Chilled Beam Air Conditioning System

Abstract

An improved chilled beam refrigeration and/or air conditioning systems uses a first chilled air flow to induce a second chilled air flow. Ambient air is drawn through first coils to produce a primary cooled air flow into an intake plenum on the suction side of a fan. The primary cooled air is drawn from the intake plenum, through the fan, and is exhausted into a discharge plenum at a positive pressure. Discharge nozzles along discharge face(s) of the discharge plenum direct the primary cooled air outward inducing a negative pressure in an area behind (or above) second coils. The negative pressure induces additional ambient air to be drawn through the second coils and cooled to provide additional cooled air. The additional cooled air mixes with the primary cooled air providing a larger refrigeration and/or air conditioning effect which would otherwise require additional motorized fans.

1 . A Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system comprising:
 a source of cooled fluid;   first lines carrying the cooled fluid from the source of cooled fluid;   second lines returning the fluid to the source of cooled fluid;   a chilled beam comprising:
 a housing having openings to receive a first flow of ambient air from an area the chilled beam resides in; 
 coils residing in the housing and receiving the cooled fluid from the first lines and releasing the cooled fluid to the second lines; 
 a fan urging the first flow of ambient air to pass through the coils to create a primary cooled air flow; 
 discharge ports allowing the escape of the primary cooled air flow from the housing to create a flow of discharged air; 
 a low pressure area next to the housing created by the flow of discharged air; and 
 a second flow of ambient air into the housing, the low pressure area drawing the second flow of ambient air through the coils to create an induced flow from the housing; and 
   the induced flow combining with the flow of discharged air to cool the room.   
     
     
         2 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the coils include first coils on a floor of the housing; and   the first flow of ambient air passes through first coils.   
     
     
         3 . The HVAC system of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the coils include second coils on the side of the first coils; and   the second flow of ambient air passes through the second coils.   
     
     
         4 . The HVAC system of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the second coils comprise coils residing on right and left sides of the first coils; and   the second flow of ambient air passes through the second coils.   
     
     
         5 . The HVAC system of  claim 4 , wherein the second coils residing at a tilt of between zero and 60 degrees. 
     
     
         6 . The HVAC system of  claim 5 , wherein the second coils residing at a tilt of approximately 45 degrees. 
     
     
         7 . The HVAC system of  claim 5 , wherein;
 an inside edge of the second coils resides along edges of the first coils; and   the second coils tilt up and away from the first coils.   
     
     
         8 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first coils reside under an intake plenum running the length of the housing;   a discharge plenum resides above the intake plenum and runs the length of the housing;   the discharge ports reside along at least one side of the discharge plenum; and   the fan resides between the intake plenum and the discharge plenum and draws air from the intake plenum and pushes the air into the discharge plenum.   
     
     
         9 . The HVAC system of  claim 8 , wherein the discharge ports reside along opposite sides of the discharge plenum. 
     
     
         10 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid is chilled water. 
     
     
         11 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid is a chilled water and glycol mixture. 
     
     
         12 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the cooled fluid from the source of cooled fluid is a liquid state fluid refrigerant and the fluid returned to the source of cooled fluid is a gas state fluid refrigerant. 
     
     
         13 . A Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system comprising:
 a source of cooled fluid;   first lines carrying the cooled fluid from the source of cooled fluid;   second lines returning the fluid to the source of cooled fluid;   a chilled beam comprising:
 an intake plenum having openings along the bottom to receive a first flow of ambient air from an area the chilled beam resides in; 
 first coils residing in the bottom of the intake plenum and receiving the cooled fluid from the first lines and releasing the cooled fluid to the second lines; 
 a discharge plenum residing above the intake plenum and running the length of the intake plenum; 
 discharge ports reside along at least one side of the discharge plenum; 
 a fan drawing a first flow of ambient air into the intake plenum and through the first coils, pushing the first flow into the discharge plenum and out through the discharge ports to create a flow of discharged air; 
 a low pressure area next to the discharge plenum created by the flow of discharged air; 
 second coils on at least one side of the intake plenum below the low pressure area; and 
 a second flow of ambient air through the second coils, the low pressure area drawing the second flow of ambient air through the second coils to create an induced flow; and 
   the induced flow combining with the flow of discharged air to cool the room.   
     
     
         14 . A Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system comprising:
 a source of cooled fluid;   first lines carrying the cooled fluid from the source of cooled fluid;   second lines returning the fluid to the source of cooled fluid;   a chilled beam comprising:
 an intake plenum having openings along the bottom to receive a first flow of ambient air from an area the chilled beam resides in; 
 first coils residing in the bottom of the intake plenum and receiving the cooled fluid from the first lines and releasing the cooled fluid to the second lines; 
 a discharge plenum residing above the intake plenum and running the length of the intake plenum; 
 discharge ports reside along opposite sides of the discharge plenum; 
 a fan drawing a first flow of ambient air into the intake plenum and through the first coils, pushing the first flow into the discharge plenum and out through the discharge ports to create flows of discharged air on opposite sides of the discharge plenum; 
 low pressure areas next to the discharge plenum created by the flows of discharged air; 
 second coils on opposite sides of the intake plenum below the low pressure areas; and 
 second flows of ambient air through the second coils, the low pressure areas drawing the second flows of ambient air through the second coils to create induced flows; and 
   the induced flows combining with the flow of discharged air to cool the room.