Environmental control systems and methods of configuring environmental control systems

Abstract

An environmental control system of a building utilizes lower vents which open into lower portions of rooms of a building, and upper vents which open into upper portions of rooms of the building. When the system is operating in a heating mode, heated air is delivered into the upper portions of the rooms through the upper vents and air is removed from the rooms through the lower vents. When the system is operating in a cooling mode, cool air is delivered into the rooms through the lower vents, and air is removed from the rooms through the upper vents. Operating the heating and cooling modes in this fashion provides the most efficient operation of the heating and cooling system. A switching unit is used to selectively couple the inlet and outlet of an environmental control system to the upper and lower vents. Alternatively, special duct units with both upper and lower openings can be attached to the inlet and outlet of an environmental control system, and the air can be selectively switched between the upper and lower openings. Also, a bypass valve and an associated bypass duct could be installed on the outlet duct of the environmental control system to vent the output air to atmosphere, which can help to clear smoke from rooms in the event of a fire.

1 . A method of clearing smoke from a room of a building using an environmental control system that includes an air handling unit, the air handling unit including an input duct that receives air from the room of the building, an output duct that outputs conditioned air to the room of the building and a fan that blows conditioned air into the output duct, the environmental control system also including a bypass duct that is connected to the output duct, the bypass duct routing air from the output duct to atmosphere, and a bypass valve that selectively couples the bypass duct to the output duct such that air output by the air handling unit into the output duct is vented to atmosphere through the bypass duct, wherein at least one upper vent is installed in an upper portion of the room and wherein at least one lower vent is installed in a lower portion of the room, the method comprising:
 receiving a fire alarm signal that indicates that a fire may have occurred in the room of the building; and   activating the bypass valve such that air output from the air handling unit into the output duct is routed to atmosphere, wherein the bypass valve also prevents air output by the air handling unit from being blown into the room of the building.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein when the file alarm signal is received, the fan of the air handling unit continues to run, and the fan causes air in the room to be drawn into the air handling unit via the input duct. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the input duct is coupled to the at least one upper vent in the room. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the environmental control system further includes a switching unit that is connected to the input and output ducts of the air handling unit, and to the at least one upper vent and the at least one lower vent in the room, wherein the switching unit is capable of selectively coupling the input duct to either the at least one upper vent or the at least one lower vent, and wherein when the alarm signal is received, the switching unit couples the at least one upper vent to the input duct of the air handing unit such that air being drawn into the air handling unit is drawn in through the at least one upper vent in the room. 
     
     
         5 . An environmental control system for a building, comprising:
 an air handling unit with an input duct and an output duct, wherein the air handling unit sucks air in from at least one room of a building through the input duct and wherein the air handling unit blows conditioned air out to the at least one room through the output duct;   a bypass duct that can be selectively coupled to the output duct;   a bypass valve that selectively couples the bypass duct to the output duct, the bypass valve being movable between a closed position at which the bypass duct is isolated from the output duct and an open position at which the bypass duct is coupled to the output duct; and   a controller that is coupled to the bypass valve and that receives a signal from a fire alarm system for the building, wherein if the controller receives an alarm signal from the fire alarm system indicating that a fire may have occurred in the building, the controller causes the bypass valve to move from the closed position to the open position.   
     
     
         6 . The environmental control system of  claim 5 , wherein when the bypass valve is in the open position, the bypass valve prevents air in the output duct from being blown into the at least one room. 
     
     
         7 . The environmental control system of  claim 5 , wherein when the controller receives an alarm signal, the air handling unit continues to operate such that air is sucked from the at least room through the input duct, the air passing through the air handling unit and being blown out to the atmosphere through the output duct and the bypass duct. 
     
     
         8 . The environmental control system of  claim 5 , wherein the input duct is coupled to an upper vent located in an upper portion of the at least one room. 
     
     
         9 . The environmental control system of  claim 5 , further comprising a switching unit that is connected to the input and output ducts of the air handling unit, and to at least one upper vent located in an upper portion of the at least one room and at least one lower vent located in a lower portion of the at least one room, wherein the switching unit is capable of selectively coupling the input duct to either the at least one upper vent or the at least one lower vent, and wherein when the controller receives an alarm signal, the controller causes the switching unit to couple the at least one upper vent to the input duct of the air handing unit such that air being drawn into the air handling unit is drawn in through the at least one upper vent. 
     
     
         10 . A ventilation duct that can be mounted within the walls of a room, comprising:
 an inlet/outlet located at a base of the duct;   a main body that extends upward from the inlet/outlet;   a lower opening coupled to a lower portion of the main body;   an upper opening coupled to an upper portion of the main body; and   a valve mounted within the main body adjacent the lower opening, wherein the valve is movable between a first position at which the valve isolates the lower opening from the inlet/outlet such that air can move freely between the upper opening and the inlet/outlet, and a second position at which the valve isolates the upper opening from the inlet/outlet such that air can move freely between the lower opening and the inlet/outlet.   
     
     
         11 . The ventilation duct of  claim 10 , further comprising a drive unit that selectively moves the valve between the first and second positions in response to a control signal. 
     
     
         12 . The ventilation duct of  claim 10 , further comprising an operating mechanism that allows a user to manually move the valve between the first and second positions. 
     
     
         13 . The ventilation duct of  claim 12 , wherein the operating mechanism is accessible via the lower opening. 
     
     
         14 . An environmental control system for a building, comprising:
 first and second ventilation ducts as recited in  claim 10 , the first and second ventilation ducts being installed in the walls of a room of the building;   an output duct coupled to the inlet/outlet of the first ventilation duct;   an inlet duct coupled to the inlet/outlet of the second ventilation duct; and   an air handing unit coupled to the inlet duct and the outlet duct, wherein the air handling unit includes a fan that sucks air from the room through the second ventilation duct and the inlet duct, and that blows air into the room through the outlet duct and the first ventilation duct.   
     
     
         15 . The environmental control system of  claim 14 , wherein the first and second ventilation ducts each comprise a drive unit that can selectively move the valve of the ventilation duct between the first and second positions in response to a control signal, the environmental control system further comprising a controller that is coupled to the drive units of the first and second ventilation ducts, wherein when the air handler is producing cool air to cool the room, the controller causes the drive unit of the first ventilation duct to move the valve into the second position such that cool air is blown into the room through the lower opening of the first ventilation duct, and wherein the controller causes the drive unit of the second ventilation duct to move the valve into the first position such that air sucked from the room through the upper opening of the second ventilation duct. 
     
     
         16 . The environmental control system of  claim 15 , wherein when the air handler is producing heated air to heat the room, the controller causes the drive unit of the first ventilation duct to move the valve into the first position such that heated air blown into the room through the first ventilation duct is blown into the room through the upper opening of the first ventilation duct, and wherein the controller also causes the drive unit of the second ventilation duct to move the valve into the second position so that air sucked from the room through the second ventilation duct is sucked through the lower opening of the second ventilation duct. 
     
     
         17 . An environmental control system for a building, comprising:
 a ventilation duct as recited in  claim 1  installed in the wall of a room of the building;   a simple duct installed in a wall of the room;   an output duct coupled to the inlet/outlet of the ventilation duct;   an inlet duct coupled to the simple duct; and   an air handing unit coupled to the inlet duct and the outlet duct, wherein the air handling unit includes a fan that sucks air from the room through the simple duct and the inlet duct, and that blows air into the room through the outlet duct and the ventilation duct.   
     
     
         18 . The environmental control system of  claim 17 , wherein the ventilation duct comprises a drive unit that can selectively move the valve of the ventilation duct between the first and second positions in response to a control signal, the environmental control system further comprising a controller that is coupled to the drive unit of the ventilation duct, wherein when the air handler is producing cool air to cool the room, the controller causes the drive unit of the ventilation duct to move the valve into the second position such that cool air is blown into the room through the lower opening of the ventilation duct 
     
     
         19 . The environmental control system of  claim 18 , wherein when the air handler is producing heated air to heat the room, the controller causes the drive unit of the ventilation duct to move the valve into the first position such that heated air blown into the room through the upper opening of the ventilation duct 
     
     
         20 . The environmental control system of  claim 17 , wherein the simple vent is located in the room at a height that is approximately midway between the lower opening and the upper opening of the ventilation duct.