Energy recovery wheel assembly

Abstract

An energy recovery wheel assembly includes a support frame, a motor, and a wheel rotor. The support frame at least partially defines an air-supply section that supplies outdoor air into a building and an air-exhaust section that removes indoor air from the building. The motor is coupled to the support frame. The wheel rotor is coupled to the support frame and driven in rotation about an axis relative to the support frame by the motor.

1 . An energy recovery wheel assembly comprising
 a support frame at least partially defining an air-supply section that directs outdoor air into a building and an air-exhaust section that directs indoor air from the building,   a motor coupled to the support frame, and   a wheel rotor coupled to the support frame and driven in rotation about an axis relative to the support frame by the motor, the wheel rotor including an outer case, a wheel mount coupled to the support frame, and energy absorption media located between the outer case and the wheel mount,   wherein the energy absorption media is made up of a plurality of sheets, the energy absorption media having a depth within a range of about 15 inches to about 40 inches, each sheet having a thickness within a range of about 0.003 inches to about 0.01 inches.   
     
     
         2 . The energy recovery wheel assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each sheet comprises at least one of aluminum, stainless steel, and copper. 
     
     
         3 . The energy recovery wheel assembly of  claim 2 , wherein each sheet further comprises a desiccant coating. 
     
     
         4 . The energy recovery wheel assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the motor drives the wheel rotor to rotate at a rate of about 8 revolutions per minute or less. 
     
     
         5 . The energy recovery wheel assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the rate is maintained when the wheel rotor is exposed to low temperature environments. 
     
     
         6 . The energy recovery wheel assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the wheel rotor is a first wheel rotor and the energy recovery wheel assembly further includes a second wheel rotor spaced apart from the first wheel rotor along the axis. 
     
     
         7 . The energy recovery wheel assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the first wheel rotor is configured to rotate about the axis in a first direction and the second wheel rotor is configured to rotate about the axis in an opposite second direction. 
     
     
         8 . The energy recovery wheel assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the first wheel rotor is a sensible wheel rotor without any desiccant coating and the second wheel rotor includes a desiccant coating. 
     
     
         9 . The energy recovery wheel assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the first wheel rotor is configured to rotate about the axis at a first rate and the second wheel rotor is configured to rotate about the axis at a second rate different than the first rate. 
     
     
         10 . An energy recovery wheel assembly comprising
 a support frame at least partially defining an air-supply section that directs outdoor air into a building and an air-exhaust section that directs indoor air from the building,   a first wheel rotor coupled to the support frame and configured to rotate about an axis relative to the support frame, and   a second wheel rotor coupled to the support frame and configured to rotate about the axis relative to the support frame,   wherein the first and second wheel rotors each include energy absorption media that is configured to transfer at least one of heat and moisture between air flowing through the air-supply section and air flowing through the air-exhaust section as the first and second wheel rotors are rotated about the axis.   
     
     
         11 . The energy recovery wheel assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the energy absorption media is made up of a plurality of sheets, the energy absorption media having a depth within a range of about 15 inches to about 40 inches, each sheet having a thickness within a range of about 0.003 inches to about 0.01 inches. 
     
     
         12 . The energy recovery wheel assembly of  claim 11 , wherein each sheet comprises at least one of aluminum, stainless steel, and copper. 
     
     
         13 . The energy recovery wheel assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the first wheel rotor is configured to rotate about the axis in a first direction and the second wheel rotor is configured to rotate about the axis in an opposite second direction. 
     
     
         14 . The energy recovery wheel assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the first wheel rotor is a sensible wheel rotor without any desiccant coating and the second wheel rotor includes a desiccant coating. 
     
     
         15 . The energy recovery wheel assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the first wheel rotor is configured to rotate about the axis at a first rate and the second wheel rotor is configured to rotate about the axis at a second rate different than the first rate. 
     
     
         16 . The energy recovery wheel assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the first wheel rotor and the second wheel rotor are configured to rotate about the axis at a rate of about 8 revolutions per minute or less and the rate is maintained when the wheel rotor is exposed to low temperature environments. 
     
     
         17 . A method of recovering energy from air in a building, the method comprising
 displacing outdoor air from outside of the building through an air-supply section of an air handling unit toward an interior of a building,   displacing indoor air from the interior of the building through an air-exhaust section of the air handling unit that is separate from the air-supply section,   rotating a first wheel rotor about an axis that extends parallel to and is located between the air-supply section and the air-exhaust section,   rotating a second wheel rotor about the axis,   wherein the first and second wheel rotors each include energy absorption media that is configured to transfer at least one of heat and moisture between air flowing through the air-supply section and air flowing through the air-exhaust section as the first and second wheel rotors are rotated about the axis.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the energy absorption media is made up of a plurality of sheets, the energy absorption media having a depth within a range of about 15 inches to about 40 inches, each sheet having a thickness within a range of about 0.003 inches to about 0.01 inches. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the first wheel rotor is rotated about the axis in a first direction and the second wheel rotor is rotated about the axis in an opposite second direction. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the first wheel rotor is configured to rotate about the axis at a first rate and the second wheel rotor is configured to rotate about the axis at a second rate different than the first rate.