# US 2014/0150481 A1 · Methods and systems for cooling buildings with large heat loads using desiccant chillers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0150481 A1 - Document ID: US20140150481A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/096,445 - Filed: 2013-12-04 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-04 - Assignees: 7AC Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: 7AC Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Peter F. Vandermeulen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140150481A1 ## CPC - F28C 1/16: Arrangements for preventing condensation, precipitation or mist formation, outside the cooler (F28C1/14 takes precedence) - B01D 53/263: {by absorption} - F24F 3/1417: {with liquid hygroscopic desiccants} - F24F 5/0014: {using absorption or desorption} - F24F 2003/1458: {using regenerators} - F28C 2001/006: {Systems comprising cooling towers, e.g. for recooling a cooling medium} - Y02B 30/70: Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating - F28C: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT WITHOUT CHEMICAL INTERACTION (safety devices in general F16P; fluid heaters having heat generating means F24H; with an intermediate heat-transfer medium coming into direct contact with heat-exchange media F28D15/00 - F28D19/00; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general application F28F) - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - F24F: AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING (removing dirt or fumes from areas where they are produced B08B15/00; vertical ducts for carrying away waste gases from buildings E04F17/02; tops for chimneys or ventilating shafts, terminals for flues F23L17/02) - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract A system for providing cooling to a building includes a cooling tower for transferring waste heat from the building to the atmosphere and a liquid desiccant system for dehumidifying an air stream entering the cooling tower to increase cooling efficiency of the cooling tower. The liquid desiccant system includes a conditioner and a regenerator. The conditioner utilizes a liquid desiccant for dehumidifying the air stream entering the cooling tower. The regenerator is connected to the conditioner for receiving dilute liquid desiccant from the conditioner, concentrating the dilute liquid desiccant using waste heat from the building, and returning concentrated liquid desiccant to the conditioner. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for providing cooling to a building, comprising: a cooling tower for transferring waste heat from the building to the atmosphere; and a liquid desiccant system for dehumidifying an air stream entering the cooling tower to increase cooling efficiency of the cooling tower, said liquid desiccant system comprising: a conditioner utilizing a liquid desiccant for dehumidifying the air stream entering the cooling tower; and a regenerator connected to the conditioner for receiving dilute liquid desiccant from the conditioner, concentrating the dilute liquid desiccant using waste heat from the building, and returning concentrated liquid desiccant to the conditioner. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the liquid desiccant in the regenerator is heated by hot waste heat from the building. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a chiller system connected to the building by a first heat transfer fluid loop, wherein heat from the building is rejected to the chiller system through the first heat transfer fluid loop; and wherein the cooling tower is connected to the chiller system by a second heat transfer fluid loop, wherein heat from the chiller system is rejected to the cooling tower through the second heat transfer fluid loop. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the regenerator is also connected to the chiller system through the second heat transfer fluid loop to heat liquid desiccant in the regenerator. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the regenerator is connected to the cooling tower such that heat transfer fluid in the second heat transfer fluid loop flows from the regenerator to the cooling tower. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the conditioner is connected to the cooling tower through a third heat transfer fluid loop such that cooled heat transfer fluid from the tower flows through the conditioner to cool the liquid desiccant in the conditioner. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the conditioner comprises a plurality of structures arranged in a substantially vertical orientation, each structure having at least one surface across which the liquid desiccant in the conditioner can flow, wherein the air stream flows through or between the structures such that the liquid desiccant dehumidifies and cools the air stream. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of structures includes a passage through which a heat transfer fluid can flow. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the liquid desiccant and the heat transfer fluid flow in generally opposite directions in the conditioner. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, further comprising a sheet of material positioned proximate to the at least one surface of each structure between the liquid desiccant and the air stream, said sheet of material permitting transfer of water vapor between the liquid desiccant and the air stream. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the sheet of material comprises a microporous membrane. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the regenerator includes a plurality of structures arranged in a substantially vertical orientation, each structure having at least one surface across which the liquid desiccant in the regenerator can flow, wherein an air stream flows through or between the structures causing the liquid desiccant to desorb water to the air stream. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of structures in the regenerator includes a passage through which a heat transfer fluid can flow. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the liquid desiccant and the heat transfer fluid flow in generally opposite directions in the conditioner. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, further comprising a sheet of material positioned proximate to the at least one surface of each structure between the liquid desiccant and the air stream, said sheet of material permitting transfer of water vapor between the liquid desiccant and the air stream. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the sheet of material comprises a microporous membrane. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the building comprises a data center or an industrial manufacturing or processing facility. ### Claim 18 A method for providing cooling to a building, comprising: transferring waste heat from the building to a cooling tower to be released into the atmosphere; and dehumidifying an air stream entering the cooling tower to increase cooling efficiency of the cooling tower using a liquid desiccant system by: utilizing a liquid desiccant in a conditioner for dehumidifying the air stream entering the cooling tower; and receiving dilute liquid desiccant from the conditioner at a regenerator, concentrating the dilute liquid desiccant using waste heat from the building, and returning concentrated liquid desiccant to the conditioner. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising heating the liquid desiccant in the regenerator using hot waste heat from the building. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein transferring waste heat from the building to the cooling tower comprises rejecting heat from the building to a chiller system through a first heat transfer fluid loop, and rejecting heat from the chiller system to the cooling tower through a second heat transfer fluid loop. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the regenerator is connected to the chiller system through the second heat transfer fluid loop to heat liquid desiccant in the regenerator. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, wherein the regenerator is connected to the cooling tower such that heat transfer fluid in the second heat transfer fluid loop flows from the regenerator to the cooling tower. ### Claim 23 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the conditioner is connected to the cooling tower through a third heat transfer fluid loop such that cooled heat transfer fluid from the tower flows through the conditioner to cool the liquid desiccant in the conditioner. ### Claim 24 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the conditioner comprises a plurality of structures arranged in a substantially vertical orientation, each structure having at least one surface across which the liquid desiccant in the conditioner can flow, wherein method further comprises flowing the air stream flows through or between the structures such that the liquid desiccant dehumidifies and cools the air stream. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, wherein each of the plurality of structures includes a passage through which a heat transfer fluid can flow. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25, wherein the liquid desiccant and the heat transfer fluid flow in generally opposite directions in the conditioner. ### Claim 27 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, further comprising a sheet of material positioned proximate to the at least one surface of each structure between the liquid desiccant and the air stream, said sheet of material permitting transfer of water vapor between the liquid desiccant and the air stream. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The method of claim 27, wherein the sheet of material comprises a microporous membrane. ### Claim 29 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the regenerator includes a plurality of structures arranged in a substantially vertical orientation, each structure having at least one surface across which the liquid desiccant in the regenerator can flow, wherein the method further comprises flowing an air stream through or between the structures causing the liquid desiccant to desorb water to the air stream. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The method of claim 29, wherein each of the plurality of structures in the regenerator includes a passage through which a heat transfer fluid can flow. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The method of claim 30, wherein the liquid desiccant and the heat transfer fluid flow in generally opposite directions in the conditioner. ### Claim 32 (depends on 29) The method of claim 29, further comprising a sheet of material positioned proximate to the at least one surface of each structure between the liquid desiccant and the air stream, said sheet of material permitting transfer of water vapor between the liquid desiccant and the air stream. ### Claim 33 (depends on 29) The method of claim 29, wherein the sheet of material comprises a microporous membrane. ### Claim 34 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the building comprises a data center or an industrial manufacturing or processing facility.