Method and apparatus for conditioning air

Claim 1

A process for conditioning air for an enclosure comprising passing air to be admitted to the enclosure through a conditioning exchanger for selectively heating or cooling the air, circulating a primary gas throughout a conditioning circuit, compressing said primary gas whereby said primary gas absorbs external energy, directing said compressed primary gas to a first portion of said conditioning circuit, a second portion of said conditioning circuit or partially into said first and second portions, said first portion conveying said compressed primary gas to said conditioning exchanger for heating air passing into said enclosure, said second portion conveying said primary gas through a compressor for future compressing said primary gas, an ambient air heat exchanger for cooling said further compressed primary gas and an expansion turbine for further cooling said primary gas to said conditioning exchanger for cooling air passing into said enclosure, varying the flowing mass of the primary gas in said conditioning circuit so that the energy absorbed by said primary gas during compression is proportional to the degree of heating or cooling required in said conditioning exchanger by maintaining the velocity of the flowing gas essentially constant and varying the pressure of said primary gas in response to the temperature of the air in said enclosure by admitting additional primary gas to or releasing some primary gas from said conditioning circuit, providing bypass means responsive to the temperature in said enclosure for directing said primary gas into said first portion, said second portion or partially into said first and second portions and providing means for admitting primary gas to and releasing primary gas from said conditioning circuit and operable in response to the flow directing positioning of said bypass means.

Claim 6

An apparatus for conditioning air for an enclosure by selectively heating or cooling the air comprising a heat exchanger wherein heat is transferred between the air and a primary gas circulating throughout a conditioning circuit, a compressor for compressing and thereby heating said primary gas, valve means for selectively directing the compressed primary gas into a first circuit, a second circuit or partially into said first and second circuits, said first circuit conveying said compressed primary gas to said heat exchanger for heating air flowing into said enclosure, said second circuit conveying said compressed gas through a system for cooling said primary gas, said system comprising a turbocompressor for further compressing said primary gas, ambient air heat exchange means for cooling said further compressed gas, means conveying said primary gas from said heat exchange means to said turbocompressor for expansively driving said turbocompressor and cooling said primary gas, means for conveying said cooled primary gas to said heat exchanger for cooling air flowing into said enclosure, means for admitting additional primary gas into said conditioning circuit and means for releasing primary gas from said power circuit, said admitting means and said releasing means being operable to control the flowing mass of said primary gas in said conditioning circuit so that the energy absorbed by said primary gas during compression is proportional to the degree of heating or cooling required in said heat exchanger, and said admitting means and said releasing means each include electrovalves operable in response to the position of said valve means.

Claim 7

An apparatus for conditioning air for an enclosure by selectively heating or cooling the air comprising a heat exchanger wherein heat is transferred between the air and a primary gas circulating throughout a conditioning circuit, a compressor for compressing and thereby heating said primary gas, valve means for selectively directing the compressed primary gas into a first circuit, a second circuit or partially into said first and second circuits, said first circuit conveying said compressed primary gas to said heat exchanger for heating air flowing into said enclosure, said second circuit conveying said compressed gas through a system for cooling said primary gas, said system comprising a turbocompressor for further compressing said primary gas, ambient air heat exchange means for cooling said further compressed gas, means conveying said primary gas from said heat exchange means to said turbocompressor for expansively driving said turbocompressor and cooling said primary gas, means for conveying said cooled primary gas to said heat exchanger for cooling air flowing into said enclosure, means for admitting additional primary gas into said conditioning circuit and means for releasing primary gas from said power circuit, said admitting means and said releasing means being operable to control the flowing mass of said primary gas in said conditioning circuit so that the energy absorbed by said primary gas during compression is proportional to the degree of heating or cooling required in said heat exchanger, and said admitting means and said releasing means each include electrovalves operable in response to the position of said valve means.