EP1573252A1

EP1573252A1 - Humidifier installation

Info

Publication number: EP1573252A1
Application number: EP02795222A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ludwig Michelbach
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-12-18
Filing date: 2002-12-18
Publication date: 2005-09-14
Also published as: AU2002361006A1; WO2004055444A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a humidifier installation for generating an aerosol mist in an air duct. The humidifier installation comprises a system of pressurised-water conduits (11) for providing pressurised water in a working range of between 2 and 140 bar, preferably between 60 and 120 bar. According to the invention, the system of pressurised-water conduits (11) has a fluidic connection to a plurality of nozzles (12, 13) and comprises a pressure-increase device in order to generate the aforementioned pressures. The system also comprises an osmosis installation (14) comprising at least one reverse osmosis module (15, 16) and an osmosis pump for conducting water through the reverse osmosis module(s) (15, 16). The inventive humidifier installation is characterised in that the osmosis module(s) (15, 16) of the reverse osmosis installation is/are located in the system of pressurised-water conduits (11) of the humidifier installation and that the osmosis pump of the osmosis installation (14) and the pressure-increase device of the pressurised-water system (11) are configured in the form of a single high-pressure pump (17) that assumes both functions.

Description

Humidification system

description

The invention relates to an air humidification system according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

To humidify rooms, especially commercial or industrial rooms, duct humidification is often provided today, i.e. Humidified air is blown into an area to be humidified via an air duct. The air in the duct is humidified by introducing water from the nozzles into the air duct at high pressures. Due to the high pressures, the water particles can be introduced into the air stream in a kind of aerosol mist, so that a very effective evaporation is guaranteed with negligible water loss.

The water itself has to be softened beforehand, which is why conventional reverse osmosis systems are used upstream, which treat the water to be injected accordingly.

The object of the present invention is to build such an air humidification system even more compact.

This object is achieved with an air humidification system according to the features of claim 1. Advantageous further developments are specified in the subclaims.

A core idea of the present invention is to integrate the osmosis system even more directly into the actual air humidification system and thus to prevent the osmosis system from working largely independently of the pressurized water line system of the air humidification system. According to a concrete core idea of the present invention, the osmosis system is provided for this purpose directly in the pressurized water line system, ie in the pressure area of the air humidification system. This brings with it the decisive advantage that it is no longer necessary to provide a separately operating osmosis pump and a pressure-increasing device necessary for the actual air humidification system, but that the osmosis pump of the osmosis system and the pressure-increasing device of the pressurized water line system are designed in the form of a single high-pressure pump that takes over both purposes. This makes the construction more cost-effective and compact. The reverse osmosis process takes place at least in part, preferably completely within the high pressure range.

In a specific embodiment, the high-pressure pump is designed to be infinitely variable. This is preferably done in that the high pressure pump interacts with a continuously variable frequency converter. The stepless controllability of the high pressure pump can be used to control or regulate the application rate of the air humidification device. The - interposed osmosis system is designed in such a way that it is fully functional over the variable pressure range and the variable water demand range.

Practical tests have shown that in particular the design of the high-pressure pump as a plunger pump leads to good results both in terms of the effectiveness of the osmosis system and in terms of aerosol formation in the air humidification system.

According to a particularly preferred aspect of the present invention, the osmosis system is designed with a control or regulable ion center return and / or permeate return. This allows the salinity of the osmosis system to be regulated continuously. At the same time, the modules can be rinsed, even if the air humidification system consumes no or only a comparatively small amount of water. Due to the proposed permeate and / or K-concentrate concentrate, the osmosis system can easily be introduced directly into the passage between the pressure booster and nozzles or nozzle sticks. In the prior art, temporary stores or tanks were regularly provided, which served as buffers for the desalinated water. In addition, the osmosis system and pressurized water line system were also separated in terms of printing technology and driven by separate pumps or pressure booster devices. In an expedient embodiment of the present invention, one or more pressure reducers are arranged within the concentrate return and / or within the permeate return in order to be able to lead the permeate or concentrate from the high pressure area back to the low pressure inlet of the single high pressure pump.

Since the conductance of the permeate provided is difficult to measure directly in the supply line to the nozzle assemblies due to the high pressures that occur, it is provided according to an advantageous embodiment of the present invention to arrange a conductivity sensor downstream of the at least one pressure reducer in the permeate return. In this embodiment, the conductivity sensor is exposed to significantly lower pressures, so that its construction is simpler and therefore less expensive.

A detection of the flow rate of the water supplied to the nozzle assemblies in the pressurized water line system, which is also complex due to the high pressures, can also be avoided by detecting the amount of fresh water inlet immediately before the high-pressure pump or the osmosis system and the amount of the discarded concentrate in a concentrate counter as a second Measured variable is recorded. The amount of permeate delivered to the nozzle assemblies then results from the difference in the amount of fresh water minus the discarded amount of concentrate.

In an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the compact structure of the air humidification system can be further improved in that valves are provided which control individual nozzle assemblies.

In order to control the air humidification system, according to a further aspect of the present invention, at least one humidity sensor can be provided in the air duct and preferably also in the room to be humidified, in order to provide a control variable for a central control device and to control the (only) high-pressure pump and / or the valves accordingly ,

The invention is also explained in more detail below with regard to further features and advantages based on the description of exemplary embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Here show:

1 shows a first embodiment of an air humidification system according to the invention,

2 shows the air humidification system according to FIG. 1, including the control or regulation-technical connection to a central control device in a schematic representation,

3 shows a modified embodiment of the air humidification system according to the invention according to FIG. 1,

4 shows a modified embodiment of the air humidification system according to the invention according to FIG. 3.

A first advantageous embodiment of the air humidification system according to the invention according to FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a pressurized water line system 11 with a plurality of nozzles 12, 13 or nozzle sticks 27, 28 and a reverse osmosis system 14 that is at least partially, but preferably completely, integrated into the pressurized water line system.

A hardness degree monitoring device 36, a first pressure sensor 37, a filter 38, a second pressure sensor 39 and a solenoid valve 40 as well as a water meter 26 and a pressure switch 41 are connected downstream of a raw water inlet 35 into a raw water line 58. A subsequent high-pressure pump 17 is coupled to a continuously adjustable frequency converter 18 and at the same time serves as a pressure-increasing device for the pressurized water line system 11 and as an osmosis pump for the reverse osmosis system 14. A third pressure sensor 42 is assigned to the output of the high-pressure pump 17.

The output of the high-pressure pump 17 is connected to a raw water inlet 44 at least one, preferably a plurality of parallel-connected modules 15 and reverse osmosis 16 ^• coupled. The concentrate leaves the reverse osmosis modules 15 and 16 via a concentrate line 45, the permeate leaves the reverse osmosis modules 15 and 16 via a permeate line 46. The reverse osmosis modules 15 and 16 have a control valve 49 in the concentrate line 45, which is preferably designed as a 2-way control valve , downstream. An outlet of the control valve 49 leads via a concentrate return 19 with at least one pressure reducer 21, 22 between the solenoid valve 40 and the water meter 26 to the raw water line 58. The other outlet of the control valve 49 is connected to a concentrate drain 48 via a water meter 47.

A reverse tap 51, a permeate return 20 and a further pressure sensor 43 are connected downstream of the reverse osmosis modules 15 and 16 in the permeate line 46. The permeate is then fed to the air humidification device. There it is distributed via at least one valve 32 to one or more nozzle assemblies 27, 28 with one or more nozzles 12, 13 and sprayed into an air duct 33. The humidified air passes through the air duct 33 into a room 34 to be air-conditioned. At least one humidity sensor 29, 30 can be provided in the air duct 33 and preferably also in the room 34. The permeate return 20 is connected to the raw water line 58 via a control valve 50, at least one pressure reducer 23, 24 and via a conductivity sensor 25. The air humidification system can be controlled or regulated via a control device 31.

Raw water, which was usually decalcified in a softening system, is fed to the system via the raw water inlet 35. The hardness degree monitoring device 36 is provided to detect the hardness degree of the raw water, so that if a predetermined limit value is exceeded, the further supply of raw water, for example by closing the solenoid valve 40, can be automatically or manually prevented. The reverse osmosis system is preferably switched off automatically when the value exceeds 1 ° dH. This prevents the water with a higher degree of hardness from reaching the reverse osmosis modules 15 and 16. This would result in the reverse osmosis modules becoming clogged. The filter 38 in the raw water line 58 ensures that particles are separated from the raw water that could contaminate, clog or damage the high-pressure pump 17 and the reverse osmosis modules 15 and 16. By using the hardness level monitoring device 36 and the filter 38, the total maintenance effort of the system is reduced. The solenoid valve 40 can be closed when the system is switched off, for example to enable the system to be flushed.

The high-pressure pump 17 serves to press the raw water with pressure, in the order of magnitude 2 to 140 bar, into the reverse osmosis modules 15 and 16, and is at the same time a pressure-increasing device for the pressurized water line system 11. The high-pressure pump 17 is designed to be infinitely variable and can be set with an infinitely variable one Frequency converter 18 cooperate. The infinitely variable adjustability can be used to control or regulate the amount of permeate that is applied in the air humidification device. The high-pressure pump 17 is set such that as much raw water is supplied to the reverse osmosis modules 15 and 16 as the permeate required at the nozzle sticks 27, 28 or nozzles 12, 13 for air humidification. Intermediate storage of the permeate in a container is therefore not necessary. This also prevents nucleation as can occur in such containers. The pressure at the outlet of the high-pressure pump 17 can be set, for example, as a function of the values which are detected by the humidity sensors 29, 30, the fourth pressure sensor 43, the conductivity sensor 25 and the water meters 26 and 47. The reverse osmosis modules 15 and 16 can preferably be switched on and off, depending on the amount of permeate required.

The control valve 49 in the concentrate line 45 can preferably be used to set automatically, but also manually, the amount of the concentrate that is returned to the flow of the high-pressure pump 17 via the concentrate return 19. The concentrate return flow must be adjusted to the suction-side pressure of the high-pressure pump 17 via at least one pressure reducer 21, 22. The remaining portion of the concentrate is fed to the concentrate drain 48 via the water meter 47 and is usually discarded as waste.

Via the permeate control valve 50 in the permeate return 20, the amount of permeate that is returned to the flow of the high-pressure pump 17 can preferably be set automatically, but also manually. The pressure in the permeate return 20 must be reduced to the suction-side pressure of the high-pressure pump 17 via at least one pressure reducer 23, 24. Since the conductance of the permeate, which can be used to regulate the high-pressure pump 17, can be determined only with great effort because of the high pressures in the supply line to the nozzle assemblies 27, 28, the conductance sensor 25 is, according to a particular concept of the present invention, in the unpressurized part the permeate return 20, downstream of the at least one pressure reducer 23, 24, arranged.

The control or regulable concentrate and permeate recycling increases both the control and regulation options for the salt content in the reverse osmosis system and the control options for the air humidification system according to the invention. For example, via the concentrate return 19 constant supply of raw water adjust the amount of permeate and the salt content in the permeate. The permeate return 20 in particular gives the possibility of keeping the salt content in the permeate very low. At the same time, the reverse osmosis modules 15 and 16 can be rinsed, even if the air humidification device consumes little water. The permeate return 20 can also be used, for example, to adjust the amount of permeate delivered to the nozzle assemblies 27, 28. The control and regulation options through the concentrate and permeate recycling are not limited to the examples mentioned here. Although it is fundamentally preferred in accordance with a particular aspect of the present invention to provide both a concentrate and a permeate return, an air humidification system with only concentrate or only permeate return can also be set and regulated in a variety of ways.

If necessary, in addition to the nozzle assembly 27, one or more nozzle assemblies 28 can be activated via a valve 32. The amount of permeate delivered to the nozzle sticks 27, 28 results from the difference between the amount of filtered raw water detected by the water meter 26 in the raw water line 58 minus the amount of discarded concentrate detected by the water meter 47 in the concentrate line 45. The amounts of water recorded on the water meters, which are preferably automatically transmitted to the control device 31, can serve to continuously regulate the amount of permeate. The air humidity detected by the humidity sensors 29, 30 in the air duct 33 and in the air-conditioned space 34 can serve as a further control variable for the high-pressure pump 17 and / or the valves 32 and / or further control valves that regulate the amount of permeate delivered to the nozzle assemblies 27, 28 ,

All components for the control or regulation of the air humidification system and all components for measured value acquisition are preferably connected to a central control device 31 already mentioned (FIG. 2). The measured values of all sensors are fed to the control device 31. On the basis of the measured values, the frequency converter 18 and preferably all the control valves are controlled and adjusted, in particular regulated, by the control device 31. The pressure reducers 21, 22, 23, 24 can also be controlled and set by the control device 31, in a simple embodiment they can also be set manually to a predetermined parameter or set to a specific value. In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the control device 31 is equipped with a display device for constant monitoring of the system or the individual parameters and a device for archiving the data. The control device can be implemented, for example, with a PC. For example, a PLC can also be used. All data and malfunctions can be forwarded immediately and immediately from the control device 31 to a central control center via an interface for a networked connection of the system.

FIG. 3 shows a modified embodiment of the air humidification system according to the invention according to FIG. 1. The air humidification system according to FIG. 3 has been expanded by a blending device. The blending device comprises a bridging line 52 with a control valve 53. In particular, the reverse osmosis modules 15 and 16 are bridged, so that part of the filtered raw water can be fed directly to the nozzle sticks 27, 28. This provides a further control or regulation option for the air humidification system. The bypass line 52 is led from the outlet of the high pressure pump 17 upstream of the permeate return 20 to the permeate line 46. A portion of the filtered raw water can now be led past the reverse osmosis modules 15 and 16 if a correspondingly predetermined salt content in the water can be tolerated. Depending on the tolerable salt content, the ratio of permeate emerging from the reverse osmosis modules and the raw water led through the bypass line 52 can then be adjusted manually or automatically by means of the control valve 53.

For the control or regulation of the blending device, the conductance is preferably measured after the raw water has been fed into the permeate stream. The conductance measurement of the blended permeate is preferably carried out with the conductance sensor 25 in the permeate return 20. Furthermore, it may be advantageous to also record the current conductance of the permeate output from the reverse osmosis modules 15 and 16 before the blending with filtered raw water. The setting can be improved since the quality of the permeate emerging from the reverse osmosis modules 15 and 16 can be used to estimate the presumably possible addition of filtered raw water from the bypass line 52. A check can then be carried out on the conductance of the cut permeate.

Since the permeate is under high pressure when it exits the reverse osmosis modules 15 and 16 and measuring the conductance under high pressure is very complex, The conductance is determined in accordance with a preferred aspect of the invention at reduced pressure in a bypass line 55. The bypass line 55 leads from the permeate outlet 46 between the concentrate return 19 and the water meter 47 to the concentrate line 45. The bypass quantity is then calculated together with the concentrate quantity Reverse osmosis modules 15 and 16 detected by the water meter 47. This ensures that the difference between the amount of water measured on the water meter 26 in the raw water stream minus the amount of water measured on the water meter 47 in the concentrate stream corresponds to the amount of permeate actually output at the nozzle sticks 27, 28. A conductance sensor 57 is connected in the bypass line 55 to a control valve 56 and at least one pressure reducer 54 and detects the conductance of the permeate stream from the reverse osmosis modules 15 and 16.

FIG. 4 shows a modified embodiment of the air humidification system according to the invention according to FIG. 3. The bridging line 52 is here led to the permeate line 46 between the permeate return 20 and the nozzle sticks 27, 28. In this embodiment, the conductance of the permeate emerging from the reverse osmosis modules 15 and 16 is preferably determined by the conductance sensor 25 in the permeate return 20. In order to be able to determine the conductivity of the blended permeate at low pressure, a bypass line 55 leads from the permeate line 46 to the concentrate line 45, between the concentrate return line 19 and the water meter 47 after the raw water has been supplied via the bypass line 52. A conductivity value sensor 57 in the bypass line 55 is connected downstream of a control valve 56 and at least one pressure reducer 54.

In the air humidification system according to FIGS. 3 and 4, comparable to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, all components for controlling or regulating the air humidification system and all components for measured value acquisition are preferably connected to a central control device 31 (in FIG. 3 and FIG 4 not shown). The measured values recorded by all sensors are fed to the control device 31. On the basis of the measured values, the frequency converter 18 and preferably all the control valves are controlled and set by the control device 31, in particular regulated. The pressure reducers 21, 22, 23, 24, 54 can also be controlled and set by the control device 31, in a simple embodiment they can also be set manually to a predetermined parameter or set to a specific value. Due to the advantageous embodiment of the air humidification system according to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4, no storage containers for the demineralized water are necessary, as with a separate arrangement of reverse osmosis system and humidifier. This also prevents nucleation. With the reverse osmosis system 14, the DIN 6022 relevant for nucleation can be easily complied with. The DIN 2000 relevant according to the Drinking Water Ordinance, which also concerns nucleation, can also be observed with the reverse osmosis system. If a plunger pump is used as the high-pressure pump 17, the nucleation is additionally suppressed. This is due to the fact that the heat generation in the plunger pump is low or practically nonexistent. As a result, the water is not additionally heated.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

11 Pressurized water pipe system

12 nozzle

13 nozzle

14 osmosis system

15 reverse osmosis module

16 reverse osmosis module

17 high pressure pump

18 frequency converters

19 Concentrate return

20 permeate recycling

21 pressure reducer (concentrate return

22 pressure reducer (concentrate return

23 pressure reducer (permeate return)

24 pressure reducer (permeate return)

25 conductance sensor

26 water meter (raw water pipe)

27 nozzle assembly

28 nozzle assembly

29 humidity sensors (air duct)

30 humidity sensors (room)

31 control device

32 valve

33 air duct

34 room

35 Raw water entry

36 Degree of hardness monitoring 37. Pressure sensor

38 filters

39 pressure sensor

40 solenoid valve

41 pressure switch

42 pressure sensor

43 pressure sensor

44 Raw water inlet Concentrate line Permeate line Water meter (concentrate line) Concentrate drain Control valve Control valve Tap Bypass line Control valve Pressure reducer Bypass line Control valve Conductivity sensor Raw water line

Claims

claims

1. Air humidification system for generating an aerosol mist in an air duct, the air humidification system comprising: a pressurized water line system (11) for providing pressurized water in working areas in the range of 2 to 140 bar, preferably 60 to 120 bar, the pressurized water line system (11) having a A plurality of nozzles (12, 13) are in fluid communication and comprise a pressure increasing device in order to generate the aforementioned pressures, an osmosis system (14) with at least one reverse osmosis module (15, 16) and an osmosis pump for passing water through the at least one reverse osmosis module ( 15, 16), characterized in that the at least one reverse osmosis module (15, 16) of the reverse osmosis system is arranged within the pressurized water line system (11) of the air humidification system and that the osmosis pump of the osmosis system (14) and the pressure increasing device of the pressurized water line system (11 ) in the form of an egg taking over both purposes nzigen high pressure pump (17) is formed.

2. Air humidification system according to claim 1, characterized in that the high pressure pump (17) is designed to be infinitely variable, in particular a frequency converter (18) interacts.

3. Air humidification system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the high pressure pump (17) is designed as a plunger pump.

4. Air humidification system according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the osmosis system (14) is designed with a control or controllable concentrate return (19) and / or adjustable permeate return (20).

5. Air humidification system according to claim 4, characterized in that one or more pressure reducers (21-24) are arranged within the concentrate return (19) and / or within the permeate return (20).

6. Air humidification system according to claim 5, characterized in that a conductivity sensor (25) is arranged downstream of the at least one pressure reducer (21-24) for detecting the conductance of the permeate provided.

7. Air humidification system according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that for detecting the amount of permeate delivered in the direction of the nozzles (12, 13), the amount of fresh water input in a fresh water meter (26) and the amount of the discarded concentrate in a concentrate counter (27) are recorded.

8. Air humidification system according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that to the pressurized water line system (11) via valves (32) nozzle assemblies (27, 28) can be connected.

9. Air humidification system according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that in the air duct (33) and preferably also in the room to be humidified (34) at least one humidity sensor (29, 30) is provided to a central control device (31) To provide the controlled variable and to control the (only) high-pressure pump (17) and / or the valves (32) accordingly.