William Michael Cleary

US Patent:

6346041, Feb 12, 2002

Filed:

Feb 4, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/498402

Inventors:

John S. Desmond - Concord MA
Rumen N. Raykov - Belmont MA
Benjamin J. Kalinowski - Newton NH
Richard J. Rummo - Amesbury MA
Brett E. OBrien - Plymouth MA
William J. Cleary - Woburn MA
Darrell M. Kohr - Pembroke MA

Assignee:

Cox Engineering Company, Inc. - Canton MA

International Classification:

F24F 1304

US Classification:

454268, 454236

Abstract:

The present invention is an economizer that is capable of mixing outside air and inside air while incurring a significantly low pressure drop across the return air damper. In one embodiment, the economizer comprises a mixing chamber, a return air vent, and an outside air vent. The economizer further comprises a plurality of curved return air dampers moveable from an open position to a closed position to control the flow of return air to the mixing chamber. The economizer further comprises a plurality of straight dampers moveable from an open position to a closed position to control the flow of outside air to the mixing chamber. During operation of the economizer, a significantly lower pressure drop exists across the curved return air dampers than in conventional economizers thereby reducing the amount of energy needed to operate fans to maintain the desired air flow.