Refrigeration – Disparate apparatus utilized as heat source or absorber – With sorption
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-27
2003-08-12
Jones, Melvin (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Disparate apparatus utilized as heat source or absorber
With sorption
C062S092000, C062S271000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06604374
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a cooling apparatus and a cooling system utilizing adsorbents.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
One of conventional cooling apparatuses utilizing adsorbents is disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-115737.
In the cooling apparatus disclosed in this publication, a high-humidity air is brought into contact with an adsorbent to be turned into a low-humidity air, and the low-humidity air is humidified by a humidifier, thereby removing heat of vaporization of water from the low-humidity air. In this manner, the temperature of the low-humidity air is lowered and the humidity thereof is made high. The resulting low-temperature air is then utilized for cooling.
In such a cooling apparatus, however, humidification is compulsorily carried out for cooling air by means of the humidifier. Because of such compulsory humidification, it sometimes happens that a moisture content in the air discharged into a room goes beyond a saturated vapor amount, which results in generation of a mist. In these cases, the humidity of air inside the room is made excessively high, and amenity is thus lost in the room.
Also, the aforementioned cooling apparatus comprises a humidifier itself, a pipe arrangement for supplying water to the humidifier, and a feed water tank for storing water for humidification. This means that the entire cooling apparatus is made complicated in structure and large in size. Additionally, it is necessary to frequently resupply water into the feed water tank and, consequently, such management of water in the feed water tank is very bothersome.
The aforementioned trouble in the resupply of water into the feed water tank could be reduced by utilizing service water, ground water, or the like, which is supplied from a water supply system fixedly provided. However, on the premise that water supplied from such an immovable water supply system is utilized as water for humidification, the cooling apparatus should be disposed in a fixed position as well, which means that the cooling apparatus would not be usable, for example, as a cooling apparatus for automobile use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was made to solve the aforementioned problems. More particularly, one object of the invention is to provide a cooling apparatus which is capable of cooling by humidification, without the necessity of compulsory humidification by means of a humidifier, the humidification being performed within a range in which a saturated vapor amount is not exceeded. Also, the other object of the invention is to provide a cooling apparatus which is capable of cooling by humidification, without utilizing water from a feed water tank with which resupply of water is required, or from an immovable water supply system.
In order to attain the aforementioned objects, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a cooling apparatus comprising:
an adsorber in which moisture contained in air in a flow path is adsorbed by a first adsorbent;
a radiator in which heat of the air in the flow path is radiated out of the flow path via a heat conductive member;
a desorption cooler in which moisture is desorbed from a second adsorbent into the air in the flow path, thereby cooling the air in the flow path;
blast means for flowing the air through the flow path, said flow path running from an inlet of air, via the adsorber, the radiator and the desorption cooler, to an outlet of air;
outlet switching means for switching the outlet of air from/to an inside of a room to/from an outside thereof; and
heating means for heating the first adsorbent in the adsorber such that the moisture is desorbed from the first adsorbent.
In this first cooling apparatus, the absorber is a device where the air flowed thereinto is brought into contact with the first adsorbent and then flowed out thereof. A specific structure of the adsorber is not particularly restricted. For example, it may be composed of a case forming the flow path of the air, the case being filled with the first adsorbent. Alternatively, it may be composed of wall surfaces forming the flow path of the air, the first adsorbent being applied onto the wall surfaces. Otherwise, it may be composed of a case or wall surfaces forming the flow path of the air, the case or the wall surfaces itself/themselves being formed out of a composition containing the first adsorbent as a main component.
The radiator is a device where the air flowed thereinto is brought into contact with the heat conductive member and then flowed out thereof. The heat conductive member needs to be capable of removing heat from the air in the flow path and then transferring the heat to the outside of the flow path. As such a heat conductive member, not by way of restriction but by way of example, fins or a plate formed out of a metal having a high heat transfer coefficient (such as copper, aluminum, or any alloy containing these) may be used. In this case, heat can be removed from the air in the flow path by means of heat exchange between the air in the flow path and an outside air. Alternatively, a pipe arrangement may be provided using the metal having a high heat transfer coefficient to be used as the heat conductive member. In this case, heat can be removed from the air in the flow path by means of heat exchange between the air in the flow path and a cooling medium, such as cooling water or the like, flowing through the pipe arrangement.
The desorption cooler is a device where the air flowed thereinto is brought into contact with the second adsorbent and then flowed out thereof. As with the specific structure of the adsorber, the desorption cooler may be composed of a case forming the flow path of the air, the case being filled with the second adsorbent. Alternatively, it may be composed of wall surfaces forming the flow path of the air, the second adsorbent being applied onto the wall surfaces. Otherwise, it may be composed of a case or wall surfaces forming the flow path of the air, the case or the wall surfaces itself/themselves being formed out of a composition containing the second adsorbent as a main component. However, it is not necessary that the specific structure of the desorption cooler should be the same as that of the adsorber.
The blast means is provided to flow the air through the flow path running from the inlet of air to the outlet thereof and may be realized, for example, by disposing a blower, such as a motor fan or the like, in the flow path. Such a blower can be disposed in any position between the inlet of air and the outlet thereof, as long as the flow of air through the flow path from the inlet of air to the outlet thereof is permitted.
The outlet switching means is realized, for example, by disposing a damper, or the like, which is capable of selectively flowing the air through one of two courses of the fluid path.
The heating means can be any means that is capable of heating the first adsorbent in the adsorber. For example, if there is available an applicable heat source, such as waste heat generated by operation of a factory, solar heat or the like, means for introducing into the adsorber the heat obtained from such a heat source may be provided. In the case of the cooling apparatus for automobile use, means for introducing into the adsorber the heat generated from an automobile engine is also possible. If there is no such heat sources available, heat generating means, such as a heating wire, may be provided to generate heat utilizing electric power. In this case, the midnight power, which is less expensive, may be utilized.
According to the cooling apparatus having the aforementioned structure, by switching the outlet of air to the inside of the room by means of the outlet switching means, and by activating the blast means without activating the heating means, the air introduced from the inlet of air is flowed through the adsorber, the radiator, and the desorption cooler, and then discharged into the room. This operational status is hereinafter referred to as a cooling mode. As to the inlet
Asano Tatsuya
Hasatani Masanobu
Ito Mutsuhiro
Watanabe Fujio
Davis & Bujold P.L.L.C.
Fuji Silysia Chemical Ltd.
Jones Melvin
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