Air conditioning system with regeneratable desiccant bed
AssigneeNorthrup, Incorporated
InventorLynn L. Northrup, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved method and apparatus for air conditioning, using a refrigeration system, are disclosed. The disclosed method and apparatus provide for a refrigeration type air conditioning system to be equipped with a regeneratable desiccant for contacting moist feed air prior to passing the feed air across evaporator coils of the system. The desiccant removes a substantial portion of moisture from the feed air, thereby improving the efficiency of the air conditioning system. The desiccant material is regenerated by utilizing waste heat that is removed from the condenser of the air conditioning system.
Claims19
In a refrigeration type air conditioning system which includes a compressor, an evaporator and a condenser, a vaporizable refrigerant contained within a closed conduit communicating with said compressor, said evaporator and said condenser, the improvement which comprises a regeneratable desiccant material, means to pass a first fluid into contact with said desiccant material to thereby remove at least a portion of the water vapor from said first fluid and to produce a desiccant material at least partially saturated with water, means to thereafter pass the thus treated first fluid into contact with said evaporator, thereby cooling said thus treated first fluid, means to pass a second fluid into contact with said condenser to thereby heat said second fluid and means to contact the thus heated second fluid with at least a portion of the at least partially water saturated desiccant material to thereby at least partially regenerate said desiccant material.
In a process for air conditioning a structure with a refrigeration type air conditioning system which includes a compressor means, an evaporator means, a condenser means and a vaporizable refrigerant contained within a conduit means communicating with said compressor means, said condenser means and said evaporator means, the improvement comprising passing a first fluid into contact with a regeneratable desiccant means in a first conduit means to remove at least a portion of the water vapor from said first fluid and to produce a desiccant at least partially saturated with water, passing the thus treated first fluid into contact with said evaporator means in a second conduit means, removing at least a portion of said desiccant which is at least partially saturated with water and passing it to a third conduit means, passing a second fluid into contact with said condenser to thereby heat it and thereafter passing the thus heated second fluid into contact with said at least partially saturated water to thereby regenerate said desiccant material and means to return the regenerated desiccant material to said first conduit means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.