Air handling system with integrated air treatment

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure include methods and systems of circulating air in an enclosed environment. In such embodiments, the system may comprise an air handling unit (AHU), the AHU including an indoor air inlet to receive an indoor airflow from the enclosed environment and an indoor air outlet to expel the indoor airflow, a conditioning element arranged between the inlet and the outlet configured to at least heat or cool the indoor airflow as it flows thereover, one or more fan units arranged between the inlet and the outlet configured to provide velocity to the indoor airflow, and an air treatment assembly (ATA) arranged within or proximate the AHU, the ATA including an air inlet configured to receive a portion of the indoor airflow received by the AHU indoor air inlet.

1 . An air management system for circulating air in an enclosed environment, comprising:
 an air handling unit (AHU), the AHU including an indoor air inlet to receive an indoor airflow from the enclosed environment and an indoor air outlet to expel the indoor airflow;   a conditioning element arranged between the inlet and the outlet configured to at least heat or cool the indoor airflow as it flows thereover;   an air treatment assembly (ATA) arranged within or proximate the AHU, the ATA including an air inlet configured to receive a portion of the indoor airflow received by the AHU indoor air inlet, a regenerable adsorbent material configured to treat the received indoor airflow by adsorbing at least one gaseous contaminant contained in the received indoor airflow, and an outlet for expelling the air treated by the adsorbent material hack into the AHU.   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the ATA includes an outdoor air inlet and an outdoor air outlet. 
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the AHU includes an outdoor air inlet. 
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the ATA inlet and ATA outlet are arranged downstream from the conditioning element. 
     
     
         5 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the AHU includes a first housing and the ATA includes a second housing. 
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 15 , wherein the second housing is arranged within the first housing. 
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 15 , wherein the second housing is arranged outside the first housing. 
     
     
         18 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the adsorbent material is contained within a cartridge configured to be removable from the ATA. 
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the ATA includes a purging airflow inlet configured to direct a purging airflow over and/or through the adsorbent material to release the at least one gaseous contaminant previously adsorbed by the adsorbent material to regenerate the adsorbent material. 
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 19 , wherein the purging airflow comprises outdoor air. 
     
     
         21 . The system according to  claim 19 , wherein the purging airflow is either directly or indirectly heated by at least one of a heat pump, a gas furnace, solar heat, an electrical coil, and hot water. 
     
     
         22 . The system according to  claim 19 , wherein the AHU comprises a condenser and the purging airflow is either directly or indirectly heated by the condenser. 
     
     
         23 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one gaseous contaminant is selected from the group consisting of: carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, sulfur oxides, radon, nitrous oxides and carbon monoxide. 
     
     
         24 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the adsorbent material comprises at least one of: activated carbon, carbon particles, solid supported amine, molecular sieves, porous silica, porous alumina, carbon fibers, metal organic frameworks, porous polymers and polymer fibers. 
     
     
         25 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a central air conditioning system (CACS) having a heat pump or compressor, wherein the Mill comprises a part of the CACS. 
     
     
         26 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a controller, the controller configured to control the operation of the system between at least a scrubbing mode, wherein the at least one gaseous contaminant contained within the indoor airflow is adsorbed by the adsorbent material, and a regeneration mode, wherein a purging airflow is directed over and/or through the adsorbent material to release the at least one gaseous contaminant previously adsorbed by the adsorbent material. 
     
     
         27 . The system according to  claim 26 , further comprising computer instructions operational on the controller to cause the controller to control operation of at least the scrubbing mode and the regeneration mode. 
     
     
         28 - 29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . A method for circulating air in an enclosed environment, comprising:
 providing an air management system fix circulating air in the enclosed environment, the system comprising:
 an air handling unit (AHU), the AHU including an indoor air inlet to receive an indoor airflow from the enclosed environment and an indoor air outlet to expel the indoor airflow; 
 a conditioning element arranged between the inlet and the outlet configured to at least heat or cool the indoor airflow as it flows thereover; 
 and 
 an air treatment assembly (ATA) arranged within or proximate the AHU, the ATA including an air inlet configured to receive a portion of the indoor airflow, a regenerable adsorbent material configured to treat the received indoor airflow by adsorbing at least one gaseous contaminant contained in the received indoor airflow, and an outlet for expelling the received indoor airflow treated by the adsorbent material; 
   and   directing the indoor airflow to the indoor air inlet of the AHU;   cooling the indoor airflow by directing the indoor airflow to flow from the inlet of the AHU, over the conditioning element;   during a scrubbing cycle, receiving a portion of the cooled indoor airflow received by the indoor air inlet of the ABU and directing the received indoor airflow to the inlet of the ATA;   flowing the received indoor airflow over and/or through the adsorbent material to adsorb the at least one gaseous contaminant;   directing the treated received indoor airflow to the outlet of the ATA;   cooling the indoor airflow again by directing the indoor airflow to flow from the outlet of the ATA over the conditioning element;   during a regeneration cycle, directing a purging airflow to the ATA; and   flowing the purging airflow over and/or through the adsorbent material to release the at least one gaseous contaminant previously adsorbed by the adsorbent material, so as to regenerate the adsorbent material.   
     
     
         31 . An air management system for circulating air in an enclosed environment, comprising:
 an air handling unit (AHU), the AHU including an indoor air inlet to receive an indoor airflow from the enclosed environment and an indoor air outlet to expel the indoor airflow;   a conditioning element arranged between the inlet and the outlet configured to at least heat or cool the indoor airflow as it flows thereover,   one or more fan units arranged between the inlet and the outlet configured to provide velocity to the indoor airflow; and   an air treatment assembly (ATA) arranged within or proximate the AHU, the ATA including an air inlet configured to receive a portion of the indoor airflow received by the AHU indoor air inlet, a regenerable adsorbent material configured to treat the received indoor airflow by adsorbing at least one gaseous contaminant contained in the received indoor airflow, and an outlet for expelling the air treated by the adsorbent material back into the AHU,
 wherein the ATA includes a purging airflow inlet configured to direct a purging airflow over and/or through the adsorbent material to release the at least one gaseous contaminant previously adsorbed by the adsorbent material to regenerate the adsorbent material. 
   
     
     
         32 . The system according to  claim 31 , wherein the adsorbent material is contained within a cartridge configured to be removable from the ATA.