Whole-building ventilation system

Abstract

A whole-building ventilation system includes a duct unit and a fan unit. The duct unit includes an inlet housing and a duct having a first end coupled to the inlet housing and a second end spaced apart from the first end. The fan unit is coupled to the duct to displace air through the duct. The whole-building ventilation system further includes a mount system configured to suspend the second end of the duct and the fan unit from a structure.

1 . A whole-building ventilation system for drawing air from a living space of a building into an attic space of the building to cause fresh outside air to be pulled through an aperture opening into the living space, the ventilation system comprising
 a duct unit including an inlet housing with an inlet port that opens into the living space of the building and an insulative duct having a first end coupled to the inlet housing and a second end spaced apart from the first end to provide an outlet port opening toward the attic space of the building,   a fan unit including a fan housing that defines a flow path and extends circumferentially around a central axis, a motor arranged to lie within the flow path along the central axis, a plurality of support struts that interconnect the fan housing and the motor to support the motor within the flow path, and a plurality of blades coupled to the motor for rotation about the central axis to displace air from the living space, through the duct unit, and into the attic space, and   a mount system configured to suspend the second end of the insulative duct and the fan unit from an overhead structure in the attic space, the mount system including a plurality of brackets coupled to an outer surface of the fan housing, a plurality of adjustable lanyards, at least one lanyard of the plurality of lanyards being coupled to each bracket of the plurality of brackets, and a plurality of rubber grommets,   wherein one rubber grommet of the plurality of rubber grommets is fixed to each bracket of the plurality of brackets and located between each bracket and each lanyard to reduce transmission of vibrations caused by the motor from the fan unit to the overhead structure from which the fan unit is suspended.   
     
     
         2 . The ventilation system of  claim 1 , wherein each bracket is coupled to the fan unit by at least one bracket fastener that extends through the fan housing and is coupled to at least one support strut of the plurality of support struts. 
     
     
         3 . The ventilation system of  claim 2 , wherein each bracket includes a curved housing mount coupled to the fan housing and a lanyard mount coupled to the housing mount and spaced apart from the fan housing. 
     
     
         4 . The ventilation system of  claim 3 , wherein the curved housing mount of each bracket is sized to extend partway around the central axis to interconnect two struts of the plurality of struts. 
     
     
         5 . The ventilation system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one lanyard of the plurality of lanyards and a corresponding rubber grommet of the plurality of rubber grommets is spaced apart from the plurality of brackets so that the plurality of lanyards provide a multi-directional suspension system that blocks movement of the duct unit and the fan unit in all directions normal to a direction of gravity. 
     
     
         6 . The ventilation system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of brackets includes a first bracket coupled to a first lateral side of the fan housing and a second bracket coupled to an opposite second side of the fan housing and the plurality of lanyards includes a first lanyard coupled to the first bracket, a second lanyard coupled to the second bracket, and a third lanyard coupled to the fan unit and spaced apart from the first bracket and the second bracket relative to the central axis so that the first lanyard, the second lanyard, and the third lanyard cooperate to provide a tri-pod suspension. 
     
     
         7 . The ventilation system of  claim 1 , wherein the fan unit further includes an outlet diffuser coupled to a downstream end of the fan housing, the outlet diffuser having a conical shape with a first diameter at the downstream end of the fan housing and a second diameter greater than the first diameter at a downstream end of the outlet diffuser. 
     
     
         8 . The ventilation system of  claim 7 , further comprising an inlet air-distributor coupled to an upstream end of the fan unit, the inlet air-distributor including a distributor housing and a plurality of guide vanes that straighten the air flowing from the insulative duct prior to reaching the plurality of blades. 
     
     
         9 . The ventilation system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of support struts is angled relative to the central axis. 
     
     
         10 . The ventilation system of  claim 1 , wherein the motor includes a direct-current motor having a linearly variable rotation speed so that a flow rate of air can be changed on a linear basis. 
     
     
         11 . The ventilation system of  claim 10 , further comprising a control system including a controller and communication circuitry configured to wirelessly communicate with a remote device to change the flow rate of air. 
     
     
         12 . A whole-building ventilation system comprising
 a duct unit including an inlet housing and an insulative duct having a first end coupled to the inlet housing and a second end spaced apart from the first end,   a fan unit including a fan housing that defines a flow path and extends along a central axis, a motor, a plurality of support struts arranged within the flow path, and a plurality of blades driven by the motor to displace air through the duct unit, and   a mount system configured to suspend the second end of the insulative duct and the fan unit from a structure, the mount system including an energy-absorption system configured to reduce transmission of vibrations from the fan unit to the structure from which the fan unit is suspended.   
     
     
         13 . The whole-building ventilation system of  claim 12 , wherein the mount system further includes a plurality of brackets coupled to an outer surface of the fan housing and a plurality of adjustable lanyards, at least one lanyard of the plurality of lanyards being coupled to each bracket of the plurality of brackets, and the energy-absorption system includes a plurality of rubber grommets. 
     
     
         14 . The whole-building ventilation system of  claim 13 , wherein at least one lanyard of the plurality of lanyards is coupled to each bracket of the plurality of brackets and one rubber grommet of the plurality of rubber grommets is located between each bracket and each lanyard. 
     
     
         15 . The whole-building ventilation system of  claim 14 , wherein each bracket is coupled to the fan unit by at least one bracket fastener that extends through the fan housing and is coupled to at least one support strut of the plurality of support struts. 
     
     
         16 . The ventilation system of  claim 13 , wherein each bracket includes a curved housing mount coupled to the fan housing and a lanyard mount coupled to the housing mount and spaced apart from the fan housing. 
     
     
         17 . The ventilation system of  claim 16 , wherein the curved housing mount of each bracket is sized to extend partway around the central axis to interconnect two struts of the plurality of struts. 
     
     
         18 . The ventilation system of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of brackets includes a first bracket coupled to a first lateral side of the fan housing and a second bracket coupled to an opposite second side of the fan housing and the plurality of lanyards includes a first lanyard coupled to the first bracket, a second lanyard coupled to the second bracket, and a third lanyard coupled to the fan unit and spaced apart from the first bracket and the second bracket relative to the central axis so that the first lanyard, the second lanyard, and the third lanyard cooperate to provide a tri-pod suspension. 
     
     
         19 . A method of installing a whole-building ventilation system in a building, the method comprising the steps of
 attaching a plurality of lanyards to an overhead structure,   adjusting a length of each lanyard to an estimated length that corresponds to a desired height at which a fan unit of the whole-building ventilation system is to be suspended above a surface,   attaching each lanyard to the fan unit after the step of adjusting,   re-adjusting the length of each lanyard after attaching each lanyard to the fan unit to raise or lower the fan unit until a duct extending from the surface to the fan unit extends along a curve that maximizes air flow through the duct.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the duct makes a 90 degree turn from the surface to the fan unit and the curve is parabolic.