Humidity control apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9874365-B2
Application number	US-201214345119-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2012
Priority date	Sep 16, 2011
Publication date	Jan 23, 2018
Grant date	Jan 23, 2018

Abstract

In the present invention, liquid absorbent is cooled or heated during off-peak hours of electricity demand to prevent the margin between electricity supply and demand from being tightened. A humidity control apparatus switches an absorbent circuit between a regenerated position in which a regeneration circuit is formed, and a humidity-controlled position in which a humidity control circuit is formed. In the regeneration circuit, during a period during which humidity control operation is stopped, outlet and inlet ends of a regeneration passage communicate with each other, and liquid absorbent circulates within the regeneration passage. In the humidity control circuit, during the humidity control operation, a humidity control passage and the regeneration passage communicate with each other, and liquid absorbent circulates between the humidity control passage and the regeneration passage.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A humidity control apparatus for performing humidity control operation in which target air is humidified using liquid absorbent, the apparatus comprising:
an absorbent circuit through which the liquid absorbent circulates and which includes
a humidity controller configured to control a humidity of the target air by exchanging moisture between the target air and the liquid absorbent, and
a regenerator configured to regenerate the liquid absorbent by exchanging moisture between regeneration air and the liquid absorbent;

a regeneration heat exchanger section provided in the absorbent circuit to cool or heat the liquid absorbent exchanging moisture with the regeneration air;
a humidity control heat exchanger section provided in the absorbent circuit to heat or cool the liquid absorbent exchanging moisture with the target air;
a circuit selector provided in the absorbent circuit to switch the absorbent circuit to a regenerated position in which the liquid absorbent flows through the regenerator and the regeneration heat exchanger section such that during a period during which the humidity control operation is stopped, only regeneration operation for regenerating the liquid absorbent is performed;
a refrigerant circuit in which
refrigerant circulates among a compressor, the humidity control heat exchanger section, the regeneration heat exchanger section, and an auxiliary heat exchanger section to perform a refrigeration cycle,
the refrigerant passing through the humidity control heat exchanger section and the regeneration heat exchanger section exchanges heat with the liquid absorbent, and
the refrigerant passing through the auxiliary heat exchanger section exchanges heat with heat source fluid; and

a controller programmed to control the circuit selector to stop the humidity control operation and cause only the regeneration operation for regenerating the liquid absorbent to be performed, wherein
the auxiliary heat exchanger section is configured to exchange heat between the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant circuit and air,
the refrigerant circuit includes an expansion valve and a refrigerant three-way valve which are disposed between the humidity control heat exchanger section and the regeneration heat exchanger section,
the refrigerant three-way valve has first, second, and third ports respectively connected to the expansion valve, the auxiliary heat exchanger section, and the humidity control heat exchanger section,
the refrigerant three-way valve is configured to be selectable between a bypass position in which the first port communicates with the third port so that the refrigerant flows through the refrigerant three-way valve to bypass the auxiliary heat exchanger section, and a circulation position in which the first port communicates with the second port so that the refrigerant flows through the refrigerant three-way valve to pass through the auxiliary heat exchanger section, and
the controller is programmed to place the refrigerant three-way valve in the bypass position during the humidity control operation and to place the refrigerant three-way valve in the circulation position during the regeneration operation performed while the humidity control operation is stopped.

2. The humidity control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the absorbent circuit includes,
a humidity control passage in which,
while the humidity control heat exchanger section heats the liquid absorbent in the humidity controller, moisture is released from the liquid absorbent to the target air, and
while the humidity control heat exchanger section cools the liquid absorbent in the humidity controller, the liquid absorbent absorbs moisture from the target air, and

a regeneration passage in which,
while the regeneration heat exchanger section cools the liquid absorbent in the regenerator, the liquid absorbent absorbs moisture from the regeneration air, and
while the regeneration heat exchanger section heats the liquid absorbent in the regenerator, moisture is released from the liquid absorbent to the regeneration air, and

the circuit selector switches the absorbent circuit between
a humidity-controlled position in which during the humidity control operation, the liquid absorbent circulates between the humidity control passage and the regeneration passage, and
a regenerated position in which during the regeneration operation during which the humidity control operation is stopped, both ends of the regeneration passage communicate with each other, and the liquid absorbent circulates within the regeneration passage to allow only regeneration of the liquid absorbent.

3. The humidity control apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:
a concentration detector configured to detect a concentration of the liquid absorbent when the absorbent circuit is in a regenerated position, wherein
the controller is programmed to stop the regeneration operation based on a value detected by the concentration detector.

4. The humidity control apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:
a moisture amount detector configured to detect a total amount of moisture released from or absorbed by the liquid absorbent in the regenerator when the circuit selector is in a regenerated position, wherein
the controller is programmed to stop the regeneration operation based on a value detected by the moisture amount detector.

5. The humidity control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the absorbent circuit includes,
a humidity control passage in which, while moisture is released from the liquid absorbent to the target air in the humidity controller, the liquid absorbent absorbs moisture from the target air in the humidity controller,
a regeneration passage in which,
while the regeneration heat exchanger section cools the liquid absorbent in the regenerator, the liquid absorbent absorbs moisture from the regeneration air, and
while the regeneration heat exchanger section heats the liquid absorbent in the regenerator, moisture is released from the liquid absorbent to the regeneration air, and

a liquid tank configured to store the liquid absorbent, and

the circuit selector switches the absorbent circuit between
a humidity-controlled position in which, during the humidity control operation, the liquid absorbent circulates between the humidity control passage and the liquid tank, and
a regenerated position in which, during the regeneration operation during which the humidity control operation is stopped, the liquid absorbent circulates between the regeneration passage and the liquid tank to allow only regeneration of the liquid absorbent.

6. The humidity control apparatus of claim 5 , wherein
the humidity control passage is configured such that,
while the humidity control heat exchanger section heats the liquid absorbent in the humidity controller, moisture is released from the liquid absorbent to the target air, and
while the humidity control heat exchanger section cools the liquid absorbent in the humidity controller, the liquid absorbent absorbs moisture from the target air, and

the humidity-controlled position of the absorbent circuit includes,
a first humidity-controlled position in which the liquid absorbent circulates between the humidity control passage and the regeneration passage, and the liquid absorbent is heated and cooled to perform the humidity control operation, and
a second humidity-controlled position in which the liquid absorbent circulates between the humidity control passage and the liquid tank, and the humidity control operation is performed without heating or cooling the liquid absorbent.

7. The humidity control apparatus of claim 6 , wherein
the controller is programmed to allow the humidity control heat exchanger section and t

Assignees

• Fujita Naotoshi
• Ikegami Shuji
• Daikin Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Fujita Naotoshi
• Ikegami Shuji

Classifications

• F24F3/1417

  with liquid hygroscopic desiccants · CPC title

• F24F11/0008 Primary

  for air-humidification (F24F11/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B01D53/1425

  Regeneration of liquid absorbents · CPC title

• F24F2203/026

  Absorption - desorption cycle · CPC title

• B01D53/263

  by absorption · CPC title