Cooling element and cooling device and method for their operation

Abstract

An elongated right parallelepiped cooling element has a housing comprising a horizontal ceiling which forms a flat top surface which is about 2 mm below a room ceiling. Downward-projecting side parts, which hold a horizontal air-permeable wall at the bottom, connect to the ceiling. Arranged in the housing is an antechamber which is connected to an air connection and, at the top, has transverse slots distributed over its length. Air outlets distributed uniformly along a center line are arranged in the top surface. Beneath the ceiling, a pipe extends along an edge, through which pipe cooling liquid, possibly also heating liquid, can be passed. As a result, a room temperature in the comfort range can be maintained during working hours when the cooling air supply is always sufficient but not unnecessarily high. In addition, the room ceiling can be precooled without cooling air or even preheated outside working hours.

1 . A cooling element comprising: 
 a housing which is bounded at a top by a flat top surface and extends substantially over an entire length;    an air-permeable wall which extends substantially over an entire length and is bounded in at least a part of the bottom in such a way that the housing and the air-permeable wall surround a chamber which has an air connection at a rear end; and    at least one pipe for transporting a heating or cooling liquid, which runs inside the chamber from the rear end thereof substantially over an entire length to an opposite front end and back and is thermally coupled to the top surface.    
   
   
       2 . The cooling element according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one pipe is mounted on the underside of a ceiling of the housing, the top of which forms the top surface.  
   
   
       3 . The cooling element according to  claim 2 , wherein the at least one pipe is arranged substantially at the lateral edges of the ceiling.  
   
   
       4 . The cooling element according to  claim 1 , further comprising two pipes which are preferably substantially parallel.  
   
   
       5 . The cooling element according to  claim 1 , further comprising air outlets distributed substantially over the entire length of the top surface and connected to the interior of the chamber.  
   
   
       6 . The cooling element according to  claim 5 , wherein the air outlets are arranged substantially along a center line of the top surface.  
   
   
       7 . The cooling element according to  claim 6 , wherein the air outlets follow one another at equal distances of, preferably, between 10 mm and 20 mm.  
   
   
       8 . The cooling element according to  claim 5 , wherein the air outlets are in the form of round holes, preferably having a diameter of between 2 mm and 3 mm.  
   
   
       9 . The cooling element according to  claim 1 , further comprising an antechamber, which is arranged inside the chamber, extends substantially over the entire length thereof, and is connected to the remaining outer part of the chamber by connecting openings distributed substantially over the entire length of said antechamber and at the rear end of which the air connection connects.  
   
   
       10 . The cooling element according to  claim 9 , wherein the connecting openings are mounted substantially at a top of the antechamber which is opposite the ceiling and a distance away therefrom.  
   
   
       11 . The cooling element according to  claim 9 , wherein the connecting openings have a width of not more than 2 mm, preferably not more than 1.5 mm.  
   
   
       12 . The cooling element according to  claim 11 , wherein the connecting openings are in the form of slots running in the transverse direction.  
   
   
       13 . The cooling element according to  claim 9 , wherein the connecting openings follow one another in the longitudinal direction, preferably at a distance of between 5 cm and 15 cm.  
   
   
       14 . The cooling element according to  claim 9 , wherein the antechamber has a substantially rectangular cross-section.  
   
   
       15 . The cooling element according to  claim 2 , wherein the housing comprises side parts which are adjacent to the ceiling on both sides and to which the air-permeable wall is fastened.  
   
   
       16 . The cooling element according to  claim 15 , wherein the air-permeable wall is substantially horizontal and the side parts have frame strips which are adjacent to the air-permeable wall on both sides in the manner of a frame.  
   
   
       17 . The cooling element according to  claim 15 , wherein the side parts comprise upward-projecting fins running in the longitudinal direction, and the air-permeable wall has, at at least one lateral edge, a hook profile which is concave in a downward direction, likewise runs in the longitudinal direction and grips over the upper edges of one of the fins.  
   
   
       18 . The cooling element according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing or each of a plurality of housing sections following one another in the longitudinal direction forms an integral bent part of sheet metal.  
   
   
       19 . The cooling element according to  claim 1 , wherein the cooling element is substantially in the form of a right parallelepiped.  
   
   
       20 . The cooling element according to  claim 1 , wherein the air-permeable wall is in the form of a cooling wall having micro-openings which are distributed over an area and have a diameter of not more than 0.8 mm, preferably not more than 0.6 mm.  
   
   
       21 . The cooling element according to  claim 20 , wherein the cooling wall includes sheet metal which is penetrated by the micro-openings.  
   
   
       22 . The cooling element according to  claim 1 , wherein the air-permeable wall is substantially in the form of a perforated metal sheet covered with a nonwoven.  
   
   
       23 . A cooling device comprising a cooling element according to  claim 1 , the cooling device also comprises a room ceiling to the underside of which the cooling element is fastened in a manner such that the top surface is a distance of between 2 mm and 10 mm from the underside of the room ceiling.  
   
   
       24 . A method for operating the cooling element according to  claim 23 , wherein air is passed at an air flow rate which is between a minimum rate and a standard rate into the cooling element during working hours, and cooling liquid is passed through the at least one pipe if the room temperature exceeds a maximum operating temperature.  
   
   
       25 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein a flow rate of the cooling liquid in an interval lying directly above the maximum operating temperature is an ascending function of the room temperature.  
   
   
       26 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein, during working hours, the air flow rate at a room temperature, which corresponds at least to the minimum operating temperature, corresponds to the standard rate and is reduced below the standard rate in each case when the room temperature falls below the minimum operating temperature.  
   
   
       27 . The method according to  claim 26 , wherein the air flow rate in an interval lying directly below the minimum operating temperature is a descending function of the room temperature.  
   
   
       28 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein heating liquid is passed through the at least one pipe during working hours if the room temperature falls below a minimum operating temperature.  
   
   
       29 . The method according to  claim 28 , wherein the heating liquid flow rate in an interval lying directly below the minimum operating temperature is a descending function of the room temperature.  
   
   
       30 . The method for operating a cooling device according to  claim 23 , wherein cooling liquid or heating liquid is passed through the at least one pipe during an intermediate time outside working hours.  
   
   
       31 . Method The method according to  claim 30 , wherein the liquid temperature and liquid flow rate are chosen so that the room temperature at the end of the intermediate time substantially corresponds to the minimum operating temperature.  
   
   
       32 . The method according to  claim 30 , wherein no cooling air is passed into the cooling element during the intermediate time.