Flow generation unit, air treatment plant comprising said flow generation unit and use of the latter for air treatment

Abstract

A flow generation unit has: an external casing having intake and delivery openings; an internal casing at least partly in the external casing and defining a chamber allowing fluid flow. The internal casing has a respective intake opening allowing air flow introduction in the chamber and a respective delivery opening allowing air flow emission. The internal casing intake and delivery openings are in fluid communication with each other by the chamber. They are also in fluid communication, in particular direct, with the external casing intake and delivery openings. The unit also has: a fan engaged with the internal casing and generating, within the chamber, an air flow directed from the internal casing intake opening to the delivery opening; a damping element at least partly made of elastomeric material placed as a direct interposition between the external and internal casing. The damping element supports the internal casing in the external casing.

1 . Flow generation unit for air treatment plants, said flow generation unit comprising:
 an external casing comprising:
 at least one intake opening configured for allowing the introduction of an air flow in said external casing, 
 at least one delivery opening configured for allowing the emission of an air flow from said external casing, 
   an internal casing at least partly housed in the external casing, said internal casing defining a chamber configured for allowing the passage of a fluid flow, said internal casing comprising:
 at least one respective intake opening configured for allowing the introduction of an air flow in said chamber, 
 at least one respective delivery opening configured for allowing the emission of an air flow from said chamber, 
   the intake opening and the delivery opening of the internal casing being in fluid communication with each other by means of said chamber, the intake opening and the delivery opening of the internal casing being respectively in fluid communication with the intake opening and the delivery opening of the external casing;   at least one fan engaged with the internal casing and configured for generating, within said chamber, an air flow directed from the intake opening to the delivery opening of the internal casing and then from the intake opening to the delivery opening of the external casing;   at least one damping element, at least partly made of elastomeric material, placed as a direct interposition between the external casing and the internal casing, said damping element supporting the internal casing in the external casing.   
     
     
         2 . Flow generation unit for air treatment plants, said flow generation unit comprising:
 an external casing defining a housing space at its interior which is delimited by an internal surface and comprising:
 an intake opening configured for allowing the introduction of an air flow in said external casing, 
 a delivery opening configured for allowing the emission of an air flow from said external casing, 
   an internal casing housed in the external casing and externally delimited by an external surface at least partly facing the internal surface of the external casing, said internal casing defining a chamber configured for allowing the passage of a fluid flow, said internal casing comprising:
 a respective intake opening for allowing the introduction of an air flow in said chamber, 
 a respective delivery opening for allowing the emission of an air flow from said chamber, 
   the intake opening and the delivery opening of the internal casing being in fluid communication with each other by means of said chamber, the intake opening and the delivery opening of the internal casing being respectively in fluid communication with the intake opening and the delivery opening of the external casing;   at least one fan engaged with the internal casing, interposed between the intake opening and the delivery opening, and configured for generating, within said chamber, an air flow directed from the intake opening to the delivery opening of the internal casing and then from the intake opening to the delivery opening of the external casing;   at least one damping element, at least partly made of material adapted to reduce the transmission of vibrations, placed as a direct interposition between the external casing and the internal casing, said damping element supporting the internal casing in the external casing.   
     
     
         3 . Unit according to  claim 2 , wherein the internal casing is removably engaged with the external casing substantially via exclusive interposition of the damping element, the damping element being intended to avoid contacts between metal portions of the internal casing and metal portions of the external casing. 
     
     
         4 . Unit according to  claim 2 , wherein the damping element is alternately:
 stably constrained in the external casing and receives in abutment the internal casing, said damping element being a body separate from the external casing, not integral with the external casing;   stably constrained with the internal casing and abutted via contact against the external casing, said damping element being a body separate from the internal casing, not being integral with the internal casing.   
     
     
         5 . Unit according to  claim 2 , wherein the external casing defines a housing space at its interior which is delimited by an internal surface of the same external casing,
 wherein the internal casing is externally delimited by an external surface at least partly facing the internal surface of the external casing,   the damping element being in contact, on one side, with at least part of the internal surface of the external casing and, on the opposite side, with at least part of the external surface of the internal casing,   the external surface of the internal casing is spaced from the internal surface of the external casing by means of the damping element,   wherein between the internal surface of the external casing and the external surface of the internal casing an interspace is defined within which the damping element is housed.   
     
     
         6 . Unit according to  claim 2 , wherein the damping element is completely made of elastomeric material, natural rubber, or synthetic rubber. 
     
     
         7 . Unit according to  claim 2 , wherein the external casing is extended along a main axial extension direction and comprises a lateral wall axially extended between a first end portion and a second end portion,
 wherein the intake opening of said external casing is defined at said first end portion while the delivery opening of said external casing is defined at said second end portion,   wherein the lateral wall of the external casing has, at the first end portion, a free edge delimiting the intake opening of said external casing and at the second end portion a free edge delimiting the delivery opening of said external casing, and   wherein said lateral wall defines a channel for the passage of an air flow extended between the free edge delimiting the delivery opening of the external casing and the free edge delimiting the intake opening of the external casing.   
     
     
         8 . Unit according to  claim 5 , wherein the external casing is extended along a pre-established longitudinal trajectory, the internal surface of the external casing having—along the entire extension of the external casing and transverse to the pre-established longitudinal trajectory—a substantially constant shape with regard to shape and size,
 wherein the external casing has, according to a section orthogonal to an extension trajectory of said external casing, a shape of polygonal type, or a circular or semi-circular shape. 
 
     
     
         9 . Unit according to  claim 7 , wherein the external casing comprises:
 at least one auxiliary through opening, separate and distinct from the intake opening and delivery opening of the external casing, defined on the lateral wall,   at least one closure element removably engaged at said auxiliary opening and configurable at least between:
 a closed position wherein the same closure element is configured for preventing the communication through the auxiliary through opening between an internal volume of the external casing and the outside environment, 
 an open position wherein the same closure element is configured for allowing the communication through the auxiliary through opening between the internal volume of the casing and the outside environment, 
   wherein the internal casing is movable relative to the external casing and is configured for being at least partly extracted from the external casing through said auxiliary through opening in the condition in which the closure element is in the open position, and   wherein the internal casing is configured for being inserted in the external casing only through the auxiliary through opening, in the open position of the closure element.   
     
     
         10 . Unit according to  claim 9 , wherein the closure element, in the open position, is separated from the lateral wall of the external casing, and wherein the auxiliary through opening of the lateral wall of the external casing is delimited by a closed perimeter edge,
 the closure element, in the closed position, being abutted against the entire free edge of the auxiliary through opening in order to obstruct the latter.   
     
     
         11 . Unit according to  claim 7 , wherein the external casing comprises a support frame, and at least one panel associated with said support frame, the internal casing comprising a lateral wall axially extended between a first end portion and a second end portion, said lateral wall of the internal casing delimiting the chamber,
 wherein the intake opening of said internal casing is defined at said first end portion of the lateral wall of the internal casing,   the delivery opening of said internal casing being defined at said second end portion of the lateral wall of the internal casing,   the first and the second end portion of the lateral wall of the internal casing respectively face the first and second end portion of the lateral wall of the external casing,   wherein the first end portion of the lateral wall of the internal casing is placed at the first end portion of the lateral wall of the external casing,   wherein the lateral wall of the internal casing has, at the first end portion of said lateral wall, a free edge delimiting the intake opening of said internal casing, and   wherein the lateral wall of the internal casing has, at the second end portion of said lateral wall, a free edge delimiting the delivery opening of said internal casing, said lateral wall of the internal casing defining a channel for the passage of an air flow extended between the free edge delimiting the delivery opening of the internal casing and the free edge delimiting the intake opening of the internal casing.   
     
     
         12 . Unit according to  claim 2 , wherein the internal casing is extended along a pre-established longitudinal trajectory,
 the external surface of the internal casing having—along the entire extension of the internal casing and transverse to the pre-established longitudinal trajectory—a substantially constant shape with regard to shape and size,   wherein the internal casing is at least partly counter-shaped with respect to the external casing.   
     
     
         13 . Unit according to  claim 2 , wherein the internal casing has, according to a section orthogonal to an extension trajectory of said internal casing, a shape of rectangular or square type and wherein the lateral wall of the internal casing is substantially counter-shaped with respect to the lateral wall of the external casing. 
     
     
         14 . Unit according to  claim 2 , wherein the internal casing comprises a support frame, and at least one panel associated with said support frame,
 wherein the fan is a centrifugal fan, is fixed directly to the support frame and/or to said at least one panel of the internal casing, and is entirely housed in the chamber of the internal casing.   
     
     
         15 . Unit according to  claim 2 , comprising a plurality of fans only constrained to the internal casing. 
     
     
         16 . Unit according to  claim 2 , the at least one damping element comprises a plurality of damping bodies distinct and separate from each other, wherein each damping element comprises a section having substantially “L” shape, and
 wherein each damping body is in contact with a corner portion of the internal casing. 
 
     
     
         17 . Unit according to  claim 2 , comprising at least one axial silencer with partitions, housed in the external casing, the axial silencer being placed outside the chamber of the internal casing and aligned with the internal casing according to an axial extension direction of the external casing. 
     
     
         18 . Unit according to  claim 2 , comprising a sound insulation element, having a body at least partly made of rock wool, interposed between the lateral wall of the external casing and the lateral wall of the internal casing, wherein the sound insulation element covers the lateral wall of the internal casing. 
     
     
         19 . Unit according to  claim 11 , wherein each panel of the external casing is made of sound absorbent material, and
 wherein the internal casing comprises a support frame, and at least one panel associated with said support frame, each panel of the internal casing being at least partly made of sound absorbent material.