Waste heat recovery systems and methods for a livestock barn

Abstract

A system and method for thermally exchanging heat between waste air being expelled from a poultry barn and fresh outside/outdoor ambient air being introduced into the poultry barn.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A thermal exchange system for a livestock barn, said system comprising:
 a main cabinet comprising:
 a fresh air flow inlet fluidly connectable to an ambient outdoor environment; 
 a fresh air flow outlet fluidly connectable to an interior of a livestock barn; 
 a waste air flow inlet fluidly connectable to the interior of a livestock barn; 
 a waste air flow outlet fluidly connectable to the ambient outdoor environment; 
 at least one access opening; and 
 at least one access panel structured and operable to removably cover the at least one access opening; 
   at least one tube bundle cell structured and operable to be removably disposed within the main cabinet via the at least one access opening, each tube bundle cell comprising a plurality of tubes arranged substantially parallel with each other and having space between adjacent tubes, each tube having an exterior surface and an interior lumen extending therethrough;   at least one waste air fan structured and operable to generate a waste air flow that draws waste air from inside the livestock barn into the waste air inlet, passes the waste air around the exterior surfaces of the tubes, and exhausts the waste out the waste air outlet and into the ambient outdoor environment; and   at least one fresh air fan structured and operable to generate a fresh air flow that draws fresh air from the ambient outdoor environment into the fresh air inlet, passes the fresh air through the interior lumens of the tubes wherein the fresh air flow thermally exchanges heat with waste air flow to change the temperature of the fresh air flow, and forces the changed temperature fresh air out the fresh air outlet and into the livestock barn.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each tube bundle cell further comprises a first end panel and a second end panel, each of the first and second end panel having a plurality of bell-mouthed openings extending therethrough, each bell-mouth opening comprises a curved funnel-shaped head portion and a tubular neck portion extending from the head portion, wherein the plurality of tubes are each connected at a first end to the neck portion of a respective one of the bell-mouth openings in the first end panel, and connected at an opposing second end the neck portion of a respective one of the bell-mouth openings in the second end panel. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the tubes are fabricated to have a wall thickness between approximately  0 . 05  mm and approximately  1 . 5  mm. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one tube bundle cell comprises at least two tube bundle cells, and the cabinet further comprises at least one air turning compartment, wherein the tube bundle cells are disposable within the cabinet in a side-by-side orientation such that:
 the fresh air flow will flow in a serpentine path through the cabinet wherein the fresh air flow will pass through the interior lumens of the tubes of the tube bundle cell nearest the fresh air inlet, then enter the air turning compartment, then turn and enter the interior lumens of the subsequent tube bundle cell; and   the waste air flow will flow in a substantially straight path through the cabinet wherein the waste air will pass around the exterior surfaces of the tubes of the tube bundle cell nearest the waste air inlet and then around the exterior surfaces of the tubes of the subsequent tube bundle cell.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each tube bundle cell comprises at least one interstitial panel extends into a portion of the plurality of tubes, and the cabinet further comprises at least one air turning compartment, wherein the at least one tube bundle cell is disposable longitudinally within the cabinet, such that:
 the waste air flow will flow in a serpentine path through the cabinet wherein the waste air flow will pass around the exterior surfaces of the tubes of a first portion of the at least one tube bundle cell that is defined by the at least one interstitial panel, then at least partially enter the air turning compartment, then turn and pass around the exterior surfaces of the tubes of a second portion of the at least one tube bundle cell that is defined by the at least one interstitial panel; and   the fresh air flow will flow in a substantially straight path through the interior lumens of the tubes of the at least one tube bundle cell.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one tube bundle cell comprises a single tube bundle cell that is longitudinally disposable with the cabinet, such that:
 the fresh air flow will flow in a substantially straight path through the interior lumens of the tubes of the tube bundle cell; and   the waste air flow will flow in a substantially straight path through the cabinet wherein the waste air will flow substantially parallel with the tubes along the exterior surfaces of the tubes.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the main cabinet further comprises a bypass fresh air inlet located between the at least one tube bundle cell and the fresh air outlet, and wherein the at least one fresh air fan is further structured and operable to generate the fresh air flow such that the fresh air flow draws fresh air from the ambient outdoor environment into the fresh air bypass inlet and forces the fresh air out the fresh air outlet and into the livestock barn, bypassing the at least one tube bundle cell. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising at least one air filter that is disposable at at least one of fresh air inlet, the fresh air outlet, and a fresh air bypass inlet of the cabinet. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one filter is interchangeably disposable at at least two of the fresh air inlets, the fresh air outlet, and the fresh air bypass inlet of the cabinet. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a flushing and cooling system that is structured and operable to:
 selectably and controllably flush and clean the at least one tube bundle cell to remove waste air flow debris from the exterior of the tubes; and 
 provide evaporative cooling to the to the tubes of the at least one tube bundle cell and to waste air flow to thermally cool the fresh air flow, via thermal exchange between the fresh air flow and the cooled waste air flow. 
 
     
     
         11 . A thermal exchange system for a livestock barn, said system comprising:
 a main cabinet comprising:
 a fresh air flow inlet fluidly connectable to an ambient outdoor environment; 
 a fresh air flow outlet fluidly connectable to an interior of a livestock barn; 
 a waste air flow inlet fluidly connectable to the interior of a livestock barn; 
 a waste air flow outlet fluidly connectable to the ambient outdoor environment; 
 at least one access opening; and 
 at least one access panel structured and operable to removably cover the at least on access opening; 
   at least one tube bundle cell structured and operable to be removably disposed within the main cabinet via the at least one access opening, each tube bundle cell comprising:
 a plurality of tubes arranged substantially parallel with each other and having space between adjacent tubes, each tube having an exterior surface and an interior lumen extending therethrough; and 
 a first end panel and a second end panel, each of the first and second end panel having a plurality of bell-mouthed openings extending therethrough, each bell-mouth opening comprises a curved funnel-shaped head portion and a tubular neck portion extending from the head portion, wherein the plurality of tubes are each connected at a first end to the neck portion of a respective one of the bell-mouth openings in the first end panel, and connected at an opposing second end the neck portion of a respective one of the bell-mouth openings in the second end panel; 
   at least one waste air fan structured and operable to generate a waste air flow that draws waste air from inside the livestock barn into the waste air inlet, passes the waste air around the exterior surfaces of the tubes, and exhausts the waste out the waste air outlet and into the ambient outdoor environment; and   at least one fresh air fan structured and operable to generate a fresh air flow that draws fresh air from the ambient outdoor environment into the fresh air inlet, passes the fresh air through the interior lumens of the tubes wherein the fresh air flow thermally exchanges heat with waste air flow to change the temperature of the fresh air flow, and forces the changed temperature fresh air out the fresh air outlet and into the livestock barn.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the main cabinet further comprises a bypass fresh air inlet located between the at least one tube bundle cell and the fresh air outlet, and wherein the at least one fresh air fan is further structured and operable to generate the fresh air flow such that the fresh air flow draws fresh air from the ambient outdoor environment into the fresh air bypass inlet and forces the fresh air out the fresh air outlet and into the livestock barn, bypassing the at least one tube bundle cell. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12  further comprising at least one air filter that is disposable at at least one of fresh air inlet, the fresh air outlet, and a fresh air bypass inlet of the cabinet. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one filter is interchangeably disposable at at least two of the fresh air inlet, the fresh air outlet, and the fresh air bypass inlet of the cabinet. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13  further comprising a flushing and cooling system that is structured and operable to:
 selectably and controllably flush and clean the at least one tube bundle cell to remove waste air flow debris from the exterior of the tubes; and 
 provide evaporative cooling to the to the tubes of the at least one tube bundle cell and to waste air flow to thermally cool the fresh air flow, via thermal exchange between the fresh air flow and the cooled waste air flow. 
 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one tube bundle cell comprises at least two tube bundle cells, and the cabinet further comprises at least one air turning compartment, wherein the tube bundle cells are disposable within the cabinet in a side-by-side orientation such that:
 the fresh air flow will flow in a serpentine path through the cabinet wherein the fresh air flow will pass through the interior lumens of the tubes of the tube bundle cell nearest the fresh air inlet, then enter the air turning compartment, then turn and enter the interior lumens of the subsequent tube bundle cell; and   the waste air flow will flow in a substantially straight path through the cabinet wherein the waste air will pass around the exterior surfaces of the tubes of the tube bundle cell nearest the waste air inlet and then in a substantially straight path therefrom around the exterior surfaces of the tubes of the subsequent tube bundle cell.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein each tube bundle cell comprises at least one interstitial panel extends into a portion of the plurality of tubes, and the cabinet further comprises at least one air turning compartment, wherein the at least one tube bundle cell is disposable longitudinally within the cabinet, such that:
 the waste air flow will flow in a serpentine path through the cabinet wherein the waste air flow will pass around the exterior surfaces of the tubes of a first portion of the at least one tube bundle cell that is defined by the at least one interstitial panel, then at least partially enter the air turning compartment, then turn and pass around the exterior surfaces of the tubes of a second portion of the at least one tube bundle cell that is defined by the at least one interstitial panel; and   the fresh air flow will flow in a substantially straight path through the interior lumens of the tubes of the at least one tube bundle cell.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one tube bundle cell comprises a single tube bundle cell that is longitudinally disposable with the cabinet, such that:
 the fresh air flow will flow in a substantially straight path through the interior lumens of the tubes of the tube bundle cell; and   the waste air flow will flow in a substantially straight path through the cabinet wherein the waste air will flow in substantially parallel with the tubes along the exterior surfaces of the tubes of the tube bundle cell.