Refrigeration – Processes – Exchanging heat between plural systems – e.g. – disparate
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-23
2001-11-13
Wayner, William (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Processes
Exchanging heat between plural systems, e.g., disparate
C062S106000, C062S333000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06314744
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air-conditioning system and a method of controlling the operation thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
A vapor compression refrigerating cycle air-conditioner has been widely used as a conventional air-conditioning system. A vapor adsorption cycle air-conditioner is also known as another type of air-conditioning system. An example of the vapor adsorption cycle air-conditioner is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No.5-272832.
In spite of its advantage that other thermal energy can be introduced in the process of regenerating the adsorbent, this type of vapor adsorption cycle air-conditioner has various problems pointed out. An especially serious problem posed when using the vapor absorption cycle air-conditioner is that the vapor adsorption cycle air-conditioner itself fails to operate unless the adsorbent is kept in a predetermined temperature environment. In other words, the operation of the vapor adsorption cycle air-conditioner always requires temperature restrictions for the adsorbent. This is one of the stumbling blocks to the extension of the use of the vapor adsorption cycle air-conditioner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the aforementioned fact, the object of the present invention is to provide an air-conditioning system and an operation control method thereof, in which the temperature restrictions for operating the vapor adsorption cycle air-conditioner or the vapor-absorption cycle air-conditioner are removed and the tolerable operation range of the vapor adsorption cycle air-conditioner or the vapor absorption cycle air-conditioner can be widened.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an air-conditioning system comprising:
a vapor adsorption cycle air-conditioner constituting an adsorption refrigerating cycle provided with an evaporator, a condenser and a plurality of adsorption tanks or a vapor absorption cycle air-conditioner constituting an absorption refrigerating cycle provided with an evaporator, a condenser, an absorber and a regenerator;
a vapor compression refrigerating cycle air-conditioner connected to the adsorption tank of the vapor adsorption cycle air-conditioner or to the absorber and the regenerator of the vapor absorption cycle air-conditioner for heating or cooling the adsorbent or the absorbing solution as required; and
external heat source means connected to the adsorption tank of the vapor adsorption cycle air-conditioner or to the absorber and the regenerator of the vapor absorption cycle air-conditioner for heating or cooling the adsorbent or the absorption solution using a heating medium supplied from the external heat source as required.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an air-conditioning system comprising a vapor adsorption cycle air-conditioner used in the first aspect, wherein the adsorption tank on the adsorption side and the adsorption tank on the regeneration side are connected to each other by a dedicated heat recovery circuit for recovering heat by circulating a dedicated heat recovery heating medium between the two tanks.
According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of controlling the operation of the air-conditioning system in the first or second aspect, comprising the steps of:
operating in cooling mode using only the vapor adsorption cycle air-conditioner or the vapor absorption cycle air-conditioner in the case where the external heat source temperature of the heating medium supplied from an external heat source means is in a predetermined high temperature range;
operating in cooling mode using only the vapor compression refrigerating cycle air-conditioner in the case where the external heat source temperature of the heating medium supplied from the external heat source means is in a predetermined low temperature range; and
operating in cooling mode using both the vapor adsorption cycle air-conditioner and the vapor compression refrigerating cycle air-conditioner at the same time or both the vapor absorption cycle air-conditioner and the vapor compression refrigerating cycle air-conditioner at the same time in the case where the external heat source temperature of the heating medium supplied from the external heat source means is in a predetermined intermediate temperature range.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of controlling the operation of an air-conditioning system in the third aspect of the invention, wherein in the case where the external heat source temperature of the heating medium supplied from the external heat source means is in a predetermined intermediate temperature range, the high-temperature heating medium of the vapor compression refrigerating cycle air-conditioner is used for heating the adsorbent in the adsorption tank on regeneration side or the absorption solution in the regenerator.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of controlling the operation of an air-conditioning system in the third or fourth aspect, wherein for fast cooling operation, both the vapor adsorption cycle air-conditioner and the vapor compression refrigerating cycle air-conditioner are used at the same time or both the vapor absorption cycle air-conditioner and the vapor compression refrigerating cycle air-conditioner are used at the same time.
According to a sixth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of controlling the operation of an air-conditioning system in the first or second aspect, wherein for fast heating operation, both the vapor adsorption cycle air-conditioner and the vapor compression refrigerating cycle air-conditioner are used at the same time or both the vapor absorption cycle air conditioner and the vapor compression refrigerating cycle air-conditioner are used at the same time.
The operation according to the first aspect of the invention is as described below. This case involves a vapor adsorption cycle air-conditioner.
In the vapor adsorption cycle air-conditioner, the process of adsorbing the vapor by dry adsorbent in a adsorption tank is normally conducted in parallel with the process of removing the vapor from a saturated adsorbent in a adsorption tank, so that the two adsorption tanks are used alternately and repeatedly.
More specifically, vapor from the evaporator is adsorbed by the dry adsorbent in a adsorption tank, whereby the latent heat of vaporization for cooling the heating medium in the evaporator is taken away. With the progress of adsorption of the vapor by the adsorbent, the adsorbent temperature increases to such a degree as to make vapor adsorption difficult. It is then necessary to cool the adsorbent. The saturated adsorbent in a tank, on the other hand, is heated and deprived of vapor and sent into the condenser. In other words, the adsorbent is required to be dried (regenerated). For this purpose, the adsorbent is cooled in the former case and heated in the latter case by the external heat source means. In this way, the adsorption and the regeneration are alternated to maintain the refrigerating cycle.
The vapor adsorption cycle air-conditioner having the above-described configuration generally fails to operate unless the adsorption temperature and the regeneration temperature of the adsorbent meet predetermined temperature conditions. In the case where the external heat source temperature of the external heat source means is sufficiently high, for example, the vapor adsorption cycle air-conditioner operates properly. In the case where the external heat source temperature of the external heat source means lowers, however, the proper operation of the vapor adsorption cycle air-conditioner cannot be assured by simple use of the external heat source means without taking any measure.
As the measure to be taken as described above, according to this invention, the adsorption tank of the vapor adsorption cycle air-conditioner and the vapor compression refrigerating cycle air-conditioner are connec
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Toyota Jidosha & Kabushiki Kaisha
Wayner William
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