Abstract
The present invention is intended for use in large conditioned air plenum environments and particularly in the plenum environment of multilevel raised floor electro-mechanical distribution systems. The invention comprises the step of providing at least one height change of dedicated conditioned air plenum, which alters the plenum's volume. This makes it possible to maintain the preferred static pressure and velocity for conditioned air throughout the entire plenum even as the amount of air in the plenum decreases as conditioned air discharges into the intended space outside of the plenum.
Claims
1. A method for improving the ventilation effectiveness of multilevel level raised floor electro-mechanical distribution systems, and specifically of their integrated conditioned air distribution and delivery plenum, said method comprising the steps of: providing at least one plenum height variation such that there is at least a higher plenum portion and a lower height plenum portion, said portions being disposed contiguous to and in communication with one another;
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing at least one plenum height variation includes the step of providing at least two plenum height variations thereby creating at least one intermediate plenum height portion the borders of which being contiguous to and in communication with the greater higher plenum portion on one side and the lower plenum portion on the other side.
3. The method of claim 1, including the step of positioning the greater height plenum portion nearer the source of conditioned air such that said air is discharged into the higher plenum portion;
4. The method of claim 1, including the step of creating the at least one plenum height variation by providing a higher section and a lower portion of the system's conductor support floor;
5. The method of claim 4, including the step of disposing a substantially vertically extending air impermeable barrier along the border between different height plenum portions such barrier being adapted to communicate in substantially air tight relation with said higher and lower conductor support floor sections;
6. The method of claim 5, including the step of making said air impermeable barrier from modular barrier sections.
7. A method for improving the ventilation effectiveness of large conditioned air plenum environments comprising the steps of: providing a least one change in plenum depth such that there is at least one plenum portion having a greater cross-sectional dimension than another plenum portion contiguous to it and communicating with it.
8. The method of claim 7, including the step of introducing the conditioned air distributed through the plenum into the greater depth plenum portion.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0031] Various other objects, features, and attendant advantages of the present invention will become fully appreciated as it becomes better understood when considered in the light of the accompanying drawings, in which like characters designate the same or similar parts in each, and wherein:
[0032] FIG. 1 is a side view, in part diagrammatic in character, of the present invention being utilized in a two-level multilevel raised floor electro-mechanical distribution system. Portions of the system have been cut-away and certain parts removed for illustrative purposes, such as the closure extending around the outer perimeter of the wire way level of the system, and the vertical members supporting the system. Depictions and descriptions of those structures can be found in the inventor's '035 patent mentioned above. The drawing depicts application of the invention in an air plenum configuration having two heights, which differing heights are created by the respective vertical distances from the building floor of a greater height section and a lesser height section of the conductor support floor.
[0033] FIG. 2 is a side view similar to that of FIG. 1, but illustrating the system's air plenum having two different heights wherein the lower height plenum portion is positioned in-between two higher plenum portions. This configuration would be used primarily in a very large room where conditioned air is introduced into the system from two opposite sides of the room.
[0034] FIG. 3 presents a side view of the system similar to what is shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, except that in this drawing there are three (3) conductor support floor heights creating a highest plenum portion, and intermediate height plenum portion, and a lowest height plenum portion.
[0035] FIG. 4 is a side view detail showing a version of a plenum transition barrier adapted to be mechanically attached to portions of a higher conductor support floor section and a lower conductor support floor section.
[0036] FIG. 5 is an isometric view showing a version of a plenum transition barrier adapted to be received by and attached to a higher conductor support floor section and a lower conductor support floor section.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0037] While it will be understood that the concept of the invention is applicable to a number of installations, and that constructional details of it may be varied, a description of the preferred form of the inventive method will be given.
[0038] Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, there is shown in FIG. 1 a portion of a two-level multilevel raised floor electro-mechanical distribution system generally designated 101 installed on building slab 100. Below the system's walking surface 102 and vertically spaced apart from it is the system's conductor support floor, generally designated 103. In FIG. 1, conductor support floor 103 comprises a higher conductor support floor section 104 and a lower conductor support floor section 106, which together are substantially co-extensive in area with the walking surface. The volume between the underside of walking surface 102 and the upper surface of the conductor support floor 103 comprises the system's wire way level 110. Electrical conductors 120 are shown housed in the wire way level and lying on the conductor support floor. Beneath the conductor support floor 103 is the system's dedicated, isolated conditioned air plenum, generally designated 105. The air plenum is substantially co-extensive in area with walking surface 102 and conductor support floor 103. The air plenum has a higher portion 112 and a lower portion 114 created by the higher conductor support floor section 104 and the lower conductor support floor section 106, respectively. At the point where higher conductor support floor section 104 and lower conductor support floor section 106 meet, which is also the transition between higher plenum height portion 112 and lower plenum height portion 114, there is positioned a plenum transition barrier 108 extending substantially vertically from the edge of the higher conductor support floor section to the edge of the lower conductor support floor section to close off the vertical gap between them as shown. Plenum transition barrier 108 stops conditioned air 116 in air plenum 105 from entering the wire way level 110, and also stops electrical conductors 120 housed in the wire way level from entering the air plenum, through said vertical gap. Conditioned air 116 travels through the plenum and above walking surface 102 through air passages 118 extending vertically from conditioned air plenum 105 and through wire way level 110. Conditioned air 116 is introduced from air conditioning units, not shown, into higher plenum portion 112. As conditioned travels through conditioned air plenum 105 some of it leaves the plenum through vertical air passages 118 and so the amount of air in the plenum decreases, losing velocity and related favorable pressure characteristics. When the remaining air reaches lower height plenum portion 114 the decrease plenum volume created by the decreased plenum height restores the desired air movement and pressure, making it possible to distribute conditioned over a far greater distance than would otherwise be possible.
[0039] FIG. 2 illustrates a variation of the two plenum height configuration depicted in FIG. 1. Once again there is shown a two-level multilevel raised floor electro-mechanical distribution system 101 disposed on building slab 100. There is a conductor support floor 103 having a higher section 104 and a lower section 106. There is a conditioned air plenum 105 through which conditioned air 116 flows until it is discharged above walking surface 102 through vertical air passages 118 that extend upward through the system's wire way level 110. As in FIG. 1 conditioned air plenum 105 comprises a higher plenum portion 112 and a lower plenum portion 114. The difference between FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, is that in the latter drawing the lower height plenum portion 114 divides the higher plenum portions 112 in two. In other words, it is disposed between two parts of the higher plenum portion. This means that there are two places where conductor support floor 103 transitions from a higher conductor support floor section 104 to a lower conductor support floor section 106, which in turn necessitates the placement of two plenum transition barriers 108. The configuration shown in FIG. 2 would be used primarily in a very large room where conditioned air is introduced into the system from two opposite sides of the room. At each end of the room conditioned air 116 would be introduced into the respective parts of divided higher plenum portion 112 through which it would be distributed with some air leaving the plenum through vertical air passages 118. By the time conditioned air 116 reaches the approximate midpoint of the room its volume will have substantially lessoned and its static pressure become unfavorable thereby decreasing its velocity. When the remaining air squeezes into the smaller volume of the lower height plenum portion desired pressure and velocity will be restored, thereby improving the already remarkable ventilation effectiveness of the system.
[0040] FIG. 3 illustrates a two-level multilevel raised floor electro-mechanical distribution system 101 supported on the building slab 100. In this configuration the system's conditioned air plenum 105 has three height variations, namely a higher plenum portion 112 a lower height plenum portion 114, both of which are illustrated and discussed in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, and an intermediate height plenum portion 113. The variations in plenum height are created by the varied heights of the conductor support floor 103 comprising in this configuration a higher conductor support floor section 104 a lower conductor support floor section 106 and an intermediate height conductor support floor section 107. The intermediate conductor support floor section 107 is disposed between the higher conductor support floor section and the lower conductor support floor section such that there is a conductor support floor height transition at each end of the intermediate height section. This creates the three plenum height portions, 112, 113, and 114 identified above and necessitates the positioning and installation of a plenum transition barrier 108 at each of the two conductor support floor height transitions as shown. Conditioned air 116 is shown flowing through the plenum 105, into and through vertical air passages 118 extending through the wire way level 110, and being confined to the plenum by lower conductor support floor section 106.
[0041] FIG. 4 is another cut-away side view of a portion of a two-level multilevel raised floor electro-mechanical distribution system 101 showing a detail of a version of a plenum transition barrier generally designated 108 in position for attachment to higher plenum conductor support floor section 104 on its one end and to lower conductor support floor section 106 on its other end. In this particular version the plenum barrier comprises two outwardly, horizontally positioned flanges, 109 and 111, that extend in opposite directions from one another and which are substantially perpendicular to a portion 115 that extends between and connects them. Flange 109 and flange 111 are adapted to be received on the respective higher conductor support floor section and lower conductor support floor section and to be attached thereto using mechanical fasteners 33. Conditioned air 116 flowing in the conditioned air plenum 105 formed by the upper surface of building slab 100 and the under surface of conductor support floor 103 is confined to the plenum at the height transition between higher conductor support floor section 104 and lower conductor support floor section 106 by plenum transition barrier 108 when installed as described. Conditioned air is thus prohibited from entering wire way level 110, which comprises the volume between the upper surface conductor support floor 103 and the underside of walking surface 102, and electrical conductors 120 housed in the wire way level 110 cannot enter the conditioned air plenum 105.
[0042] FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a portion of a particular version of a plenum transition barrier generally designated 108 as shown and discussed in connection with FIG. 4 and other Figures. The FIG. 5 the barrier's two flanges, 109 and 111 are provided with preinstalled holes 35 to facilitate the use of mechanical fasteners for the mechanical attachment of the plenum transition barrier 108 to portions of a higher conductor support floor section 104 and a portion of a lower conductor support floor section 106, respectively.
[0043] What has been described and illustrated herein is a preferred embodiment of the invention along with some of its variations. The terms, descriptions, and figures used are set forth for purposes of illustration only and are not meant as limitations. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many variations are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention, which is intended to be defined by the by the following claims and their equivalents, in which all terms are meant in their broadest reasonable sense unless otherwise indicated. Any headings utilized within the description are for convenience only and have no legal or limiting effect.
