Liquid desiccant air conditioning using air as heat transfer medium

A method of conditioning an airflow comprising:

• circulating liquid desiccant through a liquid desiccant loop between an absorber unit and a desorber unit, without circulating the liquid desiccant through a desiccant-to-liquid heat exchanger and without circulating the liquid desiccant through a desiccant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger;
• flowing supply air from an air source along a supply airflow path and through the absorber unit to form an absorber liquid/air interface within the absorber unit and a conditioned airflow exiting the absorber unit;
• concurrent to flowing the supply air, flowing regeneration air from the air source along a regeneration airflow path and through the desorber unit to form a desorber liquid/air interface within the desorber unit and an exhaust airflow exiting the desorber unit;
• removing heat from the supply air upstream of the absorber unit;
• and
• adding heat to the regeneration air upstream of the desorber unit.

A liquid desiccant system comprising:

• a liquid desiccant loop in fluid communication with an absorber unit and a desorber unit such that liquid desiccant is flowable between the absorber unit and the desorber unit;
• a supply airflow path passing through the absorber unit and forming an absorber liquid/air interface within the absorber unit and a conditioned airflow path exiting the absorber unit;
• a regeneration airflow path passing through the desorber unit and forming a desorber liquid/air interface within the desorber unit and an exhaust airflow path exiting the desorber unit;
• and
• a heat exchanger thermally coupled to the supply airflow path and to the regeneration airflow path, the heat exchanger configured to remove heat from supply airflow along the supply airflow path upstream of the absorber unit while adding heat to regeneration airflow along the regeneration airflow path upstream of the desorber unit,
• wherein the system is configured to minimize heat added to the liquid desiccant outside the desorber liquid/air interface within the desorber unit, and
• wherein the liquid desiccant loop between the absorber unit and the desorber unit is a closed loop that does not include a heat exchanger.

A method of conditioning an airflow comprising:

• circulating liquid desiccant through a liquid desiccant loop between an absorber unit and a desorber unit;
• flowing supply air along a supply airflow path and through the absorber unit to form an absorber liquid/air interface within the absorber unit and a conditioned airflow exiting the absorber unit;
• flowing regeneration air along a regeneration airflow path and through the desorber unit to form a desorber liquid/air interface within the desorber unit and an exhaust airflow exiting the desorber unit;
• removing heat from the supply air upstream of the absorber unit;
• and
• while removing heat from the supply air stream, adding heat to the regeneration air upstream of the desorber unit;
• wherein the liquid desiccant loop is devoid of (1) a liquid reservoir (2) a desiccant-to-liquid heat exchanger, and (3) a desiccant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger.

A liquid desiccant system comprising:

• a liquid desiccant loop in fluid communication with an absorber unit and a desorber unit such that liquid desiccant is flowable between the absorber unit and the desorber unit;
• a supply airflow path passing through the absorber unit and forming an absorber liquid/air interface within the absorber unit and a conditioned airflow path exiting the absorber unit;
• a regeneration airflow path passing through the desorber unit and forming a desorber liquid/air interface within the desorber unit and an exhaust airflow path exiting the desorber unit;
• and
• a heat exchanger thermally coupled to the supply airflow path and configured to remove heat from supply airflow along the supply airflow path upstream of the absorber unit, the heat exchanger thermally coupled to the regeneration airflow path and configured to add heat to regeneration airflow along the regeneration airflow path upstream of the desorber unit;
• wherein at least 95% of total heat added to the liquid desiccant is added at the desorber liquid/air interface within the desorber unit;
• and
• wherein a portion of the regeneration airflow is removed from the regeneration airflow path between the heat exchanger and the desorber unit.