Noise suppression system for air handling unit

Abstract

An air handling unit includes a mounting frame configured to couple to a fan assembly upstream of an inlet of the fan assembly, relative to a direction of air flow through the air handling unit. The mounting frame includes a plurality of walls defining an air flow path configured to direct the air flow through the mounting frame to the inlet of the fan assembly. Each wall of the plurality of walls includes a first mounting flange configured to be attached to the fan assembly and a second mounting flange configured to be attached to a damper mounted to the mounting frame upstream of the mounting frame. A noise suppression system is disposed within the mounting frame and includes sound absorbing material disposed along each wall of the plurality of walls and a plurality of cover panels attached to the plurality of walls to encase the sound absorbing material between the plurality of walls and the plurality of cover panels.

1 . An air handling unit for a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
 a fan assembly comprising an inlet configured to receive an air flow;   a mounting frame coupled to the fan assembly upstream of the inlet relative to a direction of the air flow through the air handling unit, wherein the mounting frame comprises a plurality of walls defining an air flow path configured to direct the air flow to the inlet of the fan assembly; and   a noise suppression system disposed within the mounting frame, wherein the noise suppression system comprises:
 sound absorbing material disposed along each wall of the plurality of walls; and 
 a plurality of cover panels, wherein the plurality of cover panels is attached to the plurality of walls to capture the sound absorbing material between the plurality of walls and the plurality of cover panels. 
   
     
     
         2 . The air handling unit of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cover panels extends about the air flow path through the mounting frame. 
     
     
         3 . The air handling unit of  claim 1 , wherein each wall of the plurality of walls comprises a mounting flange configured to extend in an upstream direction, opposite the direction of the air flow through the air handling unit. 
     
     
         4 . The air handling unit of  claim 3 , comprising a damper disposed upstream of the mounting frame relative to the direction of the air flow through the air handling unit, wherein the mounting flange of each wall of the plurality of walls is coupled to the damper. 
     
     
         5 . The air handling unit of  claim 4 , wherein the damper is a backdraft damper. 
     
     
         6 . The air handling unit of  claim 1 , wherein each cover panel of the plurality of cover panels is configured to transmit acoustic waves from the air flow path through the cover panel and to the sound absorbing material. 
     
     
         7 . The air handling unit of  claim 6 , wherein each cover panel of the plurality of cover panels comprises perforations formed therethrough. 
     
     
         8 . The air handling unit of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the plurality of walls comprises a top wall, a bottom wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall,   the plurality of cover panels comprises a top cover panel, a bottom cover panel, a first side cover panel, and a second side cover panel, and   the top cover panel is attached to the top wall, the bottom cover panel is attached to the bottom wall, the first side cover panel is attached to the first side wall, and the second side cover panel is attached to the second side wall.   
     
     
         9 . The air handling unit of  claim 8 , wherein the sound absorbing material comprises a first sound absorbing element disposed within a top cavity cooperatively formed by the top wall and the top cover panel, a second sound absorbing element disposed within a bottom cavity cooperatively formed by the bottom wall and the bottom cover panel, a third sound absorbing element disposed within a first side cavity cooperatively formed by the first side wall and the first side cover panel, and a fourth sound absorbing element disposed within a second side cavity cooperatively formed by the second side wall and the second side cover panel. 
     
     
         10 . The air handling unit of  claim 1 , comprising:
 an additional fan assembly comprising an additional inlet configured to receive the air flow;   an additional mounting frame coupled to the additional fan assembly upstream of the additional inlet relative to the direction of the air flow through the air handling unit, wherein the additional mounting frame comprises a plurality of additional walls defining an additional air flow path configured to direct the air flow to the additional inlet of the additional fan assembly; and   an additional noise suppression system disposed within the additional mounting frame, wherein the additional noise suppression system comprises:
 additional sound absorbing material disposed along each additional wall of the plurality of additional walls; and 
 a plurality of additional cover panels, wherein the plurality of additional cover panels is attached to the plurality of additional walls to capture the additional sound absorbing material between the plurality of additional walls and the plurality of additional cover panels. 
   
     
     
         11 . The air handling unit of  claim 10 , comprising:
 a damper coupled to the mounting frame upstream of the mounting frame relative to the direction of the air flow through the air handling unit; and   an additional damper coupled to the additional mounting frame upstream of the additional mounting frame relative to the direction of the air flow through the air handling unit,   wherein the damper and the additional damper comprise backdraft dampers.   
     
     
         12 . An air handling unit for a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
 a fan array comprising a plurality of fan assemblies; and   a plurality of mounting frames, wherein each mounting frame of the plurality of mounting frames is attached to a respective fan assembly of plurality of fan assemblies at an inlet of the respective fan assembly, and each mounting frame of the plurality of mounting frames comprises:
 a noise suppression system disposed within the mounting frame, wherein the noise suppression system comprises sound absorbing material disposed along walls of the mounting frame, and the sound absorbing material is disposed about an air flow path extending through the mounting frame. 
   
     
     
         13 . The air handling unit of  claim 12 , wherein the noise suppression system comprises a plurality of cover panels coupled to the walls of the mounting frame, wherein the plurality of cover panels is configured to cooperatively enclose the sound absorbing material with the walls of the mounting frame. 
     
     
         14 . The air handling unit of  claim 13 , wherein each cover panel of the plurality of cover panels is configured to transmit acoustic waves therethrough from the air flow path to the sound absorbing material. 
     
     
         15 . The air handling unit of  claim 14 , wherein each cover panel of the plurality of cover panels comprises a perforated material. 
     
     
         16 . The air handling unit of  claim 14 , wherein each cover panel of the plurality of cover panels abuts the sound absorbing material. 
     
     
         17 . The air handling unit of  claim 12 , comprising a plurality of dampers, wherein each damper of the plurality of dampers is attached to a respective mounting frame of the plurality of mounting frames upstream of the mounting frame, relative to a direction of air flow through the air handling unit. 
     
     
         18 . The air handling unit of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of dampers is a plurality of backdraft dampers. 
     
     
         19 . An air handling unit for a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
 a mounting frame configured to couple to a fan assembly upstream of an inlet of the fan assembly, relative to a direction of air flow through the air handling unit, wherein the mounting frame comprises a plurality of walls defining an air flow path configured to direct the air flow through the mounting frame to the inlet of the fan assembly, each wall of the plurality of walls comprises a first mounting flange configured to be attached to the fan assembly, and each wall of the plurality of walls comprises a second mounting flange configured to be attached to a damper mounted to the mounting frame upstream of the mounting frame; and   a noise suppression system disposed within the mounting frame, wherein the noise suppression system comprises:
 sound absorbing material disposed along each wall of the plurality of walls; and 
 a plurality of cover panels, wherein the plurality of cover panels is attached to the plurality of walls to encase the sound absorbing material between the plurality of walls and the plurality of cover panels. 
   
     
     
         20 . The air handling unit of  claim 19 , wherein each cover panel of the plurality of cover panels comprises a perforated material configured to transmit acoustic waves from the air flow path to the sound absorbing material, and each cover panel of the plurality of cover panels abuts the sound absorbing material.