor 36 set at the desired temperature of the external space 18 unless this is reset by a dehumidification demand as described below. If the sensor 32 detects a low humidity condition, the humidity control 44 will be activated to reduce the water flow through the spray nozzle 46 until the humidity level at the sensor 32 is within an acceptable range. Should the humidity as detected by the sensor 32 remain excessively high after the humidity control 44 has shut off all water to the spray nozzle 46, the dehumidification features of the chilled fluid coil 110 will be activated by the modulation of the valve 120, partially closing the supply of chilled fluid into the valve 120 through the bypass line 128. Simultaneously, the valve 120 will open the orifice to the return line 116. The effect of this valve modulation is that some of the chilled fluid in the supply line 114 is routed through the chilled fluid coil 110, thereby cooling the surface of the chilled fluid coil 110 across which the air in return duct 24 is being propelled. As discussed above, once the air flowing across the chilled fluid coil 110 is reduced in temperature below its dew point, dehumidification of the air will commence. The valve 120 will modulate until the humidity of the air being propelled into the space 18 is within a satisfactory humidity range as detected by the sensor 32.

Return vane 72 is normally closed. If the outside air required to maintain the pressure set point in space 18 is insufficient to maintain the humidity control in space 18, then the return vane 72 is opened by damper control 78 and blower 12 is increased in speed with variable volume control 49. This sequence is initiated by a further call for dehumidification when valve 120 is in the full open to coil position, or a further call for humidification with spray nozzle 46 at the maximum permitted by the fourth or high limit sensor 42. The fourth sensor 42 overrides the control of the humidity control 44 and spray nozzle 46 to maintain a maximum humidity in supply duct 14 and an alarm goes off if the humidity exceeds the set point . The increased air volume created by this sequence provides the needed additional dehumidification or humidification to external space 18.

Leads from each of the aforementioned sensors may be directed to a control status panel (not shown) which may be located within the module 100, external to the module container 10, or both. The computational processing capacity to control each of the aforementioned features resides within the control status panel and may optionally reside at each sensor and control within the modular air handling system 100. The control status panel may be located at a site many miles from the module container 10. The panel may merely display the temperature, humidity, flow, and pressure readings as detected by the various sensors . The panel may further indicate the operational status of each blower 12 within the module container 10, such as displaying a green light for each component currently in operation. Additionally, the panel may contain lights and/or alarms that visually and/or audibly indicate an out-of-range condition as detected by the sensors and as compared against permissible range settings for each particular sensor. Upon detection of an out-of-range condition, the panel status light for the respective component may be changed from green to red, an audible alarm may be activated, and control circuitry may be activated to shut down the affected component. The various temperature, humidity, and pressure control and alarm points may be reset by the user at the control status panel .

Industrial Applicability

In view of the foregoing, the present invention is advantageously applicable to a modular air handling system for providing a supply of conditioned air to remotely situated resources, space, and equipment. The components for filtering, cooling, and humidifying the air and for propelling the conditioned air to the facility and equipment are secured within a transportable module container 10 such that the entire structure can be swapped out should any component fail or should the conditioning requirements of the remote space and equipment change. The components of the air handling system are also modular in that each component can be easily removed by non-technical personal and a replacement component easily and quickly plugged back in place so as to avoid or minimize any loss of conditioning capacity. All connections of piping, ductwork, and power between the module container 10 and its external environment are in the form of quick-connect couplings to facilitate the easy installation, removal, and replacement of the entire module. The modular plant is particularly useful in providing the conditioned air required to air condition a computer room facility and to directly cool computer equipment. Other aspects, objects and advantages of the present invention can be obtained from a study of the drawings, the disclosure and the appended claims.

Claims

1. A modular air handling system (100) for producing a supply of conditioned air to facilities located external to the modular air handling system (100), said system comprising: a module container (10) ; a blower module (13) located within said module container (10) ; a cooling coil module located within said module container (10) ; a humidification mechanism (46) located within said module container (10) ; and a primary duct work mechanism (70,14,24) for transporting air within said module container (10) and is operatively connected to said blower module (13), said cooling coil module, and said humidification mechanism (46) , wherein said supply of conditioned air, having a variable volume, temperature, and humidification, is provided to at least one resource (18) located external to said module container (10) .

2. The system (100) according to claim 1, wherein said module container (10) includes a floor, a ceiling, and one or more walls.

3. The system (100) according to claim 1, wherein said module container (10) is transportable.

4. The system (100) according to claim 1, wherein said blower module (13) includes: at least one motor; a fan (12) operatively connected to said at least one motor for propelling air through said primary duct work mechanism (70,14,24); a mechanism (49) to propel a variable volume of air through said primary duct work mechanism (70, 14,24) ; and a housing (13) for supporting said at least one motor and said fan (12) .

5. The system (100) according to claim 1, wherein said primary duct work mechanism (70,14,24) includes at least one air filtration device (82, 84, 86, 88, 108) .

6. The system (100) according to claim 1, wherein said primary duct work mechanism (70,14,24) includes a mechanism (74) for providing a supply of outside air to said at least one resource (18) .

7. The system (100) according to claim 1, wherein said primary duct work mechanism (70,14,24) terminates at a perimeter of said module container (10) with a quick-connect mechanism (68,26,28).

8. The system (100) according to claim 1, wherein said cooling coil module includes: at least one chilled fluid coil (110) through which a supply of air is directed by said blower module (13); a mixing valve (120) for controlling the temperature of said directed supply of air exiting said at least one chilled fluid coil (110) wherein said mixing valve (120) is operatively connected to said at least one chilled fluid coil (110) ; and a conduit (116,114,128,118) for transporting chilled fluid through said at least one chilled fluid coil (110) and said mixing valve (120) .

9. The system (100) according to claim 8, wherein said at least one chilled fluid coil (110) is in heat exchange relationship with a chilled fluid source located external to said module container (10) , and wherein said conduit includes at least one fluid flow loop (112), wherein each said fluid flow loop (112) includes a supply fluid line (114) and a return fluid line (114) .

10. The system (100) according to claim 9, wherein at least one of said supply (114) and return fluid lines (118) terminates at a perimeter of the module container with a quick-connect mechanism (122)

11. The system (100) according to claim 1, wherein said humidification mechanism includes: at least one dispenser (46) through which a supply of humidification fluid is directed into said primary duct work mechanism (14) ; and at least one controller (44) for modulating the volume of said humidification fluid directed to said at least one dispenser.

12. The system (100) according to claim 1, wherein said humidification mechanism includes: at least one mechanism (46) for adding humidity in said external facilities; and at least one mechanism for reducing humidity in said external facilities.

13. The system (100) according to claim 1, further comprising sensing controls

(30,32,34,36,38,40,42) that are operatively connected to at least one mechanism selected from the group consisting of said blower module 13, said cooling coil module, said humidification mechanism (46), and said primary duct work mechanism (70,14,24) .

14. The system (100) according to claim 13, wherein said sensing controls (30,32,34,36,38,40,42) detect a plurality of conditions, wherein said plurality of conditions are selected from the group consisting of blower motor speed, air flow rate, air temperature, humidity level, smoke detection, fluid temperature, and air pressure.

15. A method for producing a supply of conditioned air to facilities located external to a modular air handling system (100) that includes a blower module (13), a cooling coil module (110), a humidification mechanism (46) , and a primary duct work mechanism (70,24,14) housed within a module container (10), said method comprising the steps of: propelling a supply of air through said primary duct work mechanism (70,24,14); cooling said supply of air; humidifying said supply of air; and propelling said supply of conditioned air, having a variable volume, temperature, and humidity, to at least one resource (18) located external to said module container (10) .

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising a step of transporting said module container (10) to and from the site where said module container (10) is to provide said supply of cooled air.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein said step of propelling said supply of conditioned air through said primary duct work mechanism (70,24,14) includes propelling said supply of conditioned air through said primary duct work mechanism (70,24,14) with a fan (12) connected to a motor .

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein said step of propelling said supply of conditioned air through said primary duct work

(70,24,14) includes a step of propelling a variable volume of air through said primary duct work.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein said step of propelling said supply of conditioned air through said primary duct work (70,14,24) includes a step of providing a supply of outside air to said at least one resource (18) .

20. The method according to claim 15, including a step of filtering said supply of conditioned air.

21. The method according to claim 15, including a step of terminating said primary duct work mechanism (70,24,14) at a perimeter of said module container (10) with a quick-connect mechanism (28,26, 68) .

22. The method according to claim 15, wherein said step of cooling said supply of air further includes the steps of : passing said supply of air through a chilled fluid coil (110) ; modulating the temperature of said supply of conditioned air exiting said coil (110) by use of a mixing valve (120) operatively connected to a chilled fluid source (112) located external to said module container (10) ; and transporting said chilled fluid through a conduit (116,114,128,118) wherein said conduit is fluidly connected to said coil (110) and said mixing valve (120) .

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein said step of transporting said chilled fluid through a conduit includes transporting said chilled fluid through at least one fluid flow loop (112) , wherein each said fluid flow loop (112) includes a supply fluid line (114) and a return fluid line (116, 118) .

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein said step of transporting said chilled fluid through at least one fluid flow loop (112) includes utilizing at least one quick-connect mechanism (122) to terminate at least one of a supply or return fluid line (114,118) at a perimeter of said module container (10) .

25. The method according to claim 22, wherein said step of transporting said chilled fluid through a conduit includes a step of exchanging heat, wherein said heat is acquired by said chilled fluid in said chilled fluid coil (110), at a location external to said module container (10) .

26. The method according to claim 15, wherein said step of humidifying said supply of air further includes the step of directing a variable supply of humidification fluid through at least one dispenser (46) into said primary duct work mechanism (14) .

27. The method according to claim 15, wherein said step of humidifying said supply of air further includes the steps of : adding humidity to said supply of air; and reducing humidity from said supply of air.

28. The method according to claim 15, including a step of detecting an alarm condition wherein said alarm condition is selected from the group consisting of blower motor speed, air flow rate, air temperature, humidity level, smoke detection, fluid temperature, and air pressure.