Control of air conditioning cooling or heating coil

Abstract

A fluid heat exchange device, comprising a header and a plurality of interconnecting circuits between an supply port and a return port, the interconnecting circuits being connected to the header by a corresponding plurality of connection ports at different locations along the header wherein the header includes a blocking control element inside the header, the blocking control element being positionally adjustable along the header to selectively block fluid flow from the supply port through the connection ports of the plurality of interconnecting circuits, thereby selectively controlling those interconnecting circuits of the plurality of interconnecting circuits which are subjected to fluid flow therethrough in dependency on the position of the blocking control element.

1 . A fluid heat exchange device, comprising a header and a plurality of interconnecting circuits between an supply port and a return port, the interconnecting circuits being connected to the header by a corresponding plurality of connection ports at different locations along the header wherein the header includes a blocking control element inside the header, the blocking control element being positionally adjustable along the header to selectively block fluid flow from the supply port through the connection ports of the plurality of interconnecting circuits, thereby selectively controlling those interconnecting circuits of the plurality of interconnecting circuits which are subjected to fluid flow therethrough in dependency on the position of the blocking control element.  
   
   
       2 . A fluid heat exchange device according to  claim 1 , wherein the header is an supply header interconnected between the supply port and the plurality of interconnecting circuits.  
   
   
       3 . A fluid heat exchange device according to  claim 1 , wherein the header is a return header interconnected between the plurality of interconnecting circuits and the return port.  
   
   
       4 . A fluid heat exchange device, comprising an supply header connected to an supply port, a return header connected to a return port, and a plurality of interconnecting circuits which are connected to each of the supply header and to the return header by a corresponding plurality of connection ports at different locations along each of the supply header and return header, wherein the supply header and the return header each includes a blocking control element inside the header, the blocking control element being positionally adjustable along the header to selectively block fluid flow through the connection ports of the plurality of interconnecting circuits, thereby selectively controlling those interconnecting circuits of the plurality of interconnecting circuits which are subjected to fluid flow therethrough in dependency on the positions of the blocking control elements of the supply header and return header.  
   
   
       5 . A fluid heat exchange device according to  claim 1 , wherein the blocking control element is a piston assembly which is movable along the header, thereby separating the header into two chambers extending along a part of the header dependent on the position of the piston assembly.  
   
   
       6 . A fluid heat exchange device according to  claim 5 , wherein at the return port a valve is arranged for controlling the fluid flow through the return port, wherein the position of the movable piston assembly in the header is controlled by fluid flow through the return port.  
   
   
       7 . A fluid heat exchange device according to  claim 5 , wherein the position of the piston assembly in the header is measured by means of a ultrasonic transducer placed at one end of the header for measuring the distance between the piston assembly and said end of the header.  
   
   
       8 . A fluid heat exchange device according to  claim 5 , wherein the position of the piston assembly in the header is measured by means of a multi turn potentiometer located outside of the header, wherein the potentiometer is coupled to a threaded rod coupled to the piston assembly.  
   
   
       9 . A fluid heat exchange device according to  claim 5 , wherein the position of the piston assembly near an end of the header is measured by means of a system comprising a permanent magnet at the piston assembly and a cooperating respective magnetic reed switch at a housing of the header, wherein the magnetic reed switch is closed if the permanent magnet is in close proximity to the switch near said end of the header.  
   
   
       10 . A fluid heat exchange device according to  claim 6 , wherein at the return port a return control element is arranged for controlling the fluid flow through the return port, wherein the return control element is controlled by a fluid pressure difference between fluid return pressure at the return port and a reduced pressure which is reduced by a reduction valve in proportion to fluid pressure prevailing at the supply port.  
   
   
       11 . A fluid heat exchange device according to  claim 5 , wherein the supply port is arranged at one end of the supply header, and the supply header includes an supply header portion at the other end thereof, the supply header portion being extended by a tubular extension portion which is bent at an angle relative to the supply header portion, and the piston assembly is comprised of a first piston and a second piston with a plurality of neutral buoyancy spacer balls therebetween to be movably arranged in the supply header portion and in the extension portion of the header with the first piston located in the supply header portion and the second piston located in the extension portion, wherein the position of the piston assembly is controlled by the fluid pressure difference between fluid pressure acting on the first piston in the supply header and a fluid pressure acting on the second piston in the extension portion, wherein the fluid pressure is controlled to maintain the desired differential pressure between the supply port and return pipe header.  
   
   
       12 . A fluid heat exchange device according to  claim 5 , wherein a motor is arranged outside that header comprising the piston assembly and is coupled to a threaded rod which is coupled to the piston assembly for driving the piston assembly along the header.  
   
   
       13 . A fluid heat exchange device according to  claim 5 , wherein the piston assembly in the header is drivingly supported by a flexible bellows which is fixed at an end of the header, wherein the bellows is connected to a fluid supply to be filled with fluid or be released from fluid, thereby extending and retracting the length of the bellows, respectively and controlling the position of the piston assembly inside the header in dependency on the length of the bellows.  
   
   
       14 . A fluid heat exchange device according to  claim 5 , wherein the piston assembly is comprised of a flexible bellows and a first piston and a second piston, which are arranged at opposite ends of the flexible bellows, wherein each piston includes a radially expandable chamber and a friction ring formed at the circumference of the chamber which friction ring is adapted to be pressed at the inner wall of the header for fixing the respective piston, wherein the flexible bellows and the chambers each are controllably connected to a fluid supply, from which the chambers or the flexible bellows may be separately supplied with fluid pressure or released from fluid pressure, so that, for moving the position of the piston assembly, the first piston is adapted to be fixed at the wall of the header by supplying pressure into the chamber of the first piston, and the second piston is then displaceable along the header direction by supplying pressure into the flexible bellows, and in the displaced position the second piston is adapted to be fixed at the wall of the header by supplying pressure into the chamber of the second piston, whereafter the first piston is removable from the wall of the header by releasing of fluid pressure from the first piston and is displaceable towards the second piston by releasing of fluid pressure from the flexible bellows.  
   
   
       15 . A fluid heat exchange device according to  claim 5 , wherein the header is comprised of a magnetizable material, and the piston assembly is comprised of a flexible bellows and a first piston and a second piston, wherein the first piston and the second piston are arranged at opposite ends of the flexible bellows, wherein each piston includes an electromagnet and a radially expandable clamp ring formed at the circumference of each piston, wherein the clamp ring is adapted to be pressed at the inner wall of the header for fixing the respective piston, wherein the flexible bellows is controllably connected to a fluid supply from which the flexible bellows may be supplied with fluid pressure or released from fluid pressure, so that, for moving the position of the piston assembly, the first piston is adapted to be fixed by the clamp ring thereof to the wall of the header by energizing the electromagnet of the first piston, and the second piston is then displaceable along the header direction by supplying pressure into the flexible bellows, and in the displaced position the second piston is adapted to be fixed by the clamp ring thereof to the wall of the header by energizing the electromagnet of the second piston, whereafter the first piston is removable from the wall of the header by de-energizing the electromagnet of the first piston and is displaceable towards the second piston by releasing of fluid pressure from the flexible bellows.  
   
   
       16 . A fluid heat exchange device according to  claim 5 , wherein the blocking control element is a diaphragm extending along the header from the supply port at one end of the header to the other end of the header along the plurality of connection ports, wherein the diaphragm is adapted to be filled with fluid, so that the connection ports located along the diaphragm are closed if the diaphragm is filled, and the connection ports are subsequently opened one after another in proportion to a fluid pressure reduction in the diaphragm beginning from the one end of the header at the supply port to the other end of the header.  
   
   
       17 . A fluid heat exchange device according to  claim 5 , wherein the supply port is arranged at one end of the supply header, wherein the piston assembly is comprised of a piston and a plurality of neutral buoyancy spacer balls, wherein the neutral buoyancy spacer balls are located in the chamber opposite to the supply port and said chamber is connected with a neutral buoyancy spacer ball reservoir, wherein a transfer means is provided which transfers neutral buoyancy spacer balls from the reservoir to said chamber or from said chamber to the reservoir, thereby the position of the piston is controlled dependent on the number of neutral buoyancy spacer balls in said chamber.  
   
   
       18 . A fluid heat exchange device according to  claim 5 , wherein at the supply port a pump is arranged for controlling the fluid flow through the supply port, wherein the position of the movable piston assembly in the header is controlled by fluid flow through the supply port.  
   
   
       19 . A fluid heat exchange device according to  claim 5 , wherein the blocking control element is a sleeve which is rotatable in the header and comprising slots at its circumference at locations corresponding to those of the connection ports, wherein the slots have different circumferential lengths so that different numbers of connection ports are in dependence of the rotational position of the sleeve.  
   
   
       20 . A fluid heat exchange device according to  claim 1  and connected as a cooling fluid device.  
   
   
       21 . A fluid heat exchange device according to  claim 1  and connected as a heating fluid device.