Method for operating a ventilation system with a mixing chamber

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a method for operating a ventilation system with a mixing chamber into which air is supplied via a first supply duct and via at least one further supply duct. Air is removed from the mixing chamber by a removal duct. The supply of air—volume control—into the mixing chamber from the supply ducts is controlled in each case via flaps with a plurality of flap leaves and/or a plurality of flap units each having a plurality of intercoupled flap leaves. According to the disclosure, the flap leaves and/or the flap units are activated individually, and an individual opening position of the respective flap leaves or of the flap units with the flap leaves is made possible.

Claims

1. A method for operating a ventilation system comprising: supplying first air into a mixing chamber via a first supplying duct by controlling a first plurality of flaps having at least one of (i) a first plurality of flap leaves and (ii) a first plurality of flap units, each of the first plurality of flap units having a first plurality of intercoupled flap leaves, by individually activating at least one of the first plurality of flaps such that each of the first plurality of flaps has a respective individual opening position; supplying second air into the mixing chamber via a second supplying duct by controlling a second plurality of flaps having at least one of (i) a second plurality of flap leaves and (ii) a second plurality of flap units, each of the second plurality of flap units having a second plurality of intercoupled flap leaves, by individually activating at least one of the second plurality of flaps such that each of the second plurality of flaps has a respective individual opening position; mixing the first air with the second air using different flow resistances based on differences between at least one of (i) physical characteristic values of the first air and quality values of the first air and (ii) corresponding physical characteristic values of the second air and quality values of the second air, wherein: increasing the flow resistance includes orienting at least one of the first plurality of flaps and the second plurality of flaps such that the first air supplied from the first supplying duct and the second air supplied from the second supplying duct are guided in a direction toward each relative to a removing duct; and reducing the flow resistance includes orienting at least one of the first plurality of flaps and the second plurality of flaps such that the first air supplied from the first supplying duct and the second air supplied from the second supplying duct are guided in a direction toward the removing duct relative to each other; and removing the mixed first air and second air from the mixing chamber via a removing duct.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mixing includes: increasing the flow resistance in response to the at least one of the physical characteristic values of the first air and the quality values of the first air being different from the corresponding physical characteristic values of the second air and quality values of the second air.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising: determining the at least one of the physical characteristic values of the air in the supplying ducts and the quality of the air in the supplying ducts with sensors.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the mixing includes: reducing the flow resistance in response to at least one of physical characteristic values the first air and the quality values of the first air being approximately identical to the corresponding physical characteristic values of the second air and quality values of the second air.

5. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising: selecting a portion of the at least one of the first plurality of flaps and the second plurality of flaps to open with reference to a quantity of air required from at least one of the first supplying duct and the second supplying duct.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising: opening individual flaps at different opening angles.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising: prioritizing a sequenced activation of the individual flaps with reference to the different opening angles of the individual flaps.

8. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising: orienting the flaps to so as to reduce noise production in the mixing chamber.

9. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one of the physical characteristic values and the quality values of the first and second air includes at least one of temperature, pressure, density, moisture, oxygen content, CO.sub.2 content, and pollutant content of the air being different in the first supplying duct and the at least one further supplying duct.

10. A method for operating a ventilation system comprising: supplying first air into a mixing chamber via a first supplying duct and supplying second air into the mixing chamber via a second supplying duct; removing the first and second air from the mixing chamber via a removing duct; controlling the supply of first air into the mixing chamber from the first supplying duct via at least one first flap having at least one of (i) at least one first flap leaf and (ii) at least one first flap unit, each first flap unit having a first plurality of interconnected flap leaves; controlling the supply of second air into the mixing chamber from the second supplying duct via at least one second flap having at least one of (i) at least one second flap leaf and (ii) at least one second flap unit, each second flap unit having a second plurality of interconnected flap leaves; and mixing the first air with the second air using different flow resistances based on differences between at least one of physical characteristic values of the first air and quality values of the first air and corresponding physical characteristic values of the second air and quality values of the second air, wherein: increasing the flow resistance includes orienting each flap such that the first air supplied from the first supplying duct and the second air supplied from the second supplying duct are guided in a direction toward each other relative to the removing duct; and decreasing the flow resistance includes orienting each flap such that the first air supplied from the first supplying duct and the second air supplied from the second supplying duct are guided in a direction toward the removing duct relative to each other.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the mixing includes: increasing the flow resistance in response to at least one of physical characteristic values of the first air and quality values of the first air being different from corresponding physical characteristic values of the second air and quality values of the second air.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the mixing includes: decreasing the flow resistance in response to at least one of physical characteristic values of the air and quality values the first air being approximately identical to the corresponding physical characteristic values of the second air.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the at least one of the physical characteristic values and the quality values of the first and second air includes at least one of temperature, pressure, density, moisture, oxygen content, CO.sub.2 content, and pollutant content of the air being different in the first supplying duct and the at least one further supplying duct.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantages, features and use possibilities of the present disclosure emerge from the description below in conjunction with the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings.

(2) The description, the claims and the drawings make use of the terms and associated reference numbers used in the list of reference numbers cited below. In the drawings:

(3) FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a mixing chamber with two ducts supplying air to the mixing chamber and one duct removing air from the mixing chamber, with control of the flap leaves according to the prior art;

(4) FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a mixing chamber with the two ducts supplying air to the mixing chamber and the duct removing air from the mixing chamber, with a control of the flap leaves according to the disclosure for the case in which no air is supplied to the mixing chamber from the second supplying duct;

(5) FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a mixing chamber with the two ducts supplying air to the mixing chamber and with the duct removing air from the mixing chamber, with control of the flap leaves according to the disclosure for the situation in which only some of the air from the second duct supplying air to the mixing chamber is supplied to the mixing chamber, and the air from the first and second ducts is intended to be thoroughly mixed in the mixing chamber;

(6) FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a mixing chamber with the two ducts supplying air to the mixing chamber and with the duct removing air from the mixing chamber, with control of the flap leaves according to the disclosure for the situation in which only some of the air from the first and second ducts supplying air to the mixing chamber is supplied to the mixing chamber, and the air from the first and second ducts is intended to be thoroughly mixed in the mixing chamber;

(7) FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a mixing chamber with two ducts supplying air to a mixing chamber and with a duct removing air from the mixing chamber, with control of the flap leaves according to the disclosure for the situation in which no air is supplied to the mixing chamber from the first supplying duct;

(8) FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a mixing chamber with the two ducts supplying air to the mixing chamber and with the duct removing air from the mixing chamber, with control of the flap leaves according to the disclosure for the situation in which only some of the air from the first and second ducts supplying air to the mixing chamber is supplied to the mixing chamber, and there is intended to be little flow resistance for the air supplying the mixing chamber and therefore a saving on energy;

(9) FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a mixing chamber with the two ducts supplying air to the mixing chamber and with the duct removing air from the mixing chamber, with control of the flap leaves according to the disclosure for the situation in which only some of the air from the first and second ducts supplying air to the mixing chamber is supplied to the mixing chamber, and the air from the first and second ducts is intended to be thoroughly mixed in the mixing chamber, wherein the supplying ducts are arranged opposite one another;

(10) FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a mixing chamber with the two ducts supplying air to the mixing chamber and with the duct removing air from the mixing chamber, with control of the flap leaves according to the disclosure for the situation in which only some of the air from the first and second ducts supplying air to the mixing chamber is supplied to the mixing chamber, and there is intended to be little flow resistance for the air supplying the mixing chamber and therefore a saving on energy, wherein the supplying ducts are arranged opposite one another.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(11) FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic view of a mixing chamber 10 of a ventilation system with two ducts 12 and 14 supplying air to the mixing chamber 10 and a duct 16 removing air from the mixing chamber 10, according to the prior art. The first air-supplying duct 12 is arranged at a right angle in relation to the second air-supplying duct 14. The removing duct 16 is arranged opposite the second supplying duct 14. The mixing chamber 10 is located inbetween. The inlet 12a, 14a of each supplying duct 12, 14 has a respective supply air flap 18, 20. Each supply air flap 18, 20 is provided with a plurality of flap leaves 22 and 24 intercoupled via a gearing. The flap leaves 22, 24 are intercoupled in such a manner that they each take up identical opening angles in a supply air flap 18, 20. However, as illustrated in FIG. 1, said flap leaves can be oriented in an opposed manner adjacent to one another, but can have an identical opening angle.

(12) In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1, the flap leaves 22 of the supply air flap 18 and also the flap leaves 24 of the supply air flap 20 have an opening angle of 45°. A 50:50 mixing of the air supplied from the first supply air duct 12 with the air from the second supply air duct 14 arises in the mixing chamber 10. A fan (not illustrated here) is connected downstream of the mixing chamber 10, the fan generating a negative pressure in the mixing chamber 10 and also in the supplying ducts 12 and 14 and removing the supplied air via the removing duct 16.

(13) Fans can also be installed in the supplying ducts 12, 14, said fans pressing the supplied air into the mixing chamber 10 and out of the latter again into the removing duct 16.

(14) By way of example, at great temperature differences in the air supplied in the first supply air duct 12 in relation to the second supply air duct 14, what are referred to as stratifications can occur in the duct 16 removing air from the mixing chamber, said stratifications still remaining even after passing the fan connected downstream of the mixing chamber 10. Stratifications of this type may have temperature differences of, for example, 10° C. and more, which is not desirable.

(15) According to the disclosure, each flap leaf 22 or 24 is therefore individually driven and activated. This results in diverse use possibilities for optimizing the thorough mixing, but also for saving on energy in the ventilation system and therefore in possibilities of increasing the efficiency of the ventilation system.

(16) FIG. 2 illustrates, in a schematic view, a mixing chamber 10 with the two ducts 12 and 14 supplying air to the mixing chamber 10 and with the duct 16 removing air from the mixing chamber 10. In the present case, the first supplying duct 12 is closed by the flap leaves 22. By contrast, the flap leaves 24 are completely open. Each flap leaf 22 of the supply air flap 18 and each flap leaf 24 of the supply air flap 20 are driven by a dedicated motor and activated individually here. Each flap leaf can therefore move individually and take up a dedicated opening angle, as becomes clear with reference to FIGS. 3 to 8 below.

(17) FIG. 3 illustrates a thorough mixing situation. In this case, by way of example, 90% of the air from the supplying duct 14 and 10% of the air from the supplying duct 12 are supplied to the mixing chamber 10. These are volumetric ratios. For this purpose, the flap leaves 24 of the supply air flap 20 are all opened and oriented in the direction of the first supply air duct 12. In the case of the supply air flap 18, only some of the flap leaves 22 are opened, but at a differing opening angle. However, the flap leaves 22 are also oriented here in the direction of the other supply air duct, namely the second supply air duct 14. By this means, the air flows from the duct 12 and from the duct 14 are directed at one another; turbulences occur and therefore optimized mixing in the mixing chamber 10 occurs. Stratifications in the subsequent removing duct 16 are therefore avoided.

(18) FIG. 4 shows a further thorough mixing situation, wherein, in this case, approximately 60% of air from the first supply air duct 12 and 40% of air from the second supply air duct 14 are supplied to the mixing chamber 10. In this case, the flap leaves 22 of the supply air flap 18 and also the flap leaves 24 of the supply air flap 20 are provided with different opening angles, but are all oriented at the respectively other supply air duct or the inlet 12a, 14a thereof to the mixing chamber 10.

(19) FIG. 5 illustrates the case in which the supply air flap 20 is closed, i.e. the flap leaves 24 of the supply air flap 20 are all closed. By contrast, the flap leaves 22 of the supply air flap 18 are all opened at an identical opening angle. Therefore, only air from the first supply air duct 12 is supplied to the mixing chamber 10 and is further directed from there via the air-removing duct 16 in the ventilation system.

(20) FIG. 6 illustrates the situation in which the primary object of the mixing chamber is not the thorough mixing but rather as great a reduction as possible in the flow resistance, i.e. a saving on energy. In this case, the flap leaves 22 of the supply air flap 18 and the flap leaves 24 of the supply air flap 20 are directed away from the respectively other supplying duct 12 or 14, namely in the direction of the air-removing duct 16. This considerably reduces the flow resistance, and an optimized saving on energy in the ventilation system occurs.

(21) FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate a further variant of a ventilation system with a mixing chamber 10. In this case, the two supplying ducts 12 and 14 are arranged opposite each other. In this case, FIG. 7 shows the thorough mixing situation and FIG. 8 shows the energy saving situation.

(22) In FIG. 7, the flap leaves 22 of the supply air flap 18, on the one hand, and the flap leaves 24 of the supply air flap 20, on the other hand, are directed away from the removing duct 16. This causes an inflow from the first supply air duct 12 and from the second supply air duct 14 in such a manner that the flows are directed away from the removing duct 16, then meet one another, resulting in turbulences and therefore in an optimized thorough mixing in the mixing chamber 10. The flow here is in each case conducted away from the removing duct 16 by the flap leaves 22 and 24.

(23) The situation in FIG. 8 differs; here, the flap leaves 22 of the supply air duct 18 and the flap leaves 24 of the supply air duct 20 are oriented in the direction of the removing duct 16. This reduces the flow resistance and thereby optimizes the ventilation system with the effect of saving on energy.

(24) According to an embodiment (not illustrated here), a plurality of flap leaves 22, 24 can also be combined to form flap units. Flap units of this type are provided in particular in supplying ducts 12, 14 having large duct cross sections. In this case, a plurality of flap leaves 22, 24 of flap units can be intercoupled to one another. The resulting subunits are then activated individually and have a dedicated drive. The units can therefore move the flap leaves 22, 24 thereof in each case individually of the other units and, for this purpose, have the corresponding drives with gearings and/or servomotors. Otherwise, the units are correspondingly controlled, as has been illustrated with reference to FIGS. 2 to 8 for the flap leaves 22, 24.

(25) In the case of supplying ducts 12, 14 with a small diameter and only one flap leaf 22, 24, this is designed in such a manner that, for the thorough mixing situation, the flap leaf 22, 24 of the one supply air flap 18, 20 of the one supplying duct 12, 14 can be oriented in the direction of the other supplying duct 12, 14, and, for the energy saving situation, can be oriented in the direction of the removing duct 16. This enables the inventive disclosed concept to be readily simply converted also for ventilation systems with one flap leaf 22, 24.

(26) In principle, the thorough mixing situation of the flap leaves 22, 24 or of the units of flap leaves 22, 24 depends on different physical characteristic values of the supplied air, such as temperature, pressure, density and moisture or on a different quality of the air, such as oxygen content, CO.sub.2 content and pollutant content in the individual supplying ducts 12, 14. If there are differences here, the system, and therefore the flap leaves 22, 24, can be correspondingly adjusted and oriented for optimized thorough mixing, as has been described above. If, however, the physical characteristic values or the air quality in the supplying ducts is intended to be identical or at least approximately identical, the flap leaves 22, 24 can be controlled with the effect of optimizing the energy of the ventilation system, i.e. with the effect of orienting the flap leaves 22, 24 with as little flow resistance as possible.

(27) In order in each case to detect the individual situations, sensors (not illustrated here) which interact with a central computer unit are provided in the supplying ducts 12, 14. In the central computer unit, by comparing the determined physical characteristic values of the air or the characteristic values for the quality of the air, a decision is made as to how the flap leaves are oriented, i.e. the mixing ratio in which the air from the one supplying duct 12, 14 is mixed with the air from the other air-supplying duct 12, 14, but also whether there is a thorough mixing situation or an energy saving situation.

(28) Depending on the quantity of air required from a supplying duct 12, 14, all or only some of the flap leaves 22, 24 are opened. As has been explained, for an opening of some of the flap leaves 22, 24, it is also possible for the flap leaves 22, 24 to have different opening angles.

(29) Furthermore, the flap leaves 22, 24 are activated in a prioritized manner by the central computer unit in order to achieve optimized thorough mixing or optimized saving on energy. In this case, the individual flap leaves 22, 24 or flap units are activated in respect of the sequence of flap leaves 22, 24 or flap units to be opened first and to be opened last.

(30) Irrespective of the air quality and the physical characteristic values, it is then also possible to control the flap leaves 22, 24 or the flap units with the effect of an optimized noise production. A control of this type is dependent on the air required, on the physical characteristic values, on the air quality, on the mixing requirement and on the energy saving requirement, and on the flow resistance occurring by means of the position of the flap leaves and also on the orientation of the flap leaves. Depending on the application, different orientations and flap positions of the respective supply air flaps are produced with the effect of optimizing the noise.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

(31) 10 Mixing chamber 12 First air-supplying duct 12a Inlet to the mixing chamber 14 Second air-supplying duct 14a Inlet to the mixing chamber 18 Supply air flap of the first supplying duct 20 Supply air flap of the second supplying duct 22 Flap leaf of the supply air flap 18 24 Flap leaf of the supply air flap 20