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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of operating an environmental control system for a building that includes a heating and cooling unit having an inlet and an outlet and a switching unit that is connected between the inlet and outlet of the heating and cooling unit and first and second ducts leading to a room of the building, the switching unit comprising:
 a first passageway that has a first end coupled to the outlet of the heating and cooling unit and a second end coupled to the first duct;   a second passageway that has a first end coupled to an inlet of the heating and cooling unit and a second end coupled to the second duct;   a first cross-connection duct that is coupled between the first end of the first passageway and the second end of the second passageway;   a second cross-connection duct that is coupled between the first end of the second passageway and the second end of the first passageway; and   a plurality of dampers, wherein at least one damper is located at an end of each of the first and second cross-connection ducts, and wherein the dampers are movable between first positions at which they seal the ends of the first and second cross-connection ducts and second positions at which they block airflow through middle portions of the first and second passageways;   wherein the method comprises:   positioning the dampers in the first positions such that they seal the ends of the first and second cross-connection ducts when the heating and cooling unit is operating in a first of heating and cooling modes such that the outlet of the heating and cooling unit is coupled to the first duct and the inlet of the of the heating and cooling unit is coupled to the second duct, and such that air flowing through the first and second ducts is moving in opposite directions; and   positioning the dampers in the second positions such that they block airflow through middle portions of the first and second passageways when the heating and cooling unit is operating in a second of heating and cooling modes such that the outlet of the heating and cooling unit is coupled to the second duct and the inlet of the of the heating and cooling unit is coupled to the first duct, and such that air flowing through the first and second ducts is moving in opposite directions.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first duct delivers or intakes air from an upper portion of the room of the building and the second duct delivers or intakes air from a lower portion of the room of the building, and wherein positioning the dampers in the first positions comprises positioning the dampers in the first positions when the heating and cooling unit is operating in a heating mode, and positioning the dampers in the second positions comprises positioning the dampers in the second positions when the heating and cooling unit is operating in a cooling mode.