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An air conditioning system for conditioning a supply of hot pressurised air for use in an environment the system including a primary heat exchanger in which heat in the hot pressurised air supply is exchanged with a cooling fluid, a compressor to compress the supply of pressurised air cooled in the

An air conditioning system for conditioning a supply of hot pressurised air for use in an environment the system including a primary heat exchanger in which heat in the hot pressurised air supply is exchanged with a cooling fluid, a compressor to compress the supply of pressurised air cooled in the primary heat exchanger, a secondary heat exchanger in which heat in the compressed air supply is exchanged with a cooling fluid, and an expansion device for expanding and cooling the compressed air supply cooled in the secondary heat exchanger, mixing apparatus for mixing the expanded and cold supply air with recirculating air from the environment, a by-pass flow path for compressed cooled supply air from the secondary heat exchanger to the environment, and a secondary supply flow path for the hot pressurised air to the secondary heat exchanger, a first valve in a primary supply flow path to the primary heat exchanger, a second valve in the secondary supply flow path to the secondary heat exchanger, a third valve in a flow path for the compressed air supply to the secondary heat exchanger, a fourth valve in the flow path for cooled compressed supply air from the secondary heat exchanger, and a by-pass valve in the by-pass flow path for compressed cooled supply air from the secondary heat exchanger, a first air flow sensor for sensing air flow from the supply to the primary heat exchanger when the first valve is open, a second air flow sensor for sensing air flow from the secondary heat exchanger along the by-pass flow path when the by-pass valve is open, and a third air flow sensor for sensing air flow of the expanded and cold supply air towards the mixing apparatus, and a controller for controlling each of the valves and for receiving inputs from each of the air flow sensors.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An air conditioning system for conditioning a supply of hot pressurised air for use in an environment, the system including a primary heat exchanger in which heat in the hot pressurised air supply is exchanged with a cooling fluid, a compressor to compress the supply of pressurised air cooled in

1. An air conditioning system for conditioning a supply of hot pressurised air for use in an environment, the system including a primary heat exchanger in which heat in the hot pressurised air supply is exchanged with a cooling fluid, a compressor to compress the supply of pressurised air cooled in the primary heat exchanger, a secondary heat exchanger in which heat in the compressed air supply is exchanged with a cooling fluid, and an expansion device for expanding and cooling the compressed air supply cooled in the secondary heat exchanger, mixing apparatus for mixing the expanded and cold supply air with recirculating air from the environment, a by-pass flow path for compressed cooled supply air from the secondary heat exchanger to the environment, and a secondary supply flow path for the hot pressurised air to the secondary heat exchanger, a first valve in a primary supply flow path to the primary heat exchanger, a second valve in the secondary supply flow path to the secondary heat exchanger, a third valve in a flow path for the compressed air supply to the secondary heat exchanger, a fourth valve in the flow path for cooled compressed supply air from the secondary heat exchanger, and a by-pass valve in the by-pass flow path for compressed cooled supply air from the secondary heat exchanger, a first air flow sensor for sensing air flow from the supply to the primary heat exchanger when the first valve is open, a second air flow sensor for sensing air flow from the secondary heat exchanger along the by-pass flow path when the by-pass valve is open, and a third air flow sensor for sensing air flow of the expanded and cold supply air towards the mixing apparatus, and a controller for controlling each of the valves and for receiving inputs from each of the flow sensors.2. A system according to claim 1 wherein the controller monitors the proper operation of the system in normal operation from the inputs from the flow sensors.3. A system according to claim 1 wherein there is provided a load heat exchanger in which heat in hot air from the recirculating environment air is exchanged to the cooled compressed air from the secondary heat exchanger before passing to the expansion device.4. A method of testing the integrity of the secondary heat exchanger of an air conditioning system for conditioning a supply of hot pressurised air for use in an environment, the system including a primary heat exchanger in which heat in the hot pressurised air supply is exchanged with a cooling fluid, a compressor to compress the supply of pressurised air cooled in the primary heat exchanger, a secondary heat exchanger in which heat in the compressed air supply is exchanged with a cooling fluid, and an expansion device for expanding and cooling the compressed air supply cooled in the secondary heat exchanger, mixing apparatus for mixing the expanded and cold supply air with recirculating air from the environment, a by-pass flow path for compressed cooled supply air from the secondary heat exchanger to the environment, and a secondary supply flow path for the hot pressurised air to the secondary heat exchanger, a first valve in a primary supply flow path to the primary heat exchanger, a second valve in the secondary supply flow path to the secondary heat exchanger, a third valve in a flow path for the compressed air supply to the secondary heat exchanger, a fourth valve in the flow path for cooled compressed supply air from the secondary heat exchanger, and a by-pass valve in the by-pass flow path for compressed cooled supply air from the secondary heat exchanger, a first air flow sensor for sensing air flow from the supply to the primary heat exchanger when the first valve is open, a second air flow sensor for sensing air flow from the secondary heat exchanger along the by-pass flow path when the by-pass valve is open, and a third air flow sensor for sensing air flow of the expanded and cold supply air towards the mixing apparatus, and a controller for controlling each of the valves and for receiving inputs from each of the flow sensor, the method including opening the first valve, and closing each of the second, third, fourth and by-pass valves, and opening a flow path for compressed supply air to the expansion device without the compressed supply air passing through the secondary heat exchanger, and sensing the air flow to the mixing apparatus by the third air flow sensor.5. A method of testing the integrity of component parts of an air conditioning system for conditioning a supply of hot pressurised air for use in an environment, the system including a primary heat exchanger in which heat in the hot pressurised air supply is exchanged with a cooling fluid, a compressor to compress the supply of pressurised air cooled in the primary heat exchanger, a secondary heat exchanger in which heat in the compressed air supply is exchanged with a cooling fluid, and an expansion device for expanding and cooling the compressed air supply cooled in the secondary heat exchanger, mixing apparatus for mixing the expanded and cold supply air with recirculating air from the environment, a by-pass flow path for compressed cooled supply air from the secondary heat exchanger to the environment, and a secondary supply flow path for the hot pressurised air to the secondary heat exchanger, a first valve in a primary supply flow path to the primary heat exchanger, a second valve in the secondary supply flow path to the secondary heat exchanger, a third valve in a flow path for the compressed air supply to the secondary heat exchanger, a fourth valve in the flow path for cooled compressed supply air from the secondary heat exchanger, and a by-pass valve in the by-pass flow path for compressed cooled supply air from the secondary heat exchanger, a first air flow sensor for sensing air flow from the supply to the primary heat exchanger when the first valve is open, a second air flow sensor for sensing air flow from the secondary heat exchanger along the by-pass flow path when the by-pass valve is open, and a third air flow sensor for sensing air flow of the expanded and cold supply air towards the mixing apparatus, and a controller for controlling each of the valves and for receiving inputs from each of the flow sensors, the method including closing the first, third and fourth valves, opening the second valve and the by-pass valve, and sensing the air flow to the environment along the by-pass passage by the second air flow sensor.6. A method of testing the integrity of a load heat exchanger of an air conditioning system for conditioning a supply of hot pressurised air for use in an environment, the system including a primary heat exchanger in which heat in the hot pressurised air supply is exchanged with a cooling fluid, a compressor to compress the supply of pressurised air cooled in the primary heat exchanger, a secondary heat exchanger in which heat in the compressed air supply is exchanged with a cooling fluid, and an expansion device for expanding and cooling the compressed air supply cooled in the secondary heat exchanger, mixing apparatus for mixing the expanded and cold supply air with recirculating air from the environment, a by-pass flow path for compressed cooled supply air from the secondary heat exchanger to the environment, and a secondary supply flow path for the hot pressurised air to the secondary heat exchanger, a first valve in a primary supply flow path to the primary heat exchanger, a second valve in the secondary supply flow path to the secondary heat exchanger, a third valve in a flow path for the compressed air supply to the secondary heat exchanger, a fourth valve in the flow path for cooled compressed supply air from the secondary heat exchanger, and a by-pass valve in the by-pass flow path for compressed cooled supply air from the secondary heat exchanger, a first air flow sensor for sensing air flow from the supply to the primary heat exchanger when the first valve is open, a second air flow sensor for sensing air flow from the secondary heat exchanger along the by-pass flow path when the by-pass valve is open, and a third air flow sensor for sensing air flow of the expanded and cold supply air towards the mixing apparatus, and a controller for controlling each of the valves and for receiving inputs from each of the flow sensors and in which there is provided a load heat exchanger in which heat in hot air from the recirculating environment air is exchanged to the cooled compressed air from the secondary heat exchanger before passing to the expansion device, wherein the method includes opening the first, third and by-pass valves, and closing each of the second and fourth valves, and sensing the air flow to the environment along the by-pass passage by the second air flow sensor.