Air-conditioning system and humidity control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9644875-B2
Application number	US-201013882614-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2010
Priority date	Dec 22, 2010
Publication date	May 9, 2017
Grant date	May 9, 2017

Abstract

An air-conditioning system includes at least one outdoor unit including a compressor, a four-way valve, and an outdoor heat exchanger, at least one indoor unit including an indoor unit expansion valve and an indoor unit heat exchanger, and at least one humidity control device including a humidity control device expansion valve, a humidity control device heat exchanger, and first and second water adsorption/desorption devices. The compressor, the four-way valve, the outdoor heat exchanger, the indoor unit expansion valve, the indoor unit heat exchanger, the humidity control device expansion valve, and the humidity control device heat exchanger are connected to each other with pipes so as to constitute a refrigerant circuit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air-conditioning system comprising: at least one outdoor unit including a compressor, a flow switching device, and an outdoor heat exchanger; at least one indoor unit including a first expansion device and a first indoor heat exchanger; and at least one humidity control device including a second expansion device, a second indoor heat exchanger, a humidity control device air-sending device, a first water adsorption/desorption device, and a second water adsorption/desorption device, wherein the compressor, the flow switching device, the outdoor heat exchanger, the first expansion device, the first indoor heat exchanger, the second expansion device, and the second indoor heat exchanger are connected to each other with pipes so as to constitute a refrigerant circuit, wherein, in the humidity control device, the first water adsorption/desorption device and the second water adsorption/desorption device are disposed in an air path providing communication between an air inlet through which air flows in from a humidity controlled space and an air outlet through which air flows out into the humidity controlled space, the first water adsorption/desorption device and the second water adsorption/desorption device each comprising a dehumidification element including an adsorbent whose equilibrium adsorption capacity with respect to air having a relative humidity in a range of 40% through 100% increase with an increase in the relative humidity, the second indoor heat exchanger is disposed between the first water adsorption/desorption device and the second water adsorption/desorption device in the air path, wherein the humidity control device further includes a switching device that switches between a first channel in which the air that has flowed in through the air inlet is caused to pass through the first water adsorption/desorption device, the second indoor heat exchanger, and the second water adsorption/desorption device in this order, and a second channel in which the air that has flowed in through the air inlet is caused to pass through the second water adsorption/desorption device, the second indoor heat exchanger, and the first water adsorption/desorption device in this order, and wherein the humidity control device air-sending device is configured to vary a volume of air and send the varied volume of air to the first water adsorption/desorption device and the second water adsorption/desorption device, and wherein, during a cooling operation, the humidity control device is configured to dehumidify air inhaled from the humidity controlled space and supply the air which was dehumidified to the humidity controlled space from where the air was inhaled.

2. The air-conditioning system of claim 1 , further comprising
at least one outdoor air treatment device including a third expansion device and a third indoor heat exchanger,
wherein the third expansion device and the third indoor heat exchanger are further connected with the pipes so as to constitute the refrigerant circuit.

3. The air-conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the first water adsorption/desorption device and the second water adsorption/desorption device are fixed and remain stationary in an air path providing communication between an air inlet through which air flows in from a humidity controlled space and an air outlet through which air flows out into the humidity controlled space.

4. The air-conditioning system of claim 3 , wherein the switching device includes
a first branch part that is disposed upstream of the first water adsorption/desorption device and the second water adsorption/desorption device, and divides the air path into two branches; and
a second branch part that is disposed downstream of the first water adsorption/desorption device and the second water adsorption/desorption device, and divides the air path into two branches.

5. The air-conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the first water adsorption/desorption device and the second water adsorption/desorption device are ventilation bodies each having a plurality of through holes.

6. The air-conditioning system of claim 1 ,
wherein the second indoor heat exchanger is disposed between the first water adsorption/desorption device and the second water adsorption/desorption device in an air path providing communication between an air inlet through which air flows in from a humidity controlled space and an air outlet through which air flows out into the humidity controlled space, and
wherein the first water adsorption/desorption device and the second water adsorption/desorption device are arranged such that air passage surfaces thereof face air passage surfaces of the second indoor heat exchanger, respectively.

7. The air-conditioning system of claim 1 ,
wherein the second indoor heat exchanger is disposed between the first water adsorption/desorption device and the second water adsorption/desorption device in an air path providing communication between an air inlet through which air flows in from a humidity controlled space and an air outlet through which air flows out into the humidity controlled space, and
wherein a direction in which the air that passes through the first water adsorption/desorption device, the second indoor heat exchanger, and the second water adsorption/desorption device is reversed by switching air channels in the air path.

8. An air-conditioning system comprising:
at least one first outdoor unit including a first compressor, a first flow switching device, and a first outdoor heat exchanger;
at least one second outdoor unit including a second compressor, a second flow switching device, and a second outdoor heat exchanger;
at least one indoor unit including a first expansion device and a first indoor heat exchanger; and
at least one humidity control device including a second expansion device, a second indoor heat exchanger, a humidity control device air-sending device, a first water adsorption/desorption device, and a second water adsorption/desorption device,
wherein the first compressor, the first flow switching device, the first outdoor heat exchanger, the first expansion device, and the first indoor heat exchanger are connected to each other with pipes so as to constitute a first refrigerant circuit, and
wherein the second compressor, the second flow switching device, the second outdoor heat exchanger, the second expansion device, and the second indoor heat exchanger are connected to each other with pipes so as to constitute a second refrigerant circuit,
wherein, in the humidity control device, the first water adsorption/desorption device and the second water adsorption/desorption device are disposed in an air path providing communication between an air inlet through which air flows in from a humidity controlled space and an air outlet through which air flows out into the humidity controlled space, the first water adsorption/desorption device and the second water adsorption/desorption device each comprising a dehumidification element including an adsorbent whose equilibrium adsorption capacity with respect to air having a relative humidity in a range of 40% through 100% increase with an increase in the relative humidity,
the second indoor heat exchanger is disposed between the first water adsorption/desorption device and the second water adsorption/desorption device in the air path,
wherein the humidity control device further includes a switching device that switches between a first channel in which the air that has flowed in through the air inlet is caused to pass through the first water adsorption/desorption device, the second indoor heat exchanger, and the second water adsorption/desorption device in this order, and a second channel in which the air that has flowed in through the

Assignees

• Ito Shinichi
• Toyoshima Masaki
• Unezaki Fumitake
• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Ito Shinichi
• Toyoshima Masaki
• Unezaki Fumitake

Classifications

• F25B2700/1931

  Discharge pressures · CPC title

• F25B2313/0314

  Temperature sensors near the indoor heat exchanger · CPC title

• F25B2313/02741

  using one four-way valve · CPC title

• F25B2700/02

  Humidity · CPC title

• F25B13/00

  Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle (defrosting cycles F25B47/02) · CPC title