Refrigeration – Atmosphere and sorbent contacting type
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-05
2003-09-16
Jiang, Chen Wen (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Atmosphere and sorbent contacting type
C062S402000, C062S094000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06619064
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to an air conditioning system using an air cycle.
BACKGROUND ART
There is conventionally known a cooling system operating through an air cycle, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 62-102061. A cooling system of this kind includes a compressor, a heat exchanger and an expander, and is configured to suck an air into the compressor for compression, cool the compressed air in the heat exchanger and then expand it in the expander thereby obtaining a low-temperature air.
Meanwhile, in the cooing system disclosed in the above publication, a vapor isolating device using a vapor isolating membrane is provided between the heat exchanger and the expander to isolate moisture from the compressed air being supplied to the expander. Once expanded in the expander, the air is reduced in temperature so that dropwise condensation may occur in the air. Therefore, the air as a working fluid for the air cycle is needed to undergo dehumidification prior to entry into the expander. For this reason, in the above cooling system, the vapor isolating device is provided in place to dehumidify the compressed air.
PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED
However, since the cooling system as described above accomplishes dehumidification by using the vapor isolating membrane, the air as a working fluid for the air cycle can only be dehumidified between the compressor and the expander. Specifically, when the vapor isolating membrane is used, moisture in the air permeates the vapor isolating membrane, i.e., moves from the air on one side of the vapor isolating membrane to that on the other side. In this case, the moisture in the air permeates the vapor isolating membrane with a difference between vapor partial pressures in the airs on both sides of the isolating membrane. Accordingly, the air from which moisture moves must always be held at a higher vapor partial pressure than that to which moisture moves, and therefore there has been nothing for means for dehumidification but to be provided in a place where the vapor partial pressure of the air from which moisture moves will be high, i.e., between the compressor and the expander.
It is now to be noted that any component for dehumidifying the air, including one using the vapor isolating membrane, should be rather large in size. This is because a certain degree or more of contact area with the air to be dehumidified must be ensured. Therefore, there arises the problem that limitation of placement of such a relatively large component would incur degradation in design flexibility of the overall system.
In addition, if a seal between the compressor and the expander is insufficient, this causes leakage of the compressed air so that the compressor input may be lost, resulting in significantly decreased efficiency. Therefore, as the number of components provided between the compressor and the expander increases, the number of points at which leakage of the compressed air may occur, such as connecting parts, also increases. There arises the problem that attempts to fully form the seal would incur complicated construction.
The present invention has been made in view of such problems and therefore aims at enhancing the design flexibility and providing simplified construction while keeping high efficiency.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
The present invention provides for carrying out dehumidification of the air as a working fluid for the air cycle with the use of a humidity medium for absorbing and releasing moisture through contact with the air prior to supply of the air to the compressor.
More specifically, a first solution taken in the present invention is directed to an air conditioning system for effecting air conditioning in an air cycle comprising a compressor (
21
), a heat exchanger (
30
) and an expander (
22
). Further, provided in this system is dehumidifying means (
60
) that includes a humidity medium for absorbing and releasing moisture through contact with an air and allows the humidity medium to absorb moisture in a primary air to be supplied to the compressor (
21
) while releasing the moisture therein to a secondary air thereby continuously dehumidifying the primary air.
In a second solution taken in the present invention, based on the first solution, the heat exchanger (
30
) is arranged to cool the compressed primary air through heat exchange with the secondary air, and the dehumidifying means (
60
) is arranged to release moisture in the humidity medium to the secondary air coming from the heat exchanger (
30
).
In a third solution taken in the present invention, based on the first or second solution, the humidity medium of the dehumidifying means (
60
) is provided with a solid adsorbent for adsorbing moisture.
In a fourth solution taken in the present invention, based on the third solution, the humidity medium of the dehumidifying means (
60
) is formed of a rotor member (
61
) that is formed in the shape of a disc to allow air passage in a direction of its thickness and provides contact of the passing air with the solid adsorbent, and the dehumidifying means (
60
) comprises a moisture absorbing section (
62
) where the rotor member (
61
) absorbs moisture in the primary air through contact with the primary air, a moisture releasing section (
63
) where the rotor member (
61
) releases moisture therein to the secondary air through contact with the secondary air, and a drive mechanism for rotatively driving the rotor member (
61
) to allow the rotor member (
61
) to move between the moisture absorbing section (
62
) and the moisture releasing section (
63
).
In a fifth solution taken in the present invention, based on the third solution, the solid adsorbent is made of porous inorganic oxide.
In a sixth solution taken in the present invention, based on the first or second solution, the humidity medium of the dehumidifying means (
60
) comprises a liquid absorbent for absorbing moisture.
In a seventh solution taken in the present invention, based on the first solution, the humidity medium of the dehumidifying means (
60
) comprises a liquid absorbent for absorbing moisture, and the dehumidifying means (
60
) is arranged so that the liquid absorbent is heated by the primary air coming from the compressor (
21
) to release moisture having absorbed from the primary air to the secondary air.
In an eighth solution taken in the present invention, based on the sixth or seventh solution, the dehumidifying means (
60
) includes a moisture-permeable, hydrophobic porous membrane and is arranged to contact the liquid absorbent with the primary air through the hydrophobic porous membrane.
In a ninth solution taken in the present invention, based on the sixth or seventh solution, the liquid absorbent is made of a water solution of hydrophilic organic compound.
In a tenth solution taken in the present invention, based on the sixth or seventh solution, the liquid absorbent is made of a water solution of metallic halide.
In an eleventh solution taken in the present invention, based on the sixth or seventh solution, the dehumidifying means (
60
) comprises a circulation circuit (
64
) that includes a moisture absorbing section (
65
) for contacting the liquid absorbent with the primary air and a moisture releasing section (
66
) for contacting the liquid absorbent with the secondary air and circulates the liquid absorbent between the moisture absorbing section (
65
) and the moisture releasing section (
66
).
In a twelfth solution taken in the present invention, based on the second solution, cooling of a room is effected by supplying the primary air expanded in the expander (
22
) to the room.
In a thirteenth solution taken in the present invention, based on the twelfth solution, the primary air is an outside air taken from outdoors and then supplied to the room through the expander (
22
), while the secondary air is a room air taken from the room and then discharged to outdoors through the dehumidifying means (
60
).
In a fourteenth solution taken in the present invention, based on the twelfth solution, the primary air is an outsi
Piao Chun-cheng
Sakamoto Ryuichi
Watanabe Yuji
Yonemoto Kazuo
Yoshimi Manabu
Daikin Industries Ltd.
Jiang Chen Wen
Nixon & Peabody LLP
Studebaker Donald R.
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