FR2743408A1 - Air-conditioning for flats or apartments - Google Patents

Abstract

The principal rooms of each flat or apartment are equipped with individual air-conditioning units (04) which are of standard type with directly controlled battery but without compressor. The individual units are connected to a refrigerating motor compressor (5) through refrigerating fluid tubes (06). The refrigerating motor compressors (5) for each dwelling are connected to a closed cooling circuit (09,10) which is common to the building. The cooling circuit is serviced by an air/water cooling bank located in the roof of the building. Heating in winter is provided by resistances in the air-conditioners or by separate means.

Description

TECHNICAL AREA
This document concerns the air conditioning of collective residential buildings.

STATE OF THE ART
The air conditioning of residential buildings remains marginal for the time being. However, a market is beginning to emerge, and it seems that this sector will be called on to significant development in the coming years, under the effect of two main factors: On the one hand, a demand for increased comfort in the home, with control of temperature, humidity and air quality; on the other hand, an evolution of the acoustic regulations which impose in practice to keep the windows closed to protect themselves from external noise pollution. Under these conditions, air conditioning appears to be the only way to ensure satisfactory summer comfort.

 Any air conditioning system has two main parts, namely on the one hand the emitters located inside the premises to be treated, and on the other hand a more or less complex device ensuring the evacuation of the extracted heat outside. in these premises. At present, the range of indoor air conditioners is extremely rich, with technologically reliable, high performance, space-saving, very quiet and neat aesthetics. On the other hand, the cooling of these air conditioners still poses problems in collective apartment buildings, given the aesthetic and noise level constraints inherent in these buildings.

 The device described below provides a satisfactory answer to this problem, since its cooling mode is completely invisible, with a very low noise level and a moderate installation cost. It also allows a pre-equipment of the building during its construction or its rehabilitation, the air conditioning proper of each apartment can then be deferred, or even carried out in several phases and if necessary room by room.

 This process is a combination of means, some of which are known, which escapes most of the faults found in existing air conditioning systems.

GENERAL PRESENTATION: BASIC SOLUTION
DRAWINGS
FIGURE 1 represents the section in elevation on a building of four levels, with 2 housings per level and a central technical sheath. This figure shows the overall structure of the installation. In order not to overload the drawing, some repetitive organs are not all identified.

 FIGURE 2 shows the hydraulic connection diagram of an air-conditioned apartment.

 FIGURE 3 represents the hydraulic connection diagram of an apartment awaiting equipment.

 FIGURE 4 represents the block diagram at the level of the collective air cooler on the roof.

 FIGURE 5 shows the detail of variant N "2.

NOMENCLATURE (01) Apartment (02) Technical duct (03) Roof terrace (04) Individual air conditioner with direct expansion (05) Individual motor-compressor group with water condenser (06) Connections between air conditioners and compressor (07) Isolation valves individual on the circuit
water cooling (08) Bipass with balancing device (09) Individual antenna of the water cooling circuit (10) Collective water cooling circuit (11) Collective water air cooler (12) Collective circuit filling device (13 ) Antifreeze charging device (14) Collective expansion tank (15) Collective circulation pump (16) Individual exchanger for heat recovery (17) Cold water supply to the individual water heater (18) Isolation valves and exchanger bypass
In the following text, the term air conditioner designates the indoor unit which ensures the effective emission in the air-conditioned room. The term air cooler designates the collective apparatus responsible for dissipating the heat produced by air conditioners into the atmosphere.

 The process which is the subject of this document consists of two distinct sets - The individual installations located inside each apartment, managed by the occupant and whose consumption is charged to their particular EDF meter.

- A collective water installation ensuring the cooling of air conditioners in a closed circuit. This installation is managed in the same way as the other common installations of the building such as the VMC or the elevators.

INDIVIDUAL INDOOR FACILITIES
Each apartment is equipped with the following elements - In each refreshed room, an individual air conditioner (04) allowing personalized treatment room by room. In principle, only the main rooms are equipped, namely the living room and the bedrooms. These standard air conditioners are available from all manufacturers. As a rule, they essentially consist of a motor-fan, a direct expansion battery, a return grille with air filter, an air diffuser, electronic regulation, d '' an infrared remote control and a condensate drain micro-pump. The devices are of the cold only type, not reversible. For heating, they can be fitted with electric resistors.

- In a service room (cupboard, WC, cupboard under sink, etc.), a motor-compressor unit (05) with water-cooled condenser, regulation and safety devices, soundproof enclosure and various accessories. Within the power range required for an apartment, the devices of this type currently available on the market are generally intended for cooling in waste water and serving a single air conditioner. To our knowledge, there is therefore currently no small power compressor group (3 to 6 KW in cold), capable of operating with cooling water in a closed circuit, suitable for serving several air conditioners, and possibly reversible. Technological development of the equipment will therefore be necessary.

- Between the compressor and each air conditioner, a connection (06) comprising the refrigeration circuit in liquid phase and in gas phase, an electric cable and a condensate evacuation tube.

- One or more connections of the condensate tubes on a waste water evacuation, with siphon.

- From the subscriber's table of the apartment, an electrical supply of the motor-compressor group and its satellites.

 The individual motor-compressor group located in each apartment is connected to the collective cooling circuit by means of 2 return flow valves (07). For dwellings whose air conditioning is deferred, the 2 standby valves can be connected by a bypass with balancing member (08). When equipping the accommodation, the bypass is replaced by the 2 compressor connection hoses.

COLLECTIVE COOLING CIRCUIT
The motor-compressor units are connected to a closed collective cooling circuit, conveying water added with an antifreeze product. This network is made up of the following parts - Individual antennas (09) serving each accommodation and leading to the isolation valves (07) of the compressors.

- One or more descending columns (10), located in the technical ducts of the building. For stairwells comprising many levels with few apartments per floor, there can be only one common technical duct located in the stairwell. In other configurations, the descending columns can run inside the technical ducts internal to the apartments. In some cases, we can also consider a direct sub-circuit between each apartment and the roof collectors.

- Possibly a roof collector grouping the descending columns, either in the attic or on the terrace.

 The collective cooling circuit is produced according to the rules of the art applicable to closed circuit heating installations. The average nominal water temperature in summer is around 450C. Although it is not an absolute necessity, it is desirable that this network be insulated.

COLLECTIVE AIRCOOLER
The collective condenser cooling circuit leads to a water / air dry cooler (11) located on the roof, either directly on the terrace, or on a technical terrace fitted out in a tiled roof. The role of this air cooler is to evacuate to the atmosphere the heat produced by the air conditioners. Having no compressor, this type of device is very quiet. It essentially consists of an exchange battery with finned tubes traversed by water in a closed circuit, one or more motor fans, a regulation assembly, a chassis, a bodywork, and d '' miscellaneous accessories. Some models may be fitted with an additional external battery coolant device to improve efficiency.

 The air cooler is equipped with a hydraulic assembly comprising a water filling device (12), an antifreeze product charging device (13), an expansion tank (14), a circulation pump (15), as well that the fittings and accessories conform to the rules of the art.

 The water supply, limited to the initial filling of the circuit and any back-ups, is ensured from the common meter. The electrical consumption of the fans and the pump (very reduced) is also charged to the EDF meter of the commons.

 Depending on the configuration, the collective installation operates at constant flow or at variable flow. It is therefore equipped with the appropriate devices for each case.

SPECIAL FEATURES
The process described above has the following characteristics - Simplicity of installation and operation, guaranteeing high reliability with low operating costs.

- Clear separation between the private parts supplied by the EDF meter of the apartment and the collective parts, without any electrical connection between the interior of the apartments and the common parts of the building.

- Low total refrigerant capacity, which is positive in terms of environmental protection.

- No chilled water circuit, which simplifies the installation and its insulation.

- Collective installations are carried out during the construction of the building or its rehabilitation (pre-equipment).

- The interior installations of the apartments can be carried out, maintained and replaced by small
Companies, even by Artisans. This individual equipment can be deferred, and carried out in several phases in order to spread the investment. In some cases, we can imagine air conditioning at the start a single room (the living room), then gradually the different rooms.

- There are no visible external devices on the facades.

- The noise level generated inside the accommodation is very low. Indeed, terminal air conditioners installed in living rooms do not have a compressor and commonly reach levels below 28 dB (A). In addition, the central group of the accommodation is a water-cooled, soundproof compressor installed in a service room (cupboard, WC, cupboard under sink, etc.).

- The noise level of external devices (air cooler on the roof) is also very low, since it is comparable to that of a group of CMVs. The installation therefore does not raise any difficulty by reference to the new acoustic regulations (NRA 96).

- The architectural impact of common facilities is zero in the case of buildings with flat roofs; it is low in the case of tiled roofs.

In a building with 20 apartments, the price range for an average apartment (type P3 of 65 m2) is as follows: Collective pre-equipment = 4,000 F.HT / Log individual indoor installations: 40,000 F.HT / Logt
GENERAL PRESENTATION: VARIANTS
VARIANT NO 1
The basic system described above is not reversible and therefore only provides cooling in summer. The treatment of dwellings in winter must therefore be ensured either by electric resistances integrated into air conditioners, or by any other electric or fuel heating system. But we can design a variant ensuring cooling in summer and heating in winter. The basic installations are then modified as follows - The motor-compressor unit of each accommodation is of the reversible type by inversion of the refrigeration cycle, its refrigerant-water exchanger then becoming condenser in summer and evaporator in winter, the terminal batteries of air conditioners then becoming evaporators in summer and condensers in winter, with or without auxiliary electrical resistances for heating.

- The collective circuit retains the same structure. It carries hot water in summer and cold water in winter. It must be insulated.

- The air cooler is supplemented by a collective heating source of any type (direct generation, or by heat recovery, or even combining the two modes).

It can also be replaced by a reversible air-water heat pump, which cools the circuit in summer and its thermal regeneration in winter (but this last version requires special precautions against external noise pollution). The heat pump can also provide energy recovery in winter and summer, for example on the extracted air. In winter, a simple thermal regeneration of the collective loop is ensured, the greatest work being carried out by the individual motor-compressor groups operating in heat pumps. Individual heat counting is therefore superfluous. However, heat meters can be mounted on the individual antennas (09). In this case, these counters are neutralized in summer.

VARIANT NO 2
In summer, the heat produced by the motor-compressor unit of each dwelling can be partially recovered for the preheating of domestic hot water. Next to the group (or inside the latter), a small plate heat exchanger (16) is mounted, the primary of which is supplied by the individual antenna (09) of the cooling circuit, and the secondary of which is traversed by the cold water pipe (17) going to the water heater, with isolation and bypass valves (18). Given the temperature regimes (500C maximum on the primary) there is no regulation
The exchanger is permanently irrigated on the primary, and the secondary simply recovers the available heat, over the withdrawals on the water heater.

DETAILED PRESENTATION
As an example of a solution, an installation in accordance with this patent application could be carried out by using the following equipment
INDIVIDUAL INDOOR FACILITIES
In the main rooms of each accommodation (living rooms and bedrooms), installation of a non-reversible air conditioner (04), with infrared remote control and integrated condensate lift micro-pump. These devices are selected from the very wide range offered by many manufacturers. The noise level is very low, and in any case complies with the
Current regulations. Basis of cooling capacity given for information only: 1,000 W in the bedrooms, 2,000 W in the living room. On the ceiling of the toilets (WC), installation of a motor-compressor unit (05) with water-cooled condenser, regulation, accessories, soundproof bodywork and mounting on silent blocks, so as to obtain a sound level compatible with the regulations in force. The group being permanently irrigated by the closed cooling circuit, the pressostatic valve is optional.

The installation is supplied electrically from the subscriber's table of the apartment. For purely indicative purposes, the group's cooling capacity would be around 3,500 W for an average P3 type dwelling, taking account of the proliferation.

Between the air conditioners and the compressor, connections (06) by standard refrigeration pipes, preloaded and insulated, with electric cable and flexible condensate evacuation tube. The refrigeration pipes, the electric cable and the condensate tube are preferably housed in an individual common sheath. Near the compressor, the condensate tubes are grouped together and connected to a waste water outlet, with the interposition of a siphon with strong water guard. Heating is provided either by an electrical resistance integrated into each air conditioner, or by an independent installation, such as electric convectors or pre-existing hot water heaters. The individual compressor unit located in each apartment is connected to the collective cooling circuit via the 2 return flow valves (07).

As an indication, the internal diameter of the individual connection antennas is around 18 mm. For apartments awaiting air conditioning, the 2 valves are connected by a bypass with flow control member (08).

COLLECTIVE COOLING CIRCUIT
The condensing units (05) of each apartment are connected to the outside air cooler by a circuit which includes the individual antennas (09), as well as one or more downcomers (10). This circuit carries brine. As the installation operates in cold only (non-reversible air conditioners), the collective circuit is only operational in summer, with an average temperature of around 450C. In its course inside the building, the circuit is insulated. For this network, any type of piping suitable for heating circuits (steel, copper, or synthetic materials) can be used. As far as valves and balancing devices are concerned, this network is also treated according to the rules of the art applicable to closed heating circuits. As an indication, the internal diameter of the general collector is around 50 mm for a block of 20 dwellings.

COLLECTIVE AIRCOOLER
This device (11) is essentially composed of several motor-fans, a water / air exchange battery, a chassis and regulating members. The whole is treated against corrosion. For an outside temperature of 350, the nominal water temperature regime is around 500C at the inlet and 400C at the outlet. As an indication, the power to be dissipated taking into account the expansion is around 60 KW for a block of 20 dwellings. The installation is completed by a water filling device with backflow preventer (12) supplied by the common counter, by a Glycol antifreeze charging device (13), by an expansion tank (14) and by a pump. circulation (15), as well as by the necessary fittings and accessories. The unit is supplied electrically from the EDF meter in the communes. If the compressors (05) are fitted with a pressure-regulating flow control valve, the collective installation is fitted either with relief valves on the circuit (10), or an automatic flow variator on the pump (15).

PROGRESSIVITY
The collective installations are entirely carried out during the construction of the building or its rehabilitation (pre-equipment). The interior air conditioning of the apartments can be carried out during construction, or be delayed.

For these individual installations, we have, depending on the case, multiple choices - Initial equipment of a single room (generally the living room), or of 2 rooms (the living room and the master bedroom), then additional equipment as required - Equipment initial of all main parts.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION
This air conditioning process is mainly intended for collective, new or existing residential buildings. An extension is possible for other buildings, such as office buildings. In this case, the term apartment is replaced by the term group of individual premises, and the term residential building is replaced by the general term building.

Claims (6)

 1) Air conditioning method essentially intended for collective residential buildings, using devices and components some of which are known, and constituting a combination of means characterized by the assembly of the components according to the following functional principle - In each apartment, one or more room air conditioners (04) standard type without compressor, with direct expansion coil - In each apartment, a refrigeration motor-compressor unit (05) with water-cooled condenser - In each apartment, the air conditioners are connected to the motor unit -compressor by a refrigerant circuit (06) with pre-charged tubes - The interior installation of each apartment is supplied electrically from the individual subscriber's table, without any electrical connection with the common parts of the building - The group motor-compressor of each housing is connected to a collective closed cooling circuit (09) (1 0), which conveys water with an antifreeze product - The cooling network is connected to a collective air cooler (11) with water coil in closed circuit, whose role is to evacuate the heat produced by the installation - The collective installation is completed by a water filling device, by an anti-freeze product charging device, by a water circulation pump, by an expansion tank and by various accessories - The water and electricity consumption of the collective parts are charged to the common meters of the building.  2) Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the heating of apartments in winter is provided by electrical resistors integrated into air conditioners, or by an independent heating system of any type.  3) Method according to claim 1, characterized in that, in a variant composition, the compressor unit (05) of each apartment is of the reversible type between winter and summer by inversion of the refrigeration cycle, its refrigerant exchanger- water then becomes condenser in summer and evaporator in winter; the terminal batteries of the air conditioners (04) then becoming evaporators in summer and condensers in winter, with or without additional electrical resistances for heating.  4) Method according to claims 1 and 3, characterized in that, in the same composition variant, the collective network (09) (10) for summer cooling becomes a collective network for thermal regeneration in winter, with or without meters individual heat.  5) Method according to claims 1 and 3, characterized in that, in the same composition variant, the collective air cooler (11) ensuring the cooling of the network in summer is supplemented by any device ensuring the thermal regeneration of the network in winter , the 2 functions can integrate energy recovery and be provided by a single reversible heat pump.  6) Method according to claim 1, characterized in that, in another variant of composition, the compressor unit (05) of each apartment is equipped with a small plate exchanger (16) ensuring in summer heat recovery transferred to the supply tube for the apartment's domestic water heater.