Hybrid fan assembly and active heating pumping system

Abstract

Embodiments of a hybrid fan and active heat pumping system are disclosed. In some embodiments, the hybrid fan and active heat pumping system comprises a fan assembly and an active heat pumping system comprises a heat pump. The active heat pumping system is integrated with the fan assembly and is operable to actively cool or heat air as the air passes through the fan assembly. In some embodiments, the heat pump comprised in the active heat pumping system is a solid-state heat pump, a vapor compression heat pump, or a Stirling Cycle heat pump.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hybrid fan and active heat pumping system, comprising:
 a fan assembly; and   an active heat pumping system comprising a heat pump, the active heat pumping system being integrated with the fan assembly and being operable to actively cool or heat air as the air passes through the fan assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The hybrid fan and active heat pumping system of  claim 1  wherein the heat pump comprised in the active heat pumping system is one of a group consisting of: a solid-state heat pump, a vapor compression heat pump, and a Stirling Cycle heat pump. 
     
     
         3 . The hybrid fan and active heat pumping system of  claim 1  wherein the fan assembly comprises a moving blade assembly, and the active heat pumping system comprises a static heat exchanger array that is thermally coupled to the moving blade assembly of the fan assembly, the static heat exchanger array being actively cooled or heated by the active heat pumping system. 
     
     
         4 . The hybrid fan and active heat pumping system of  claim 1 :
 wherein the fan assembly comprises a moving blade assembly comprising a plurality of fan blades; and   the active heat pumping system is configured to directly cool or heat the plurality of fan blades.   
     
     
         5 . The hybrid fan and active heat pumping system of  claim 1 :
 wherein the fan assembly comprises a moving blade assembly comprising a plurality of fan blades; and   the active heat pumping system is configured to directly cool or heat at least one of the plurality of fan blades.   
     
     
         6 . The hybrid fan and active heat pumping system of  claim 1  wherein the active heat pumping system is a cooling system that actively cools the air as the air passes through the fan assembly, and heat of work and heat pumped by the heat pump comprised in the active heat pumping system is managed by one or more techniques from a group consisting of:
 directing the heat of work and heat pumped by the heat pump to and storing the heat of work and heat pumped by the heat pump in a phase change material; 
 directing the heat of work and heat pumped by the heat pump away from an immediate vicinity of users in an occupied space cooled by the hybrid fan and active heat pumping system by a pumped fluid loop; 
 directing the heat of work and heat pumped by the heat pump away from an immediate vicinity of users in an occupied space cooled by the hybrid fan and active heat pumping system by a forced convection system; and 
 directing the heat of work and heat pumped by the heat pump away from an immediate vicinity of users in an occupied space cooled by the hybrid fan and active heat pumping system and allowed to pool naturally in upper levels of the occupied space. 
 
     
     
         7 . The hybrid fan and active heat pumping system of  claim 1  wherein the active heat pumping system is a cooling system that actively cools the air as the air passes through the fan assembly, and heat of work of the heat pump comprised in the active heat pumping system is removed from an occupied space cooled by the hybrid fan and active heat pumping system to an isolated and external heat sink or condensing assembly. 
     
     
         8 . The hybrid fan and active heat pumping system of  claim 1  wherein the fan assembly comprises a plurality of blades. 
     
     
         9 . The hybrid fan and active heat pumping system of  claim 8  wherein the fan assembly further comprises a housing, wherein the heat pump is comprised in the housing. 
     
     
         10 . The hybrid fan and active heat pumping system of  claim 8  wherein the active heat pumping system is a cooling system that further comprises a cold side heat exchange assembly that is operable to transfer heat from at least one of the plurality of blades to a cold side of the heat pump such that the at least one of the plurality of blades is actively cooled by the heat pump. 
     
     
         11 . The hybrid fan and active heat pumping system of  claim 10  wherein the cold side heat exchange assembly comprises a thermosiphon assembly that is integrated with the at least one of the plurality of blades. 
     
     
         12 . The hybrid fan and active heat pumping system of  claim 10  wherein the fan assembly is a ceiling fan assembly operable to blow the air cooled by the active heat pumping system downward into an occupied space, and the active heat pumping system further comprises a hot side heat exchange assembly that is operable to reject heat of work and heat pumped by the heat pump to an upper area of the occupied space. 
     
     
         13 . The hybrid fan and active heat pumping system of  claim 10  wherein the fan assembly is a ceiling fan assembly operable to blow the air cooled by the active heat pumping system downward into an occupied space of a residential or commercial structure, and the active heat pumping system further comprises a hot side heat exchange assembly that is operable to reject heat of work and heat pumped by the heat pump to an unoccupied space of the residential or commercial structure. 
     
     
         14 . The hybrid fan and active heat pumping system of  claim 10  wherein the fan assembly is a ceiling fan assembly operable to blow the air cooled by the active heat pumping system downward into an occupied space of a residential or commercial structure, and the active heat pumping system further comprises a hot side heat exchange assembly that is operable to reject heat of work and heat pumped by the heat pump to an area external to the residential or commercial structure via an external reject assembly. 
     
     
         15 . The hybrid fan and active heat pumping system of  claim 14  wherein the hot side heat exchange assembly further comprises a heat transport mechanism operable to transport heat from a hot side of the heat pump to the external reject assembly. 
     
     
         16 . The hybrid fan and active heat pumping system of  claim 10  wherein the fan assembly is a standing fan assembly. 
     
     
         17 . The hybrid fan and active heat pumping system of  claim 16  wherein the active heat pumping system further comprises a hot side heat exchange assembly that is operable to reject heat of work and heat pumped by the heat pump to a remote reject assembly. 
     
     
         18 . The hybrid fan and active heat pumping system of  claim 8  wherein the active heat pumping system is a cooling system, and the active heat pumping system comprises a stator that is actively cooled by the heat pump, the stator being operable to cool the air as the air passes through the fan assembly. 
     
     
         19 . The hybrid fan and active heat pumping system of  claim 1  wherein:
 the fan assembly is an impeller-based ceiling fan assembly comprising a plurality of rotating discs that operate as horizontal impellers that draw air from a lower region of an occupied space cooled or heated by the hybrid fan and active heat pumping system into a central region of the plurality of rotating discs and then propels the air radially outward from the plurality of rotating discs; and 
 the active heat pumping system is operable to cool or heat the air as the air is drawn into the central region of the plurality of rotating discs from the lower region of the occupied space. 
 
     
     
         20 . The hybrid fan and active heat pumping system of  claim 19  wherein outer edges of the plurality of rotating discs are structured to direct the air that is propelled radially outward from the plurality of rotating discs at a downward angle. 
     
     
         21 . The hybrid fan and active heat pumping system of  claim 19  wherein the active heat pumping system further comprises a hot side heat exchange assembly that is operable to reject heat of work and heat pumped by the heat pump to an upper area of the occupied space. 
     
     
         22 . The hybrid fan and active heat pumping system of  claim 19  wherein the occupied space is in a residential or commercial structure, and the active heat pumping system further comprises a hot side heat exchange assembly that is operable to reject heat of work and heat pumped by the heat pump to an unoccupied space of the residential or commercial structure. 
     
     
         23 . The hybrid fan and active heat pumping system of  claim 19  wherein the occupied space is in a residential or commercial structure, and the active heat pumping system further comprises a hot side heat exchange assembly that is operable to reject heat of work and heat pumped by the heat pump to an area external to the residential or commercial structure via an external reject assembly. 
     
     
         24 . The hybrid fan and active heat pumping system of  claim 1  wherein:
 the fan assembly is an centrifugal fan assembly comprising a plurality of vertical impellers, an air inlet, and an air outlet, the plurality of vertical impellers operable to rotate around the air inlet to draw the air into the air inlet and blow the air out of the air outlet, the centrifugal fan assembly being configured as a ceiling fan such that the centrifugal fan assembly is operable to draw air from a lower region of an occupied space cooled or heated by the hybrid fan and active heat pumping system into the air inlet and blow the air out of the air outlet; and 
 the active heat pumping system is operable to cool or heat the air as the air is drawn into the air inlet of the centrifugal fan assembly from the lower region of the occupied space. 
 
     
     
         25 . The hybrid fan and active heat pumping system of  claim 24  wherein the active heat pumping system further comprises a hot side heat exchange assembly that is operable to reject heat of work and heat pumped by the heat pump to an upper area of the occupied space. 
     
     
         26 . The hybrid fan and active heat pumping system of  claim 24  wherein the occupied space is in a residential or commercial structure, and the active heat pumping system further comprises a hot side heat exchange assembly that is operable to reject heat of work and heat pumped by the heat pump to an unoccupied space of the residential or commercial structure. 
     
     
         27 . The hybrid fan and active heat pumping system of  claim 24  wherein the occupied space is in a residential or commercial structure, and the active heat pumping system further comprises a hot side heat exchange assembly that is operable to reject heat of work and heat pumped by the heat pump to an area external to the residential or commercial structure via an external reject assembly.