Temperature Control Units and Associated Systems Components, Assemblies, and Methods

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/631,869, filed Apr. 9, 2024, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to temperature control devices. In particular, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to temperature control units and associated components, assemblies, and methods.

Conditioning the air in a space may include heating or cooling the air by passing the air through a heat exchanger that may absorb heat from the air to cool the air or transfer heat to the air to heat the air. The cooling or heating is conventionally provided by a fluid, such as water or a refrigerant. The fluid may be cooled through a refrigeration process by passing the fluid through a compressor, a condenser, and an expansion valve. The fluid leaving the expansion valve may be colder than the fluid entering the compressor. The fluid may then absorb heat from the heat exchanger or another cooling fluid through an evaporator.

Conventional air conditioning systems consume large amounts of energy to run the compressors and are complex and require special handling to make any repairs due to the refrigerant systems. Conventional air conditioners also use the vapor compression cycle with refrigerants, which are potent greenhouse gasses and may contribute to global warming and climate change. Lastly, conventional air conditioners do not typically provide heating to a space. As a result, users may burn fossil fuels to heat their space, adding greenhouse gases to the environment, contributing to global warming and climate change.

Embodiments of the disclosure include a temperature control unit includes a first fan on a conditioned air side of the temperature control unit. The temperature control unit also includes a second fan on a plenum air side of the temperature control unit. The temperature control unit further includes a duct wall between the first fan and the second fan, and a thermoelectric element positioned on the duct wall between the first fan and the second fan. The thermoelectric element is configured to transfer heat between the conditioned air side of the temperature control unit and the plenum air side of the temperature control unit.

Other embodiments of the disclosure include a temperature control system including an air conditioning system configured to supply conditioned air to a conditioned space and draw air from a plenum and a supplemental temperature control unit. The supplemental temperature control unit includes a first fan on a conditioned side of the temperature control unit. The supplemental temperature control unit further includes a second fan on a plenum side of the temperature control unit. The supplemental temperature control unit also includes a thermoelectric element positioned between the first fan and the second fan, the thermoelectric element configured to transfer heat between the conditioned space and the plenum.

Another embodiment of the disclosure includes a method of conditioning air in a space. The method includes drawing conditioned air from the space at a conditioned inlet. The method further includes drawing plenum air from a plenum at a plenum inlet. The method also includes passing the conditioned air from the space over a first side of a thermoelectric element. The method further includes passing the plenum air from the plenum over a second side of the thermoelectric element opposite the first side of the thermoelectric element. The method further includes transferring heat between the conditioned air and the plenum air through the thermoelectric element

Drawings presented herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not meant to be actual views of any particular material, component, structure, device, or system. Variations from the shapes depicted in the drawings as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to be expected. Thus, embodiments described herein are not to be construed as being limited to the particular shapes or regions as illustrated, but include deviations in shapes that result, for example, from manufacturing. For example, a region illustrated or described as box-shaped may have rough and/or nonlinear features, and a region illustrated or described as round may include some rough and/or linear features. Moreover, sharp angles that are illustrated may be rounded, and vice versa. Thus, the regions illustrated in the figures are schematic in nature, and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the precise shape of a region and do not limit the scope of the present claims. The drawings are not necessarily to scale. Additionally, elements common between figures may retain the same numerical designation.

As used herein, the term “substantially” in reference to a given parameter means and includes to a degree that one skilled in the art would understand that the given parameter, property, or condition is met with a small degree of variance, such as within acceptable manufacturing tolerances. By way of example, depending on the particular parameter, property, or condition that is substantially met, the parameter, property, or condition may be at least 90.0 percent met, at least 95.0 percent met, at least 99.0 percent met, at least 99.9 percent met, or even 100.0 percent met.

As used herein, “about” or “approximately” in reference to a numerical value for a particular parameter is inclusive of the numerical value and a degree of variance from the numerical value that one of ordinary skill in the art would understand is within acceptable tolerances for the particular parameter. For example, “about” or “approximately” in reference to a numerical value may include additional numerical values within a range of from 90.0 percent to 110.0 percent of the numerical value, such as within a range of from 95.0 percent to 105.0 percent of the numerical value, within a range of from 97.5 percent to 102.5 percent of the numerical value, within a range of from 99.0 percent to 101.0 percent of the numerical value, within a range of from 99.5 percent to 100.5 percent of the numerical value, or within a range of from 99.9 percent to 100.1 percent of the numerical value.

As used herein, relational terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “bottom,” “above,” “upper,” “top,” “front,” “rear,” “left,” “right,” and the like, may be used for ease of description to describe one element's or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the materials in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if materials in the figures are inverted, elements described as “below” or “beneath” or “under” or “on bottom of” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” or “on top of” the other elements or features. Thus, the term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below, depending on the context in which the term is used, which will be evident to one of ordinary skill in the art. The materials may be otherwise oriented (e.g., rotated 90 degrees, inverted, flipped) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

As used herein, the term “and/or” means and includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

As used herein, the terms “vertical,” “longitudinal,” “horizontal,” and “lateral” are in reference to a major plane of a structure and are not necessarily defined by earth's gravitational field. A “horizontal” or “lateral” direction is a direction that is substantially parallel to the major plane of the structure, while a “vertical” or “longitudinal” direction is a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the major plane of the structure. The major plane of the structure is defined by a surface of the structure having a relatively large area compared to other surfaces of the structure. With reference to the drawings, a “horizontal” or “lateral” direction may be perpendicular to an indicated “Z” axis, and may be parallel to an indicated “X” axis and/or parallel to an indicated “Y” axis; and a “vertical” or “longitudinal” direction may be parallel to an indicated “Z” axis, may be perpendicular to an indicated “X” axis, and may be perpendicular to an indicated “Y” axis.

Buildings, such as houses, commercial buildings, shops, garages, etc., include occupied space where it is desirable to provide some type of conditioning to the air, such as heating or cooling for the comfort of the occupants. Conventional systems utilize natural gas or other fossil fuels to heat the air either directly or through a heated water (e.g., boiler) system and utilize refrigerants to cool the air either directly or through a cooled water (e.g., chiller) system. The conventional refrigerants and exhaust from burning of fossil fuels are known to cause damage to the environment. Alternative systems that can utilize electricity to heat and cool a space may reduce the damage to the environment caused by conventional heating and cooling systems.

illustrates a temperature control unit. The temperature control unitmay be configured to heat or cool air in a conditioned spacewith thermoelectric elements. The thermoelectric elementsare configured to transfer heat from one side of the thermoelectric elementsto an opposite side of the thermoelectric elements. In some embodiments, the thermoelectric elementsare Peltier devices that are configured to change the direction that the heat is transferred by changing the polarity of the power applied to the thermoelectric elements. The thermoelectric elementsmay be thermoelectric thermocouples affixed directly to copper or aluminum substrates. The thermoelectric thermocouples may be doped with electrically conductive and thermally insulating material. The thermoelectric elementsmay be configured to transfer heat from a conditioned spaceto a plenumwhen cooling the conditioned space. In other cases, the thermoelectric elementsare configured to transfer heat from the plenumto the conditioned spacewhen heating the conditioned space. In some embodiments, the thermoelectric elementsare arranged in an array including multiple thermoelectric elements. In some embodiments, the thermoelectric elementsinclude heat exchanging features, such as fins, plates, screens, etc., extending from the surfaces of the thermoelectric elementsand configured to increase the surface area of the thermoelectric elementsin contact with the air.

The plenummay be an area above a ceiling (e.g., an attic or mechanical space separated from the conditioned spaceby the ceiling). In other embodiments, the plenummay be a basement space or crawl space separated from the conditioned spaceby a floor. In other embodiments, the plenummay be a space or shaft defined within a wall separated from the conditioned spaceby the wall. The plenummay have a temperature that is closer to the temperature of the conditioned spacethan an outside temperature. Thus, an efficiency of the temperature control unitmay increase over an efficiency of a similar temperature control unit configured to transfer heat between the conditioned spaceand outside space.

The embodiment of the temperature control unitillustrated inis secured to a ceiling tile framebetween the conditioned spaceand a plenum. The ceiling tile framealso supports ceiling tilesforming the ceiling separating the conditioned spacefrom the plenum. The temperature control unitillustrated inis supported by the ceiling tile framethrough an interface between the ceiling tile frameand a ductpassing through the temperature control unit. The ductis configured to separate the air from the conditioned spacefrom the air in the plenumas the air from both the conditioned spaceand the plenumpass through the respective sides of the temperature control unit.

The temperature control unitincludes an inlet, such as a perforated or louvered panel at substantially a same level as the ceiling tilessurrounding the temperature control unit. The inletmay be positioned substantially centrally below the temperature control unit(e.g., below a radial center of the temperature control unit). A first fanmay be positioned over the inletand configured to draw air from the conditioned spacethrough the inletinto the temperature control unit. The air may pass from the fan over the thermoelectric elements. The thermoelectric elementsmay remove heat from the air or provide heat to the air depending on the configuration (e.g., heating or cooling) of the thermoelectric elements.

The temperature control unitalso includes a second fanlocated in the plenum. The second fanis separated from the first fanby the thermoelectric elements. The second fanis configured to draw air from the plenumand pass the air from the plenumover the thermoelectric elements. The thermoelectric elementmay transfer heat to the air from the plenumor remove heat from the air from the plenumdepending on the configuration (e.g., heating or cooling) of the thermoelectric elements.

The first fanand the second fanmay be coupled to one or more fan motors. In the embodiment illustrated in, a single fan motoris operatively coupled to both the first fanand the second fanthrough a common drive shaft. Thus, the first fanand the second fanoperate in substantially a same direction and at a same speed. In other embodiments, the first fanand the second fanmay have separate fan motorsconfigured to operate the first fanand the second fanindependently, such as at different speeds or in different directions. In some embodiments, at least one of the first fanand the second fanmay be formed from multiple fans forming a bank of fans,. In some embodiments, the temperature control unitmay also include an air filter positioned in the flow path on the conditioned air side of the temperature control unit.

illustrates an embodiment of the temperature control unitinstalled between the conditioned spaceand a plenumbeneath a floor. In the embodiment illustrated in, the floor is formed from floor tilessupported by floor supports. The plenumis defined between the floor tilesand a sub-floor. In other embodiments, the plenummay be a basement or crawl space.

The temperature control unitis supported by the floor supportsthrough an interface between the floor supportsand the ductof the temperature control unit. As described above, the temperature control unitincludes a centrally located inletand an outletabout the radially outer portion of the temperature control unitbetween the inletand the duct. The first fanis positioned beneath the inletand configured to draw air from the conditioned spacethrough the inletand push the air over thermoelectric elementsbefore the air re-enters the conditioned spacethrough the outlet.

The second fanpositioned on an opposite side of the thermoelectric elementsfrom the first fandraws air from the plenumand passes the air over the thermoelectric elementson the plenum side of the thermoelectric elementsbefore the air re-enters the plenum. As discussed above, a voltage applied across the thermoelectric elementscauses the thermoelectric elementsto transfer heat from one side of the thermoelectric elementsto the other (e.g., from the conditioned spaceto the plenumor from the plenumto the conditioned space).

illustrates a view of the first fanof the temperature control unit. The second fanof the temperature control unitis similarly arranged on an opposite side of the thermoelectric elements. The first fanincludes an inletin a central portion of the first fan. Vanesof the first fanare shaped and arranged to draw air into the inletand move the air over the thermoelectric elementsover the vanesas the first fanrotates.

In the embodiment illustrated in, the thermoelectric elementsare positioned radially between the inletand an outer edgeof the first fan, such that the air passes over the thermoelectric elementsas the air moves radially from the inletpast the outer edgeof the first fan. There are multiple thermoelectric elementsarranged circumferentially about the first fan.

In the embodiment illustrated in, there are four thermoelectric elementscircumferentially spaced about the first fan. In other embodiments, there may be more or less of the thermoelectric elements. For example, a larger temperature control unitmay include more thermoelectric elementsthan a smaller temperature control unit. In some embodiments, the temperature control unitmay include a single thermoelectric element, two thermoelectric elements, three thermoelectric elements, four thermoelectric elements, six thermoelectric elements, ten thermoelectric elements, twenty thermoelectric elements, etc. The size and/or arrangement of the temperature control unitmay be determined based on the associated occupied space. For example, a small temperature control unitwith fewer thermoelectric elementsmay be used to supplement heating and cooling in an air-conditioned space for single person. A larger temperature control unitwith a large number of thermoelectric elementsmay be used to supplement heating and cooling in an air-conditioned space for a larger group of people, such as a conference room or open office space.

illustrates a schematic view of the temperature control unit. As discussed above, the first fandraws air from the conditioned spaceand passes the air over the thermoelectric elementbefore the air returns to the conditioned space. The thermoelectric elementincludes a first heat exchangerextending from the surface of the thermoelectric elementfacing the first fan. The first heat exchangermay be features configured to increase the surface area of the thermoelectric element, such as fins, plates, or screens. In some embodiments, the first heat exchangeris a direct heat exchanger configured to transfer heat directly from the surface of the first heat exchangerto passing air. In other embodiments, the first heat exchangeris a liquid to air heat exchanger, such that a fluid is used as a heat transfer medium.

The second fandraws air from the plenumand passes the air over the thermoelectric elementbefore the air returns to the plenum. The thermoelectric elementincludes a second heat exchangerextending from the surface of the thermoelectric elementfacing the second fan. The second heat exchangermay be features configured to increase the surface area of the thermoelectric element, such as fins, plates, or screens. In some embodiments, the second heat exchangeris a direct heat exchanger configured to transfer heat directly from the surface of the second heat exchangerto passing air. In other embodiments, the second heat exchangeris a liquid to air heat exchanger, such that a fluid is used as a heat transfer medium.

The thermoelectric elementis configured to transfer heat between the surface facing the first fanto the surface facing the second fan. Thus, the thermoelectric elementis configured to transfer heat between the air from the conditioned spaceand the air from the plenum. As discussed above, the thermoelectric elementis configured to transfer heat from one surface to the other when a voltage is applied to the thermoelectric element. The direction of the transfer of heat may be defined by a polarity of the voltage applied through the Peltier effect.

The temperature control unitincludes a power supplyconfigured to supply power to the components of the temperature control unit. The power supplymay be a direct current (DC) power supply, such as a battery or rectifier. The power supplymay be configured to supply power to the thermoelectric element, the first fan, and the second fan. In some embodiments, one or more components of the temperature control unitmay be powered by an external power source, such as line voltage. For example, the first fanand/or the second fanmay be configured to receive power from an external power source. In some embodiments, the first fanand/or the second fanmay be configured to receive power (e.g., alternating current (AC) power or DC power) through a separate control device, such as a motor controller, motor starter, or variable frequency drive (VFD). Powering some components from an external source may facilitate using different types of power, such as AC power for some components and DC power for other components. Furthermore, powering some components from an external source may reduce the size of the power supply, which may reduce the size and/or cost of the temperature control unit.

In some embodiments, the power is supplied by the power supplythrough a controller. For example, the power supplymay be directly coupled to the controllerand the controllermay then provide the power from the power supplyto the individual components of the temperature control unit, such as the thermoelectric element, first fan, and the second fan. In other embodiments, the power from the power supplyto the individual components may be controlled by the controllerwithout passing through the controller, such as through relays, switches, motor controllers, digital signals, analog signals, etc. Temperature control unitsaccording to the disclosure may have relatively low power demands, such that the power suppliesmay be low voltage low amperage power supplies, such as control power, control transformers, or Ethernet power. In some embodiments the temperature control unit may include additional accessories, such as lights, emergency signals (e.g., exit signs, fire alarms, etc.), speakers, etc.

illustrate embodiments of a temperature control unitsimilar to the temperature control unitdiscussed above. The temperature control unitincludes a first fanconfigured to draw air from a conditioned spacethrough a conditioned air inletand a second fanconfigured to draw air from a plenumthrough a plenum air inlet. The temperature control unitincludes multiple thermoelectric elementsdefining a wall between the conditioned air inletand the plenum air inlet, such that the thermoelectric elementsare configured to transfer heat from the conditioned air inletto the plenum air inletor from the plenum air inletto the conditioned air inletdepending on the configuration (e.g., heating or cooling) of the temperature control unit.

illustrates the temperature control unitinstalled in a ceiling between the conditioned spaceand the plenum, where the plenumis above the ceiling. Similar to the embodiment illustrated in, the ceiling is formed by ceiling tilessecured by a ceiling tile frame. The temperature control unitis supported between the ceiling tilesby the ceiling tile frame. In other embodiments, the temperature control unitmay be installed between the conditioned spaceand a different plenum, such as an under floor plenum as illustrated in.

The temperature control unitillustrated inincludes an inlet ductdefining the conditioned air inlet. The air from the conditioned spaceis drawn from a perimeter region of the temperature control unitthrough the conditioned air inletdefined by the inlet duct. The air passes over the thermoelectric elements. As discussed in detail above, the thermoelectric elementsare configured to transfer heat from one side of the thermoelectric elementsto the other when a voltage is applied to the thermoelectric elements. The polarity of the voltage may define the direction of the heat transfer. Thus, the polarity of the voltage may define a heating mode where heat is transferred from the plenum air inletto the conditioned air inletand a cooling mode where heat is transferred from the conditioned air inletto the plenum air inlet.

A deflectormay be positioned proximate a center of the temperature control unitand be configured to redirect the airflow from the conditioned air inletto the first fanand from the plenum air inletto the second fan. In some embodiments, the deflectoris an air dam as illustrated in. In other embodiments, the deflectormay include one or more turning vanes, blades, or dampers.

In the embodiment illustrated in, the temperature control unitincludes an outlet ductcoupled to the second fan. The outlet ductmay be configured to direct outlet air from the second faninto the plenumto an area a distance from the plenum air inlet. Extending a distance between the outlet plenum air and the plenum air inletmay substantially prevent short-cycling the plenum air, which may improve efficiency of the temperature control unit.

illustrate face views of different configurations of the temperature control unit.illustrate the temperature control unitfrom the side facing the conditioned space. The side of the temperature control unitfacing the plenumwill have a similar configuration. Each of the embodiments illustrated inillustrate heat exchangersalong the thermoelectric elements. The heat exchangersmay be finned heat sinks, vapor chamber heat sinks, extruded fins, skivved fins, zippered fins, etc. The heat exchangersmay be formed from a material having a high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum or copper. In some embodiments, the heat exchangersare formed through a process, such as extrusion, machining, additive manufacturing, etc.

illustrates an embodiment where the first fanis positioned between two conditioned air inletsin the X-direction. The conditioned air inletspass through the heat exchangersextending from the thermoelectric elementon opposing sides of the first fan.

illustrates an embodiment including two first fanspositioned between two conditioned air inletsin the X-direction. The conditioned air inletspass through the heat exchangersextending from the thermoelectric elementson opposing sides of the first fans. The two first fansmay result in greater air flow through the temperature control unitthan the configuration illustrated inwith a single first fan. The increased size of the heat exchangersmay result in a greater heating or cooling capacity for the temperature control unitover the embodiment illustrated in, at least due to an increased surface area of the heat exchangers.

illustrates an embodiment including a single first fancentrally positioned between four conditioned air inletsextending in both the X-direction and the Z-direction. The conditioned air inletspass through the heat exchangersextending from the thermoelectric elementson opposing sides of the first fanin both the X-direction and the Z-direction. The greater number of conditioned air inletsmay result in a greater heating or cooling capacity for the temperature control unitover the embodiment illustrated in, at least due to an increased surface area of the heat exchangers. The embodiment illustrated inmay also have a larger temperature differential over the embodiment illustrated inresulting from a lower air flow through the temperature control unitin combination with the greater heating or cooling capacity of the temperature control unit.

The different configurations may be selected for different needs, such as the size of the conditioned space, the thermal load in the conditioned space, the power available in the space, etc.

illustrates a schematic view of a temperature control system. The temperature control systemincludes an air conditioning systemconfigured to condition (e.g., heat or cool) air being supplied to the conditioned space. The conditioned air is supplied to the conditioned spacethrough a supply air duct. The air from the conditioned spacemay flow into the plenumthrough an air returnto maintain a substantially constant pressure in the conditioned space. The air conditioning systemdraws air from the plenumthrough a return air ductto exhaust the air or recirculate the air depending on the type and/or configuration of the air conditioning system.

Many conditioned spacesmay have areas that are more difficult to control, such as due to varying heat loads (e.g., conference rooms, lunch rooms, break rooms, etc.) or solar loads (e.g., exterior rooms with large windows, etc.). Auxiliary heating or cooling may be used to maintain comfortable temperatures in rooms with varying heat loads. For example, a temperature control unit, such as the temperature control unitor temperature control unitdescribed above, may be positioned between the conditioned spaceand the plenum. The temperature control unitmay thus be configured to provide supplemental heating or cooling to the conditioned spacewithout being connected directly to the air conditioning system. For example, a building control system (BCS) may control the temperature control unitseparate from the air conditioning systemto maintain the temperature of the conditioned space, such as when the air conditioning systemis off or when the air conditioning systemis not able to maintain the temperature in the conditioned space. In some embodiments, multiple temperature control unitsmay be controlled in a single space and may be configured to communicate together through a separate mesh network, such that the BCS may communicate to a main temperature control unitin an area or with a main controller for the multiple temperature control unitsand the mesh network may facilitate fine control of the space with the multiple temperature control units.

Embodiments of the disclosure may facilitate supplemental cooling systems having higher efficiency. Increased efficiency may reduce the power used to control an occupied space and may reduce the emissions related to the control of the occupied space. Embodiments of the disclosure may also facilitate improved control of a space by providing control of smaller areas for individualized comfort control.

The embodiments of the disclosure described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawing figures do not limit the scope of the invention, since these embodiments are merely examples of embodiments of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents. Any equivalent embodiments are intended to be within the scope of this disclosure. Indeed, various modifications of the present disclosure, in addition to those shown and described herein, such as alternative useful combinations of the elements described, may become apparent to those skilled in the art from the description. Such modifications and embodiments are also intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims and their legal equivalents.