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US 7,017,356 B2Granted
HVAC desiccant wheel system and method
AssigneeAmerican Standard International Inc.
InventorRonnie R. Moffitt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An HVAC system includes a desiccant wheel, wherein the wheel's speed varies with airflow, the wheel is energized for at least a set period at startup, and/or a heat recovery system (e.g., an air-to-air heat exchanger) upstream of the wheel enhances the system's ability to dehumidify air.
Claims10
A refrigerant system for conditioning air for a comfort zone, the refrigerant system comprising:
- an enclosure defining an outside air inlet, an intermediate air chamber, an outside air outlet, an upstream air passageway, an intermediate air passageway, and a downstream air passageway, wherein the air moves downstream sequentially through the outside air inlet, the intermediate air chamber, the outside air outlet, the upstream air passageway, the intermediate air passageway, and the downstream air passageway;
- a heat recovery system in fluid communication with the outside air inlet, the intermediate air chamber, and the outside air outlet, wherein the heat recovery system transfers heat from a first current of air to a second current of air, wherein the first current of air travels from the outside air inlet to the intermediate air chamber, and the second current of air travels from the intermediate air chamber to the outside air outlet;
- a desiccant wheel able to absorb moisture from the air passing from the intermediate air passageway to the downstream air passageway and simultaneously release moisture to the air passing from the upstream air passageway to the intermediate air passageway;
- a blower in a position to force the air from the downstream air passageway to the comfort zone;
- a first cooling coil disposed within the intermediate air passageway to help cool and remove moisture from the air;
- and
- a second cooling coil disposed in the intermediate air chamber.
4 more elements
A method of conditioning air for a comfort zone, the method comprising:
- conveying the air sequentially through an outside air inlet, an intermediate air chamber, an outside air outlet, an upstream air passageway, through a desiccant wheel, through an intermediate air passageway, back through the desiccant wheel, and out through a downstream air passageway;
- cooling the air as the air passes from the outside air inlet to the intermediate air chamber;
- heating the air as the air passes from the intermediate air chamber to the outside air outlet;
- heating the air as the air passes from the outside air outlet to the desiccant wheel;
- releasing moisture from the desiccant wheel to the air as the air passes from the upstream air passageway to the intermediate air passageway;
- cooling the air as the air moves from the desiccant wheel to the downstream air passageway;
- and
- absorbing moisture from the air as the air moves back through the desiccant wheel upon traveling from the intermediate air passageway to the downstream air passageway.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.