Building terminal fan coil unit with gas contaminents removal, transport refrigeration system with gas contaminents removal, and methods for same

Abstract

Embodiments of systems, apparatus, and/or methods can provide conditioning building terminal fan coil units (e.g., ceiling mounted) configured with a filter to remove particles, selected gases such as formaldehyde, or provide biocidal capability while retaining sufficient FCU airflow. Embodiments of systems, apparatus, and/or methods according to the application can provide a transport refrigeration system and/or components to regulate ethylene gas levels in airflow, for example, of air conditioned by the transport refrigeration system. In one embodiment, a portion of the air conditioned by the transport refrigeration system can pass through an ethylene filter.

1 . A building terminal fan coil unit comprising:
 an airflow inlet opening and an airflow outlet opening in an enclosure;   a fan disposed in the enclosure, and operable to cause air to flow into the airflow inlet opening and out of the airflow outlet opening;   a heat exchanger positioned inside the enclosure so that the airflow will pass therethrough; and   a gas removal filter positioned so that the airflow will pass therethrough, said filter operable to provide a physical material removal capability and a formaldehyde gas removal capability.   
     
     
         2 . The building terminal fan coil unit of  claim 1 , said filter operable to provide a biocide capability. 
     
     
         3 . The building terminal fan coil unit of  claim 1 , where the filter is flat. 
     
     
         4 . The building terminal fan coil unit of  claim 1 , where the filter has a deep-V configuration. 
     
     
         5 . The building terminal fan coil unit of  claim 1 , where the filter is pleated. 
     
     
         6 . The building terminal fan coil unit of  claim 1 , where the filter is mounted inside or outside the enclosure, the formaldehyde gas removal capability to provide one percent (1%) or more formaldehyde gas removal by filter media weight and less than a 30 Pascal pressure drop at a face airflow rate of 1 msec. 
     
     
         7 . The building terminal fan coil unit of  claim 1 , where the filter is mounted to cover the airflow inlet opening or the airflow outlet opening. 
     
     
         8 . The building terminal fan coil unit of  claim 1 , where the airflow inlet opening is in one or more side walls of the housing above a false ceiling, where the airflow inlet opening includes a plurality of openings, when the airflow outlet opening includes a plurality of outlet openings. 
     
     
         9 . Apparatus for controlling ethylene concentration to perishable goods in a mobile container having a refrigeration module for delivering conditioned air into the container, said apparatus comprising:
 a refrigeration unit including:
 an outlet port to supply air from the refrigeration unit; 
 an inlet port to return air to the refrigeration unit; 
 at least one filter to remove ethylene gas mounted at the refrigeration unit; and 
 a controller coupled to control operation of the refrigeration unit. 
   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , comprising at least one sensor unit to detect an ethylene gas level. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , the filter mounted in the container area. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , the filter mounted in a configurable passageway that can be selectively connected between the outlet port and the inlet port. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , where the filter is accessed through a panel door at an ambient side of the refrigeration unit. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , where the sensor unit is in the refrigeration unit or the container. 
     
     
         15 . A method of operating a transport refrigeration unit, comprising:
 determining an ethylene gas level;   comparing said ethylene gas level to a corresponding threshold value;   entering a filtering mode of said transport refrigeration unit to reduce the ethylene gas level when the ethylene gas level is greater than the threshold value; and   exiting the filtering mode of the transport refrigeration unit when the ethylene gas level is less than the threshold value.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said filtering mode passes a portion of supply air provided by the transportation refrigeration unit through a filter treated with a catalyst for ethylene decomposition. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said sensing activates a filtering unit separate from the transport refrigeration unit, the filtering unit to include a filter treated with a catalyst for ethylene.