Cooling and ventilation device

Abstract

A cooling and ventilation device comprises a product inlet, a product outlet, a waste inlet, a waste outlet, a waste channel connecting the waste inlet to the waste outlet, an evaporative heat exchanger having a primary channel connected between the product inlet and the product outlet and a secondary channel connected between an outlet from the primary channel and the waste channel, a flaw control element effective to control flow from the secondary channel to the waste channel and a controller selectively controlling the flow control element to thereby control flow from the secondary channel to the waste channel. The product inlet may be connected to a suitable source of outside air and the product outlet supplied to a habitable space such as the interior of a building or vehicle. The waste inlet may receive expelled air from the habitable space, which is subsequently exhausted to the environment via the waste outlet. In this manner, a device is achieved that can provide all of the benefits of evaporative cooling and ventilation while only requiring two air inlets and two air outlets.

1 . A cooling and ventilation device comprising:
 a product inlet;   a product outlet;   a waste inlet;   a waste outlet;   a waste channel connecting the waste inlet to the waste outlet;   an evaporative heat exchanger having a primary channel connected between the product inlet and the product outlet and a secondary channel connected between an outlet from the primary channel and the waste channel;   a flow control element effective to control flow from the secondary channel to the waste channel; and   a controller selectively controlling the flow control element to thereby control flow from the secondary channel to the waste channel.   
     
     
         2 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the flow control element is a valve located between the waste channel and the secondary channel. 
     
     
         3 . The device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a sensor providing a flow signal indicative of the flow through the secondary channel and wherein the controller controls the flow control element on the basis of the flow signal. 
     
     
         4 . The device according to  claim 3 , wherein the sensor comprises pressure sensors responsive to the pressure drop across the secondary channel. 
     
     
         5 . The device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a heat recovery valve arrangement between the waste inlet and an inlet to the secondary channel for switching the source of the fluid supplied to the secondary channel between the primary channel in a cooling mode and the waste channel in a heat recovery mode. 
     
     
         6 . The device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a first fan unit between the product inlet and the primary channel of the evaporative heat exchanger. 
     
     
         7 . The device according to  claim 6 , further comprising a second fan unit in the waste channel adjacent to the waste outlet. 
     
     
         8 . The device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a water distribution system for distributing water to surfaces of the secondary channel for evaporation. 
     
     
         9 . The device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a recirculation channel for selectively connecting the waste channel to the product inlet. 
     
     
         10 . The device according to  claim 9 , wherein the recirculation channel is directed to a product inlet 
     
     
         11 . The device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a heating element provided adjacent to the product outlet for heating a flow of product air. 
     
     
         12 . The device according to  claim 1 , whereby the controller comprises a memory containing a plurality of operational profiles and is active to control the device according to one or more of the operational profiles. 
     
     
         13 . The device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of environment sensors for sensing temperature, pressure or humidity at the inlets and outlets of the device and for providing environmental signals to the controller. 
     
     
         14 . The device according to  claim 13 , wherein the controller selects an operational profile on the basis of the environmental signals. 
     
     
         15 . The device according to  claim 12 , wherein the operational profiles correspond to one or more of: a cooling mode; a heat recovery mode; a ventilation mode; a heating mode; a recirculation mode; and an automatic mode. 
     
     
         16 . A cooling and ventilation device comprising:
 a product inlet;
 a product outlet to a habitable space; 
 a waste inlet from a habitable space; 
 a waste outlet; 
 a first evaporative heat exchanger having a primary channel and a secondary channel; 
 a second evaporative heat exchanger having a primary channel and a secondary channel; 
 the first evaporative heat exchanger having the primary channel connected between the product inlet and an inlet to the secondary channels of both the first and second evaporative heat exchangers; 
 the second evaporative heat exchanger having the primary channel connected between the waste inlet and the product outlet; 
 the waste outlet being connected to outlets from the secondary channels of both the first and second evaporative heat exchangers; and 
 the cooling and ventilation device further comprising flow control elements effective to control a first circulation from the habitable space through the primary channel of the second evaporative heat exchanger and back to the habitable space and to control a second circulation from the product inlet, through the primary channel of the first evaporative heat exchanger and subsequently through the secondary channels of both the first and second evaporative heat exchangers to the waste outlet. 
   
     
     
         17 . The cooling and ventilation device according to  claim 16 , further comprising a fresh air feed providing a supply of air from the first circulation to the second circulation. 
     
     
         18 . The cooling and ventilation device according to  17 , further comprising a waste feed providing a supply of waste air from the second circulation to the first circulation equal to the fresh air feed. 
     
     
         19 . The cooling and ventilation device according to  claim 16 , further comprising a dryer connected to the product inlet for delivery of a quantity of dried air to the habitable space. 
     
     
         20 . A cooling and ventilation device comprising:
 a product inlet;   a product outlet;   a waste inlet;   a waste outlet;   a waste channel connecting the waste inlet to the waste outlet;   an evaporative heat exchanger having a primary channel connected between the product inlet and the product outlet and a secondary channel connected between an outlet from the primary channel and the waste channel;   a water distribution system for distributing water to surfaces of the secondary channel for evaporation;   a flow control element effective to control flow from the secondary channel to the waste channel;   a controller selectively controlling the flow control element to thereby control flow from the secondary channel to the waste channel; and   pressure sensors responsive to a pressure drop across the secondary channel to provide a flow signal indicative of the flow through the secondary channel; wherein   the controller is adapted to control the flow control element on the basis of the flow signal.