HK1118025B - Method and device for regulated feeding of supply air - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a process and device for the controlled introduction of air into a permanently inerted space, in which a specified level of inerting is set and maintained within a certain control range.

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On the one hand, it is desirable for permanently inertisable spaces to have a relatively high airtightness in order to maintain the inertisation level set or to be set in the room with the lowest possible inert gas supply; on the other hand, it is essential, however, that also permanently inertisable spaces provide in principle for a certain minimum air exchange to allow for an exchange of room air. For spaces occasionally accessed by persons or where persons are present for long periods of time, the minimum air exchange is necessary, for example, to derive the corresponding amount of carbon dioxide emitted by persons and the amount of humidity supplied by other persons. It is clear, for example, that the minimum air exchange required for this room may also vary depending on the time spent in the room, in particular the number of persons and the amount of moisture used.

Another example of a device which reveals the technical characteristics of the introductory part of claim 1 is given in document EP 1 683 548.

However, even in rooms which are generally very rarely or never entered by persons, such as storage rooms, archives or cableways, minimum air exchange is necessary, in particular to remove harmful components of the room air, such as evaporation from the facilities contained in the room.

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However, the disadvantage of using such ventilation systems in permanently inerted spaces is that, due to the air exchange that is being caused, a relatively high inert gas rate must be continuously supplied to the permanently inerted space in order to maintain the inerting level set in the room. In order to maintain the atmosphere in a permanently inerted space at a basic or full inerting level with mechanical ventilation, relatively large amounts of inert gas per unit of time are therefore required, which can be generated, for example, on site by appropriate inert gas generators. The large number of inert gas generators must be dimensioned accordingly, which reduces the operating costs of such a system. Furthermore, the costs of these gases produced in a permanently inerted room must be considered when the energy consumption is relatively low or the energy efficiency of the inert gas is minimal.

The present invention is therefore intended to describe a process and device designed to supply a permanently ventilated space with oxygen in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible, so as to ensure that the required rate of air exchange in the room is maintained and that the risk of fire or explosion in the room is effectively suppressed in the long term.

This task is solved by a process according to the characteristics of claim 1.

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The advantages of the solution of the present invention are obvious: in particular, it is a particularly easy to implement, yet effective method for supplying a permanently inerted room with sufficient oxygen in a particularly cost-effective manner, so that the required (minimum) air exchange rate of the room can be maintained and the inerting level set in the room maintained, effectively reducing the risk of a fire in the room.

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By setting the value or the time average of the second volume flow rate at which fresh air is introduced into the room atmosphere depending on the minimum air exchange rate required for the permanently inerted space and the value or the time average of the first volume flow rate at which the inert gas is introduced into the room atmosphere to maintain the specified level of inerting, it is possible to accurately determine the volume of air actually required to ensure the minimum air exchange rate required for the permanently inerted space, in particular because the second volume flow rate can be adjusted in time to the minimum volume/air exchange rate required for the first volume flow rate and, where appropriate, the second volume flow rate can also be adjusted in time depending on the actual volume/air exchange rate required for the first volume flow rate and, where appropriate, the time minimum flow rate.

It is also conceivable, of course, to determine in advance, at the planning stage, the first and/or second volume flow rates at which the inert gas or fresh air is supplied to the room air atmosphere, depending on the known or, if necessary, to be estimated (or calculated) minimum air exchange rate required for the permanently inerted space.

On the other hand, a solution is also possible whereby only the second volume flow rate at which fresh air is introduced into the room atmosphere is determined in advance, i.e. at the planning stage, depending on the expected value of the first volume flow rate and the known or, if necessary, to be estimated (or calculated) and the minimum required air exchange rate for the permanently ventilated space.

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On the other hand, the value or the time average of the first volume flow rate at which the inert gas supplied by the inert gas source is introduced into the room air atmosphere of the permanently inerted room by the first supply line system is set or regulated in accordance with the solution of the invention in such a way that the oxygen concentration in the permanently inerted room does not exceed a specified level. This specified level may (with a certain control range) correspond, for example, to the inertisation level already set and to be maintained in the permanently inerted room.

However, the essential point is that the method of the invention, by supplying inert gas at the first volume flow rate and fresh air at the second volume flow rate in a regulated manner, provides a total of a volume of air per unit of time to the room atmosphere of the permanently inerted room designed to maintain the specified level of inertisation in the permanently inerted room and to maintain the minimum required rate of air exchange.

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For example, in permanently ventilated spaces occasionally occupied by persons and in which, except for carbon dioxide exhaled by persons and moisture produced by persons in the space, no other toxic hazardous substances are ideally produced, particularly by the exhaust or evaporation of volatile substances, the air flow rate per unit of time to the room, i.e. the Zulu rate, which is determined by the method of the invention on the basis of the value or the time average of the second volume flow rate and the volume or the time average of the first volume flow rate, depends on the carbon dioxide or moisture content and the reduced oxygen concentration in the atmosphere of the room.

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After the proposed solution, the value of the second volume flow rate at which fresh air is introduced into the room air atmosphere is set to zero, while the value of the first volume flow rate at which the inert gas is introduced into the room air atmosphere is set to a value sufficient to maintain the specified level of inertisation in the room air atmosphere.

However, if one or more persons enter the room and, as a result, the proportion of CO2 or moisture in the room air exceeds a prescribed critical value (after a certain period of time), a minimum air exchange is required to maintain the proportion of CO2 or moisture in the room air at a non-toxic or non-toxic or non-toxic level, while the value of the first volume flow rate at which the inert gas is introduced into the room air must in principle be sufficient to maintain the prescribed level of initiation into the room air.

However, since the value of the second volume flow rate is determined by taking into account not only the proportion of hazardous substances or pollutants to be released from the ambient air of the permanently irradiated room but also the proportion of the first volume flow rate at which the inert gas is introduced into the ambient air, so that the inert gas acid contributes to the minimum required air exchange, the solution of the ambient air of the permanently irradiated room according to the invention will in principle only provide as much fresh air as is necessary to remove the proportion of pollutants not already released into the ambient air by the introduction of the inert gas, for example through an appropriate exhaust system.

For example, it is conceivable that in a case where the minimum required air exchange is sufficiently small, the amount of inert gas supplied to the room air atmosphere per unit time is already sufficient for the required air exchange, so that no fresh air is needed to be supplied.

With regard to the device, the purpose of the invention is solved by the features listed in claim 13.

The device described is a technical implementation of the procedure already discussed for the controlled supply of exhaust air to a permanently ventilated space. It is not necessary to explain that the advantages and characteristics previously mentioned in connection with the procedure of the invention can also be obtained by analogy with the device of the invention.

Advantageous developments are given in claims 2 to 12 for the process and claims 13 to 25 for the device.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the concentration of pollutants in the ambient air at one or more points in the permanently irradiated space is measured with one or more sensors, preferably continuously or at specified times or events; in a particularly advantageous embodiment, an aspiration-operated pollutant measuring device with at least one and preferably several pollutant sensors operating in parallel is used, the concentration of pollutants measured continuously or at specified times or events being transmitted as a value to at least one control unit.

The control unit may be designed to control the value of the first volume flow rate at which the inert gas is introduced into the ambient atmosphere of the permanently inerted space, depending on the level of inertisation to be maintained in the permanently inerted space; alternatively or in addition to this, the control unit may be designed to control the value of the first volume flow rate at which the inert gas is introduced depending on the minimum air exchange rate required for the permanently inerted atmosphere and/or the value of the first volume flow rate at which the inert gas is introduced.

It is conceivable that the control unit will adjust the value of the second volume flow rate according to the current minimum air exchange rate required for the permanently inerted space and/or according to the current value of the first volume flow rate.

It is also conceivable, of course, that already at the planning stage, the second supply volume flow rate at which fresh air is introduced into the room atmosphere should be predetermined in particular, depending on the minimum known or, where appropriate, to be estimated air exchange rate of the room to be permanently insulated and/or depending on the airtightness of the room envelope or the corresponding n50 value.

The advantage of several pollutant sensors working in parallel to detect the concentration of pollutants in the ambient air is particularly apparent in the failure-proofness of the pollution measuring device. By preferably supplying the control unit with the measured concentration of pollutants continuously or at specified times or events, it is possible for the control unit to determine and update the minimum air exchange required in a beneficial manner at the same time as the measurement of the concentration of pollutants for the permanently occupied room.

As the system of the invention thus knows the minimum rate of air exchange required for the room, it is possible that the value of the second volume flow rate at which fresh air is introduced into the room atmosphere is preferably continuously adjusted to the minimum required air exchange rate of the permanently aerated room. As already shown, the value of the air exchange rate (i.e. the amount of air delivered per unit of time to the permanently aerated room) is composed of the value of the first volume flow rate and the value of the second volume flow rate directly from the room (i.e. the amount of air per unit of time introduced into the room atmosphere and the amount of air per unit of time allowed into the room atmosphere).

A particularly preferred implementation of the solution of the present invention also provides that in the permanently aerated room the concentration of oxygen in the room atmosphere is measured at one or more points preferably continuously or at specified times or events, preferably by means of an aspiration oxygen measuring device with at least one and preferably several oxygen sensors operating in parallel, in order to continuously or at specified times or events measure the oxygen concentration in the room atmosphere of the permanently aerated room and to control the measurement values.

The use of several oxygen sensors operating in parallel is preferable for the safety of the oxygen measuring device. The control unit, being aware of the current oxygen concentration in the room atmosphere of the permanently inerted room, can adjust the value of the first volume flow rate at which the inert gas is introduced into the room atmosphere to a value suitable for maintaining the specified inerting level (if necessary within a certain range) in the permanently inerted room. The gas system according to the invention thus ensures adequate fire protection and, if the oxygen concentration in the room atmosphere corresponding to the specified inerting level is maintained at a low level, an explosive atmosphere is also maintained, although with regard to the atmosphere of the exploded room.

Since, according to the invention, the volume flow rate to be introduced into the room to ensure the minimum required air exchange takes into account not only the value of the second volume flow rate at which fresh air is introduced into the room atmosphere but also the value of the first volume flow rate at which inert gas is introduced into the room atmosphere, the volume flow rate to be introduced into the room atmosphere per unit of time is in principle only as much as is actually required to ensure the minimum air exchange.

The minimum required volume flow rate or volume flow rate, as the minimum required to maintain the minimum air exchange rate required for the permanently inserted space, may be determined in the solution of the invention by means of at least one control unit, depending on the measurements of the concentration of pollutants in the room air atmosphere of the permanently inserted space. For this purpose, it would be conceivable to provide in the control unit an appropriate reference table providing a relationship between the measured pollutant concentration and the minimum volume flow rate required for the permanently inserted space. To ensure the greatest flexibility possible in adapting the changes in pollutant concentrations in the room air atmosphere of the permanently inserted space, it is necessary to provide for a system of precautions or adjustments to the minimum flow rate, where appropriate.

On the other hand, it is also conceivable that the second supply volume flow rate at which fresh air is introduced into the room air atmosphere should be determined in advance, in particular at the design stage of the device, depending on the minimum known or, where appropriate, to be estimated air exchange rate, preferably taking into account the airtightness of the envelope of the permanently insulated space or the n50 value of the space.

Overall, the control unit is preferably designed to increase the minimum air exchange rate required for the permanently inerted space with increasing concentration of pollutants in the room air atmosphere and decrease accordingly with decreasing concentration of pollutants.

On the other hand, the control unit should be designed to adjust the second volume flow rate, depending on the minimum air exchange rate and depending on the value of the first volume flow rate, preferably by controlling a valve provided in the second supply line system, so that the value of the second volume flow rate is greater than or equal to the difference between the minimum required volume flow rate of airflow to maintain the minimum air exchange required for the permanentized space and the first volume flow rate to maintain the prescribed level of inertisation in the atmosphere of the permanentized space.

It is also conceivable, however, that the control unit should be designed to adjust the value of the first volume flow rate, depending on the minimum air exchange rate and, where appropriate, the second volume flow rate already determined at the design stage of the device, preferably by controlling a valve provided in the first supply line system, so that the value of the first volume flow rate is greater than or equal to the difference between the minimum air exchange rate required for the minimum air exchange rate required for the space occupied by the eight-volume system and the second volume flow rate determined in advance, although it should not be excluded that the first volume should in principle assume a value necessary to maintain the atmospheric flow rate required for the space occupied by the eight-volume system.

In order to capture the values of the first and second volumetric flow rates determined by the control unit to maintain the inerting level set in the permanently inerted space or to maintain the minimum required air exchange rate, a preferred embodiment of the system of the invention shall provide for at least one sensor at each point or points in the first and second supply line systems to measure the first and second volumetric flow rates preferably continuously or at specified times or events and to provide the control unit's measurement results.

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A particularly favourable development of the device according to the invention is that it also has an exhaust-discharge device designed to draw exhaust air in a regulated manner from the room air atmosphere of the permanently ventilated room. This exhaust-discharge device may be, for example, a ventilation system based on the principle of superpressure ventilation, whereby by supplying Zulu air an excess pressure is generated in the ventilated space so that part of the pressure differential due to the room air is diverted from the permanently ventilated space by a suitable exhaust-discharge pipe system.

In the latter embodiment, where the device for the controlled supply of exhaust gas to the permanently ventilated space also has an exhaust exhaust system, it is particularly desirable that it should additionally have an air treatment system to treat and/or filter the exhaust air discharged from the space by the exhaust system and then return at least part of the treated or filtered exhaust air to the inert gas source as an inert, providing that the exhaust gas treatment system should be designed to remove any toxic or noxious substances, gases and aerosols that may be present in the exhaust air and to filter the exhaust gas directly.

However, in the latter embodiment, it would also be possible for the air handling unit to have a molecular separation system, in particular a hollow fibre membrane system, a molecular sieve system and/or an activated carbon adsorption system, so that the exhaust air drawn from the room can be filtered in a molecular manner.

In addition, in a case where an inert gas generator with a membrane system and/or activated carbon adsorption system is used as the inert gas source and a compressed air mixture is fed to the inert gas generator, the inert gas generator releasing a nitrogen-enriched air mixture, it would be conceivable that the air mixture fed to the inert gas generator would have at least part of the filtered exhaust air.

With regard to the exhaust-air-discharge device, a particularly favourable implementation shall be that it has at least one controllable exhaust valve, in particular one controllable exhaust valve which can be operated mechanically, hydraulically or pneumatically, and which is capable of regulating the drainage of exhaust air from the permanently insulated space.

In particular, the preferred further development of the device according to the invention, which includes the exhaust exhaust and the air treatment device, preferably provides that the oxygen content of the filtered exhaust supply to the inert gas source shall not exceed 5% vol. in order to provide a particularly economically operational device.

As regards the level to be maintained in the permanently inerted space, it is specifically provided that it is below the oxygen content of the outdoor air and above the specified level of inerting to be maintained in the permanently inerted space.

Finally, from an economic point of view, it is particularly desirable that, in the above-mentioned developments of the device of the invention, which include an inert gas source and a fresh air source, the oxygen content of the inert gas supplied by the inert gas source should be 2 to 5% vol. and that the oxygen content of the fresh air supplied by the fresh air source should be about 21% vol.

With regard to the process of the invention, it is envisaged in a preferential development that it will also have the process step of producing inert gas, so that it is possible to produce in situ the inert gas, which may be mixed with the exhaust air to be supplied to the permanently inerted room, with appropriate equipment.

In addition, it is preferable that the process includes the next step of the controlled exhaust discharge from the permanently aerated space with an appropriate exhaust discharge device and the next step of the filtration of the exhaust discharged from the space with the exhaust discharge device, providing at least part of the filtered exhaust as an inert gas.

Finally, it would also be conceivable that the oxygen content of the room air of the permanently irradiated room is preferably measured continuously or at specified times or events, with the process step of determining the inert gas volume flow rate provided by the inert gas source or the process step of determining the fresh air volume flow rate provided by the fresh air source depending on the measured oxygen content.

The following illustrations describe the preferred embodiments of the device of the invention.

It shows: Fig. 1a, a first preferred embodiment of the device of the invention for the controlled supply of exhaust gas to a permanently ventilated room;Fig. 2a, a second preferred embodiment of the device of the invention for the controlled supply of exhaust gas;Fig. 3:a, a third preferred embodiment of the device of the invention for the controlled supply of exhaust gas; andFig. 4a, respectively, a time ordering of the control of the valves for the controlled supply of inert gas and a time ordering in a realisation of the preferred embodiments of the invention.

In Figure 1 a first preferred embodiment of the device 1 of the invention for the controlled supply of air to a permanently inerted room 10 is shown in a schematic view. As shown, the device 1 for the controlled supply of air to the permanently inerted room 10 has the function of an air control device, which essentially has a control unit 2, a fresh air source 5 for the supply of fresh air (in this case outdoor air) and an inert gas source 3 for the supply of an inert gas, such as nitrogen-enriched air.

The device 1 of the invention, as shown in Figure 1, also comprises a first supply line 11 and a second supply line 12 for the controlled supply of the inert gas or fresh air provided to the ambient air of the permanently inerted room 10. Both supply lines 11, 12 connect the inert gas source 3 and the fresh air source 5 to an exhaust nozzle system provided in the permanently inerted room 10.

In all the embodiments described herein, the exhaust nozzle system 13 is designed as a nozzle system for the inert gas and fresh air supply, but of course it would be conceivable to provide separate nozzle systems for this purpose.

In particular, the valve V11 provided for in the first supply system 11 is designed to be controlled by the control unit 2 to supply the inert gas supplied by the inert gas source 3 in a regular manner at a first volume flow rate VN2 of the room atmosphere of the permanently ventilated room 10; on the other hand, the valve V12 provided for in the second supply system 12 is designed to be controlled by the control unit 2 to supply the fresh air (L) supplied by the fresh air source 5 in a regular manner at a second volume flow rate VN2 of the room atmosphere of the permanently ventilated room 10.

In a preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, the valves V11 and V12 are designed as valves which can be switched between an open and a closed state. Figures 4a and 4b show in a time-order how the valve V11 and V12 are opened and closed by control of the control unit 2. This shows that the fresh air and the inert gas are released in a pulsed manner from the inert gas source 3 and the fresh air source 5 respectively. In particular, the first value of VN2 is the volume of incoming air per unit time, the second value is the volume of incoming air per unit time, and the second value is the volume of incoming fresh air per unit time.

The valve V11 provided for in the first supply system 11 shall be controlled in particular with regard to the oxygen concentration (or inert gas concentration) in the atmosphere of the permanently inerted room 10. To this end, the valve V11 shall be adjusted so that the first volume flow rate VN2 fed to room 10 is preferably just sufficient to maintain the preset inerting level (with a specified control range, if applicable) set in the room air atmosphere of the permanently inerted room 10.

In order to achieve that the device 1 of the invention can adjust the first volume current rate VN2 in such a way that the inerting level set in the permanently inerted space 10 can be maintained as accurately as possible or that a specified inerting level can be set in the permanently inerted space 10 as accurately as possible, the preferred embodiment of the device of the invention according to Figure 1 shall also have an oxygen measuring device 7' with at least one and preferably several oxygen sensors 7 operating in parallel to continuously or at predetermined times or events to measure the oxygen concentration in the room atmosphere of the permanently inerted space 10 m and to transmit the aspiration values to the control unit 2 of Figure 1. Although the oxygen measuring device 7 is not a particularly aspirated device, the system is not particularly suitable for continuous operation.

On the other hand, the control of the valve V12 provided for in the second supply system 12 is dependent on the minimum sulphur rate required for the permanently irradiated room 10, i.e. the sulphur rate necessary to ensure the minimum air exchange required for room 10. As already explained, the minimum sulphur rate, i.e. the quantity of sulphur to be delivered per unit of time to the permanently irradiated room 10, is composed of the first volume flow rate VN2 and the second volume flow rate VL (i.e. the inert gas and fresh air delivered per unit of time of the room's atmosphere). In particular, the minimum sulphur rate required is the volume flow rate of the air which is used to discharge the air into the room, or the amount of pollutants that are discharged into the room, which is not directly proportional to the volume of air in the room, or to the amount of pollutants that are discharged into the room, which is directly proportional to the volume of air in the room, etc.

Since the invention takes into account both the second volume flow rate VL, which supplies fresh air or outdoor air to the room atmosphere, and the first volume flow rate VN2, which supplies inert gas to the room atmosphere, in order to determine the value of the minimum required air exchange rate to be supplied to room 10, the preferred embodiments of the invention provide that the valve V12 provided in the second supply system 12 is controlled by the control unit 2 of the second flow rate, that the second volume flow rate VL takes on a minimum or temporary mean value that allows the minimum necessary air exchange rate to be supplied to the room atmosphere, but that the second volume flow rate VL10 is guaranteed to maintain a minimum value of the minimum necessary air exchange rate in the room, and that the minimum necessary air exchange rate VL12 is maintained in the first volume, but that the minimum volume flow rate VL10 is not guaranteed to be maintained in the second volume.

Thus, the valves V11 and V12 are controlled so that the first volumetric flow rate VN2 and the second volumetric flow rate VL have the following relationship with respect to the minimum required flow rate of the airflow volume or the flow rate of the airflow volume VF: $V_{N2}+V_L\ge V_F$

The minimum required volume flow rate VF may be determined, for example, by using a 6' pollutant measuring device, which has at least one and preferably several pollutant sensors 6 operating in parallel, to measure continuously or at specified times or events the pollutant concentration in the ambient air of the permanently inerted room 10 and transmit the measured values to the control unit 2.

It would be conceivable that the control unit 2 would then determine the minimum required volume flow rate VF in accordance with a table in control unit 2 preferably continuously or at specified times or events, depending on the measured pollutant concentration. This table should specify a relationship between the measured pollutant concentration and the minimum required volume flow rate VF. This relationship may (but need not) be adapted to the characteristics of the room 10 concerned, so that, for example, the volume of the room, the use of the room and other parameters can be taken into account.

It would of course also be conceivable to specify a minimum air exchange rate to be met by means of a gas-air adjustment signal entered into control unit 2, using this specified value to calculate the second volume flow rate.

Finally, it is also conceivable that the control unit 2 is designed to adjust the value or the time average of the first volume flow rate VN2 in such a way that, depending on the minimum air exchange rate or the minimum required air flow rate VF and depending on the value of the second volume flow rate VL, if any, already determined at the design stage of the device, preferably by controlling the valve V11 provided in the first supply line system 11, the value or the time average of the first volume flow rate VN2 is set so that the value or the time average of the first volume flow rate VN2 is greater than or equal to the differences between the minimum air flow rate VF required to maintain the minimum space required for the air exchange and the second volume flow rate VL, if any, determined in advance, provided that a value or the time average of the first volume flow rate VN2 is not allowed to exceed the minimum space required to maintain the volume flow rate of the second volume flow rate, provided that a value is not necessary to maintain the volume flow rate of the first volume flow rate or the time average of the second volume flow rate VN2 in the space.

In principle, however, the value of the second VL volume flow rate depends on the value of the first VL flow rate VN2. It is therefore preferable, in particular, that the first VL flow rate VN2 be measured continuously or at specified times or events at one or more points in the first supply system 11 by means of an appropriate VL sensor S11 and the measurements to be fed to the control unit 2 be taken.

On the other hand, it is also preferable to provide at least one sensor S12 at one or more points in the second supply line system 12 to measure the second VL volume flow rate, preferably continuously or at specified times or events, and to provide the measurement results to the control unit 2.

As indicated above, it is conceivable in principle that instead of the measurements provided by the 6' PEM, a corresponding air flow control signal is entered into control unit 2, whereby this air flow control signal determines the minimum air exchange rate to be maintained for the permanently inerted room 10. Alternatively or additionally, it is conceivable that the air flow control signal contains information on the value that the first volume flow rate VN2 must have in order to maintain the inerting level (with a certain range, if any) established in the permanently inerted room 10 by continuous tracking of oxygen inlet gas. In this case, the standard 7' device would not be necessary.

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In particular, the solution according to the invention, in determining the value or the time average of the second full flow rate VL, sets not only the proportion of pollutants to be discharged from the room air of the permanently inerted room 10 but also the time value of the first volume of VN2 exhaust gas already delivered to the room, with the necessary contribution of the second volume of VN2 exhaust gas being discharged to the room air, so that only a minimum rate of discharge of the first volume of VN2 exhaust gas is required to be introduced into the room air, and the first volume of VN2 exhaust gas is discharged to the room air, so that the minimum rate of discharge of the first volume of VN2 exhaust gas is not required to be taken into account.

In this connection, the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 also provides for an exhaust vent 4 in the form of an air vent in the permanently inerted compartment 10 through which exhaust air is drawn from the permanently inerted compartment 10. In the preferred embodiment shown, the exhaust vent 4 is a passive system operating according to the overpressure principle.

In summary, it is possible to use the solution of the invention to supply the ambient air of permanently inerted room 10 with, in principle, only as much fresh air or outside air as is currently required to ensure the minimum necessary air exchange. For example, if a fresh air intake of 1000 m3/day is required as the minimum required air exchange for permanently inerted room 10, then it would be conceivable, according to the invention, to introduce into room 10 for example 700 m3 of external air and 300 m3 of oxygen-enriched air or oxygen-reduced air per day. As oxygenated air, for example, oxygenated air is used with a nitrogen nitrogen content of 90 to 95% vol. The proportion of oxygenated fuel is calculated by reducing the residual oxygen concentration of the air in the room, and the oxygen concentration of the air in the room is calculated by the basic formula.

The second embodiment shown in Figure 2 differs from the first embodiment shown in Figure 1 in that the exhaust air discharged from the permanently ventilated room 10 by the exhaust discharge device 4 is not entirely discharged to the outside atmosphere, but is at least partially passed through a filter system 15 and then re-injected into the first supply line system 11 via the controllable valve V11 provided for in the first supply line system 11.

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When cleaning the exhaust air with the filter system 15, the toxic or noxious hazardous substances that are to be removed from the permanently inerted room 10 and contained in the exhaust air must be separated from the exhaust air so that the exhaust air thus purified can ideally be fed directly back into room 10. Since this purified exhaust air has an oxygen content identical to that of the atmosphere of the permanently inerted room 10, in a case where the inert gas return is operating losslessly and thus a minimum source of exhaust air return is required, and where the exhaust air level 10 is maintained, a fully mixed room must be maintained, with no additional exhaust gas and no additional exhaust gases being added to the air exchange required to maintain the air flow in the permanently inerted room.

However, in practice, a lossless inert gas feedback loop or a fully gas-tight enclosure is often not possible, so that even in the second preferred embodiment of the invention, as shown in Figure 2, a fresh air source 5 and an inert gas source 3 are provided, each controllable by the control unit 2, and their associated gas volume flow rates VN2, VL are adjusted either by direct control with the control unit 2 or by control with the control unit 2 of the corresponding valves V11 and V12.

As shown in Figure 2, the inert gas feedback loop has a V4 three-way valve controlled by control unit 2 to adjust the proportion of the exhaust air from the permanently inerted chamber 10 to be fed to the inert gas feedback loop filter system 15 and finally return the purified Zulu to chamber 10.

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In the 15' molecular separation system, the compressed exhaust air is separated in molecular terms so that the toxic or harmful components (pollutants) of the exhaust air taken from the permanently inerted chamber 10 are separated from the exhaust air and discharged to the outside via a first outlet.

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A preferred development of the second embodiment is shown in Figure 3, which provides that, as in the first and second embodiments shown in Figures 1 and 2, an inert gas generator 3a with a molecular separation system 3a' is provided as the source of the inert gas, in particular with a hollow fibre membrane system or an activated carbon adsorption system, whereby a compressed air mixture is fed to the inert gas generator 3a and the inert gas generator 3a provides nitrogen-enriched air, and whereby the nitrogen-enriched air mixture emitted by the inert gas generator 3a is fed in a regulated manner to the first inlet gas piping system 11 or 10 as a chamber gas.

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It should be noted that the implementation of the invention is not limited to the examples described in Figures 1 to 3, but is also possible in a wide variety of variants.

List of reference marks

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Claims (25)

1. A method for the controlled feeding of added air into a permanently inertized room in which a predefined inertization level has been set and is maintained within a certain control range, said method including the following procedural steps:

   a) providing for the supply of an inert gas by employing an inert gas source (3), in particular an inter gas generator (3a) and/or an inert gas reservoir (3b);

   b) controlledly injecting of the supplied inert gas via a first feed line system (11) into the atmosphere of the permanently inertized room (10) at a first volume flow rate (V_N2) that is capable of maintaining the predefined inertization level and of removing airborne hazardous substances, in particular toxic or otherwise harmful substances, biological agents and/or moisture from the room atmosphere;

   c) providing for the supply of fresh air, in particular outside air, by employing a fresh air source (5); and

   d) controlledly injecting of the supplied fresh air via a second feed line system (12) into the atmosphere of the permanently inertized room (10) by employing a second volume flow rate (V_L),

   wherein the value of the second volume flow rate (VL) at which the fresh air is injected into the room atmosphere being determined by a minimum air exchange rate that is required for the permanently inertized room (10) and by the value of the first volume flow rate (V_N2) at which the inert gas is injected, characterized in that the second volume flow rate (VL) is greater than or equal to the difference between a minimum added-air volume flow rate (V_F) necessary for maintaining the minimum air exchange rate required for the permanently inertized room (10) and the value of the first volume flow rate (V_N2) needed for maintaining the predefined inertization level of the atmosphere in the permanently inertized room (10).
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein preferably in a continuous manner or at scheduled times or events, the concentration of hazardous substances in the room atmosphere is measured in one or a plurality of locations in the permanently inertized room (10) by means of in each case one or a plurality of sensors (6).
3. The method according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein preferably in a continuous manner or at scheduled times or events, the concentration of oxygen in the room atmosphere is measured in one or a plurality of locations in the permanently inertized room (10) by means of in each case one or a plurality of sensors (7).
4. The method according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the measured values of the concentration of hazardous substances and/or oxygen are transmitted to at least one controller (2).
5. The method according o claim 4, wherein the minimum air exchange rate required for the permanently inertized room (10) is increased as the concentration of hazardous substances in the room atmosphere increases and reduced as the concentration of hazardous substances decreases.
6. The method according to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the first volume flow rate (V_N2) is increased as the oxygen concentration in the room atmosphere increases and reduced as the oxygen concentration decreases.
7. The method according to any one of the claims 4 to 6, wherein preferably in a continuous manner or at scheduled times or events, the at least one controller (2) determines the required minimum added-air volume rate (V_F) as a function of the measured values of the concentration of hazardous substances according to a look-up table stored in the control unit (2).
8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein preferably in a continuous manner or at scheduled times or events, the value of the first volume flow rate (V_N2) is measured in one or a plurality of locations within the first feed line system (11) by means of in each case one or a plurality of sensors (8).
9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein preferably in a continuous manner or at scheduled times or events, the value of the second volume flow rate (V_L) is measured in one or a plurality of locations within the first feed line system (12) by means of in each case one or a plurality of sensors (9).
10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the procedural step a) further includes the procedural step of generating inert gas, and wherein the method further includes the following procedural steps:

    d) controlledly removing return air from the permanently inertized room (10) by means of a return-air exhaust system (4); and

    e) filtering the return air removed from the room (10) in the procedural step d), wherein at least a portion of the return air filtered is made available for use as an inert gas in the procedural step a).
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein in the procedural step e), the removed return air is filtered by means of a molecular separator system, in particular a hollow-fiber membrane system, a molecular screening system and/or an activated-charcoal absorption system.
12. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the proportional oxygen content in the inert gas supplied by the inert gas source (3) is 2 to 5% by volume, and wherein the proportional oxygen content in the fresh air supplied by the fresh air source (5) is approximately 21% by volume.
13. An apparatus for the controlled feeding of added air into a permanently inertized room (10) in which a predefined inertization level is set and maintained within a certain control range, said apparatus comprising:

    - an inert gas source (3), in particular an inert gas generator (3a) and/or an inert gas reservoir (3b) for supplying an inert gas;

    - a fresh air source (5) for supplying fresh air, in particular outside air;

    - a first feed line system (11) that is connectable to the inert gas source (3) for the controlled injection of the supplied inert gas into the atmosphere of the permanently inertized room (10) at a first volume flow rate (V_N2) which is capable of maintaining the predefined inertization level and of removing hazardous substances, in particular toxic or other harmful substances, biological agents and/or moisture from the room atmosphere; and

    - a second feed line system (12) that is connectable to the fresh air source (5) for the controlled injection of the supplied fresh air into the atmosphere of the permanently inertized room (10) at a second volume flow rate (V_L),

    wherein the value of the second volume flow rate (V_L) at which the fresh air is injected is based on the minimum air exchange rate required for the permanently inertized room (10) as well as on the value of the of the first volume flow rate (V_N2) at which the inert gas is injected, wherein the apparatus additionally includes at least one controller (2) designed to regulate the value of the first volume flow rate (V_N2) at which the inert gas is injected into the room atmosphere of the permanently inertized room (10) on the basis of the inertization level to be maintained in the permanently inertized room (10) and/or to regulate the value of the first volume flow (V_N2) at which the inert gas is injected on the basis of the minimum air exchange rate required for the permanently inertized room (10), wherein the at least one controller (2) is designed such that based on the minimum air exchange rate and based on the value of the first volume flow rate (V_N2), said controller regulates the value of the second volume flow rate (V_L) preferably by actuating a valve (V₁₂) provided in the second feed line system (12) in such a manner that the value of the second volume flow rate (V_L) is greater than or equal to the difference between a minimum added-air volume flow rate (V_F) required for maintaining the minimum air exchange rate needed for the permanently inertized room (10) and the value of the first volume flow rate (V_N2) for maintaining the predefined inertization level in the atmosphere of the permanently inertized room (10).
14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the at least one controller (2) is designed to regulate the value of the first volume flow rate (V_N2) at which the inert gas is injected into the atmosphere of the permanently inertized room (10) on the basis of the inertization level that is to be maintained in the permanently inertized room (10) and/or to regulate the value of the first volume flow rate (V_N2) at which the inert gas is injected on the basis of the minimum air exchange rate required for the permanently inertized room (10).
15. The apparatus according to claim 13 or claim 14, the apparatus additionally including a preferably aspiratively operating oxygen measuring unit (7') with at least one and preferably a plurality of oxygen sensors (7) working in parallel to continuously or at scheduled times or events measure the oxygen concentration in the room atmosphere of the permanently inertized room (10) and to transmit the measured values to a controller (2).
16. The apparatus according to any one of the claims 13 to 15, the apparatus additionally including a preferably aspiratively operating hazardous-substance measuring unit (6') with at least one and preferably a plurality of oxygen sensors (6) working in parallel to continuously or at scheduled times or events measure the concentration of hazardous substances in the atmosphere of the permanently inertized room (10) and to transmit the measured values to a controller (2).
17. The apparatus according to the claims 15 and 16, wherein the controller (2) is designed to increase the value of the first volume flow rate (V_N2) as the oxygen concentration in the room atmosphere increases and to reduce said value as the oxygen concentration decreases, preferably by adequately actuating a controllable valve (V11) in the first feed line system (11).
18. The apparatus according to the claims 15 and 16 or according to claim 17, wherein the controller (2) is designed to increase the minimum air exchange rate required for the permanently inertized room (10) as the concentration of hazardous substances in the room atmosphere increases and to reduce it as the concentration of hazardous substances decreases.
19. The apparatus according to any one of the claims 13 to 18, wherein the at least one controller (2) is designed to determine, preferably in a continuous manner or at scheduled times or events, the required minimum added-air volume flow rate (V_F) as a function of the concentration of hazardous substances according to a look-up table stored in the controller (2).
20. The apparatus according to any one of the claims 13 to 19, the apparatus additionally including at least one sensor (S11) in each case in one or a plurality of locations within the first feed line system (11) for measuring the value of the first volume flow rate (V_N2), preferably in a continuous manner or at scheduled times or events, and for transmitting the measurement results to the controller (2).
21. The apparatus according to any one of the claims 13 to 20, the apparatus additionally including at least one sensor (S12) in each case in one or a plurality of locations within the second feed line system (12) for measuring the value of the second volume flow rate (V_L), preferably in a continuous manner or at scheduled times or events, and for transmitting the measurement results to the controller (2).
22. The apparatus according to any one of the claims 14 to 21, the apparatus additionally including a return-air exhaust system (4) designed to remove return air from the permanently inertized room (10) in a controlled manner, as well as an air reprocessing unit (15) for the reprocessing and/or the filtering of the return air extracted from the room (10) by the return-air exhaust system (4), and wherein at least a portion of the reprocessed or filtered return air is fed to the inert gas source (3) as available inert gas.
23. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the return-air exhaust system (4) includes at least one controllable exhaust gate, in particular in the form of a mechanically, hydraulically or pneumatically operable exhaust shutter that can be controlled in such a manner that the return air can be removed from the permanently inertized room (10) in a controlled manner, wherein the at least one exhaust gate is preferably configured as fire barrier.
24. The apparatus according to claim 22 or claim 23, wherein the air reprocessing unit (15) includes a molecular separator (15'), in particular a hollow-fiber membrane system and/or an activated charcoal adsorption system.
25. The apparatus according to any one of the claims 22 to claim 24, the apparatus including as an inert gas source (3), an inert gas generator with a molecular separator (3a'), in particular with a hollow-fiber membrane system and/or an activated charcoal absorption system, wherein a compressed air mixture is fed to the inert gas generator (3a') and the inert gas generator delivers a nitrogen-enriched air mixture, and wherein the nitrogen-enriched air mixture delivered by the inert gas generator (3) is injected in a controlled manner as inert gas into the permanently inertized room (10), and wherein air mixture fed to the inert gas generator (3) includes at least in part the filtered return air.