Apparatus for cooling a room

Details Apparatus for cooling a room Apparatus for cooling a room

1999-09-16

2001-07-24

Tanner, Harry B. (Department: 3744)

Refrigeration

Structural installation

C062S288000, C165S904000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06263690

ABSTRACT:

B. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an apparatus for cooling a room by radiant heat exchange.
C. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
It is known (see for example H. Sokolean: “Kühldeckentechnologie zur Erreichung des bestmöglichen Raumkomforts”, [Cooling-ceiling technology for achieving the best possible interior conditions], Architektur und Technik 8/92, p. 49-53, B+L Verlags AG, Schlieren (Switzerland)), to cool rooms by means of cooling elements which are preferably arranged in the ceiling area and through which usually there flows a heat transfer medium cooled in a central refrigerating unit. In this case, the cooling takes place by convective heat exchange of the cooling element with the air in the room and in particular by direct radiation exchange of the same with the objects located in the room.
The cooling capacity of such cooling elements is limited by the fact that their surface temperature must not drop below the dew point, since otherwise condensate forms during the cooling phases, which usually coincide with the times during which the room is in use. Although it has been proposed (WO-A-91/13 294) to cool below the dew point and to drain the condensate produced away by means of condensate channels or trays, it must be assumed that the formation of condensate during use of the climatically conditioned room is always problematical and undesired.
Also known (from DE-A-28 02 550) is a device for drying and cooling air in which the air is sucked by means of a fan over a cooling element which is temporarily cooled below the freezing point and which is freed of deposited frost by heating during short regeneration phases. However, such devices are not suitable for use in a room to be climatically conditioned and would therefore require air to be transported by forced convection, which would have to cause undesired drafts.
Since the dew point at the usually prevailing atmospheric moisture levels is around 12° C. to 15° C., if the formation of condensate is to be avoided in the case of a conventional cooling element arranged in the room to be cooled, the difference between the permissible temperature of the said element and the desired room temperature of about 22° C. is very small and the cooling capacity which can be achieved is correspondingly modest. As a result, very large cooled surfaces are required, which entails comparatively high costs and has the effect of restricting interior design possibilities.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the invention to provide a remedy to the above limitations. The invention climatically conditions rooms in which the temperature of the cooling element is no longer restricted by the dew point.
The cooling apparatus according to the present invention comprises at least one cooling element having an upwardly facing cooling surface defining a circumference, at least one boundary strip sloping down towards the circumference, a condensate tray mounted below the circumference, and at least one discharge structure for receiving discharge from the condensate tray. Moreover, the mobile cooling unit according to the present invention comprises a stand for carrying the cooling element, wherein the circumference of the cooling element is surrounded by an intercepting strip with a boundary portion spaced from the circumference of the cooling element.
In general, the fundamental idea is to cool the cooling element during cooling phases, which coincide to a great extent with the times during which the climatically conditioned room is in use, to such an extent that condensate deposited on the said element quickly turns to ice and, as a result, no problematical condensation water is produced. During regeneration phases, which are generally chosen to be outside the times of use, the frozen condensate is melted off and drained away in liquid form.
The advantages achieved by the invention are particularly associated with the fact that the temperature of the cooling element can be set as low as desired. As a result, very high cooling capacities can be achieved even with small cooling surfaces, even if the heat exchange with the room to be climatically conditioned takes place mainly by means of radiation and free convection. This effect is further promoted by the fact that, in the infrared range, ice has radiation properties very similar to those of a black body and the icing of the cooling element has an entirely favorable effect on the decisive direct or indirect radiation exchange with objects in the climatically conditioned room. The cooling elements can consequently be kept small and simple in construction, whereby, of course, the costs are reduced and no longer play the previous restrictive role as a factor to be taken into account in interior design.
In addition, another problem is solved, one which until now presented difficulties with generic methods of climatically conditioning rooms and could only be dealt with by exchanging the air in the room, which however, requires additional installations and entails the risk of undesired drafts being produced.
In particular, if the room is being used for a considerable period of time by a high concentration of people, the humidity of the air in the room increases rapidly. This is perceived as unpleasant, and often leads to the attempt to remedy the situation by opening the windows; this however, in the summer months in particular, often further aggravates the problem owing to the high humidity of the outside air. The high atmospheric humidity may finally result in, even with the cooling elements at a relatively high temperature, the risk of condensation and of the cooling. system being switched off entirely by dew-point monitors. Consequently, the cooling is shut down at the very time it is needed most urgently.
By contrast, in the case of the present invention, atmospheric moisture is bound on the cooling element by the icing of condensate. As a result, the air in the room remains dry, which makes conditions considerably more comfortable and does not allow difficulties of the kind described previously to arise at all.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.


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