Heater Exchanger for an Air Conditioner Unit

Abstract

A heat exchanger for an air conditioner unit is provided. With a conventional single-package air conditioner unit, fresh air mixed with the return air is the outside air. This increases the load on the single-package air conditioner to maintain space conditions. In order to bring fresh air in, the indoor air has to “leak” out of the conditioned space. Thus, the energy spent to cool or heat the “leaking” air is lost, resulting in potential inefficiencies. To resolve these inefficiencies of conventional VTACs, a heat exchanger is provided between the indoor and outdoor sections of the VTAC. In this configuration, a fan may be used to move outdoor air through the heat exchanger to exhaust air while simultaneously using another fan to move indoor air across the heat exchanger to supply air. The air-to-air heat exchanger may use the energy trapped on one side of the heat exchanger to be released to the opposite side of the heat exchanger.

That which is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A single-package air conditioner unit comprising:
 an indoor portion configured to receive indoor air;   an outdoor portion configured to receive outdoor air;   an air-to-air heat exchanger disposed between the indoor portion and the outdoor portion;   a first fan configured to draw the indoor air from the indoor portion and through the heat exchanger to the outdoor portion; and   a second fan configured to draw the outdoor air from the outdoor portion and through the heat exchanger to the indoor portion, wherein energy is exchanged between the indoor air and the outdoor air within the heat exchanger.   
     
     
         2 . The single-package air conditioner unit of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a wheel driven by a motor, wherein a seal is provided on the wheel to form a first airflow channel at a first portion of the wheel and a second airflow channel at a second portion of the wheel. 
     
     
         3 . The single-package air conditioner unit of  claim 2 , wherein the wheel is provided on a partition disposed within an area between the indoor portion and the outdoor portion of the single-package air conditioner unit. 
     
     
         4 . The single-package air conditioner unit of  claim 2 , wherein a first fan is provided on a first side of the wheel and configured to draw outdoor air from the outdoor portion of the single-package air conditioner unit through the first portion of the wheel. 
     
     
         5 . The single-package air conditioner unit of  claim 3 , wherein a second fan is provided on a second side of the wheel and configured to draw indoor air from the indoor portion of the single-package air conditioner unit through the second portion of the wheel. 
     
     
         6 . The single-package air conditioner unit of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a main body comprising at least one surface, and one or more vertically-oriented walls extending outwards from one or more corners of the main body, wherein the one or more vertically-oriented walls form a first airflow channel a second airflow channel between the at least one surface. 
     
     
         7 . The single-package air conditioner unit of  claim 6 , wherein the indoor portion and outdoor portion are separated by a gap, wherein the heat exchanger is disposed within the gap. 
     
     
         8 . The single-package air conditioner unit of  claim 6 , wherein the second fan is provided between a first wall and a second wall of the one or more vertically-oriented walls and configured to draw outdoor air from the outdoor portion of the single-package air conditioner unit through the first surface of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         9 . The single-package air conditioner unit of  claim 8 , wherein the first fan is provided between a third wall and a fourth wall of the one or more vertically-oriented walls and configured to draw indoor air from the indoor portion of the single-package air conditioner unit through the third surface of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         10 . The single-package air conditioner unit of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a first portion configured to receive the indoor air and a second portion that is parallel with the first portion and configured to receive outdoor air. 
     
     
         11 . A heat exchanger for a single-package air conditioner unit comprising:
 a first portion configured to receive indoor air from an indoor portion of a single-package air conditioner unit via a first fan and provide the indoor air to an outdoor portion of the single-package air conditioner unit; and   a second portion configured to receive outdoor air from an outdoor portion of the single-package air conditioner unit via a second fan and provide the outdoor air to the indoor portion of the single-package air conditioner unit,   wherein the heat exchanger is disposed between the indoor portion and the outdoor portion of the single-package air conditioner unit, and wherein energy is exchanged between the indoor air and the outdoor air within the heat exchanger.   
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger for the single-package air conditioner unit of  claim 11 , further comprising a wheel driven by a motor, wherein a seal is provided on the wheel to form a first airflow channel at a first portion of the wheel and a second airflow channel at a second portion of the wheel. 
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger for the single-package air conditioner unit of  claim 12 , wherein the wheel is provided on a partition disposed within an area between the indoor portion and the outdoor portion of the single-package air conditioner unit. 
     
     
         14 . The heat exchanger for the single-package air conditioner unit of  claim 12 , wherein the first fan is provided on a first side of the wheel and configured to draw outdoor air from the outdoor portion of the single-package air conditioner unit through the first portion of the wheel. 
     
     
         15 . The heat exchanger for the single-package air conditioner unit of  claim 13 , wherein the second fan is provided on a second side of the wheel and configured to draw indoor air from the indoor portion of the single-package air conditioner unit through the second portion of the wheel. 
     
     
         16 . The heat exchanger for the single-package air conditioner unit of  claim 11 , further comprising a main body comprising at least one surface, and one or more vertically-oriented walls extending outwards from one or more corners of the main body, wherein the one or more vertically-oriented walls form a first airflow channel and a second airflow channel between the at least one surface. 
     
     
         17 . The heat exchanger for the single-package air conditioner unit of  claim 16 , wherein the indoor portion and outdoor portion are separated by a gap, wherein the heat exchanger is disposed within the gap. 
     
     
         18 . The heat exchanger for the single-package air conditioner unit of  claim 16 , wherein the first fan is provided between a first wall and a second wall of the one or more vertically-oriented walls and configured to draw outdoor air from the outdoor portion of the single-package air conditioner unit through the first surface of the heat exchanger, wherein the second fan is provided between a third wall and a fourth wall of the one or more vertically-oriented walls and configured to draw indoor air from the indoor portion of the single-package air conditioner unit through the third surface of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         19 . The heat exchanger for the single-package air conditioner unit of  claim 11 , wherein the first portion is parallel with the second portion. 
     
     
         20 . An air conditioner unit comprising:
 an indoor portion configured to receive indoor air;   an outdoor portion configured to receive outdoor air;   an air-to-air heat exchanger disposed between the indoor portion and the outdoor portion;   a first fan configured to draw the indoor air from the indoor portion and through the heat exchanger to the outdoor portion; and   a second fan configured to draw the outdoor air from the outdoor portion and through the heat exchanger to the indoor portion, wherein energy is exchanged between the indoor air and the outdoor air within the heat exchanger.