| JP2008188509 | DEHUMIDIFYING APPARATUS |
| JP58069335 | EXTERIOR-SIDE BLOWING CONSTRUCTION FOR WINDOW-TYPE AIR CONDITIONER |
| JP2003214648 | AIR CONDITIONER |
Al Rais, Ali (Villa #26, Al Hudeiba, Dubai, AE)
Lipovetsky, Yana (14 Park Road, Mt Waverley, VIC 3149, AU)
Farrugia, Anthony (6 White Lodge Court, Donvale, VIC 3111, AU)
Al Rais, Ali (Villa #26, Al Hudeiba, Dubai, AE)
Lipovetsky, Yana (14 Park Road, Mt Waverley, VIC 3149, AU)
| 1. | An air conditioner for providing localised cooling in an open environment including : a base for supporting the apparatus said base including a condenser; an evaporator in fluid connection with said condenser; and a flue substantially vertically disposed above the base; wherein a first source of air is forced through the evaporator causing said first ambient air to become cooled and subsequently discharged into the region to be cooled and a second source of ambient air is forced into the base and through the condenser said second source of air becoming heated as a result, said heated air being directed upwardly through the flue such that the heated air is discharged through the upper open end of the flue said air conditioner providing localised cooling without a physical barrier between the region to be cooled and the environment. |
| 2. | An air conditioner according to claim 1 wherein the upper open end of the flue is located above the head level of occupants in the region that is to be cooled. |
| 3. | An air conditioner according to claim 1 wherein the evaporator is located at an upper end of the flue and includes an electrically operated fan for forcing air through the evaporator. |
| 4. | An air conditioner according to claim 1 including a cowl at the upper end of the flue for directing cooled air from the evaporator substantially downwardly into a region to be cooled and away from the nominal longitudinal axis of the flue. |
| 5. | An air conditioner according to claim 1 wherein the evaporator is co located with the condenser in the base and a separate flue is included for cool air to be directed upwardly to a distribution cowl. |
| 6. | An air conditioner according to claim 5 wherein the two flues are separate and reside alongside each other. |
| 7. | An air conditioner according to claim 5 wherein the two flues are separate and one resides within the other. |
| 8. | An air conditioner according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the first and second source of air is forced through the evaporator and condenser respectively by the action of one or more electrically operated fans. |
| 9. | An air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the first source of air is forced through the evaporator by the action of one or more electrically operated fans and the second source of air is forced through the condenser by the action of convection. |
| 10. | An air conditioner according to any one of the preceding claims including a condensate collection tray in the vicinity of the evaporator for collecting condensed fluid from the first source of air said tray including a passage for collected condensate to transfer the condensate to a location in the vicinity of the condenser. |
| 11. | An air conditioner according to claim 10 wherein said condensate in the vicinity of the condenser is agitated to cause droplets of condensate to become airborne and thus drawn by the heated air flow passing through the condenser and upwardly through the flue. |
| 12. | An air conditioner according to any one of the preceding claims including at least one cowl in fluid connection with the cooled air emanating from the evaporator to be discharged in the region to be cooled. |
| 13. | An air conditioner according to claim 4 including at least one conduit extending substantially horizontally from, and in fluid connection with, said flue for directing cooled air with a cowl connected to the distal end of the conduit for discharging cooled air from a location that is laterally displaced from the cooled air flue. |
| 14. | An air conditioner according to any one of claims 3 to 13 including a thermal barrier located between the evaporator and condenser said thermal barrier substantially preventing transfer of thermal energy between the evaporator and condenser. |
| 15. | An air conditioner according to claim 14 including a compressor for compressing thermal energy transfer fluid between the evaporator and condenser, said compressor located on the evaporator side of the thermal barrier. |
| 16. | A method of cooling a localised region in an open environment where there is no physical barrier between the region to be cooled and the environment including the following steps: attaching a flue to the air flow output of a condenser and locating the open output end of the flue at a level substantially above head level of occupants in a region to be cooled ; drawing ambient air through a condenser located substantially at ground level ; directing waste heated air from the condenser into the flue and discharging said heated air through the output open end thereof; drawing ambient air through an evaporator and cooling same ; and directing cooled air from the evaporator into the region to be cooled. |
| 17. | A method according to claim 16 wherein the method includes the step of directing cooled air downwardly from a height that is substantially above the head level of occupants in the region to be cooled. |
| 18. | A method according to claim 17 wherein the colled air is directed downwardly and away from the air intake region for air input into the condenser. |
| 19. | An air conditioner according to claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying Figures. |
| 20. | A method of air conditioning according to claim 16 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying Figures. |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Cooling systems have been known for some time and are generally classified into one of two classes, namely, evaporative or refrigerative cooling systems.
Each type of system has specific advantages that lend them to particular situations. For example, refrigerative systems chill the air passing through them and can reduce the air temperature in a region to a larger extent as compared with an evaporative system. This result is effected by using a medium such as Freon gas in two separate heat transfer processes (condensation and evaporation) thus providing useful cool air at an evaporator and waste heat at a condenser. However, such systems are generally more expensive to manufacture and more energy is required to operate the system.
Alternatively, evaporative systems operate to cool regions by providing a large flow of air through the region to be cooled and passes air through a medium soaked with water such that the air is cooled by the action of evaporating water from the medium. These systems reduce the air temperature to a lesser extent as compared with refrigerative systems but provide an additional cooling effect by passing a relatively large volume of air over occupants in the region. These systems are generally less expensive to manufacture and require less energy to operate as compared with refrigerative systems.
As a result of the differences between the systems and their methods of operation, refrigerative systems are generally only used for closed regions wherein the waste heat energy is directed outside the closed region whilst cool air is directed into the region to reduce the air temperature in that region. Generally, it is considered necessary to have a physical barrier between the region to be
cooled and the external environment into which waste heat energy is transferred.
However, evaporative systems do not need to dispose of waste heat energy and as such, they lend themselves to cooling open regions. The main disadvantages associated with evaporative cooling systems is their relative lack of performance in humid environments and the requirement for relatively high volumes of air to pass over occupants in a region to provide a cooling effect. As the cooling action of these types of systems achieves a reduction of the air temperature by increasing the humidity of the air that has passes through the water soaked medium, any environment that has a relatively high humidity, and hence cannot readily evaporate water to increase that level of humidity, cannot be cooled by this type of cooling action.
As a result of the disadvantages of the two types of systems, neither is particularly well suited to providing localised cooling in an open or outdoor environment. Whilst evaporative systems have been used to provide localised cooling in these environments, they pass relatively large volumes of air over the occupants and do not provide any significant cooling effect in humid environments.
In recent times, outdoor dining and entertaining has become quite popular.
In many instances, cafes and restaurants provide both indoor and outdoor areas for patrons to enjoy meals and socialising. In many parts of the world, outdoor dining areas are rarely used as the environment is too uncomfortable for patrons to enjoy for any significant length of time. Whilst most patrons prefer to enjoy their meal outdoors, the environment usually forces them. to eat indoors. In cooler climates, café and restaurant owners provide localised heating systems outdoors to provide a comfortable environment in which their patrons may enjoy their meals. However, once the ambient temperature becomes too warm, outdoor dining environments are usually deserted as patrons eat in the cooled comfort of the indoors.
This situation reflects the difficulty associated with providing localised cooling in outdoor environments as compared with localised heating. Whilst evaporative systems can be used to provide outdoor cooling, the fact that such systems are not substantially used indicates that the disadvantages of such systems render them unsuitable for outdoor dining environments.
Even in climates that exhibit relatively low levels of humidity, outdoor evaporative cooling is rarely used as the volume of air required per unit time to provide an adequate cooling effect is such that patrons are subjected to an airflow that is uncomfortably high.
Further, there is sometimes a need to provide localised cooling in a spacious indoor environment such as a warehouse or a factory where it is not economically feasible to provide cooling for the entire indoor environment.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide localised cooling in an outdoor or spacious indoor environment that does not suffer the disadvantages associated with evaporative cooling systems such as the requirement to pass large volumes of air over occupants of an outdoor region. Further, there is a need for localised cooling that is effective in high humidity climates that usually render evaporative systems ineffective.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a means and method of providing localised cooling that is suitable for open or outdoor environments that overcome at least one of the disadvantages of known systems.
Any discussion of documents, devices, acts or knowledge in this specification is included to explain the context of the invention. It should not be taken as an admission that any of the material formed part of the prior art base or the common general knowledge in the relevant art on or before the priority date of the claims herein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect, the present invention provides an air conditioning apparatus for providing localised cooling in an open environment including : a base for supporting the apparatus said base including a condenser; an evaporator in fluid connection with said condenser; and a flue substantially vertically disposed above the base; wherein a first source of air is forced through the evaporator causing said first source of air to become cooled and subsequently discharged into the region to be cooled and a second source of air is forced into the base and through the condenser said second source of air becoming heated as a result, said heated air being directed upwardly through the flue such that the heated air is discharged through the upper open end of the flue said air conditioner providing localised
cooling without a physical barrier between the region to be cooled and the environment.
Preferably, the upper open end of the flue is located above the head level of occupants in the region that is being cooled. Of course, once the heated air is expelled from the flue, any cooler air in the immediate vicinity of the flue acts to force the heated air further upwards.
In one embodiment, the evaporator is located at an upper end of the flue and includes an electrically operated fan for forcing air through the evaporator.
Preferably, the air conditioning apparatus includes a cowl at the upper end of the flue for directing cooled air from the evaporator downwardly into a region to be cooled. In order to avoid cooled air expelled from the cowl dropping down directly and being drawn into the base as the second source of air for the condenser, the cowl preferably directs cooled air away from the longitudinal axis of the flue.
In a preferred embodiment, the evaporator is c-located with the condenser in the base of the apparatus. Of course, the condenser and the evaporator in the base must be kept separate, apart from the fluid connection therebetween for passage of the heat transfer medium, such that waste heat from the condenser does not affect the cooling operation of the evaporator.
In a particularly preferred embodiment a thermal barrier is provided between the condenser and the evaporator, and the compressor, that is usually c-located with the condenser, is located on the evaporator side of the thermal barrier. In this configuration, the compressor is subject to cooled air on the evaporator side of the barrier and this assists avoidance of the compressor overheating.
In warmer climates, a compressor can exceed its maximum operating temperature at which time, the compressor will usually be deactivated by a sensing and control arrangement. Whilst this ensures that no permanent damage occurs to the compressor, deactivation of the compressor ceases operation of the air conditioner. By locating the compressor on the"cool"side of the barrier and hence subjecting the compressor to air cooled by the evaporator, the likelihood of the compressor exceeding its maximum operating temperature is substantially reduced and as such, the air conditioner can operate in conditions that would otherwise be prohibitive.
Preferably, in embodiments where the condenser and evaporator are co- located, separate flues are provided for cool air to be directed upwardly to a distribution cowl and for heated air to be discharged to the environment.
In one embodiment, two separate flues are provided side by side. In another embodiment, one flue resides within the other. In any event, the flues are preferably insulated to reduce the effect of heat transference of the heated waste air to the cooled air from the evaporator.
In another embodiment, air is forced into the base and through the condenser by the action of convention alone and without the assistance of a fan or any other form of air movement device. In this embodiment, use is made of the natural effect of the cooler air dropping from above to effectively push air through the condenser. As the air becomes heated passing through the condenser the heated air then rises through the substantially vertical flue until it is discharged through the upper open output and of the flue. By avoiding the use of a fan for forcing air through the condenser the energy consumption of the air conditioning apparatus is significantly reduced. The additionally available energy may be saved or used to drive an additional fan for forcing air through the evaporator.
Whilst the apparatus of the present invention is particularly well suited to climates exhibiting relatively high levels of humidity, the apparatus is equally suited to dry climates a well. Where the air is already relatively dry, the effect of cooling air by using refrigerative air conditioning and hence further reducing air moisture, may be unwelcome. Accordingly, in one particular embodiment, condensate from air as it is cooled by the evaporator is collected for later disposal into an air stream.
In a humid climate, it may not be necessary or desirable to disperse any collected condensate into the cooled region. As such, collected condensate is preferably dispersed into the hot air stream and hence discharged from the apparatus along with the waste hot air. Alternatively, in drier climates it is desirable to reintroduce collected condensate back into the cool air stream that is expelled into the region to be cooled. In one preferred embodiment, condensate is collected and re-dispersed into the cold air stream that is discharged into the region to be cooled. Any excess condensate, beyond the requirement to humidify
the cold air stream, is preferably dispersed into the hot air stream to be expelled from the air conditioning apparatus along with the waste heated air.
In any event, an embodiment of the invention including a condensate collection and re-dispersal arrangement avoids the requirement for an operator to dispose of collected condensate from the air conditioning apparatus. This is particularly advantageous for commercial environments such as restaurants where it could be particularly inconvenient to access the air conditioner during use in order to remove and dispose of collected condensate. Further, such a requirement would be particularly annoying to the owner of a business who would prefer not to incur additional tasks for his employees.
A distribution cowl for cool air may be constructed in any suitable configuration depending upon the required distribution of cool air. A cowl may also include adjustable vanes that may move during operatin of the air conditioner to further improve distribution of cool air into the region to be cooled.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a method of cooling a localised region in an open environment where there is no physical barrier between the region to be cooled and the environment including the following steps: attaching a flue to the air flow output of a condenser and locating the open output end of the flue at a level substantially above head level of occupants in a region to be cooled ; drawing air through a condenser that has its air flow input located substantially at ground level ; directing waste heated air from the condenser into the flue and discharging said heated air through the open output end thereof; drawing air through an evaporator and cooling same; and directing the cooled air from the evaporator into the region to be cooled.
Preferably, the method includes the step of directing cooled air downwardly from a height that is also substantially above the head level of occupants in the region to be cooled. It is even more preferred that the method include the step of directing the cooled air downwardly and away from the intake region for air input into the condenser to avoid said cooled air being drawn directly into the condenser.
In particular, it is preferred that the cooled air discharged from the evaporator be provided an opportunity to absorb thermal energy from the region that requires cooling before it is drawn into the intake of the condenser. In this respect, the thermal energy may be absorbed from objects or people in the region requiring cooling.
As there is no physical barrier between the region to be cooled and the general environment, it is not possible to accurately determine whether cooled air or non-cooled air from the environment will be drawn as intake into the condenser. In most situations, it is expected that a substantial proportion of air drawn into the condenser will be air that was previously expelled from the evaporator albeit after the cooled air has absorbed thermal energy from the localised region in the vicinity of the air conditioner. However, by at least re-using some air that was previously expelled from the evaporator, the efficiency of the air conditioning apparatus and method is improved as compared with only using "uncooled"air as the intake to the condenser.
An apparatus and method according to the present invention substantially differs from known prior art refrigerative air condition systems as the cooling of a closed region normally enables the condenser to be located outside the closed region which avoids the need to consider the treatment of waste heated air <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> expelled from a condenser. However, in order to provide localised cooling of an outdoor environment, the present invention effectively operates a condenser in reverse as compared with a conventional unit such that ambient air is drawn from the environment to be cooled and passed through the condenser causing that air to be heated and expelled into the same environment that requires cooling.
Accordingly, the essence of the invention resides in recognising that a condenser could be operated in reverse, as compared with conventional units, in order to provide a solution to the problem of localised cooling of outdoor environments where there is no physical barrier between the region to be cooled and the external environment.
Further benefits and advantages of the air conditioning apparatus and method according to the present invention will become apparent in the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described which should not be considered as limiting any of the statements in the previous section. The preferred embodiment will be described with reference to the following Figures in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of one embodiment of an apparatus according to the present invention including a partially sectioned view of the apparatus detailing the location of an evaporator in a cowl at the upper end of the flue for discharging heated air; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic representation of an alternative embodiment of an apparatus according to the present invention detailing an evaporator co- located in the base of the apparatus with a condenser; Figure 3 is a diagrammatic representation of yet another embodiment detailing an alternative flue arrangement for heated and cooled air; Figure 4 is a diagrammatic representation of a typical outdoor environment detailing the relative location of occupants and an apparatus according to the present invention and the desired air flow from cooled air output to ambient air input for the condenser; and Figure 5 is a diagrammatic representation of a condensate collector located in the base of an air conditioning apparatus according to the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to Figure 1, a diagrammatic representation of one embodiment of an air conditioning apparatus according to the present invention is provided including a partially section view of the upper section of the apparatus that includes an evaporator. The apparatus includes a base (10) that houses a condenser (15) and a fan (17). Air (5) is drawn through the condenser (15) by the operation of the electrical fan (17). As the air (5) passes through the condenser (15) by the action of the fan (17), the air is heated and is directed upwardly through the flue (20).
The heated waste air from the condenser (15) is forced up through the substantially vertically disposed flue (20) and follows the direction of the arrows
identified as item 22. The heated waste air is subsequently expelled from the air conditioning apparatus through outlet (25) and is subsequently dissipated into the environment.
Attached to the upper end of the flue (20) is a cowl (30) which includes an evaporator (32) for cooling air. In this respect, air (35) is drawn through the evaporator by the action of the electrical fan (34) and subsequently expelled from the cowl (30) through various outlets in the cowl. Cool air expelled from the cowl follows the direction of the arrows identified as item 40.
Of course, the condenser (15) and the evaporator (32) are in fluid connection in order to transfer the heat exchange medium therebetween. This is effected by the tubing (45) located within the flue (20).
Whilst the arrangement identified in Figure 1 provides a unitary air conditioning apparatus that is relatively convenient and effective to use, the location of the evaporator in the cowl (30) results in the apparatus being top heavy, which causes the apparatus to become awkward to manoeuvre. As this type of apparatus is likely to be provided on castors to enable operators to move the apparatus from one location to another, manoeuvrability is a desired feature.
In addition, with the particular arrangement identified in Figure 1, the unit becomes quite difficult to transport from the manufacturer to the final consumer.
In order to overcome these difficulties, it would be necessary to disconnect the evaporator from the fluid supply line (45) during transport and hence requiring the final consumer to arrange reconnection of the evaporator to the fluid supply line (45) prior to use. As the fluid contained within the condenser, evaporator and connecting fluid lines is contained at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure, it would be necessary to commission a specifically skilled operator, such as a plumber, to connect the evaporator to the fluid supply line (45) and subsequently fill the closed system with fluid such that the closed system was filled with the correct amount of fluid thus resulting in a system within the desired fluid pressure range. Of course, requiring a final consumer to arrange connection of the evaporator to the fluid supply line (45) is clearly undesirable as it substantially increases the cost of the unit to the end consumer.
However, over time, it is expected that components such as evaporators will be made from lighter materials and it is conceivable that, within the next few
years, developments in material technology will enable an evaporator to be made of sufficiently light materials in order to overcome the disadvantages identified in Figure 1. As a result, it is expected that an embodiment according to Figure 1 will become feasible in time such that the evaporator would not require disconnection from the fluid supply line (45) in order to transport units from a manufacturer to an end consumer and further, such an apparatus would be relatively easy to manoeuvre.
An alternative embodiment of an apparatus according to the present invention that overcomes the disadvantages of the embodiment in Figure 1 is provided in Figure 2. In this particular embodiment, the air conditioning apparatus includes a base (52) that houses a condenser (50) and an evaporator (55). Air (57) is drawn through the condenser (50) by the action of the electrical fan (60).
Similarly, air (65) is drawn through the evaporator (55) by the action of the electrical fan (67).
Having drawn air (57 and 65) through the condenser (50) and evaporator (55), the heated and cooled air respectively are forced upwardly through the flu (75) which is divided into sections to cater for the hot air (62) and the cool air (70).
Heated waste air from the condenser is forced through the hot air section of the flue (62) and follows the direction of the arrow identified as item 77. Similarly, cool air from the evaporator is forced upwardly through the cool air section (70) of the flue (75) and follows the direction of the arrow identified as item 80.
The heated air from the condenser is expelled through an open end (85) of the hot air section (62) of the flue (75) such that the heated air is expelled to the environment. However, the cooled air from the evaporator is forced upwardly through the cooled air section (70) of the flue (75) and is subsequently directed through air outlets included in the cowl (87).
In this respect, the cooled air from the evaporator is directed downwardly by the cowl and in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the flue (75) such that the cooled air whilst being directed downwardly into a region to be cooled is also directed away from the air intake of the base (52).
The cooled air expelled from the cowl follows the direction of the arrows identified as item 90.
The particular arrangement identified in Figure 2 overcomes the disadvantage of the arrangement in Figure 1 by co-locating the condenser and evaporator in the base (52). This has the effect of preventing the air conditioning apparatus from being top heavy and hence improves the manoeuvrability of the apparatus. Further, the arrangement identified in Figure 2 is better suited to transporting the apparatus from a manufacturer to an end consumer as it does not require disconnection of any part of the closed system between the evaporator and the condenser for transportation. As such, air conditioning units according to the arrangement identified in Figure 2 may be transported from a manufacturer to an end consumer in a state ready for operation which avoids any requirement for the end consumer to commission the services of a skilled operator to place the apparatus in a condition for operation.
In the embodiment of Figure 2, a thermal barrier (54) is provided that thermally separates the part of the base that includes the condenser (50) from the part including the evaporator (55). The thermal barrier (54) provides thermal separation of the parts and hence reduces the transfer of heat from the condenser portion of the base to the evaporator portion.
Usually, the compressor in a refrigerative air conditioner is located with the condenser. However, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the compressor (56) is located on the evaporator side of the thermal barrier (54).
Locating the compressor (56) on the"cool"side subjects the compressor (56) to the cooled air (80) which reduces the risk of the compressor (56) overheating and ceasing to function. Although it is not necessary to locate the compressor (56) on the evaporator side of the thermal barrier (56), the cooling effect of the air (80) significantly improves the performance of the air conditioner in warmer climates.
In another preferred embodiment, the air (57) that passes through the condenser (50) is forced through by the natural action of convection. In this instance, a fan (60) is not included and the cooled air (90) expelled from the cowl (87) drops from the cowl (87) and acts to force any underlying warmer air (i. e. in the vicinity of the base (52) ) in a generally laterally outward direction. As a result, a portion of that underlying warmer air (57) is forced through the condenser (50) and up the hot air exit (62) along the direction identified as item 77. This particular embodiment avoids using the electrical energy that would otherwise be
expended by the electrical fan (60). Accordingly, this energy may either be saved or used to drive a more powerful, or additional, electric fan for forcing air (65) through the evaporator and up the cool air line (70).
Also in the embodiment identified in Figure 2, the flue (75) is subdivided into two separate sections (62 and 70) for conveying heated and cooled air respectively. Whilst this particular arrangement is effective, it is not the only arrangement that may be used and, with reference to Figure 3, an alternative flue arrangement is detailed.
The apparatus identified in Figure 3 is substantially the same with respect to its functional components as those identified in Figure 2 with the main exception being the flue arrangement for the heated and cooled air. As can be seen in Figure 3, the flue (95) includes an inner flue (97) for conveying heated air upwardly from the base and out to the environment, the inner flue (97) being surrounded by the outer flue region (100) that conveys cooled air from the evaporator to the cowl located at the upper end of the flue (95).
Whilst various flue arrangements are possible, it is preferred that the boundaries between the heated and cooled air be thermally insulated to prevent thermal energy transfer between the cooled air and the heated waste air.
With reference to Figure 4, a typical outdoor environment is illustrated including three people (110, 115 and 120) in a localised region requiring cooling.
An apparatus according to the present invention (105) is included in this region for the purpose of providing localised cooling to the three people. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, cooled air is expelled from the cowl (125) and follows the direction of the arrows identified as item 127. As can be seen in Figure 4, the cooled air follows the direction of the arrows (127) and provides an immediate cooling effect to each of the individuals (110,115 and 120) at the upper portion of their bodies.
However, as the base (130) is drawing air from the environment, this causes the cooled air expelled from the cowl (125) to return to the base (130) once it has dropped to a region substantially at ground level. This has the effect of providing the occupants of the locally cooled region a first experience of cooled air directly from the cowl (125) and a second experience of cooled air as it passes around the lower body portions whilst returning to the base (130).
As is also detailed in Figure 4, heated air expelled from the air conditioning apparatus (105) is expelled from the open end of the flue (107) which resides at a height substantially above the head level of any occupants of the locally cooled region, the heated air following the direction of the arrows identified as item 110, thus being expelled to the atmosphere in a region that does not negatively impact the performance of the air conditioning apparatus in its attempt to locally cool the region occupied by the people (110, 115 and 120).
With reference to Figure 5, a condensate collection and re-dispersal arrangement is detailed. For clarity, the embodiment depicted in Figure 5 does not include a thermal barrier between the evaporator and the condenser to provide a clear view of the condensate collection and re-dispersal arrangement.
In the embodiment illustrated, condensate is caused by the cooling action of the evaporator (55). The condensate extracted from the air as it is cooled is collected in a tray (63) that extends from the evaporator (55) to the condenser (50). The tray (63) is preferably enclosed along most of the length to reduce the transfer of the heat from the condenser side to the evaporator side of the base. Of course, the tray (63) would need to have openings at the locations at which collection and dispersal of the condensate occurs. The tray (63) is preferably tilted to ensure that any condensate collected from the evaporator (55) travels along the base of the tray (63) to the condenser (50). In the embodiment in Figure 5, an axial electric fan (61) with an outer ring connected to the fan blade tips is used to draw air through the condenser (50). Further, the fan (61) is positioned such that the ring extends into collected condensate in the tray (63) and as the fan (63) rotates, the ring effectively splashes the condensate causing the generation of water droplets that are subsequently evaporated into water vapour, or remain in liquid form, and are forced up the hot air exit (97).
Of course, the cowl arrangement for expelling cool air into the region to be cooled may be constructed in many different configurations depending upon the desired distribution of cool air. In the embodiment of Figure 6, an alternative cowl arrangement is detailed for larger installations that require cooled air to be distributed over a larger area. For clarity, only the upper portion of an air conditioner is detailed in Figure 6 including the hot air exit flue (135) that passes heated waste air out to the environment through the open upper end of the flue
(137). Further, Figure 6 also details a surrounding cool air flue (140) that extends into a header to which four conduits are connected (142,143, 144 and 145) for providing further passage of the cooled air. The conduits are terminated with individual cowls (150,151, 152 and 153) from which cool air is discharged as identified by the arrows representing cool air flow (160,161, 162 and 163).
In the particular embodiment of Figure 6, the arrangement of four individual cowls (150,151, 152 and 153) laterally extended from the nominal longitudinal axis of the main flue lines (135,140) enables cooled air ro be uniformly discharged over a larger area which suits larger installations seeking to provide a larger cooled region.
CONCLUSION An apparatus and method according to the present invention provides significant advantages as compared with previous attempts to provide localised cooling of outdoor environments. In particular, an apparatus according to the present invention avoids the requirement to provide high volumes of air flow to occupants of a region requiring localised cooling and further, does not suffer from the problems associated with evaporative cooling systems in humid climates.
An air conditioning unit according to the present invention is relatively easy to manoeuvre and is preferably provided with casters on the base of the unit to further increase the ease with which the unit may be moved from one location to another.
According to the arrangement identified in Figure 2, a unit may be transported from a manufacturer to an end user in a condition ready for operation.
In this respect, it is anticipated that units according to the present invention will be provided that operate upon connection with the local power supply in the country in which the air conditioning apparatus is supplied. As such, upon receipt of an air conditioning apparatus according to the present invention, an end user is only required to connect the apparatus to the local power supply to commence operation.
It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrated and not restrictive.