| Claims Claim 1 Double skin fagade elements of the kind of composite windows or box-type double windows comprising an inner shell and an outer shell with an intermediate air space and an opening of the intermediate air space for an air exchange between the cavity and the ambient air, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n - that in front of the air intake openings (18, 20) to the intermediate air spaces (9, 1 1 ), air conditioning units are disposed, and - in the air conditioning units, cooling elements (16, 21 , 53, 61 ) are provided by which inflowing air may be dehumidified by water vapour condensation and - that the air flows may without force passing through the air conditioning units and - that the flow rate of the air may be controlled only by expansion and contraction of the air by temperature changes in the cavities of the fagade elements (9 to 1 1 ) and - that the cooling elements (24, 25, 51 ) may directly or indirectly be controlled by temperature sensors provided in the outer space and/or in the air conditioning units and/or in the cavities and - that the cooling elements are Peltier elements (24, 25, 50, 63, 123, 124, 140, 141 ) which are electrically controlled by temperature difference sensors so that in case of a temperature drop, the Peltier elements may be activated and in case of a temperature increase may be deactivated. Claim 2 Double skin fagade elements according to claim 1 , c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n - that the air conditioning units may, freely and without force, be passed by the air and - that when the fagade element is heated up, the condensation tubes (16, 21 , 53, 61 ) serve as exhaust tubes and when the fagade element is cooled down as intake tubes. Claim 3 Double skin fagade elements according to claim 1 , characterized in - that Peltier elements (24, 25, 51 , 123, 124) are in good heat-conductive contact with air tubes (16, 21, 53, 61, 121) and/or in heat conductive contact with condensation elements installed within the air tubes. Claim 4 Double skin fagade elements according to one or a plurality of the foregoing claims, characterized in - that the condensation tubes or condensation elements installed within the condensation tubes and/or the condensate collectors are heated by the heat energy of the Peltier elements. Claim 5 Double skin fagade elements according to one or a plurality of the foregoing claims, characterized in - that the air conditioning units are provided as a tube-in-tube systems, wherein - either the interior tubes (101, 121) can be heated by Peltier elements (123, 124) and the outer tubes (100, 120) can be cooled or, preferably, the interior tubes (101, 121) can be cooled and the outer tubes (100, 120) can be heated, and - that the outer tubes (100, 120) is closed at one end thereof (Figure 8), and - air flows from the interior tubes (101, 121 ) into the outer tubes (100, 120) or from the outer tubes (100, 120) into the interior tubes (101, 121). Claim 6 Double skin fagade elements according to one or a plurality of the foregoing claims, characterized n - that an air intake socket is disposed below the condensate collectors (321) and - that the condensate collectors (321) are drained via a discharge duct (323) disposed above the condensate collectors (321) and - that outgoing air (324) from the fagade elements (325) is released through a check valve (326). Claim 7 Double skin fagade elements according to one or a plurality of the foregoing claims, characterized in - that in case of icing, the Peltier elements can change polarity and may be controlled so that the cold sides heat up and the warm sides cool down at least as long until icing has thawed off and/or additional heat elements are activated to melt the ice. Claim 8 Double skin fagade elements according to one or a plurality of the foregoing claims, characterized in - that dry agent collectors (327) filled with desiccants are installed between fagade elements (325) and condensation tubes (328). Claim 9 Double skin fagade elements according to one or a plurality of the foregoing claims, characterized in - that the cooling elements (302) from the warm side (301 ) of the Peltier elements (300) are thermally disconnected from the cold side (304, 305) of the Peltier elements (300) by air and/or by materials of low thermal conductivity (306). Claim 10 Double skin fagade elements according to one or a plurality of the foregoing claims, characterized in - that a heat element (329) is installed either betweeen the facade element (325) and the desiccant container (327) and/or in or around the desiccant container and - that the heater (329) is activated until the desiccant is dried. |
The present invention relates to double skin fagade elements of the kind of composite windows or box-type double windows comprising an inner glazing and an outer glazing with an intermediate air space in between.
The problem of such composite window structures, as long as they are not made of insulating glass having a hermetic edge joint, consists in the suction absorption of humid air when cooling down either from the outside and/or from the inner space. This occurs by leaky frame parts or sealants which are open to water vapour diffusion or by open joints. When cooling down during the night or in case of inverted atmospheric conditions, condensation forms in the intermediate air space, for instance on the interior side of the outer cold pane. Such condensation forming is not desired since it may lead to non-transparency, to ice formation in winter, and as a consequence also to moisture damages. In order to avoid such condensation effects, the sealing of the outer pane to the intermediate air space is commonly cut open so that minimum ventilation will occur.
The disadvantage of such minimum ventilation is that, in winter, the intermediate air space will lose its insulating effect. A further disadvantage is the entry of dirt particles from the air and the necessity of frequent cleaning. Further measures provide that the air is guided via metallic good heat-conductive inflow openings, for instance of copper, situated in the shadow of the fagade and having a low temperature. One expects that air humidity entering at theses cooler portions will condense and that the condensate will drip off to the outside. In practice, it has shown that these metallic openings through which the air is "breathed in" do not cool down enough to sufficiently dehumidify the entering air. In case of inverted atmospheric conditions, in particular, if and when air of high relative air humidity is sucked in, condensate formation will still be experienced in the intermediate space between the panes which can be eliminated only by undesired ventilation. Furthermore, there exists the possibility, while not known from the prior art, to actively cool down the metal parts for instance by a Peltier element in order to enforce condensate precipitate in this way. This, however, will not clarify how to deduct the moisture to avoid that renewed vaporization of the moisture will occur and, furthermore, how to control the Peltier elements. Neither is it sure that the air sucked in has sufficiently been dehumidified. The dehumidification process can neither be defined nor controlled.
Further measures to avoid condensation consist for instance in warming up the intermediate air space in order to evaporate the humidity entered and, by an expansion of the air volume, drive it out of the intermediate air space. When warming up the intermediate pane space, the humidity is evaporated and, by the expansion of the air volume, is driven out of the intermediate pane space. In practice, however, it has shown that this constitutes a considerable waste of energy considering that sucking in of humid air and condensation will start immediately when active heating of the fagade intermediate space is stopped. By cooling down, the air volume collapses. Air is sucked in from the inside via joints, in most cases because of constructional deficiencies. This leads to constant humidity entry. A further variant applied in practice consists in blowing dry air into the fagade element and to put the cavity under overpressure in order to avoid the uncontrolled sucking in via the leakages. This, however, requires considerable elaboration in connection with the central generation of dry air and the distribution via air ducts into the individual fagade elements. In air conditioning technology, it has already been known to condition air by dehumidifying and cooling down and to heat it up again by a subsequent heating process. One did not, however, succeed so far in simplifying air conditioning procedures of complex air conditioning plants so that they will function (1 ) by simplest technical means and at minimum costs and minimum size, on one hand, and (2) without active control, on the other. Air conditioning plants known in the air condition technology operate with relatively huge air flows with high air velocities and elaborate controls. From EP 1 970 525 A2, furthermore, a device has been known which ensures the keeping dry of the air flowing into a fagade interior space by using a drying agent or another active agent. The principle of this patent application is to organize, via valve controls, the flow paths of the in-breathing and the out-breathing air. The control of the valves is effected via pressure-sensitive sensors in the fagade element. The pressure values required to open the valves are stored by a soft ware.
The disadvantage of this device is the high technical elaboration with a view to valves, control and adjustment for the co-ordination of the numerous air paths and the deduction of the condensate, the complex control by a soft ware as well as the necessity to have a drying agent which has to be serviced and, at intervals, has to be renewed as well.
It is, therefore, the task of the present invention to provide an air conditioning unit for non-ventilated double skin fagade elements which will operate based on minutest structural material and energy consumption when in use and will
(1 ) avoid the entry of humid air into the fagade element so that
(2) the relative air humidity in the intermediate space between the panes is reduced, and
(3) the occurrence of condensate in the fagade element is avoided, and which
(4) can operate without any drying agent and (5) can operate without an active pump and
(6) will safely function without any complex control and valve systems. This task is solved by the characterizing portion of the main claim.
The advantage of the present invention consists in the simultaneous use of two physical processes, namely the sucking in of air by contraction when the air space in the fagade element is cooled down, and the dehumidification. This is obtained by cooling either the walls of a flow-in channel or cooling elements integrated in the flow-in channel, which leads to immediate condensate formation and hence drying of the inflowing air.
The further advantage consists in that air conditioning is obtained by means of minutest air velocities and very small air amounts. The invention makes intelligent use of the natural processes, such as expansion and contraction of the air, for adjusting the flow direction within the conditioning units so that the device functions automatically and independently. The advantage consists furthermore in that the size of these air conditioning plants is reduced in such a way that they may be accommodated even in a small fagade profile. In this way, the condition is met to accommodate the air conditioning plants, decentralized, in each individual fagade element of a building. Moreover, the plant may be produced so economically that it may be employed hundredfold in one single building, depending on the number of windows.
The simplicity of the technical device is made possible by the thermodynamic processes of
air cooling / air drying / dehumidification / moisture deduction.
The control of these functions is assured in that the direction of the air flows is force- freely adjusted. "Force-freely" means to control and to adjust, without ventilators and direction control and without valves, the air flows so that, while designed as a system freely passed in two directions, this will not lead to a diffuse, uncontrollable air conduction and hence to instable thermal short-circuits and/or insufficient air conditioning under dehumidification. The development attains a technical simplification of air conditioning and hence a reduction of structural elements and control components in favour of sustainable maintenance-free functioning and economy.
The teaching as to the technical application of these complex requirements and the process technology will be explained in the following.
The present invention suggests to preferably use at least the cold side of thermoelectric elements but at the same time make also use of the warm side and to condition the air by cooling, on one hand, or additionally by heating, on the other. These opposing processes occur either simultaneously or in a timely sequence one after the other in favour of air dehumidification in case of cooling and, moreover, to avoid icing over of cold surfaces in case of heating.
For adjusting the direction of the air flows and as a pressure and suction pump, the invention makes use of the suction effect in case of the contraction of the air by cooling down the intermediate air space in the fagade element, or the reversal of the air flow in case of a pressure build-up by heating the air in the cavity of the fagade elements.
When activating the cooling element at the time of air suction, a condensation effect according to the invention is automatically experienced: In-flowing air is cooled down and the humidity of the outside air is withdrawn by condensation. The spirit of the invention consists in avoiding that, notwithstanding the small air flows, any diffuse, non-aimed air mixing, and in the small device any non-aimed heat distribution or thermal short circuits between the cold and the warm bodies will come up. The construction rule specifies to form the in-flow tube as condenser and to simultaneously heat the air up, either before or after the condensation process. In order to withdraw sufficient humidity from the inflowing air, it might become necessary to cool the cooling elements down below the freezing point. Without any particular precautions, this will immediately lead, in the small air supply tube, to ice formation and clogging of the tube. It is, therefore, a further task of the present invention to prevent such ice formation.
In accordance with the invention, this task is solved by making use of the waste heat of the Peltier element. The idea of the invention is that the "in-breathing" air of the fagade element so be organized that air drying without icing up is assured. This is obtained in that a inflow tube is preferably formed as cooled condensation tube and is disposed vertically with openings showing downwards so that the condensate developing in the condensation tube may downwardly freely drop out and/or into a collector. A further idea of the invention, therefore, consists in simultaneously forming the air conditioning unit as drainage tube for the condensate developed.
A rule to be kept may be to cool the inflowing air not only down to its condensation temperature but rather significantly below the dew-point temperature in the fagade element itself. Only when sticking to this rule is the fagade element permanently free from condensate. It is important to dehumidify the inflowing air and to lower the relative air humidity so far that during cold weather periods sufficient reserves have been formed when the dew-point in the cavity of the fagade element is undercut. In critical climates, it might, therefore, be advisable to insert a drying agent cartouche passed by air after the condensation but before the cavity. By the drying agent, residual humidity in the air is withdrawn in order to further reduce the condensation temperature of the air to be breathed in. When the cavity is "breathing out", the humidity stored in the desiccant will advantageously be withdrawn again so that the desiccant is again activated for the following cycle.
The spirit of the present invention with reference to the control and the regulation of the air flows in the air conditioning unit is to make use of the contraction, or expansion, of the air in case of temperature changes in the fagade element. An after flow of air dried in the air conditioning unit will always come up if and when the fagade cools down and sucks in. In case of energy irradiation, for instance sun irradiation, heating up and hence expansion of the heated air occurs which subsequently flows out again through the air conditioning unit into the opposite direction. When the intermediate air space cools down again, the air volume collapses, and cooler and respectively dryer air is again sucked in via the air conditioning unit. The directions of the air flows turn round. Via an outer or inner temperature sensor in the intermediate air space of the fagade, the Peltier element is switched on as soon as cooling sets in. If the fagade intermediate space heats up, the Peltier element switches off, the air flow turns round, expanding air flows out through the condensation tubes. If the fagade intermediate space cools down, the Peltier elements switches on. According to the invention, therefore, the cavity in the fagade element itself serves as a controller and, additionally as an "air pump" and defines the direction of the air flows in the air tube.
In colder latitudes it is of advantage to suck in the air from the outside, in tropical climates from actively cooled down interior spaces. It is essential of the invention to correctly dimension the size of the suction port. On one hand, the suction port should be dimensioned large enough so that no under pressure will occur in the intermediate air space of the fagade to avoid undesired sucking-in of humid interior space air via leaky joints of window and fagade structures. On the other hand, the air supply and exhaust air openings of the air conditioning unit should be made so small that no undesired ventilation occurs. As a standard value for the opening cross section for sucking in or blowing out of the air, the following value may be mentioned: 1 m 2 of air volume enclosed in the fagade element requires an opening cross section of from about 100 mm 2 to about 200 mm 2 .
In order to avoid ventilation, the out-flowing air should either be deducted again via the condensation tube, or further independent outflow openings should be provided with check valves. A check valve may additionally be inserted on the in-flowing air side. The basic idea of the invention, however, consists in that the air conditioning unit, contrary to the prior art, may operate completely independently which means even without stop valves or active control. Control is effected, preferably depending on whether required, only via the influence of the temperature onto the fagade elements.
Sucking in is effected via an at least one lengthy vertical condensation tube made of copper disposed for instance as draining tube in a fagade post. An advantageous side effect of the innovation is that, within the sucking-in tube, possible dust and dirt particles from the air sucked in will deposit at the walls, or stick to the humid walls, which means that a self-cleaning effect of the air occurs. The condensation tube should, therefore, be provided exchangeable as a maintenance element so that it may be cleaned from the inner dirt particles sticking to the walls. Moreover, the inflow opening of the tube and, perhaps additionally, the inflow side to the intermediate air space should be provided with filters so that remaining dirt particles may be filtered out. The condensation tube, therefore, constitute at the same time as dust catcher and cleaning system for the air flowing into the fagade elements.
Figure 1 shows a perspective cross section of an all-glass fagade.
Figure 2 shows a view of a window/fagade element including the sucking in socket and heating bodies.
Figure 3 shows the cross section of a window/fagade element comprising the sucking in socket and heating bodies.
Figure 4 shows the detail of an air drying process according to the invention by means of condensation tube, pre-heating tube and Peltier element. Figure 4.1 and Figure 4.2 show heat conducting connections between Peltier element and the condensation and pre-heating tube.
Figure 5 and Figure 6
each show a window with an alternative air circulation.
Figure 7 and Figure 9
show a horizontal section of the air conditioning unit.
Figure 8 and Figure 10
show a vertical section of the air conditioning unit.
Figure 1 1 shows an isometric section of an air conditioning unit. Fig 12 shows a vertical cross section through a condensation tube with condense water collector.
Figure 1 shows an all-glass fagade 1 comprising fagade elements 2 through 9.
Figure 2 shows an individual fagade element consisting of a frame 10 and a glass packing of the frame 1 1.
Figure 3 shows, in a simplified form, the vertical cross section of this fagade element, consisting of an interior insulating glazing 12 and an exterior one-pane glazing, wherein between the glazing 12 and 13 the air space 9.1 is enveloped. The interior insulating glazing 12 and the exterior one-pane glazing 13 are in air-tight connection with one another via frame 14 and 15. Depending on the amount of the air volume, an over pressure will be generated in case of heating up and an under pressure when cooling down. Over and under pressure lead to a breathing of the intermediate air space in that expanding air is pressed out of the cavity or is sucked in by collapsing air. Sucking in of the air occurs via condensation tube 21 , shown in dotted lines, which is disposed within a frame in Figure 2 or 16 in Figure 3, or within or outside of the frame, or within or outside of the fagade element in the interior or exterior space. The suction tube include an air intake opening 17, or 19, and an air exit opening 18, or 20, to the air space 9. The tubes 18, 21 are in thermally conductive connection with a cooling body 24, 25, for instance Peltier elements, and thus become cooled condensation tubes as in accordance with the invention. The condensation tube is preferably made of copper and conducts the cold released by Peltier elements. When sucked-in air flows through, a condensate is generated because of the cold tube walls which may downwardly run off or trickle off. To this end, the condensation tube is designed at the same time as drain tube.
Within the air space 9, a heating body 22, 23 is disposed. The latter is preferably in heat conductive connection with a frame portion for evaporating the residual moisture so that the frame itself becomes a heating body to avoid condensation precipitate. If the fagade element is heated up by the influence of heat caused by sun irradiation or increased outdoor temperature, the air flows via the air inlet openings 18 and 20 into the condensation tubes and escapes. When the air space is cooled down, the air flows in the tubes 16, 21 turns round and the air space 9 is ventilated by cooled and dried air. In a useful embodiment of the invention, the condensation tubes 16, 21 are sheathed with an insulation to prevent heating up of the tubes by the ambient air and moisture generation on the outside of the tube. The condensation tube is advantageously exchanged, or cleaned, at certain maintenance intervals. To this end, the tube is either taken out of the insulation sheathing or only out of the cooling body and exchanged against a cleaned tube by pushing it into the insulation sheathing or the cooling body. The cooling body may for instance be a sleeve which, on its side, is in heat conductive connection with the Peltier element.
The condensation tube has advantageously a length of at least 50 cm though it is not restricted to this size. In case of large fagade elements, it might be useful to either insert a plurality of condensation tubes into the fagade elements or to elongate the condensation tubes. It is also possible to provide tandem-connected cascades of condensation tubes wherein the air will be further dehumidified from cascade to cascade.
The Peltier elements are controlled by temperature sensors disposed outside of, or within, the intermediate air space. If the temperature drops, an air flow starts which is cooled down on the Peltier element. As soon as the temperature has reached a low, or remains constant, the Peltier element will switch off.
This control applies for cold climates when sucking-in outside air and for warm climates when sucking-in cooled-down interior air. But in cold climates the air may be sucked-in from the interior, too, if the Peltier element cooles the sucked air sufficiently to dehumidify it. A further method to control the Peltier element includes an air flow sensor in the condensation tube. As soon as air flows in, the Peltier element switches on. When the fagade elements are heated up, the air expands, the air flow turns round, and the Peltier element switches off. A further possibility consists in controlling the Peltier element by valve flaps disposed either in the intake and/or the outflow zone. The Peltier element receives current at the moment the valve flap in the intake zone is opened and will switch off when the intake valve is closed or, vice versa, when the outflow valve is opened. This requires, however, that the air is exhausted from the fagade element via a separate air duct.
Figure 4 shows a detail in connection with the air conditioning. Centrally, a Peltier plate element 50 is arranged which has a cold side 51 and a warm side 52. The cold side is in heat conductive connection with condensation tubes 53 which are sheathed by a thermal insulation 54. Above the condensation tubes, overflow tubes 55 are provided to avoid a thermal short circuit, made of a poor heat-conductive material, for instance plastic material, which conducts the cooled and dried air to a pre-heater tube 56. This pre-heater tube 56 is in heat-conductive connection with the warm side 52 of the Peltier element 50 and is preferably made of copper. The pre-heater tube, too, not shown, may be heat-insulated. The Peltier element itself is provided either - as shown - at the end of the condensation tube or in the middle or at the very beginning of the condensation tube, or near the inflow opening to the air space of the fagade elements.
Figure 4.1 and Figure 4.2 show different variants of the heat transfer from the Peltier element to condensation and pre-heater tube. In Figure 4.1 , a heat transfer strap is employed; in Figure 4.2, both pre-heater tube and condensation tube are shaped, at least in the area of the heat contact with the Peltier element, as flat tubes.
Figure 5 shows the arrangement of the air conditioning unit of the invention from Figure 4 within a window frame 60. The condensation tubes 61 , the pre-heater tube 62 and the Peltier element 63 are shown in a diagrammatical form. Figure 6 shows a simplified embodiment of the air conditioning unit. In this case, the Peltier element 70 is in a direct heat conductive connection with the window frame which is made of aluminium. This is particularly advantageous for deducting particularly rapidly the heat of the Peltier element. It is a rule that the refrigerating output of the Peltier element are the higher the more rapidly the heat is deducted.
In case of very low outdoor temperatures, it may be possible that rapid ice formation will occur on the cold side of the Peltier element. To avoid that the condensation tube will freeze up, it must be defrosted. Therefore, a further embodiment of the present invention provides that the condensation tube is cooled and heated at the same time. Heating up occurs either by the warm side of the Peltier element or by a heating element which switches on for a short time and thaws off the frost as soon as ice formation has set in. A particularly advantageous variant provides for the introduction of a heating wire into the condensation tube which switches on if and when ice formation comes up. Depending on the outdoor climate, it might be useful to also switch the heating element on when the Peltier element switches on, or to switch the heating wire and the Peltier element alternately so that freezing up of the condensation tube cannot occur, or the Peltier element will reverse polarity: the freezing on the cold side is reduced.
A further variant according to the invention provides for the installation of the Peltier element both with the warm and the cold sides within the condensation tube, wherein the cold side is, preferably, in contact with the outer wall of the tube while the warm side is disposed facing the interior of the tube. The warm side is introduced in the tube elongated by a small tongue so that the tube is always kept ice-free in its interior. This development saves the installation of the heating wire.
A further useful variant as in accordance with Figures 7 and 8 provides for the insertion of two tubes one into the other, wherein either the warm tube 121 is disposed in the condensation tube 120; the Peltier element 123, 124 is inserted with the cold side 127, 128 in thermal contact with condensation tube 120 and with the warm side in thermal contact with the interior tube; In this way, a tube-in-tube system results wherein the warm inner tube prevents clogging by icing up; or the inner tube 129 is cooled down and heat conduction occurs via the outer tube which is advantageously in heat- conductive contact with the frame profiles of the windows/fagade structure.
An advantageous variant of an embodiment consists in providing the condensation tube on the inner side with cooling fins. The cooling fins extend perpendicularly relative to the heating tube so that no immediate heat/coldness balance will come up between the cold condensation tube and the warm inner tube and thermal short circuit is avoided. This is shown in Figure 7. The condensation tube 100 constitutes the outer tube and is sheathed by heat insulation. Within the condensation tube, there is the interior tube 101 which serves as the heating tube. The condensation tube includes a plurality of ribs 102 to 1 13 extending perpendicularly to the heating tube. The air to be cooled flows upward between the cooling ribs. The condensation tube 100 is closed at the upper end; the interior tube 101 is open on the top so that sucking occurs through the interior tube via the condensation tube. The dried air is sucked via the heated interior tube into the fagade element. Of course, it would be possible as well to turn the air guidance round, to suck the air from above so that cooling down air sinks downward and the air is sucked from the interior tube from below and is fed upwards into the fagade element.
In Figure 8, air flows are shown as examples. They indicate a typical longitudinal cross section of the condensation tube 120 including heat insulation, and the interior tube 121 . In the present case, two Peltier elements 123, 124 are inserted, wherein the warm sides 125, 126 are in heat-conductive contact with the interior tube 121 and the cold sides 127, 128 with the condensation tube 120. It would be possible as well to cool the interior tube and to heat the outer tube while not insulating the device. In this case, the Peltier elements are inserted in turned around direction, i.e. with the cold side 127, 128 towards the interior tube and with the warm side towards the outer tube. This will, however, require that moisture generated in the interior tube be drained at the bottom. Figure 9 shows a further variant of an embodiment comprising a round condensation tube 130 and a round interior tube 131 . The condensation tube includes radial lamellas as cooling fins. A further embodiment of the present invention provides that the condensation tube itself is heated by a Peltier element and to dispose, within the tube, drip sheets which are in connection with the cold side of the Peltier elements. This is shown in Figure 10. A plurality of Peltier elements 121 , 122 are disposed in the rectangular tube 200. The warm side transfers the heat to the tube 200, the cold side to the drip sheets 123, 124. Passing air condenses on the drip sheets; the condensate drips downwardly out, or into a drip pan 125, and is drained via a condensate discharge 126.
The advantage of this extended development consists in that the tube cannot freeze up because the condensate will drip out immediately without having the chance to freeze. By the heat transfer of the Peltier element to the tube itself, the continuously flowing air is constantly heated via the tube walls and thus avoids the risk of ice formation on the drip sheets 123, 124. It is important that the tube is perpendicularly disposed so that the condensate drips out within the tube while not wetting the tube walls or dripping down on other drip sheets. Should the tube walls be wetted in the vicinity of the Peltier element, the condensate will immediately evaporate again. A short-circuit would occur. The advantage of the innovation consists in the rapid draining off of the condensation in the moment of its generation by the dripping out process within the warm tube. Should further drip sheets 134 be hit by drops, ice could form which would clog the tube. Therefore, the drip sheets are disposed one under the other so that a condensate drop detaching from a drip sheet 133, 134 will fall downward without touching the other drip sheets. To this end, the drip edges are disposed spatially staggered so that drip paths 144, 145 are formed.
The condensation tube is closed at the bottom to catch and deduct the condensate generated. Air is sucked in by a socket 241 from below but above the condensate collecting vessel. The vessel should be large enough so that, if the condensate draining pipe 136 freezes up, further generated condensate can be stored even at frost temperatures. The air supply into the fagade element occurs via socket 240.
The advantage of this further development consists in an improvement of the efficiency of the air conditioning unit by the rapid heat deduction from the Peltier element via the tube walls and the employment of this waste heat for a recuperative heat feedback by heating the supply air in order to avoid icing within the air conditioning units and on the drip sheets. In order to better deduct the heat of the Peltier element 300, the warm side 301 has been disposed, in Figure 1 1 , on a cooling fin bar 302 superimposed - separated by a thermal break 306 - onto a U-profile 303 through which the air 306, 307 passes. On the cold side 304, the condensation profiles 305 are disposed.
A further variant, shown in Fig 12, of the air conduction provides that the air 320 is sucked in via a condensate collector 321 so that the air will bubble from below through the condensate 322. The advantage of this air guidance lies in the cleaning and the removal of dust from the outdoor air 320 sucked in.
The condensate outlet device 323 is installed above the condensate collector 321 . The outgoing air 324 from the fagade element 325 releases through a check valve 326. Within the condensate collector 321 for example an open cell foam with water absorptive quality maybe installed as filter.
In order to further dehumidify the air behind the condensation process a container with desiccant 327 like silicagel may be installed between the condensation tube 328 and the fagade element 325. The desiccant may be dried by the warm air pushed back through the desiccant container. The temperature heats up for example during energy irradiance by the sun. Additional the air may be heated up by a heater 329 before moving back through the desiccant container. The warm side of the Peltier element may be used as heat source by activating the Peltier element additional during periods of expansion in the fagade element until the desiccant is dried. All claims shall be understood in that the tube walls maybe made from metal and are chilled or heated or that chilled or heated elements are installed within the tubes. In this case the tubes may also be made from plastics.