Water collecting system, humidification system, and air conditioning system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016281999-A1
Application number	US-201615063917-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 8, 2016
Priority date	Mar 23, 2015
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A water collecting system of an embodiment has a water supplying unit with a water-permeable membrane, a first chamber and a second chamber separated from the first chamber by the permeable membrane, a vacuum unit, a water collecting unit collecting liquid water, a first switching valve, a cooling unit cooling the water collecting unit; and an air blowing unit sending first gas to the first chamber. The second chamber, the vacuum unit, the water collecting unit, and the first switching valve comprise a first loop circuit in which second gas flow. The vacuum unit decompresses the second gas flowing in the first loop circuit and reduces a pressure in the second gas in comparison with a pressure in the first gas. The cooling unit collects the liquid water by cooling the second gas passing through the water collecting unit and condensing gaseous water included in the second gas.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A water collecting system, comprising:
a water supplying unit with a water-permeable membrane, a first chamber and a second chamber separated from the first chamber by the water permeable membrane; a vacuum unit; a water collecting unit collecting liquid water; a first switching valve; a cooling unit cooling the water collecting unit; and an air blowing unit sending first gas to the first chamber, wherein the second chamber, the vacuum unit, the water collecting unit, and the first switching valve comprise a first loop circuit in which second gas flow, the vacuum unit decompresses the second gas flowing in the first loop circuit and reduces a pressure in the second gas in comparison with a pressure in the first gas, and the cooling unit collects the liquid water by cooling the second gas passing through the water collecting unit and condensing gaseous water included in the second gas.

2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the vacuum unit moves gaseous water included in the first gas to the second gas through the water-permeable membrane.

3 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein an intake side of the vacuum unit is connected to the second chamber, an exhaust side of the vacuum unit is connected to the first switching valve, the first switching valve is connected to the exhaust side of the vacuum unit, the water collecting unit, and a pipe for exhausting to the outside of the first loop circuit, the first switching valve switches a first fluid passage in which the second gas flow from the vacuum unit to the water collecting unit and a second fluid passage in which the second gas flow from the vacuum unit to the outside of the first loop circuit when pressure in the second gas is equal to or higher than a set pressure.

4 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the water-permeable membrane is at least any one of a solid polymer membrane, a membrane including acrylic resin, zeolite membrane and a silica membrane.

5 . The system according claim 1 , wherein the liquid water is stored in the water collecting unit.

6 . A humidification system, comprising:
a water supplying unit with a water-permeable membrane, a first chamber and a second chamber separated from the first chamber by the water permeable membrane; a vacuum unit; a water collecting unit collecting liquid water; a first switching valve; a cooling unit cooling the water collecting unit; an air blowing unit sending first gas to the first chamber; a liquid water vaporization unit vaporizing the liquid water; and a liquid feed unit feeding the liquid water collected by the water collecting unit to the liquid water vaporization unit, wherein the second chamber, the vacuum unit, the water collecting unit, and the first switching valve comprise a first loop circuit in which second gas flow, the vacuum unit decompresses the second gas flowing in the first loop circuit and reduces a pressure in the second gas in comparison with a pressure in the first gas, the cooling unit collects the liquid water by cooling cools the second gas passing through the water collecting unit and condensing gaseous water included in the second gas, and the liquid water vaporization unit vaporizes the liquid water.

7 . The system according to claim 6 , wherein the vacuum unit reduces a pressure in the second gas in comparison with a pressure in the first gas and moves gaseous water included in the first gas to the second gas through the water-permeable membrane.

8 . The system according to claim 6 , wherein an intake side of the vacuum unit is connected to the second chamber, an exhaust side of the vacuum unit is connected to the first switching valve, the first switching valve is connected to the exhaust side of the vacuum unit, the water collecting unit, and a pipe for exhausting to the outside of the first loop circuit, the first switching valve switches a first fluid passage in which the second gas flow from the vacuum unit to the water collecting unit and a second fluid passage in which the second gas flow from the vacuum unit to the outside of the first loop circuit when pressure in the second gas is higher than a set pressure.

9 . The system according to claim 6 , wherein the water-permeable membrane is at least any one of a solid polymer membrane, a membrane including acrylic resin, zeolite membrane and a silica membrane.

10 . The system according claim 6 , wherein the liquid water is stored in the water collecting unit.

11 . An air conditioning system, comprising:
a water supplying unit with a water-permeable membrane, a first chamber and a second chamber separated from the first chamber by the water permeable membrane; a vacuum unit; a water collecting unit collecting liquid water; a first switching valve; an air blowing unit sending first gas to the first chamber; a liquid water vaporization unit vaporizing the liquid water; a liquid feed unit feeding the liquid water collected by the water collecting unit to the liquid water vaporization unit; and a heat pump cycle including a cooling unit, wherein the second chamber, the vacuum unit, the water collecting unit, and the first switching valve comprise a first loop circuit in which second gas flow, the vacuum unit decompresses the second gas flowing in the first loop circuit and reduces a pressure in the second gas in comparison with a pressure in the first gas, the cooling unit is cooled by heat absorption by the refrigerant in the heat pump cycle, the cooled cooling unit cools the water collecting unit and the liquid water is collected by condensing gaseous water included in the second gas, and humidification by vaporizing the liquid water by the liquid water vaporization unit and air conditioning operation by the heat pump cycle are performed.

12 . The system according to claim 11 , wherein collecting of the liquid water and vaporization of the liquid water are alternately performed.

13 . The according to claim 11 , wherein the vacuum unit moves gaseous water included in the first gas to the second gas through the water-permeable membrane.

14 . The air conditioning system according to claim 11 , wherein an intake side of the vacuum unit is connected to the second chamber, an exhaust side of the vacuum unit is connected to the first switching valve, the first switching valve is connected to the exhaust side of the vacuum unit, the water collecting unit, and a pipe for exhausting to the outside of the first loop circuit, and the first switching valve switches a first fluid passage in which the second gas flow from the vacuum unit to the water collecting unit and a second fluid passage in which the second gas flow from the vacuum unit to the outside of the first loop circuit when pressure in the second gas is higher than a set pressure.

15 . The system according to claim 11 , wherein the water-permeable membrane is at least any one of a solid polymer membrane, a membrane including acrylic resin, zeolite membrane and a silica membrane.

16 . The system according claim 11 , wherein the liquid water is stored in the water collecting unit.

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Yagi Ryosuke
• Suenaga Seiichi
• Tomimatsu Norihiro
• Fukasawa Takayuki
• Harada Koichi

Classifications

• F24F3/1405 Primary

  in which the humidity of the air is exclusively affected by contact with the evaporator of a closed-circuit cooling system or heat pump circuit · CPC title

• F24F3/14 Primary

  by humidification; by dehumidification · CPC title

• F24F2003/144

  by dehumidification only · CPC title

• F24F2003/1435

  comprising semi-permeable membrane · CPC title