An indirect evaporative cooler for cooling inlet supply air from a first temperature to a second, lower temperature using a stream of liquid coolant and a stream of exhaust or purge air The cooler includes a first flow channel for inlet supply air and a second flow channel adjacent the first for exhaust air The first and second flow channels are defined in part by sheets of a membrane permeable to water vapor such that mass is transferred as a vapor through the membrane from the inlet supply air to a contained liquid desiccant for dehumidification and also to the exhaust air as heat is transferred from the inlet supply air to the liquid coolant A separation wall divides the liquid desiccant and the coolant but allows heat to be transferred from the supply air to the coolant which releases water vapor to the counter or cross flowing exhaust air

Indirect evaporative cooler using membrane-contained, liquid desiccant for dehumidification

A system and method for managing water content in a fluid include a collection chamber for collecting water from the fluid with a desiccant, and a regeneration chamber for collecting water from the desiccant and transferring it to a second fluid. An evaporator cools the desiccant entering the collection chamber, and a condenser heats the desiccant entering the regeneration chamber. Diluted desiccant from the collection chamber is exchanged with concentrated desiccant from the regeneration chamber in such a way as to efficiently control the transfer of both mass and heat between the chambers. In one embodiment, mass is not exchanged until one or both of the desiccant levels in the chambers exceeds a predetermined level. Heat is transferred between the two desiccant flows as they are transferred between the chambers. This increases efficiency and reduces the energy input required for the evaporator and the condenser.

System and method for managing water content in a fluid

Certain Embodiments provide an energy exchange system that includes a supply air flow path, an exhaust air flow path, an energy recovery device disposed within the supply and exhaust air flow paths, and a supply conditioning unit disposed within the supply air flow path. The supply conditioning unit may be downstream from the energy recovery device. Certain embodiments provide a method of conditioning air including introducing outside air as supply air into a supply air flow path, pre-conditioning the supply air with an energy recovery device, and fully-conditioning the supply air with a supply conditioning unit that is downstream from the energy recovery device.

Energy exchange system for conditioning air in an enclosed structure

An energy exchanger is provided. The exchanger includes a housing having a front and a back. A plurality of panels forming desiccant channels extend from the front to the back of the housing. Air channels are formed between adjacent panels. The air channels are configured to direct an air stream in a direction from the front of the housing to the back of the housing. A desiccant inlet is provided in flow communication with the desiccant channels. A desiccant outlet is provided in flow communication with the desiccant channels. The desiccant channels are configured to channel desiccant from the desiccant inlet to the desiccant outlet in at least one of a counter-flow or cross-flow direction with respect to the direction of the air stream.

Liquid-to-air membrane energy exchanger

A humidity control device, comprising a first heat exchanging chamber (69) in which a first heat exchanger (3) carrying adsorbent on the surface thereof is stored and a second heat exchanging chamber (73) formed adjacent to the first heat exchanging chamber (69) and in which a second heat exchanger (5) carrying adsorbent on the surface thereof is stored. A first inflow passage (63) and a first outflow passage (65) for air formed along one end face thereof where one face of the first heat exchanging chamber (69) is continued with one face of the second heat exchanging chamber (73) are disposed overlappingly with each other in the thickness direction. A first inflow passage (57) and a second outflow passage (59) for air formed along the surface thereof opposed to the one end face are disposed at the end face where one face of the first exchanging chamber (69) is continued with one face of the second heat exchanging chamber (73) overlappingly with each other in the thickness direction. The device also comprises dampers (35, ..., 47, ...) opening and closing openings (31a, ..., 33a, ...) communicating the first heat exchanging chamber (69) and second heat exchanging chamber (73) with the inflow passages (57, 63) and outflow passages (59, 65).

Humidity control device

An air conditioning and dehumidifier system (310) comprising: an air conditioner (312) comprising a cooling unit; a first inlet (316) to the cooling unit drawing air from a controlled area (314); a second inlet (338) to the cooling unit drawing fresh air from outside the area (314); an outlet (324) to the area (314); a condenser (328) with an air inlet (330) into which relatively cool outside air is drawn; and a heated air outlet (334) from the condenser (328); a dehumidifying unit (342) utilizing liquid desiccant, comprising a drying unit (344) having a wet air inlet (346) and dry air outlet (348); a regenerator unit (350); a hot air inlet (352); a wet air outlet (354); and a heat pump that transfers heat from relatively cooler liquid desiccant to relatively warmer liquid desiccant; a conduit connecting the heated air outlet (334) of the air conditioner (312) to the hot air inlet (352) of the dehumidifying unit (342); and a conduit (349) connecting the dry air outlet (348) of the dehumidifying unit (342) to the second inlet (338) of the air conditioner (312).

Dehumidifier/air-conditioning system

An air-conditioning system for conditioning air by removing heat and moisture from the air and transferring it to the environment, comprising: a dehumidifier (14) that produces dehumidified air and utilizes a liquid desiccant for drying; at least one non-desiccant fluid at a temperature lower than the temperature of the liquid desiccant; and at least one heat exchanger (20) in which the liquid desiccant is cooled by the at least one fluid.

High efficiency dehumidifiers and combined dehumidifying/air-conditioning systems

A dehumidification method comprising: providing a liquid desiccant (20) at a first location (18); removing moisture from the liquid desiccant at the first location to a first source of air (22, 24); providing liquid desiccant (20') at a second location (18'), said liquid desiccant at said second location (18') being in fluid communication with the liquid desiccant at the first location (18); absorbing moisture by the liquid desiccant at the second location from a second source of air (22', 24'); and transferring moisture from the first location (18) to the second location (18') substantially only by diffusion and gravity.

Tomy Forkosh

Papers

Dehumidifier/air-conditioning system

High efficiency dehumidifiers and combined dehumidifying/air-conditioning systems

Apparatus for conditioning air