Ventilating Device with Alternating Airflows

Abstract

The application relates to a ventilation device adapted to alternately direct a first and a second airflow to a first and a second heat-absorbing body in order to achieve a heat transfer between the two airflows. The device comprises a first and a second integral connection element adapted to allow communication with the first and the second heat-absorbing body, and a third and a fourth integral connection element adapted to allow conduction of the first and the second airflow to and/or from the device. The device further comprises an airflow control arrangement connected with the integral connection elements via control arrangement openings and adapted to alternately direct the airflows to the respective integral connection elements

1 . A ventilation apparatus for connection between an exterior and an interior of a building so that:
 in a cooling operation, when air in the exterior is hotter than air in the interior, heat is extracted from an exterior air flow passing from the exterior to the interior to cool the exterior air flow passing to the interior; and   in a heating operation, when the exterior air is cooler than the interior air, heat is extracted from an interior air flow passing to the exterior from the interior to heat the exterior air flow passing to the interior;   the apparatus comprising:   a first heat absorbing body and a second heat absorbing body;   a first airflow passageway for connection to the interior of the building so that an airflow can pass therethrough to introduce exterior air into the building;   a second airflow passageway for connection to the interior of the building so that an airflow can pass therethrough to extract interior air from the building;   a third airflow passageway for connection to the exterior of the building so that an airflow can pass therethrough to pull exterior air into the building;   a fourth airflow passageway for connection to the exterior of the building so that an airflow can pass therethrough to expel interior air out of the building;   a first air control module having a first end and a second opposed end;   and a second air control module having a first end and a second opposed end;   the first heat absorbing body having first and second air passage faces at opposite ends thereof and four closed sides between said ends;   the second heat absorbing body having first and second air passage faces at opposite ends thereof and four closed sides between said ends;   the first heat absorbing body being arranged so as to:
 a) transfer hot thermal energy to the first heat absorbing body from air passing through the first heat absorbing body when a temperature of the air is higher than the first heat absorbing body so as to store hot thermal energy in the first heat absorbing body; and 
 b) transfer cold thermal energy to the first heat absorbing body from air passing through the first heat absorbing body when a temperature of the air is lower than the first heat absorbing body so as to store cold thermal energy in the first heat absorbing body; 
   the second heat absorbing body being arranged so as to:
 a) transfer hot thermal energy to the second heat absorbing body from air passing through the second heat absorbing body when a temperature of the air is higher than the second heat absorbing body so as to store hot thermal energy in the second heat absorbing body; and 
 b) transfer cold thermal energy to the second heat absorbing body from air passing through the second heat absorbing body when a temperature of the air is lower than the second heat absorbing body so as to store cold thermal energy in the second heat absorbing body; 
   the first and second heat absorbing bodies each mounted with one of said four closed sides of the first heat absorbing body lying adjacent to and parallel to one of said four closed sides of the second heat absorbing body and with the first air passage face of the first heat absorbing body lying alongside the first air passage face of the second heat absorbing body and with the second air passage face of the first heat absorbing body lying alongside the second air passage face of the second heat absorbing body;   the first and second airflow passageways being located at a first end of the first air control module and the first face of the first heat absorbing body and the first face of the second heat absorbing body being located at a second opposed end of the first air control module;   the third and fourth airflow passageways being located at a first end of the second air control module and the second face of the first heat absorbing body and the second face of the second heat absorbing body being located at a second opposed end of the second air control module;   the first and second air control modules being arranged to switch the air flows between the first and second heat absorbing bodies at both ends of the heat-absorbing bodies so that:   in a first mode of the cooling operation the interior air flow is switched by the first air control module to pass from the second airflow passageway through the first heat absorbing body and is switched by the second air control module to pass to the fourth airflow passageway to the exterior to store cold thermal energy in the first heat absorbing body while the exterior air flow does not pass through the first heat absorbing body but instead is passes through the third airflow passageway and is switched by the second air control module to pass through the second heat absorbing body and is switched by the first air control module to pass to the interior through the first airflow passageway;   and in a second mode of the cooling operation the interior air flow is switched by the first air control module to pass from the second airflow passageway through the second heat absorbing body and is switched by the second air control module to pass to the fourth airflow passageway to the exterior to store cold thermal energy in the second heat absorbing body while the exterior air flow does not pass through the second heat absorbing body but instead passes through the third airflow passageway and is switched by the second air control module to pass through the first heat absorbing body and is switched by the first air control module to pass to the interior through the first airflow passageway while being cooled by the cold thermal energy stored in the first heat absorbing body which has been cooled in the first mode;   in a first mode of the heating operation the interior air flow is switched by the first air control module to pass from the second airflow passageway through the first heat absorbing body and is switched by the second air control module to pass to the fourth airflow passageway to the exterior to store hot thermal energy in the first heat absorbing body while the exterior air flow does not pass through the first heat absorbing body but instead passes through the third airflow passageway and is switched by the second air control module to pass through the second heat absorbing body and is switched by the first air control module to pass to the interior through the first airflow passageway;   and in a second mode of the heating operation the interior air flow is switched by the first air control module to pass from the second airflow passageway through the second heat absorbing body and is switched by the second air control module to pass to the fourth airflow passageway to the exterior to store hot thermal energy in the second heat absorbing body while the exterior air flow does not pass through the second heat absorbing body but instead passes through the third airflow passageway and is switched by the second air control module to pass through the first heat absorbing body and is switched by the first air control module to pass to the interior through the first airflow passageway while being heated by the hot thermal energy stored in first heat absorbing body which has been heated in the first mode.   
     
     
         2 . The ventilation apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the first and second airflow passageways are rectangular with four sides with one side of the first airflow passageway lying parallel and adjacent to one side of the second airflow passageway and wherein the third and fourth airflow passageways are rectangular with four sides with one side of the third airflow passageway lying parallel and adjacent to one side of the fourth airflow passageway. 
     
     
         3 . The ventilation apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the first and second airflow passageways face in a common direction at the first end of the first air control module, and the third and fourth airflow passageways face in a common direction away from the first and second airflow passageways at the first end of the second air control module. 
     
     
         4 . The ventilation apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the first and second heat absorbing bodies are stacked one on top of the other. 
     
     
         5 . The ventilation apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the first air passage faces lie in a common plane and the second air passage faces lie in a common plane. 
     
     
         6 . The ventilation apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the first, second, third and fourth passageways, the first and second air control modules and the first and second heat absorbing bodies are formed as a common assembly for common installation in the building for attachment to interior and exterior ducts within the building. 
     
     
         7 . A ventilation apparatus for connection between an exterior and an interior of a building so that:
 in a cooling operation, when air in the exterior is hotter than air in the interior, heat is extracted from an exterior air flow passing from the exterior to the interior to cool the exterior air flow passing to the interior; and   in a heating operation, when the exterior air is cooler than the interior air, heat is extracted from an interior air flow passing to the exterior from the interior to heat the exterior air flow passing to the interior;   the apparatus comprising:   a first heat absorbing body and a second heat absorbing body;   a first airflow passageway for connection to the interior of the building so that an airflow can pass therethrough to introduce exterior air into the building;   a second airflow passageway for connection to the interior of the building so that an airflow can pass therethrough to extract interior air from the building;   a third airflow passageway for connection to the exterior of the building so that an airflow can pass therethrough to pull exterior air into the building;   a fourth airflow passageway for connection to the exterior of the building so that an airflow can pass therethrough to expel interior air out of the building;   an air control module having a first end and a second opposed end;   the first heat absorbing body having a first air passage face at a first end thereof and a second air passage face at a second opposed end thereof and four closed sides between said first and second ends;   the second heat absorbing body having a first air passage face at a first end thereof and a second air passage face at a second opposed end thereof and four closed sides between said first and second ends;   the first heat absorbing body being arranged so as to:
 a) transfer hot thermal energy to the first heat absorbing body from air passing through the first heat absorbing body when a temperature of the air is higher than the first heat absorbing body so as to store hot thermal energy in the first heat absorbing body; and 
 b) transfer cold thermal energy to the first heat absorbing body from air passing through the first heat absorbing body when a temperature of the air is lower than the first heat absorbing body so as to store cold thermal energy in the first heat absorbing body; 
   the second heat absorbing body being arranged so as to:
 a) transfer hot thermal energy to the second heat absorbing body from air passing through the second heat absorbing body when a temperature of the air is higher than the second heat absorbing body so as to store hot thermal energy in the second heat absorbing body; and 
 b) transfer cold thermal energy to the second heat absorbing body from air passing through the second heat absorbing body when a temperature of the air is lower than the second heat absorbing body so as to store cold thermal energy in the second heat absorbing body; 
   the first and second heat absorbing bodies each mounted with one of said four closed sides of the first heat absorbing body lying adjacent to and parallel to one of said four closed sides of the second heat absorbing body and with the first air passage face of the first heat absorbing body lying alongside the first air passage face of the second heat absorbing body and with the second air passage face of the first heat absorbing body lying alongside the second air passage face of the second heat absorbing body;   the air control module being arranged to alternate the air flows between the first and second heat absorbing bodies so that:   in a first mode of the cooling operation the interior air flow passes through the first heat absorbing body to the exterior to store cold thermal energy in the first heat absorbing body while the exterior air flow does not pass through the first heat absorbing body but instead passes through the second heat absorbing body to the interior;   and in a second mode of the cooling operation the interior air flow passes through the second heat absorbing body to the exterior to store cold thermal energy in the second heat absorbing body while the exterior air flow does not pass through the second heat absorbing body but instead passes through second heat absorbing body the first heat absorbing body to the interior while being cooled by the cold thermal energy stored in the first heat absorbing body which has been cooled in the first mode;   in a first mode of the heating operation the interior air flow passes through the first heat absorbing body to the exterior to store hot thermal energy in the first heat absorbing body while the exterior air flow does not pass through the first heat absorbing body but instead passes through the second heat absorbing body to the interior;   and in a second mode of the heating operation the interior air flow passes through the second heat absorbing body to the exterior to store hot thermal energy in the second heat absorbing body while the exterior air flow does not pass through the second heat absorbing body but instead passes through the first heat absorbing body to the interior while being heated by the heat stored in first heat absorbing body which has been heated in the first mode;   the air control module having a first end and a second end with the first end arranged at said first end of the first and second heat absorbing bodies;   wherein the first and second airflow passageways are rectangular with four sides with one of the four sides of the first airflow passageway lying parallel and adjacent to one side of the four sides of the second airflow passageway;   wherein the third and fourth airflow passageways are rectangular with four sides with one of the four sides of the third airflow passageway lying parallel and adjacent to one side of the four sides of the fourth airflow passageway;   wherein the first and second air passageways are located at one of the second end of the air control module and the second end of the heat absorbing bodies;   wherein the third and fourth airflow passageways are located at the other of the second end of the air control module and the second end of the heat absorbing bodies;   and wherein the first and second air passageways face in a direction opposite to the third and fourth air passageways.   
     
     
         8 . The ventilation apparatus according to  claim 7  wherein the first and second heat absorbing bodies are stacked one on top of the other. 
     
     
         9 . The ventilation apparatus according to  claim 7  wherein the first air passage faces lie in a common plane and the second air passage faces lie in a common plane. 
     
     
         10 . The ventilation apparatus according to  claim 7  wherein the first, second, third and fourth passageways, the first and second air control modules and the first and second heat absorbing bodies are formed as a common assembly for common installation in the building for attachment to interior and exterior ducts within the building.