Hvac unit actuator enclosure

Abstract

An enclosure for an actuator of an HVAC unit includes a hollow member with an inner shell, an outer shell, and an insulation layer disposed between the inner shell and the outer shell. A cavity within the inner shell operates to receive an actuator. An exterior surface of the hollow member has curvilinear shape configured to limit resistance to airflow over the exterior surface. A base of the enclosure is connected to a first end of the hollow member and a cover is detachably coupled to a second end of the hollow member opposite the first end.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An enclosure for an actuator of an HVAC unit, the enclosure comprising:
 a hollow member comprising an inner shell, an outer shell, and an insulation layer disposed between the inner shell and the outer shell;   a cavity within the inner shell configured to receive an actuator;   an exterior surface of the hollow member having curvilinear shape configured to limit resistance to airflow over the exterior surface;   a base connected to a first end of the hollow member; and   a cover detachably coupled to a second end of the hollow member opposite the first end.   
     
     
         2 . The enclosure of  claim 1 , wherein the base and the cover each comprise an outer layer, inner layer, and insulation disposed between the outer layer and the inner layer. 
     
     
         3 . The enclosure of  claim 1 , wherein the hollow member comprises a unibody structure. 
     
     
         4 . The enclosure of  claim 3 , wherein the hollow member is molded or comprises a single wall coupled to itself. 
     
     
         5 . The enclosure of  claim 1 , wherein the inner shell, the outer shell, and the insulation layer combine to form a single wall that defines the hollow member. 
     
     
         6 . The enclosure of  claim 1 , wherein the curvilinear shape is tubular. 
     
     
         7 . The enclosure of  claim 1 , wherein the hollow member comprises a plurality of sides, at least one side of the plurality of sides being curved, non-perpendicular to adjacent sides, and facing a direction of airflow in a ventilation system. 
     
     
         8 . The enclosure of  claim 1 , comprising an attachment that operates as a handle or a bracket coupled to the base, wherein the base comprises a plate integral with or coupled directly to the hollow member. 
     
     
         9 . The enclosure of  claim 1 , wherein the insulation layer comprises one or more ceramic fiber layers. 
     
     
         10 . The enclosure of  claim 1 , comprising a gasket coupled between the cover and the hollow member. 
     
     
         11 . The enclosure of  claim 1 , comprising an actuator mounting bracket extending from the cover into the hollow member and configured to support the actuator. 
     
     
         12 . The enclosure of  claim 1 , comprising one or more ports in the base, the mount, or both, wherein the one or more ports is configured to allow a mechanical operator of the actuator to extend outside of the enclosure through the one or more ports. 
     
     
         13 . The enclosure of  claim 1 , wherein the hollow member is formed from a single wall that only couples to itself about a single seam. 
     
     
         14 . The enclosure of  claim 1 , comprising a clamp configured to attach the hollow member to a support at a position along the hollow member and a bracket extending from the base configured to facilitate attachment to the support. 
     
     
         15 . A ventilation system, comprising:
 a damper configured to be opened and closed by an actuator to control airflow through a flow path of the ventilation system;   an enclosure mounted on the damper;   a hollow member of the enclosure defining a cavity configured to receive the actuator;   a exterior surface of the hollow member having a curvilinear shape configured to limit resistance to the airflow passing over the enclosure;   a base connected to a first end of the hollow member; and   a cover detachably coupled to a second end of the hollow member opposite the first end.   
     
     
         16 . The ventilation system of  claim 15 , wherein the actuator is mounted to the cover and housed within the hollow member, and a mechanical operator of the actuator extends out of the housing to operably engage with the damper. 
     
     
         17 . The ventilation system of  claim 16 , wherein the mechanical operator comprises a driveshaft extending through an opening of the cover and a linkage coupling the driveshaft to the damper to facilitate transitioning the damper between an open configuration and a closed configuration. 
     
     
         18 . The ventilation system of  claim 15 , wherein the hollow member, the cover, and the based comprise an inner layer, an outer layer, and an insulation layer disposed between the inner layer and the outer layer such that after 2 hours spent in an environment at approximately 430 degrees Celcius, an average temperature in the enclosure remains below 90 degrees Celcius. 
     
     
         19 . The ventilation system of  claim 15 , wherein the hollow member has a unibody structure formed from a single wall that is coupled to itself at only one seam, and wherein the hollow member is mounted to the damper via one or more clamps. 
     
     
         20 . A tunnel ventilation system, comprising:
 an airflow path for ventilation of an interior space;   a damper configured to transition between an open configuration and a closed configuration to control airflow through the airflow path;   an actuator configured to transition the damper between the open configuration and the closed configuration via a mechanical operator directly or indirectly coupled to the damper;   an enclosure mounted on the damper and positioned within the airflow path;   a hollow member of the enclosure formed from an inner shell, an outer shell, and an insulation layer disposed between the inner shell and the outer shell, wherein the hollow member defines a cavity in which the actuator is disposed;   a exterior surface of the hollow member having a curvilinear shape that is configured to limit resistance to the airflow passing over the enclosure;   a base connected to a first end of the hollow member; and   a cover detachably coupled to a second end of the hollow member opposite the first end, wherein the cover comprises a port through which the mechanical operator extends.