Desiccant heat exchanger for high efficiency dehumidification

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12449141-B2
Application number	US-202217659769-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 19, 2022
Priority date	Apr 19, 2022
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

A conditioning system includes a humidity control system, a vapor compression system, and a heat exchanger. The humidity control system includes a first fan producing a first airflow, a first mass exchange device in the first airflow, a second fan producing a second airflow, and a second mass exchange device in the second airflow and in fluid communication with the first mass exchange device permitting a liquid desiccant to flow in a liquid desiccant loop. The vapor compression system includes an evaporator, and a condenser in fluid communication with the evaporator permitting a refrigerant to flow in a refrigerant loop. The heat exchanger has a first path in fluid communication with the humidity control system permitting the liquid desiccant to flow therethrough and a second path thermally coupled to the first path and in fluid communication with the vapor compression system permitting a refrigerant to flow therethrough.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A conditioning system comprising:
a humidity control system including:
a first fan for producing a first airflow toward a conditioned interior space;
a first mass exchange device positioned in the first airflow;
a second fan for producing a second airflow toward an exterior space; and
a second mass exchange device positioned in the second airflow,
wherein the first mass exchange device and the second mass exchange device are coupled in fluid communication to permit a liquid desiccant to flow in a first loop therebetween and therethrough;

a vapor compression system including:
an evaporator coupled in fluid communication with the first mass exchange device to permit a first heat transfer fluid to flow in a second loop therebetween; and
a condenser coupled in fluid communication with the second mass exchange device to permit a second heat transfer fluid to flow in a third loop therebetween,
wherein the evaporator and condenser are coupled in fluid communication to permit a third heat transfer fluid to flow in a fourth loop, the first mass exchange device is configured to thermally couple the first heat transfer fluid to the liquid desiccant flowing therethrough, and the second mass exchange device is configured to thermally couple the second heat transfer fluid to the liquid desiccant flowing therethrough; and

a heat exchanger having a first path in fluid communication with the first loop of the humidity control system to permit the liquid desiccant to flow therethrough in series with the first mass exchange device or the second mass exchange device and a second path thermally coupled to the first path and in fluid communication with the vapor compression system to permit one of the first, second, or third heat transfer fluids to flow therethrough.

2. The conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second heat transfer fluids are water, and the third heat transfer fluid is a refrigerant.

3. The conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the first path of the heat exchanger is upstream of the second mass exchange device in the first loop, and the second path of the heat exchanger is downstream of the condenser in the third loop to permit the second heat transfer fluid to flow therethrough.

4. The conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the first path of the heat exchanger is upstream of the first mass exchange device in the first loop, and the second path of the heat exchanger is downstream of the evaporator in the second loop to permit the first heat transfer fluid to flow therethrough.

5. The conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the first path of the heat exchanger is upstream of the second mass exchange device in the first loop, and the second path of the heat exchanger is upstream of the condenser in the fourth loop to permit the third heat transfer fluid to flow therethrough.

6. The conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the first path of the heat exchanger is upstream of the first mass exchange device in the first loop, and the second path of the heat exchanger is downstream of the evaporator in the fourth loop to permit the third heat transfer fluid to flow therethrough.

7. The conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is a first heat exchanger, and the conditioning system further comprises a second heat exchanger having a third path in fluid communication with the humidity control system to permit the liquid desiccant to flow therethrough and a fourth path in fluid communication with the vapor compression system to permit one of the first, second, or third heat transfer fluids to flow therethrough.

8. The conditioning system of claim 7 , wherein the second path of the first heat exchanger is fluidly connected to the third loop to permit the second heat transfer fluid to flow therethrough, and the fourth path of the second heat exchanger is fluidly connected to the second loop to permit the first heat transfer fluid to flow therethrough.

9. The conditioning system of claim 7 , wherein the second path of the first heat exchanger and the fourth path of the second heat exchanger are fluidly connected to the fourth loop to permit the third heat transfer fluid to flow therethrough.

10. The conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the humidity control system further comprises a supplemental heat exchanger coupled in fluid communication with the first mass exchange device and the second mass exchange device, the supplemental heat exchanger including a first liquid desiccant path for providing the liquid desiccant in a first direction from the first mass exchange device to the second mass exchange device, and a second liquid desiccant path for providing the liquid desiccant in a second direction from the second mass exchange device to the first mass exchange device, wherein the first liquid desiccant path is thermally coupled to the second liquid desiccant path.

11. A conditioning system comprising:
a chiller including:
an evaporator; and
a condenser,
wherein the evaporator and the condenser are coupled in fluid communication to permit a refrigerant to flow in a refrigerant loop therebetween;

a conditioner including:
a first fan for producing a first airflow toward a conditioned interior space; and
a first mass exchange device positioned in the first airflow,
wherein the conditioner is fluidly connected to the chiller to permit a first heat transfer fluid to flow in a conditioning loop between the first mass exchange device and the evaporator; and

a regenerator including:
a second fan for producing a second airflow toward an exterior space; and
a second mass exchange device positioned in the second airflow,
wherein the regenerator is fluidly coupled to the chiller to permit a second heat transfer fluid to flow in a regenerating loop between the second mass exchange device and the condenser, and wherein the regenerator is fluidly coupled to the conditioner to permit a liquid desiccant to flow in a liquid desiccant loop between and through the second mass exchange device and the first mass exchange device,

wherein at least one of the chiller, the regenerator, or the conditioner includes a heat exchanger having a first path in fluid communication with the liquid desiccant loop to permit the liquid desiccant to flow therethrough in series with the first mass exchange device or the second mass exchange device, and a second path thermally coupled to the first path and in fluid communication with one of the refrigerant loop, conditioning loop, or regenerating loop to permit one of the refrigerant, first heat transfer fluid, or second heat transfer fluid to flow therethrough.

12. The conditioning system of claim 11 , wherein the first and second heat transfer fluids are water.

13. The conditioning system of claim 11 , wherein the first path of the heat exchanger is upstream of the second mass exchange device in the liquid desiccant loop, and the second path of the heat exchanger is upstream of the condenser in the refrigerant loop to permit the refrigerant to flow therethrough.

14. The conditioning system of claim 11 , wherein the first path of the heat exchanger is upstream of the first mass exchange device in the liquid desiccant loop, and the second path of the heat exchanger is downstream of the evaporator in the refrigerant loop to permit the refrigerant to flow therethrough.

15. The conditioning system of claim 11 , wherein the first path of the heat exchanger is upstream of the second mass exchange device in the liquid desiccant loop, and the second path of the heat exchanger is downstream of the condenser in the regenerating loop to permit th

Assignees

• Copeland Lp

Inventors

• Warner Jason

Classifications

• F24F3/147

  with both heat and humidity transfer between supplied and exhausted air · CPC title

• F24F1/0003

  characterised by a split arrangement, wherein parts of the air-conditioning system, e.g. evaporator and condenser, are in separately located units · CPC title

• F24F2003/1458

  using regenerators · CPC title

• F24F3/1411 Primary

  by absorbing or adsorbing water, e.g. using an hygroscopic desiccant · CPC title

• F24F3/1417 Primary

  with liquid hygroscopic desiccants · CPC title