Energy exchange system for conditioning air in an enclosed structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9810439-B2
Application number	US-201213449598-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 18, 2012
Priority date	Sep 2, 2011
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

Certain Embodiments provide an energy exchange system that includes a supply air flow path, an exhaust air flow path, an energy recovery device disposed within the supply and exhaust air flow paths, and a supply conditioning unit disposed within the supply air flow path. The supply conditioning unit may be downstream from the energy recovery device. Certain embodiments provide a method of conditioning air including introducing outside air as supply air into a supply air flow path, pre-conditioning the supply air with an energy recovery device, and fully-conditioning the supply air with a supply conditioning unit that is downstream from the energy recovery device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An energy exchange system comprising:
a supply air flow path;
an exhaust air flow path;
an energy recovery device disposed within the supply and exhaust air flow paths;
a supply conditioning unit disposed within the supply air flow path, wherein the supply conditioning unit is downstream from the energy recovery device;
a regenerator disposed within the exhaust air flow path; and
a liquid handling device in fluid communication with the supply conditioning unit and the regenerator, wherein the liquid handling device comprises a moisture transfer loop in fluid communication with a supply loop and a regenerator loop.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the regenerator and at least one heat exchange device are configured to be operated during off-hours to regenerate a desiccant.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the liquid handling device contains one or more of liquid desiccant, water, glycol.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the liquid handling device comprises a liquid source, wherein a concentration of liquid within the liquid handling device is configured to be adjusted through the liquid source.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the liquid handling device comprises:
a first heat exchanger in a supply fluid path;
a second heat exchanger in an exhaust fluid path; and
a conditioner that circulates heat transfer fluid between the first and second heat exchangers.

6. The system of claim 5 , further comprising at least one more conditioner downstream or upstream of the first and second heat exchangers.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the moisture transfer loop comprises a desiccant supply conduit and a desiccant return conduit, wherein at least portions of the desiccant supply conduit and the desiccant return conduit contact one another in a manner that facilitates thermal energy transfer therebetween.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the desiccant supply conduit is formed concentric within, or concentric to, the desiccant return conduit.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the desiccant supply conduit is arranged co-radial with the desiccant return conduit with flow occurring in opposite directions through the desiccant supply and return conduits.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the supply conditioning unit comprises a liquid-to-air membrane energy exchanger (LAMEE).

11. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a return air duct that fluidly connects the supply air flow path and the exhaust air flow path, wherein the return air duct connects to the supply air flow path downstream from the supply conditioning unit.

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising at least one post-conditioner disposed in one or both of the supply air flow path or the return air duct.

13. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a post-conditioner disposed downstream of the energy recovery device and upstream of the supply conditioning unit in the supply air flow path.

14. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a post-conditioner disposed downstream of one or both of the energy recovery device and the regenerator in the exhaust air flow path.

15. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a remote conditioner.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the supply air flow path and the exhaust air flow path are connected to a plurality of zone conditioners.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of zone conditioners comprises the supply conditioning unit.

18. The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one control unit that monitors and controls operation of the system.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the at least one control unit operates the system to selectively control one or both of humidity or temperature.

20. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the moisture transfer loop, the supply loop, and the regenerator loop is formed of one or more conduits that allow desiccant to flow through internal passages.

21. An energy exchange system comprising:
a supply air flow path;
an exhaust air flow path;
a supply conditioning unit disposed within the supply air flow path;
an energy recovery device disposed within the supply and exhaust air flow paths, wherein the supply conditioning unit is downstream from the energy recovery device;
a regenerator disposed within the exhaust air flow path; and
a liquid handling device in fluid communication with the supply conditioning unit and the regenerator, wherein the liquid handling device comprises a moisture transfer loop that is in fluid communication with a supply loop and a regenerator loop.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the liquid handling device comprises first and second heat exchangers in fluid communication with a first heat exchange fluid conditioner.

23. The system of claim 22 , further comprising second and third conditioners.

24. The system of claim 21 , wherein the liquid handling device contains one or more of liquid desiccant, water, glycol.

25. The system of claim 21 , wherein the liquid handling device comprises a liquid source, wherein a concentration of liquid within the liquid handling device is configured to be adjusted through the liquid source.

26. The system of claim 21 , wherein the moisture transfer loop comprises a desiccant supply conduit and a desiccant return conduit, wherein at least portions of the desiccant supply conduit and the desiccant return conduit contact one another in a manner that facilitates thermal energy transfer therebetween.

27. The system of claim 26 , wherein the desiccant supply conduit is formed concentric within, or concentric to, the desiccant return conduit.

28. The system of claim 26 , wherein the desiccant supply conduit is arranged co-radial with the desiccant return conduit with flow occurring in opposite directions through the desiccant supply and return conduits.

29. The system of claim 21 , wherein each of the supply conditioning unit and the regenerator comprises a liquid-to-air membrane energy exchanger (LAMEE).

30. The system of claim 21 , further comprising a return air duct that fluidly connects the supply air flow path and the exhaust air flow path, wherein the return air duct connects to the supply air flow path downstream from the supply conditioning unit.

31. The system of claim 30 , further comprising at least one post-conditioner disposed in one or both of the supply air flow path or the return air duct.

32. The system of claim 21 , further comprising a post-conditioner disposed downstream of the energy recovery device and upstream of the supply conditioning unit in the supply air flow path.

33. The system of claim 21 , further comprising a post-conditioner disposed downstream of one or both of the energy recovery device and the regenerator in the exhaust air flow path.

34. The system of claim 21 , further comprising a remote conditioner.

35. The system of claim 21 , wherein the supply air flow path and the exhaust air flow path are connected to a plurality of zone conditioners.

36. The system of claim 35 , wherein the plurality of zone conditioners comprises the supply conditioning unit.

37. The system of claim 21 , further comprising at least one control unit that monitors and controls operation of the syst

Assignees

• Coutu Ken
• Hemingson Howard Brian
• Gerber Manfred
• Nortek Air Solutions Canada Inc

Inventors

• Coutu Ken
• Hemingson Howard Brian
• Gerber Manfred

Classifications

• F24F3/1417 Primary

  with liquid hygroscopic desiccants · CPC title

• F24F2003/1435

  comprising semi-permeable membrane · CPC title

• F28D21/0015

  Heat and mass exchangers, e.g. with permeable walls · CPC title

• F28D19/042

  Rotors; Assemblies of heat absorbing masses · CPC title

• F24F3/147

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