Desiccant-based air conditioning system
AssigneeDucool Ltd.
InventorDan Forkosh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An air conditioning system includes a dehumidifier, a regenerator, and a refrigeration system. The dehumidifier removes water from a first airflow using a liquid desiccant. The regenerator transfers water from the dilute desiccant into a second airflow. The refrigeration system can be selectively used to provide heat to the desiccant in the regenerator to more effectively remove the water from the dilute desiccant. An external heat source can also be used to heat the desiccant in the regenerator to more effectively remove the water from the dilute desiccant. The refrigeration system and the external heat source can each be used separately to heat the desiccant, or the desiccant can be heated by both heat sources simultaneously.
Claims20
A system for conditioning air, comprising:
- a dehumidifier into which a first airflow is introduced and contacted with a liquid desiccant to transfer water from the first airflow to the liquid desiccant;
- a regenerator into which a second airflow is introduced and contacted with the liquid desiccant to transfer water from the liquid desiccant to the second airflow;
- a refrigeration system that includes a plurality of heat exchangers, a refrigerant, and a compressor;
- a regeneration desiccant heat exchanger configured to:
- selectively receive heat from the refrigeration system,
- selectively receive heat from an external heat source, and
- receive the liquid desiccant from the regenerator to transfer heat from at least one of the refrigeration system or the external heat source to the liquid desiccant prior to the second airflow contacting the liquid desiccant;
- a dehumidifier desiccant heat exchanger configured to:
- receive the liquid desiccant from the dehumidifier to selectively transfer heat to at least one of the refrigeration system or an external cooling source prior to the first airflow contacting the liquid desiccant;
- a first coolant cooled by the external cooling source;
- a second coolant in contact with the dehumidifier desiccant heat exchanger;
- and
- a first heat exchanger configured to selectively receive the first and second coolants such that heat is transferred from the second coolant to the first coolant.
A system for conditioning air, comprising:
- a dehumidifier into which a first airflow is introduced and contacted with a liquid desiccant to transfer water from the first airflow to the liquid desiccant;
- a regenerator into which a second airflow is introduced and contacted with the liquid desiccant to transfer water from the liquid desiccant to the second airflow;
- a refrigeration system that includes a plurality of heat exchangers, a refrigerant, and a compressor;
- a dehumidifier desiccant heat exchanger configured to:
- selectively transfer heat from the desiccant in the dehumidifier to the refrigeration system prior to the first airflow contacting the liquid desiccant, and
- selectively transfer heat from the desiccant in the dehumidifier to an external cooling source prior to the first airflow contacting the liquid desiccant;
- a first coolant cooled by the external cooling source;
- a second coolant in contact with the dehumidifier desiccant heat exchanger;
- and
- a first heat exchanger configured to selectively receive the first and second coolants such that heat is transferred from the second coolant to the first coolant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.