Whole building air ventilation and pressure equalization system air mixer with dampers

Abstract

A whole building ventilation system mixing box that mixes exterior air with air from within the building, having one or more exterior air inputs, on or more interior air inputs with one or more mixed air outputs that re-circulates the mixed air to a whole building HVAC system having one or more ventilation fans. The whole building ventilation system mixing box being open to circulation and mixes the return air from the interior air input with the exterior air whether or not the exhaust fan is on so as to equalize pressure between the interior and exterior of the building. In addition a method of sizing a whole building ventilation system mixer box for mixing exterior air from outside the building with interior air from within a building is provided and includes the steps of determining a value one or more variables related to a building or the air around the building then constructing a whole building mixer box with an at least one damper therein that allows operation without the concomitant operation of an intake fan so as to equalize air pressure within the building to ambient outside pressure, then coupling, adjusting, operating the HVAC device to move air and drawing in cooled or heated air and equalizing the air pressure in the building with the addition of exterior air.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001]The invention relates to a whole building or home air ventilation / pressure equalization system air mixer with dampers having a first fresh air intake of an at least two intakes as part of the whole building ventilation system, where fresh air is taken into the system via the first intake of the at least two intakes from outside atmosphere and is mixed in an air box with air from a second of an at least two intakes providing air treated by the air handling system, for instance heated air from a furnace or cooled air from an air conditioner.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]The invention relates to a whole building air ventilation and pressure equalization system. All buildings need ventilation to remove stale interior air and excessive moisture and to provide oxygen for the inhabitants. There has been considerable concern recently about how much ventilation is required to maintain the quality of air in homes.[0003]As the tolerances in the constructions of ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention is a system that allows for more efficient air circulation and pressurization in a building, without needing a lot of electricity. It helps to balance air pressure, bring in fresh air when needed, and improves the quality of the air in the home. The system also helps to make other appliances in the building work more efficiently. Additionally, it is designed to be energy-efficient and safe for the furnace and AC unit by mixing the air properly before sending it back to the heating and cooling system.

Problems solved by technology

As the tolerances in the constructions of buildings has improved, resulting newer constructions are tightly built to save energy, but this can often times have a negative impact on the home without proper ventilation.

Microbial pollutants like mold, pet dander and plant pollen along with chemicals such as radon and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) create a toxic environment.

The build-up of pollutants such as these is shown to lead to allergies, asthma and other health concerns.

Research studies have also recently show that standard houses, those less “tightly” constructed, are just as likely to have indoor air quality problems as the newer energy efficient ones.

While opening and closing windows offers one way to control outside air for ventilation, this strategy is rarely useful on a regular, year-round basis.

Though obviously, the solution of building leaky buildings or maintaining leaky buildings or leaving open windows is not an answer.

Regardless of the state of the construction, most building researchers believe that no building is so leaky that the occupants can be relieved of concerns about indoor air quality and therefore the air turnover is an issue.

The problem is that air leaks are not a reliable source of fresh air and are not controllable.

Air leaks are unpredictable, and leakage rates for all buildings vary.

For example, air leakage is greater during cold, windy periods and can be quite low during hot weather where the air is more still.

Thus, indoor air pollutants may accumulate during periods of calm weather even in drafty buildings.

These homes will also have many days when excessive infiltration provides too much ventilation, causing discomfort, high energy bills, and possible deterioration of the building envelope.

Nearly all these exhaust fans are ineffective to ventilate a building with “fresh” air, add to pressure differential problems, and are a prime contributor to interior moisture problems in homes.

Relying on air leaks requires no extra equipment; however, the occupant has little control over the air entry points.

Many of the air leaks come from undesirable locations, such as crawl spaces or attics.

If the home is airtight, the ventilation fans will not be able to pull in enough outside air to balance the air being exhausted.

This pressure differential also adds to the operating load of appliances in the building and can add to drafts in unwanted locations.

A slight disadvantage of using the HVAC blower is that incoming ventilation air may have sufficient velocity to affect comfort during cold weather.

This however results in a more costly system to operate and one that may or may not be properly balanced to address the pressure issue created by the exhaust from ancillary fans or meet the target fresh air turnover requirements as noted above.

These systems also require powered dampers and do not operate continuously, requiring timers or sensors again increasing costs and complexity of the system.

As noted herein, these existing systems can also result in damage to existing HVAC systems due to inadequate pre-mix of the incoming air and a lack of balancing within the building.

Similarly, the imbalance created over a prolonged period where the system was not actively engaged, e.g. when the furnace is off, the system may cause a significant pressure imbalance, resulting in increased pressures on the fan moving the air in the building.

In each instance, the operational life of the HVAC equipment may be compromised.

Similarly, the on again off again pressure differential may result in issues and damage to appliances in the building, for instance stoves and similar appliances that have exhausts.

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