Refrigeration – Atmosphere and sorbent contacting type
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-06
2001-11-20
Bennett, Henry (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Atmosphere and sorbent contacting type
C062S092000, C062S238300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06318106
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an air-conditioning system which employs a desiccant, and more particularly to an air-conditioning system which employs a heat pump as a heat source for heating regenerating air and cooling processing air.
BACKGROUND ART
FIG. 12
of the accompanying drawings shows a conventional air-conditioning system comprising a combination of an absorption heat pump as a heat source and an air-conditioning unit employing a desiccant, i.e., a so-called desiccant air-conditioning unit.
The conventional air-conditioning system comprises an air-conditioning unit having a path A for processing air from which moisture has been adsorbed by a desiccant rotor
103
, a path B for regenerating air which is heated by a heat source and thereafter passes through the desiccant rotor
103
that has adsorbed the moisture to desorb the moisture from the desiccant, and a sensible heat exchanger
104
between the processing air from which moisture has been adsorbed and the regenerating air to be regenerated by the desiccant rotor
103
and heated by the heat source. The air-conditioning system further comprises an absorption heat pump including a first cycle as an absorption refrigeration cycle having an evaporator
3
, an absorber
1
, a regenerator
2
, and a condenser
4
as main components, and a second cycle as an absorption refrigeration cycle having an evaporator
13
, an absorber
11
, a regenerator
12
, and a condenser
14
as main components. The second cycle is operable at a lower temperature than the first cycle. The absorption heat pump has a heat exchange relationship
21
formed between the evaporator
3
of the first cycle and the absorber
11
of the second cycle, and a heat exchange relationship
20
formed between the condenser
4
of the first cycle and the regenerator
12
of the second cycle. The regenerating air of the air-conditioning unit is heated by a heater
120
using as a heating source the heat of absorption in the first cycle and the heat of condensation in the second cycle of the absorption heat pump, for thereby regenerating the desiccant, and the processing air of the air-conditioning unit is cooled by a cooler
115
using as a cooling heat source the heat of evaporation in the second cycle of the absorption heat pump.
The conventional air-conditioning system is arranged such that the absorption heat pump simultaneously cools the processing air and heats the regenerating air of the desiccant air-conditioning unit. Based on drive heat applied to the absorption heat pump from an external source, the absorption heat pump produces an effect of cooling the processing air. The desiccant is regenerated by the sum of the heat removed from the processing air by the operation of the heat pump and the drive heat applied to the absorption heat pump. Therefore, the drive heat applied from the external source is utilized in multiple ways for a high energy-saving effect.
However, it is necessary to provide heat medium paths
122
,
123
,
51
between the absorption heat pump as a heat source in the system and the heater
120
of the desiccant air-conditioning unit for passing a heat medium (hot water) therethrough. Similarly, it is necessary to provide cooling medium paths
117
,
118
between the absorption heat pump and the cooler
115
of the desiccant air-conditioning unit for passing a cooling medium (chilled water). Consequently, the conventional air-conditioning system is limited to applications where the heat source and the desiccant air-conditioning unit can be installed separately from each other.
In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a dehumidifying air-conditioning apparatus which has a compact arrangement including an integral combination of a heat pump as a heat source driven by a thermal energy from an external source and a desiccant air-conditioning unit, and can achieve a high energy efficiency.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
According to an invention defined in claim
1
, there is provided a dehumidifying air-conditioning apparatus comprising a path for processing air from which moisture is adsorbed by a first desiccant and thereafter cooled by a low temperature heat source of a heat pump and a path for regenerating air which is heated by a high temperature heat source of the heat pump and thereafter passes through the first desiccant that has adsorbed the moisture to desorb the moisture from the first desiccant, the arrangement being such that the processing air and the regenerating air flow alternately through the first desiccant, characterized by at least one adsorption heat pump, as the heat pump, having first and second heat exchanger assemblies of closed structure each having a desiccant heat exchanger with a second desiccant for adsorbing or desorbing a refrigerant and a refrigerant heat exchanger for evaporating or condensing the refrigerant, said refrigerant heat exchangers of the first and second heat exchanger assemblies communicating with each other via a path through a restriction, the arrangement being such that the processing air and the regenerating air flow alternately through the refrigerant heat exchangers of the first and second heat exchanger assemblies of the adsorption heat pumps, and a heating medium for driving the adsorption heat pumps is guided to and heated by the desiccant heat exchangers directly in communication with the refrigerant heat exchangers through is which the regenerating air flows.
As described above, a desiccant air-conditioning unit for dehumidifying and regenerating the desiccant in a batch process and the adsorption heat pump for adsorbing and desorbing the refrigerant are combined with each other to provide a compact integral combination of the heat-driven heat pump and the desiccant air-conditioning unit, and make the dehumidifying air-conditioning apparatus capable of saving energy. The term “desorption” refers to an action opposite to adsorption, i.e., removal of adsorbed moisture.
According to an invention defined in claim
2
, in the dehumidifying air-conditioning apparatus according to claim
1
, said first desiccant comprises a rotor rotatable about a central shaft relative to the fixed paths for the processing air and the regenerating air for allowing the processing air and the regenerating air to flow alternately therethrough, said first heat exchanger assembly and said second heat exchanger assembly being radially provided in at least one pair symmetrically with respect to the central shaft and rotatable about the central shaft, the adsorption heat pump which comprises said first heat exchanger assembly and said second heat exchanger assembly being rotatable relatively to the fixed paths for the processing air and the regenerating air and a path for a heat medium as a heating source to allow said regenerating air and said processing air to flow alternately through the refrigerant heat exchangers of said first and second heat exchanger assemblies and also to guide the heating medium to the desiccant heat exchanger of said first or second heat exchanger assembly which includes the refrigerant heat exchanger through which the regenerating air flows, for thereby automatically switching a process of adsorbing moisture to and desorbing moisture from the first desiccant and a process of adsorbing a refrigerant to and desorbing a refrigerant from the second desiccant in the adsorption heat pump.
Since the batch process of adsorbing moisture to and desorbing moisture from the first desiccant air-conditioning unit and the batch process of adsorbing the refrigerant to and desorbing the refrigerant from the second desiccant in the adsorption heat pump are automatically switched by relative rotation between the paths for the processing air, the regenerating air, and the heating medium, and the desiccant for desiccant air conditioning, the desiccant heat exchanger and the refrigerant heat exchanger of the adsorption heat pump, the dehumidifying air-conditioning apparatus is of a compact, energy-saving arrangement.
According to an invention de
Armstrong Westerman Hattori McLeland & Naughton LLP
Bennett Henry
Ebara Corporation
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