Electric Power Research Institute Incorporated

Gas Research Institute

Barry M Cohen

Andrew Popelka

Francis A DiBella

Andy H Levine

Robert K Collier, Jr

A heat exchanger with enhanced spacing and sealing characteristics is formed by folding a continuous strip of material having a rectangular pattern stamped thereon. The pattern includes rectangles which constitute base walls and side walls with multiple tabs on the periphery of the strip which comprise wall tabs and bonding tabs respectively. The continuous strip when folded forms a series of alternatingly stacked air passageways, created by the union of each of the base walls, side walls and wall tabs on the periphery of the strip. The bonding tabs may form a seal with a base wall internally, or the bonding tabs may form a seal with another matching bonding tab externally of the created air passageways. The heat exchanger formed upon folding has a number of alternating air passageways which are of a sufficient width for effective transfer of thermal energy.

Cross flow heat exchange device and method of fabricating said heat

In a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system such as a heat pump having a multi-zone hydronic thermal distribution system or such as an air conditioner, a novel condensate removal apparatus removes condensate from each zone fan coil. Each fan coil uses a valve to drain condensate from a fan coil drip pan into a drainage conduit. The drainage conduits from each valve carry condensate to a tank. The tank acts as a manifold for fluid collection from the different fan coils. A single pump draws condensate from fan coils through drainage conduits to the tank. This same pump draws a vacuum in the tank and the drainage conduits. The pump uses a single outlet conduit to discharge condensate.

Apparatus for condensate removal

An interior thermal conditioning method and apparatus with improved zone control is disclosed. The thermal conditioning apparatus, such as a heat pump assembly, generates a desired thermal condition which is conveyed by a thermal distribution medium to a number of zones within a multiple zone building. Each zone includes a heat exchange device for receiving the thermal distribution medium. Each zone also includes a thermostat which is used to set a desired temperature range and to indicate the prevailing temperature. When the prevailing temperature is inconsistent with the desired temperature range, a conditioning request is generated. Rather than immediately responding to the conditioning request, the heat pump controller assesses the temperature of the thermal distribution medium to determine whether it is within a target range. If the thermal distribution medium is not within the target range, execution of the conditioning request is delayed while the heat pump is modulated to produce the desired thermal distribution temperature. Additional conditioning requests may be generated during this modulation period. Conditioning requests are processed after the desired thermal distribution temperature is established. Various criteria may be used to establish conditioning request priorities. Conditioning requests may be swapped with former conditioning requests which are executing. The controller establishes a steady and efficient operation of the heat pump.

Method and apparatus for interior space conditioning with improved zone

Profiling the temperatures in the regeneration airstream for a desiccant bed yields higher thermal efficiency. In staged regeneration, distinct heating elements are thermostatically controlled to attain progressively higher temperatures toward the hotter end of the bed. Stratified heat recovery can be used to transfer heat from process air from zones on the process side to regeneration airstreams headed for thermally corresponding zones on the regeneration side of the desiccant bed. A recirculation system diverts process air from the hottest process zone or zones directly to the hottest corresponding zone or zones on the regeneration side.

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Newton Centre, MA, United States of America

Barry M Cohen