AU2005326486A1

AU2005326486A1 - Ambient air dehumidifying device

Info

Publication number: AU2005326486A1
Application number: AU2005326486A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Urs A. Weidmann
Original assignee: Imes Management AG
Current assignee: Mentus Holding AG
Priority date: 2005-02-04
Filing date: 2005-02-04
Publication date: 2006-08-10
Anticipated expiration: 2025-02-04
Also published as: CN101111300A; AU2005326486A2; WO2006081872A1; AU2005326486B2; CN101111300B

Description

CERTIFICATE OF VERIFICATION OF TRANSLATION 1, U rs F a lk ............................................................................................................. of Eichholzweg 9A, 6312 Steinhausen, Switzerland ............................ am the translator of International patent application number PCT/EP2005/050490 dated 4 February 2005 and I state that the following is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, a true translation of the text of PCT/EP2005/050490. (Signature of Translator) DATED THIS 9th DAY OF JULY, 2007 Device for dehumidifying room air The invention relates to a device for dehumidifying room air. 5 A technical feature of such processes is the avoidance of condensation on the devices and the construction of elements for discharging the water. Such a device is known from DE 198 16 185 C1, in which indirect 10 absorption is achieved through the use of a water permeable and/or water-vapor-permeable structure, the water going into a hygroscopic cooling liquid. This requires an additional complicated cooling circuit. 15 Since the first half of the twentieth century, the prior art has disclosed a number of rotating heat exchangers, with which the room-air moisture in an return air volume is removed from the return air and fresh supplying air is supplied. It is thus possible to 20 transmit the heat and moisture in the return air directly into the supplying air without having to take a roundabout way via the condensation of the water or of the water vapor. An advantageous method for producing such a heat exchanger has been published in 25 EP 0 159 986 (US 4,633,936). This heat exchanger consists of two surfaces which are wound in a spiral in order to form the heat exchanger rotor. Groups of passages are therefore formed in the longitudinal axis direction, these passages alternately letting through 30 the warm air stream to be cooled and the cold air stream to be heated. The water adhesion on materials without condensation is used here. The dehumidification can be regulated to a certain extent using the drum speed, but this has a direct effect on the noise level. 35 A disadvantage in this case, for example, is that these devices comprise a number of movable parts, which are accordingly subject to maintenance and wear.

- 2 Furthermore, it is disadvantageous, for example, in residential buildings that odor substances are also transmitted with the moisture into the fresh room air. 5 Based on this prior art, the object of the invention is to improve a device of the type mentioned at the beginning in such a way that it can be constructed in a simpler manner and in a more favorable manner in terms of energy, and moisture transfer proceeds as far as 10 possible free of odors. In particular, the aim of the invention is to specify a low-wear and low-noise water dehumidifier for the ventilation of living spaces. Such a device is defined by the features of claim 1. 15 A water-permeable and/or water-vapor-permeable structure refers to a diaphragm, foil or porous structure which, when different partial pressures are present on the two sides of the structure, allows water 20 and/or water vapor to pass through, but essentially does not allow other substances or gases to pass through. In conditions in which there is, for example, a temperature of around 30 degrees Celsius and a partial pressure difference in the order of magnitude 25 of 100 millibar, a permeability of 10 to 20 meters per hour and bar can be achieved. Further advantageous exemplary embodiments are defined in the subclaims. 30 The invention will now be described in more detail by way of example with exemplary embodiments and with reference to the drawing, in which: 35 Fig. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a device according to a first exemplary embodiment of the invention in the form of a diagrammatic sketch, -3 Fig. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of a device according to a second exemplary embodiment of the invention in the form of a diagrammatic sketch, and 5 Fig. 3 shows a schematic perspective view of a device according to a third exemplary embodiment of the invention in the form of a diagrammatic sketch. 10 Fig. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a device according to a first exemplary embodiment of the invention in the form of a diagrammatic sketch. The device for dehumidifying room air has an elongated volume, which has openings only at two opposite mouths. 15 The diagrammatic illustration of a section of such a volume is shown in Fig. 1. Said volume has at least one first cavity 1 and at least one second cavity 2, which are separated by at least one water-permeable and/or water-vapor-permeable diaphragm 3. Any diaphragm or 20 sheet-like structure which lets water or water vapor through but provides a barrier against gases and other molecules can be used in principle. Such a structure may also be a porous rigid material. Other molecules may involve in particular kitchen or wet-room odors in 25 the domestic environment. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the cavities 1 and 2 are surrounded on four sides 31, 32, 33 and 34 by "hard" impermeable walls, so that the cavities 1 and 2 30 appear to be a tube. The diaphragm 3 is mounted in between as a partition wall. It lies in each case in the direction of fluid flows 11, 12, 13, 14 flowing through the cavities 1, 2. In this case, a first air stream 11, 12 to be dehumidified can flow through the 35 first cavity 1. A second air stream 13, 14 can flow through the second cavity 2. In the process, however, the air streams advantageously run, but do not need to run in counterflow as shown in fic. 1.

- 4 Some of the air streams 11 to 14 are advantageously connected to at least one pump which keeps the air streams in motion and thus supplies and discharges air. 5 The mouths of the "tube", here the sides 35 and 36 in the diagrammatic sketch, do not need to lie side by side. An essential factor, however, is the size of the area spanned by the diaphragm 3, so that the tube is frequently and advantageously directed in a meander 10 shape. The height of the air column disposed across the diaphragm, that is to say the height which corresponds to the length of the edge designated by 37, may be 1 to 5 centimeters for example. It must not become too large in order to enable the air to reach the diaphragm 15 surface for the water exchange. The dehumidification can be directly controlled by controlling the velocity of the one (11, 12) or the other (13, 14) air stream. The air streams in air-conditioning engineering may be 20 designated, for example, as: outdoor air 11 and supplying air 12 to the rooms and return air 13 from the rooms and exhaust air 14 to be discharged to the environment. 25 Moisture recovery by a stationary, selectively permeable diaphragm is provided for by the device according to fig. 1. In an exemplary embodiment not shown in the figures, 30 the walls 31 and 33 are not impermeable walls but likewise consist of diaphragm material 3. A plate-type configuration is then obtained by analogy with a plate type heat exchanger, a cavity 1 for the air stream 11, 12 always being separated from a cavity 2 for the air 35 stream 13, 14 in a side-by-side arrangement. This increases the possibility of increasing the air column of the edge length 37 disposed across the diaphragm 3. The return air 13 of high humidity always delivers this water/water vapor via the diaphragm 3 into the supplying air 12 which is supplied to the rooms. Fig. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of a device 5 according to a second exemplary embodiment of the invention in the form of a diagrammatic sketch. In this case, the same features are always provided with the same reference numerals. 10 Outwards there are still the air streams 11, 12, 13 and 14, which assume the same functions as described above. In this exemplary embodiment, however, the dehumidification can be controlled to a great extent. Two exchanger modules 27 and 28 are now constructed 15 separately. Each exchanger module 27 and 28 has the one cavity 1 or 2, respectively, and an additional exchange cavity 4. The bodies 27 and 28 need not in particular lie side-by-side as shown here. In particular, it is also possible for the cavities to be of sandwich 20 construction, for example 1-4-1 or 2-4-2, so that an exchanger cavity 4 lies in each case between two air stream cavities. A reduction in volume is also possible by a meander-shaped construction. 25 It is essential in the exemplary embodiment according to fig. 2 that a second closed air circuit has been constructed, this second air circuit consisting of the air streams 21, 22, 23 and 24. These are driven by one or more pumps, here two pumps 25 and 26. The 30 circulation rate in the closed circuit can be regulated, in particular within a range of between 0.5 and 20 times the air-stream velocity of the air streams 11, 12 and 13, 14. Thus high dehumidification can be achieved at high speed in the exchanger 28, this 35 dehumidification correspondingly delivering the moisture in the exchanger 27 into the volume 2. Likewise, the dehumidifying can also be reduced by - 6 reducing the speed. The device is also advantageously operated in counterflow. A further interesting operating mode of this 5 arrangement occurs in summer. The pump 26 is shut off and check valves close in the air stream 22 and 23. The air streams 21 to 24 are brought together via a valve system. Pump 25 runs and delivers the air quantity from the cavities 4 into the exhaust air 14. Due to the 10 vacuum in the cavities, both cavities 1 and 2 are dehumidified. This then results in the case, of interest for summer and high temperatures, where there are two dehumidified air streams if a vacuum effect is correspondingly produced by the pump 25, when check 15 valves are provided in the region of 21 or 23, said dehumidified air streams permitting the following procedure. Water can then be delivered into the region of the exhaust air 14, a factor which, on the one hand, brings about a cooling effect directly by means of the 20 water itself. On the other hand, and in particular, the temperature of the air stream 14 is reduced by evaporation cooling. The exhaust air 14 thus cools down through contact and through evaporation, and the temperature of the outdoor air 11 is reduced via a heat 25 exchanger (exhaust air/outdoor air), this outdoor air 11 thus being directed on hot summer days as cooler air into the rooms to be ventilated. The temperature can be reduced again by a further addition of water to the dry supplying air 12. 30 In other words, it may be noted for a device according to fig. 2, that the dehumidification can be regulated, it being possible for the moisture transfer to be controlled in the same direction by speed control even 35 if there is only a single ventilator 25 (ventilator 26 would have been omitted).

The closed internal circuit 21 to 24 permits in particular a separation of the noises associated with the pumped circulation from the air streams associated with the living spaces of a ventilation solution and 5 thus permits very simple noise insulation. Fig. 3 shows a schematic perspective view of a device according to a third exemplary embodiment of the invention in the form of a diagrammatic sketch. 10 Outwards, the air streams 11, 12 and 14 assume the same functions as described above for the other exemplary embodiments. However, the dehumidification is restricted to one branch. There is only one exchanger 15 module 27. The exchanger module 27 has the cavities 1 and 2, which are again separated by the water-permeable and/or water-vapor-permeable diaphragm 3. However, the second cavity 2 is only connected via a line 19 to a pump 25, which at the same time comprises a 20 condensation-water separator. The suction effect of the pump 25 therefore produces a vacuum in the cavity 2, thereby resulting in increased dehumidification. The corresponding condensation water 29 is separated and the drawn-in air is passed into the exhaust air stream 25 14. For all the exemplary embodiments, those which are shown in the figures and also those which are only mentioned in the text, and also those exemplary 30 embodiments which result from the attached claims, it is essential that the cavities 1, 2 and/or 4 can be cleaned during an interruption in operation. In a simple embodiment, said cavities have individual or several corresponding openings for inflows and 35 outflows, into which, for example, water can be passed, so that the volume of the cavities fills completely with water. Then, by means of one or more additionally arranged heating elements, the water can be heated, for D n UrN -8 example, up to the boiling point and can be kept at this temperature. After a period of, for example, 30 minutes to 1 hour, the water is then discharged, so that particles deposited on the walls and in particular 5 in the water-permeable structure, which may be a diaphragm or may also be porous, have released from the latter or the other walls and can be drawn off. A sterilization effect of the diaphragm is also obtained. 10 In another cleaning method, UV lamps are provided which kill germs deposited in the structures. Coating of the foil with silver compounds is also possible in order to achieve corresponding sterility of the surfaces.

Claims

1. Device for dehumidifying room air, having a chamber consisting of at least one first cavity (1) and 5 at least one second cavity (2), the cavities being separated by at least one water-permeable and/or water vapor-permeable structure (3), these structures (3) lying in each case in the direction of the fluid streams flowing through the cavities (1, 2) of the 10 chamber, wherein a first air stream (11, 12) which is to be dehumidified can flow through the first cavity (1), characterized in that a second air stream (13, 14) can flow through the second cavity (2). 15

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the chamber is formed from a sequence of first, second, first, second, etc., cavities (1, 2, 1, 2,...), which are separated by said water-permeable and/or water vapor-permeable structure (3). 20

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the second air stream consists of the return air (13) which originates from the rooms to be ventilated and which, directed as exhaust air (14) through the 25 second cavity (2), is to be discharged out of the rooms to be ventilated.

4. Device according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the first cavity (1) is separated 30 from a first intermediate volume (4) by a first water permeable and/or water-vapor-permeable structure (3), wherein the second cavity (2) is separated from a second intermediate volume (4) by a second water permeable and/or water-vapor-permeable structure (3), 35 and wherein the two intermediate volumes (4) can be connected to one another in an air-stream circuit (21, 22, 23, 24) - 10

5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that at least one pump (25, 26) is arranged in said air stream circuit (21, 22, 23, 24), with which pump (25, 26) the flow velocity of said closed air-stream circuit 5 (21, 22, 23, 24) can be regulated, in particular within a range of between 0.5 and 20 times the flow velocity in the first air stream (11, 12) and/or second air stream (13, 14). 10

6. Device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the air-stream circuit (21, 22, 23, 24) can be severed at at least one point downstream of the pumps (25, 26) in order to produce a vacuum in at least one of the intermediate volumes (2). 15

7. Device for dehumidifying room air, having a chamber consisting of at least one first cavity (1) and at least one second cavity (2), the cavities being separated by at least one water-permeable and/or water 20 vapor-permeable structure (3), these structures (3) lying in each case in the direction of the fluid streams flowing through the cavities (1, 2) of the chamber, wherein a first air stream (11, 12) which is to be dehumidified can flow through the first cavity 25 (1), characterized in that a second air stream (14) can flow through the second cavity (2), that the second cavity (2) is connected to a pump (25) which discharges the second air stream (14) under an air pressure which is lower compared with the first air 30 stream (11, 12).

8. Device according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said cavities (1, 2 or 1, 4 and 2, 4) of the chamber are arranged in a space-saving 35 manner in a folded type of construction.

9. Device according to any of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the cavities (1, 2, 4) of the - 11 chamber have at least one inlet/outlet, so that they can be flooded together or individually by cleaning fluid being supplied, and/or characterized in that one or more heating elements are provided in the cavities 5 (1, 2, 4) for heating the cleaning fluid which can be supplied.

10. Device according to any of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that liquid is added downstream of at 10 least one cavity (1, 2) in order to reduce the temperature of the respective dehumidified air stream (12, 14) by evaporation heat.

11. Device according to any of claims 1 to 10, 15 characterized in that said water-permeable and/or water-vapor-permeable structure (3) is merely and essentially permeable to water molecules but not to gas molecules and/or odor substances. nl Lx'