JP2003038929A - Humidity control element and humidity control device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize cost reduction of a humidity control device (1) using a humidity control element (11) containing an adsorbent by enabling low temperature regeneration and furthermore suppressing a heating quantity of regeneration air. SOLUTION: Allophane or imogolite is used as the adsorbent of the humidity control element (11), and the low temperature generation is performed by regenerating the humidity control element (11) by using only a moisture-adsorbing and releasing stage of low temperature side by using a multi-stage moisture- adsorbing and releasing properties of allophane and imogolite.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a humidity control element for controlling the humidity of air by adsorbing and desorbing moisture, and a humidity control device using this humidity control element, and more particularly to a low temperature regeneration technique for the humidity control element. It is a thing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Hitherto, as a humidity control device for controlling the humidity of air, there has been known one using a humidity control element having a structure in which an adsorbent is carried on the surface of a honeycomb substrate. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-128681 discloses an air conditioner to which a humidity control device using a disk-shaped adsorption rotor as a humidity control element is applied.

In the above humidity control device, a disk-shaped humidity control element is provided in the casing. The space in the casing is divided into a dehumidification passage through which the first air passes and a regeneration passage through which the second air passes, and the humidity control element is arranged in the casing over both the dehumidification passage and the regeneration passage. Has been done. A part of the humidity control element contacts the outdoor air (first air) in the dehumidifying passage, and the remaining part contacts the indoor air (second air) in the regeneration passage. Further, the humidity control element is configured to be rotationally driven by a motor or the like.

In the dehumidifying passage, the moisture in the outdoor air is adsorbed by the adsorbent of the humidity control element. A part of the humidity control element that has adsorbed the water moves into the regeneration passage as the humidity control element rotates. Indoor air heated by a heater or the like is fed into the regeneration passage. Therefore, in the regeneration passage, the adsorbent of the humidity control element is heated by the supplied high-temperature room air, and moisture is desorbed from the adsorbent. In this way, the moisture desorbed from the adsorbent is added to the room air, and the room air is humidified. Then, the room air humidified in the regeneration passage is returned to the room again to humidify the room.

Zeolite, silica gel, or a mixture thereof is generally used as an adsorbent for this type of humidity control element. These adsorbents are mainly characterized by high saturated moisture absorption.

Further, conventionally, the humidity control element has been used in such a manner that the amount of moisture absorbed and released by the adsorbent is increased as much as possible in order to enhance the adsorption performance of the humidity control system. Specifically, during dehumidification, a large amount of water molecules are adsorbed by the adsorbent of the humidity control element to a level close to the saturated moisture absorption amount, while during regeneration, most of these large amount of water molecules are desorbed from the adsorbent to regenerate the element. I am trying to do it. Therefore, at the time of regeneration, the humidity control element is generally blown with dry air heated to a high temperature of 120 ° C. or higher for a certain long time to release as much water as possible from the element to increase the adsorption / desorption amount as much as possible. I have to.

[0007]

However, in this conventional system, since the high temperature air is used for the regeneration of the humidity control element, the power consumption of the heater required for producing the high temperature regeneration air is large and the running cost is high. There was a problem that was high. Further, since it is necessary to use the high temperature regenerated air as described above, it is difficult to construct a system capable of low temperature regeneration by using the conventional humidity control element.

The present invention was devised in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to enable low temperature regeneration in a humidity control system using a humidity control element containing an adsorbent. Is to enable cost reduction.

[0009]

Means for Solving the Problems The present invention uses allophane or imogolite as an adsorbent for a humidity control element (11, 21, 31), and utilizes the multi-stage moisture absorption / release characteristics of these substances, Humidity control element at the low temperature side moisture absorption and desorption stage
It is designed to play (11,21,31).

Specifically, the first and second means for solving the problems according to the present invention include a humidity control element (11, 21, 31) having an adsorbent and controlling the humidity of the air by adsorbing or desorbing moisture. Is assumed. The humidity control element (11, 21, 31) according to the first solution is characterized in that the adsorbent is composed of allophane, and the humidity control element according to the second solution is the adsorption The agent is characterized by being composed of imogolite.

Further, the third and fourth means for solving the problems according to the present invention are provided with a humidity control element (11, 21, 31) having an adsorbent, and the humidity of the air is increased by adsorbing or desorbing moisture to or from the adsorbent. It is premised on the humidity control device (1,2,3) for adjusting. And the humidity control apparatus (1, 2, 3) according to the third solution means
Has an adsorbent composed of allophane and a desorption temperature of 7
Characterized by being set in the range of 5 ° C to 85 ° C,
The humidity control apparatus according to the fourth solution is characterized in that the adsorbent is made of imogolite and the desorption temperature is set in the range of 35 ° C to 45 ° C.

When the adsorbent is carried on the surface of the humidity control element (11, 21, 31), a binder is generally used. However, in the present invention, the binder does not interfere with the characteristics of the adsorbent (or the adsorption / release). It preferably has a moisture absorption / desorption property. That is, it is preferable that the binder has the same moisture absorbing / releasing characteristics as the adsorbent, or does not emit moisture even in an atmosphere in which the adsorbent absorbs moisture.

In the above first to fourth means, allophane or imogolite is used as the humidity control element (11, 21, 3).
It is used as an adsorbent of 1), and in particular, in the third and fourth solving means, the absorption and desorption of moisture on the low temperature side in the multi-stage absorption and desorption characteristics of 75 ° C. to 85 ° C. for allophane and 35 ° C. to 45 ° C. for imogolite. Desorption is done at the stage. This is because in these adsorbents with multi-stage moisture absorption / desorption characteristics, the adsorption / desorption energies of water molecules differ depending on the adsorption site and adsorption state on the adsorbent particles. It is intended to be used.

Specifically, allophane is a substance composed of hollow spherical particles (diameter of about 3.5 to 5 nm) as shown in FIG. 1, and the surface thereof has a large number of water molecules capable of entering and exiting inside the particles. There are pores (diameter 0.3 to 0.5 nm). For this reason, water molecules are roughly divided and adsorbed at two kinds of places. The first adsorption site is the gap between the particles and the second adsorption site is the space inside the sphere. Here, when water molecules are adsorbed and desorbed into the inside of the sphere, the water molecules pass through the surface pores of the allophane particles, so the adsorption and desorption energy becomes larger than that in the gaps between the particles.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, allophane exhibits a two-stage moisture absorption / release property (more detailed multi-stage moisture absorption / release properties). And, when water molecules are mainly adsorbed and desorbed between particles, as shown in FIG.
About 23% by mass of water can be adsorbed and desorbed at a temperature of about 85 ° C to 85 ° C. It should be noted that even if the temperature is raised further, about 12
Since the adsorption / desorption rate hardly changes in the temperature range up to 0 ° C, the desorption property does not improve in that temperature range. Also, 140
In the temperature range of ℃ or more, the moisture inside the particles is also adsorbed and desorbed, so that the adsorption and desorption rate becomes high.

On the other hand, imogolite is a hollow nanotube (outer diameter of about 2.0 nm, inner diameter of about 1.0 nm, length of several μm).
Is the substance of. Therefore, the adsorption sites are roughly classified into two types, that is, inside the hollow tube and the gap between the tubes. The water molecules can be desorbed between the tubes at a temperature lower than that of allophane at about 35 ° C to 45 ° C, and a desorption rate of about 19.5 mass% can be obtained in this temperature range.

From the above, when allophane or imogolite is used as the adsorbent, water molecules are respectively adsorbed and then at low temperature (about 75 ° C. to 85 ° C. for allophane).
℃, in Imogolite about 35 ℃ ~ 45 ℃) about 2
It is possible to desorb 0% of water. In addition, after desorption, since water is released from the gaps between the particles,
If exposed to high-humidity air, water in the air can be adsorbed again in the gaps between the adsorbent particles.

The fifth means for solving the problems of the present invention is as follows.
The humidity control apparatus according to the third or fourth solution means comprises a dehumidification passage (12) through which the first air passes and a regeneration passage (13) through which the second air passes, and the humidity control element (11 )But,
The adsorbent is arranged over the dehumidification passage (12) and the regeneration passage (13) and is configured to be rotatable so that the moisture contained in the first air is adsorbed by the adsorbent of the humidity control element (11). It is characterized in that the water adsorbed on the air is desorbed and released to the second air.

In the humidity control apparatus according to the fifth solving means,
The adsorbent of the humidity control element (11) adsorbs the moisture of the first air flowing through the dehumidification passageway (12) to dehumidify the air, and when the adsorbed portion moves to the regeneration passageway (13), the moisture content changes. The humidity control element (11) is regenerated by being discharged to the second air. Since the humidity control element (11) is configured to be rotatable, the adsorption (dehumidification) operation in the dehumidification passage (12) and the regeneration (humidification) operation in the regeneration passage (13) are continuously performed. Also, since allophane or imogolite is used as the adsorbent for the humidity control element (11), regeneration is performed at 75 ° C to 85 ° C for allophane and 35 ° C for imogolite as described above.
It is performed in the temperature range of the low temperature side moisture absorption / desorption stage of up to 45 ° C.

The sixth means for solving the problems of the present invention is as follows.
In the humidity control apparatus according to the third or fourth solution means, the humidity control element is provided with a dehumidification passageway (26) through which the first air passes and a regeneration passageway (27) through which the second air passes. 21) is disposed across the dehumidifying passageway (26) and the regeneration passageway (27), and further cools the dehumidified first air by heat exchange with the second air (22). And a cooler (23) for cooling the first air discharged from the sensible heat exchanger (22) and a second air discharged from the sensible heat exchanger (22) to heat the humidity control element.
It is characterized by comprising a heater (24) for supplying to (21). This humidity controller (2) is an application of the present invention to a so-called desiccant type air conditioner.

In the humidity control apparatus according to the sixth means,
The first air after dehumidification in the humidity control element (21) is a sensible heat exchanger
It is cooled by (22) and further cooled by a cooler (23).
When this air is supplied to the room, the room can be cooled. The second air is heated by the sensible heat exchanger (22), further heated by the heater (24), and supplied to the humidity control element (21). The second air dehumidifies the adsorbent of the humidity control element (21) to be humidified, and the humidity control element (21) is regenerated. When the second air is supplied to the room, the room can be heated. Also in this case, since allophane or imogolite is used as the adsorbent for the humidity control element (21), regeneration is performed at 75 ° C. in allophane in the same manner as described above.
It is performed in the temperature range of the low temperature side moisture absorption / desorption stage of 85 ° C. and 35 ° C. to 45 ° C. in imogolite.

The seventh means for solving the problems of the present invention is as follows.
In the humidity control apparatus according to the third or fourth solution means, the dehumidifying passages (51, 55, 57, 58) through which the first air passes and the regeneration passages (52, 53, 54) through which the second air passes. , 56) and the humidity control element (31) is composed of a first humidity control element (31A) and a second humidity control element (31B), and the humidity control passages (51, 55, 57, 58). ) And the regeneration passages (52, 53, 54, 56) cause the moisture contained in the first air to be adsorbed by the first humidity control element (31A) and the moisture of the second humidity control element (31B) be transferred to the second air. It is configured to be able to switch between a state of releasing water and a state of adsorbing the water contained in the first air to the second humidity control element (31B) and releasing the water of the first humidity control element (31A) to the second air. It is characterized by

In the humidity control apparatus according to the seventh solving means,
By switching between the dehumidifying passages (51,55,57,58) and the regeneration passages (52,53,54,56), the water contained in the first air
While adsorbing to the humidity control element (31A) and releasing the moisture of the second humidity control element (31B) to the second air, and adsorbing the moisture contained in the first air to the second humidity control element (31B) The state of releasing the moisture of the first humidity control element (31A) to the second air can be repeated. Therefore, while the first humidity control element (31A) is dehumidifying (adsorbing), the second humidity control element (31B) is humidifying (regenerating) and the first humidity control element (31A) is humidifying (regenerating). A so-called batch type humidity control operation can be performed depending on the state of dehumidifying (adsorbing) by the second humidity control element (31B).

[0024]

According to the first to fourth means for solving the problems, since allophane or imogolite is used as the adsorbent, it is possible to desorb about 20% of water at a low temperature, and the humidity control element (11 , 21,31) low temperature regeneration is possible. Also, the adsorption / desorption amount is smaller than that of adsorption / desorption up to near the saturation amount, but this point can be compensated by shortening the adsorption / desorption cycle time. The amount of desorption can be secured.

Further, since low temperature regeneration is possible, energy saving can be improved. Furthermore, when the humidity control device is applied to an air conditioner, if the regenerated air is heated by using the waste heat of the air conditioner, the heater for heating the regenerated air can be eliminated, and thus the device can be eliminated. Can be made compact.

According to the fifth to seventh means for solving the problems, various humidity control devices using allophane or imogolite as the adsorbent of the humidity control elements (11, 21, 31) can be put to practical use. .

[0027]

Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the first embodiment, the humidity control element and the humidity control device according to the present invention are applied to a non-feed water humidifier.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic structure of the unsupplied water humidifier (1) according to the first embodiment. This waterless humidifier
(1) is configured to humidify the room in winter, for example. The waterless humidifier has a casing (not shown) in which an adsorption rotor (humidity adjusting element) (11) and two blowers (not shown) are housed.

Inside the casing, a dehumidifying passage (12) through which the first air (outdoor air) that is the dehumidifying target air flows, and a regeneration passage through which the second air (indoor air) that is the humidifying target air flows.
(13) and are formed. Dehumidification passage (12) and regeneration passage (13)
And are separated by a partition wall (not shown) and are adjacent to each other.

The adsorption rotor (11) is arranged across the dehumidification passage (12) and the regeneration passage (13). And the adsorption rotor
In (11), the portion located in the dehumidification passageway (12) becomes the moisture absorption portion, the portion located in the regeneration passageway (13) becomes the moisture release portion, and the moisture absorption portion and the moisture release portion are sequentially replaced. As described above, the driving means (not shown) is configured to continuously rotate. A drive belt, a drive motor, or the like can be used as the drive means.

The adsorption rotor (11) is formed in a disk shape, and the upper semicircular portion constitutes a moisture absorbing portion and the lower semicircular portion constitutes a moisture releasing portion. The adsorption rotor (11) carries an adsorbent on the surface of a disk-shaped honeycomb-shaped base material, and has air permeability in the thickness direction. For this adsorbent, allophane or imogolite, which has a multi-stage moisture absorption / release property, is used. In addition,
The ratio of the moisture absorbing part to the moisture releasing part may not be 1: 1 but 2: 1
Or 3: 1 or any other ratio may be appropriately set.

In the regeneration passage (13), the adsorption rotor (1
A heater (14) is arranged on the upstream side of 1). This heater
(14) is configured to heat the second air to the regeneration temperature of the adsorption rotor (11). Specifically, when allophane is used as the adsorbent, the regeneration temperature is set in the range of 75 ° C to 85 ° C, and the heater (14) heats the first air to this temperature. When imogolite is used as the adsorbent, the regeneration temperature is set in the range of 35 ° C to 45 ° C, and the heater (14) heats the first air to this temperature.

The waterless humidifier can be constructed integrally with an air conditioner as a humidifier for heating the room during heating in winter. In that case, an indoor heat exchanger connected to a refrigerant circuit (not shown) can be provided in the regeneration passage (13) and used in place of the heater (14) or together with the heater (14). This indoor heat exchanger serves as a condenser in which the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit flows inside and the refrigerant condenses during heating operation to heat the air.

-Driving operation- Next, the operation of the waterless humidifier (1) will be described.

First, in this embodiment, the air volume of the first air is 180 m ³ / h, the air volume of the second air is 18 m ³ / h, and the adsorption rotor (1
Adsorption and desorption shall be performed continuously with the rotation speed of 1) set to 25 rph. When allophane is used as the adsorbent, the temperature of the regenerated air is 75 ° C to 85 ° C, and in the case of imogolite it is 35 ° C.
The adsorption rotor is regenerated at a temperature of about 45 ° C.

When the room is humidified in winter, the first air from the outside is introduced into the adsorption rotor (11) to dehumidify the first air. Thereby, dry air can be obtained.
Since the adsorption rotor (11) is continuously rotating,
The part that adsorbed the water on (11) moves to the regeneration passage (13),
It is exposed to the second air heated to 75 ° C. to 85 ° C. in the case of allophane and 35 ° C. to 45 ° C. in the case of imogolite to release water and be regenerated. As a result, the second air is humidified, and this humidified air is introduced into the room. Adsorption rotor (11)
When the regenerated portion moves to the dehumidification passageway (12) as the adsorption rotor (11) rotates, it is exposed to the first air and thus acts as a moisture absorption portion again.

The above is the operation for humidification during heating in winter, but if the fact that dry air is obtained from the first air is used, this device can also be used as a dehumidifying device for dehumidifying indoor air in summer. Available.

As described above, when the adsorption rotor (11) is regenerated, water is desorbed in a relatively low temperature range of 75 ° C. to 85 ° C. for allophane and 35 ° C. to 45 ° C. for imogolite. This is because allophane or imogolite has a multi-stage moisture absorption / desorption property and can absorb and desorb a certain amount of water molecules in the moisture absorption / desorption stage on the low temperature side where adsorption / desorption energy is small.

As described with reference to FIG. 1, allophane is a hollow spherical particle (diameter: about 3.5 to 5 nm), and its surface has a large number of pores (diameter: 0.3-0.5 nm) is present. For this reason,
Water molecules can be adsorbed in the spaces between the particles and inside the hollow sphere. When water molecules are adsorbed and desorbed inside the sphere, the water molecules pass through the surface pores of the allophane particles, so that the energy of adsorption and desorption becomes larger than that during adsorption and desorption between particles. Thus, when adsorption / desorption is performed in the gaps between particles, the adsorption / desorption energy can be small. Therefore, by utilizing this characteristic, when adsorbing / desorbing water molecules mainly in the spaces between particles, it is possible to adsorb / desorb about 23% by mass of water at a temperature of 75 ° C to 85 ° C.

Imogolite is a hollow nanotube (outer diameter of about 2.0 nm, inner diameter of about 1.0 nm, length of several μm).
The substance is shaped like a substance, and the adsorption sites are roughly divided into two types: inside the hollow tube and between the tubes. In the case of this imogolite, desorption of water molecules between each tube is about 35 ℃ ~
It is possible to carry out in the temperature range of 45 ° C., and at this time, a desorption rate of about 19.5 mass% is obtained.

As described above, when allophane or imogolite is used as the adsorbent, water molecules are adsorbed by the adsorption rotor (11) in the dehumidifying passageway (12) and then the adsorption rotor (11) is rotated. , Low temperature (about 7 for allophane
5 ° C to 85 ° C, about 35 ° C to 45 in imogolite
About 20% of water can be desorbed at (° C). Also,
Since water is released from the gaps between the adsorbent particles after the desorption, the moisture in the air can be repeatedly adsorbed in the gaps between the adsorbent particles by exposing the adsorption rotor (11) to high-humidity air again.

-Effect of Embodiment 1-As described above, according to Embodiment 1, since allophane or imogolite is used as the adsorbent, about 20% of water is desorbed by the regenerated air at a temperature lower than the conventional one. Therefore, the adsorption rotor (11) can be regenerated at a low temperature. Further, the adsorption / desorption amount is smaller than that of adsorption / desorption up to a saturated amount, but this can be covered by shortening the adsorption / desorption cycle time. By doing so, a device capable of low temperature regeneration of the humidity control element
In (1), a sufficient amount of adsorption / desorption can be secured.

Further, in this embodiment, since low temperature regeneration is possible, energy saving can be improved. In particular, when applying this humidity control device (1) to an air conditioner and using imogolite, it is also possible to heat the regenerated air by the exhaust heat of the air conditioner, in which case a heater is not required Can be made more compact.

[0044]

Second Embodiment of the Invention Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The second embodiment relates to a desiccant type air conditioner.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the air conditioner (2) includes a desiccant rotor (humidity control element) (21),
A sensible heat exchanger (22), an evaporator (cooler) (23), a condenser (heater) (24), and a first fan and a second fan (not shown) are housed in a casing (25). ing. The inside of the casing (25) has a dehumidifying passage by a partition plate (not shown).
It is divided into (26) and a regeneration passage (27).

The first fan is arranged in the dehumidification passageway (26). In the dehumidifying passageway (26), the first air (OA, RA) flows from right to left in FIGS. On the other hand, the second fan is arranged in the regeneration passage (27). In the regeneration passage (27), the second air (RA, OA) flows from left to right in FIGS. 4 and 5.

The desiccant rotor (21) is formed in a disc shape or a column shape, and has the dehumidifying passage (26) and the regenerating passage (27).
It is placed in a posture that crosses both. The desiccant rotor (21) is formed in a honeycomb shape, and has a large number of air passages penetrating in the axial direction thereof. The first air flows through the desiccant rotor (21) in the dehumidification passageway (26), and the second air flows through the desiccant rotor (21) in the regeneration passageway (27). This Desiccant Rotor (21)
Is driven by a motor (not shown) and rotates about its central axis.

Imogolite is carried as an adsorbent on the surface of the desiccant rotor (21). When this adsorbent comes into contact with the first air in the dehumidifying passageway (26), it adsorbs the moisture contained in the first air. In addition, the adsorbent is a regeneration passage.
When it comes into contact with the second air of (27), water is desorbed from the adsorbent. Therefore, the desiccant rotor (21) constitutes a humidity control element that absorbs moisture from the first air and is regenerated by the second air.

The sensible heat exchanger (22) is arranged on the left side of the desiccant rotor (21) in FIGS. 4 and 5 so as to traverse both the dehumidifying passage (26) and the regenerating passage (27). ing.
That is, in the dehumidification passageway (26), the sensible heat exchanger (22) is located downstream of the desiccant rotor (21), and in the regeneration passageway (27), the sensible heat exchanger (22) is located upstream of the desiccant rotor (21). Located on the side.
The sensible heat exchanger (22) exchanges heat between the first air in the dehumidification passage (26) and the second air in the regeneration passage (27).

The condenser (24) is arranged between the sensible heat exchanger (22) and the desiccant rotor (21) in the regeneration passage (27). The evaporator (23) is arranged in the dehumidifying passageway (26) downstream of the sensible heat exchanger (22). Condenser (24)
The evaporator (23) is connected to the compressor (28) together with the sensible heat exchanger (22) and an expansion mechanism (not shown) by a refrigerant pipe,
A refrigerant circuit (29) of the vapor compression refrigeration cycle is configured. Then, the condenser (24) heats the second air by the heat of the refrigerant, and the evaporator (23) cools the fed first air.

The refrigerant circuit (29) is constructed so that the circulation direction of the refrigerant is reversed between the heating operation in winter and the cooling operation in summer, but details are omitted in the figure. Further, outdoor air (OA) is supplied to the dehumidifying passageway (26) in summer and indoor air (RA) is supplied in winter. Regeneration passage (27)
Is supplied with indoor air (RA) in the summer and outdoor air (OA) in the winter.

-Driving operation- First, the cooling operation performed in the summer will be described.

When the first fan is operated, outdoor air (OA) is introduced into the dehumidification passageway (26) as the first air. Meanwhile, the second
When the fan is operated, room air (RA) is introduced into the regeneration passage (27) as the second air.

First air (OA) introduced into the dehumidifying passage (26)
Is sent to the desiccant rotor (21). First air (OA)
After being dehumidified by the desiccant rotor (21), the sensible heat exchanger
The second air (indoor air (R
It radiates heat to A)) and is further cooled by the evaporator (23). Then, the first air (SA) that has become dehumidified air is supplied to the room through the dehumidification passageway (26).

On the other hand, the second air introduced into the regeneration passage (27)
(RA) is sent to the sensible heat exchanger (22) and is sent to the first of the dehumidifying passages (26).
Exchanges heat with air (OA). As a result, the second air (RA)
Absorbs heat from the first air (OA) and its temperature rises. The second air (RA) whose temperature has risen is sent to the condenser (24) and exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit (32), which absorbs heat from the refrigerant to further raise its temperature and heat it to a higher temperature. To be done. This second
The air (RA) is further sent to the desiccant rotor (21).
When the second air (RA) contacts the desiccant rotor (21), water is desorbed from the adsorbent of the desiccant rotor (21). As a result, the desiccant rotor (21) is reproduced.
Also, the second air (RA) becomes humidified air (EA) with the moisture released from the desiccant rotor (21) being added, and the second passage (RA) is regenerated.
Exhaust to the outside from (27).

As mentioned above, the desiccant rotor (21) is
It is driven to rotate by a motor (not shown). Therefore, in the dehumidification passageway (26) of the desiccant rotor (21), the first air
The part that has absorbed moisture from (OA) moves to the regeneration passageway (27).
In the regeneration passage (27), the second air (RA) is fed by the desiccant rotor (2
Upon contact with 1), the desiccant rotor (21) is regenerated. After that, the portion of the desiccant rotor (21) regenerated in the regeneration passage (27) moves to the dehumidification passage (26) again, and the first air (OA)
Absorbs moisture from. By the operation of the desiccant rotor (21), the water deprived from the first air (OA) is added to the second air (RA).

On the other hand, in winter, the following heating operation is performed (FIG. 5). Although not shown in detail, during the heating operation, the air passage is switched, and the room air (RA) as the first air is transferred from the desiccant rotor (21) to the sensible heat exchanger (22) and the evaporator (23).
The outdoor air (OA) as the second air is supplied from the sensible heat exchanger (22) into the room through the condenser (24) and the humidity control element (21).

Specifically, the room air (RA) is supplied to the dehumidifying passage (26).
Is introduced as first air into the. The first air (RA) sent to the dehumidifying passage (26) is dehumidified by the desiccant rotor (21), radiates heat in the sensible heat exchanger (22), and is cooled by the evaporator (23). This point is the same as during the cooling operation. After that, the first air (EA) is discharged to the outside from the dehumidification passageway (26).

On the other hand, the outdoor air (OA) is introduced into the regeneration passage (27) as the second air. The second air (OA) sent to the regeneration passage (27) absorbs heat in the sensible heat exchanger (22) and is further heated in the condenser (24), and the desiccant rotor (21).
Is given moisture. This point is the same as during the cooling operation. Then, the second air (SA) is supplied to the room through the regeneration passage (27). As described above, the air humidified at high temperature is supplied to the room during heating.

In both the cooling operation and the heating operation, the second air is heated to about 35 ° C. to 45 ° C. by the sensible heat exchanger (22) and the condenser (24) and is then desiccant rotor (21).
Pass through. Since imogolite is used as an adsorbent in the desiccant rotor (21), the desiccant rotor (2
In the regeneration passage (27) side of 1), about 20 is used by using the low temperature side moisture release step of the multi-step moisture absorption / release characteristics of the imogolite.
% Water is released. Further, when the portion that has released the water in this way moves to the dehumidification passageway (26) side, it again becomes the first
Adsorbs moisture from the air.

[Effect of Embodiment 2] As described above, according to Embodiment 2, since imogolite is used as the adsorbent, approximately 20% of water is desorbed at a low temperature of about 35 ° C to 45 ° C. Therefore, the desiccant rotor (21) can be regenerated at a low temperature. Therefore, the humidity of the air can be adjusted by repeating adsorption and desorption (regeneration at low temperature).

Further, since the low temperature regeneration is possible, a heater for heating the regeneration air is not required, so that the energy saving can be improved and the device (2) can be made compact.

Further, in the present embodiment, the water adsorption / desorption amount is about 20% of the saturation amount, but the desorption is repeated at a short interval as compared with a device of the type that adsorbs / desorbs almost the saturation amount. For example, it is possible to secure a sufficient adsorption amount as a low temperature regeneration device.

[0064]

Third Embodiment of the Invention Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. This Embodiment 3
Adsorbs moisture by appropriately replacing the introduced air (dehumidification target air (first air) and humidification target air (second air)) with the humidity control element itself (31) stationary at predetermined intervals. This is an example in which a so-called batch-type humidity control device (3) for alternately switching between desorption and desorption is applied to an air conditioner.

As shown in FIG. 6, the humidity control element (31)
Is formed of a prismatic honeycomb structure (31A, 31B), and the first air passages (32) and the second air passages (33) are alternately arranged.
The layers are sequentially stacked by shifting the phase by 0 °. Further, the honeycomb structure (31A, 31B) has at least the first air passage (3
2) contains imogolite as an adsorbent.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, this humidity control device (3) includes two humidity control elements (31A, 31B), a condenser (34) which is a heat exchanger for regeneration, and an evaporator. (35) and the first fan (3
6) and a second fan (37), which are housed in a casing (not shown). Then, the humidity control element (3
1A and 31B) are configured to be rotatable about the axis of the motor at predetermined intervals by a driving means such as a motor (not shown) and a control means for controlling the operation thereof. The rotation angle per rotation of the humidity control element (31A, 31B) is about 90.
And the interval is, for example, 2 minutes. The rotation direction may be clockwise or counterclockwise, and the rotation angle and interval may be changed.

The casing has an outdoor suction port (41).
The outdoor-side outlet (42), the indoor-side inlet (43), and the indoor-side outlet (44) are open. A plurality of passages are defined by a plurality of partition plates in the casing, and two four-way switching valves (45, 4) are provided in each passage as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.
6) and four switching valves (47, 48, 49, 50) are provided.
Then, by operating the first fan (36), outdoor air is sucked into the casing from the outdoor suction port (41),
Passing through the humidity control elements (31A, 31B) and indoor side air outlet (44)
Is supplied to the room from the humidified air. In addition, the second fan (3
When 7) operates, the indoor air is sucked in through the indoor suction port (43), passes through the humidity control elements (31A, 31B), and is discharged out of the room through the outdoor air outlet (42).

Specifically, in the first four-way switching valve (45), one primary port is connected to the first flow path (51) and the other primary port is connected to the first switching valve (47). Connected to the communication passageway (52), one secondary port is connected to the first fan (36), and the other secondary port is connected to the second fan (37). The first switching valve (47) and the third switching valve (49) are connected via the second flow path (53) and the third flow path (54), respectively.
The second four-way switching valve (46) has one primary port that is the fourth switching valve.
Connected to the fourth flow path (55) connected to (50), the other primary port connected to the communication passage (56) connected to the third switching valve (49), and one secondary port Is connected to the indoor side outlet (44), and the other secondary port is connected to the indoor side inlet (43). The second switching valve (48) and the fourth switching valve (50) are connected via the fifth flow path (57) and the sixth flow path (58).

In the above structure, the first flow path (51) and the fourth flow path (51)
The flow passage (55), the fifth flow passage (57) and the sixth flow passage (58) form a dehumidifying passage (51, 55, 57, 58) through which the first air passes. Further, the communication passage (52), the second flow path (53) and the third flow path (54)
And the communication passage (56), the regeneration passage through which the second air passes
(52,53,54,56) are constructed.

The dehumidifying passages (51, 55, 57, 58) and the regenerating passages (52, 53, 54, 56) contain the first moisture contained in the first air.
While adsorbing to the humidity control element (31A) and releasing the moisture of the second humidity control element (31B) to the second air, and adsorbing the moisture contained in the first air to the second humidity control element (31B) The state in which the moisture of the first humidity control element (31A) is released to the second air can be switched.

-Driving Operation- Next, the dehumidifying operation in the summer using the humidity control apparatus constructed as described above will be described with reference to FIG. First, each valve (45 to 50) is switched to the state shown by the solid line in FIG. In this state, the first and second fans (36, 37) are started. When the first fan (36) is activated, the outdoor air is discharged from the outdoor suction port (41).
(OA) is sucked, and the outdoor air (OA) passes through the first air passage (32) of the first humidity control element (31A). At this time, moisture is absorbed by the first air passage (32), the outdoor air becomes dehumidified air (SA), is cooled by the evaporator (35), and is blown out indoors from the indoor side outlet (44). It

Further, by the operation of the second fan (37), the room air (RA) is sucked from the indoor side suction port (43) and passes through the second air passageway (33) of the first humidity control element (31A). However, at this time, the air flows perpendicularly to the outdoor air (OA) and absorbs heat of adsorption in the course of its flow. As a result, the dehumidified air (SA) is cooled. Then, the air that has passed through the second air passage (33) of the first humidity control element (31A) is heated by the condenser (34) to the first air passage (32) of the second humidity control element (31B). The water is supplied, and at that time, the moisture in the first air passageway (32) of the second humidity control element (31B) is released. As a result, the first air passage (32) of the second humidity control element (31B) is regenerated, and the regenerated air (EA) containing moisture (moisture) is discharged from the outdoor air outlet (42). Blown out.

After this state continues for a predetermined time (during the above-mentioned predetermined interval), the humidity control element rotates about 90 ° around its axis. Simultaneously with this rotation, the valves (47-50) are switched, the flow path shown by the broken line in FIG. 7 is formed, and in this state, the first and second fans (36, 37) are activated. 1st fan
When (36) is activated, outdoor air (OA) is discharged from the outdoor inlet (41).
Is sucked in, and this outdoor air (OA) becomes the second humidity control element.
Pass through the first air passageway (32) of (31B). At that time, moisture is adsorbed by the first air passage (32), and the air becomes dehumidified air and is blown out into the room from the indoor side outlet (44).

Also, the room air (RA) is sucked from the indoor side intake port (43) by the activation of the second fan (37) and passes through the second air passageway (33) of the second humidity control element (31B). At this time, the air flows perpendicularly to the outdoor air (OA) and absorbs heat of adsorption in the course of its flow. As a result, the dehumidified air (SA) is cooled. Then, the air that has passed through the second air passage (33) passes through the condenser (34) and is heated, and the first humidity control element
It is supplied to the first air passage (32) of (31A), and at this time, the moisture in the first air passage (32) of the first humidity control element (31A) is released. As a result, this first humidity control element (31A)
The first air passage (32) is regenerated, and regenerated air (EA) containing water (humidity) is blown out from the outdoor air outlet (42).

In this way, dehumidification operation is possible by switching the flow paths (53, 54, 57, 58) while appropriately rotating the humidity control elements (31A, 31B), and dehumidified air cooled appropriately.
(SA) is blown into the room from the indoor side outlet (44). Further, the above switching is repeated, and each element (31
The first air passages (32) of A, 31B) are regenerated alternately. As a result, the outdoor air (OA) passes through the first air passage (32) in a state where it can always absorb moisture, and the dehumidifying device (3) can perform stable dehumidifying operation for a long period of time. Is possible. Further, when the dehumidified air (SA) is blown into the room, it is cooled by the evaporator (35), and the room has a comfortable temperature.

Next, the humidifying operation in winter will be described with reference to FIG. At this time, the valves (45 to 50) are switched to the state shown by the solid line in FIG. In this state, the first and second fans (36, 37) are started. When the first fan (36) is activated,
Outdoor air (OA) is sucked in through the outdoor suction port (41)
It is heated by passing through the second air passageway (33) of the humidity control element (31A) and the condenser (34). This heated air passes through the first air passageway (32) of the second humidity control element (31B). At this time, the moisture in the first air passage (32) is released and the first air passage (32) is regenerated, and the outdoor air (OA) becomes humidified air (SA) and the indoor air outlet (44). Is blown into the room from. When the second fan (37) is activated, the room air
(RA) is sucked in from the indoor side suction port (43) and passes through the first air passage (32) of the first humidity control element (31A). On this occasion,
A state in which warm indoor air (RA) and cold outdoor air (OA) flow in a direction orthogonal to each other to exchange heat, preheat the outdoor air (OA), and adsorb moisture in the first air passageway (32). Next to
The air (EA) dehumidified thereby is blown out from the outdoor air outlet (42) to the outside.

After this state continues for a predetermined time (during the above-mentioned predetermined interval), the humidity control elements (31A, 31B) rotate about 90 ° around their axes. At the same time as this rotation, the valve (47-5
0) is switched, the flow path shown by the broken line in FIG. 8 is formed,
In this state, the first and second fans (36, 37) are started. Outdoor air (OA) is sucked in through the outdoor suction port (41) and passes through the second air passageway (33) of the second humidity control element (31B) to the condenser (3
It is heated by passing through 4). The heated air passes through the first air passageway (32) of the first humidity control element (31A). At this time, the water in the first air passage (32) is released,
The first air passage (32) of the first humidity control element (31A) is regenerated, and the outdoor air (OA) becomes humidified air (SA) and is blown out into the room from the indoor side outlet (44). Also, the second
When the fan (37) is activated, the room air is sucked into the room air inlet (43)
Is sucked in from and passes through the first air passageway (32) of the second humidity control element (31B). At this time, warm indoor air (RA) and cold outdoor air (OA) flow orthogonally to perform heat exchange,
The outdoor air (OA) is preheated and the first air passage (32)
Becomes a state of adsorbing water, and the air (EA) dehumidified thereby is blown out from the outdoor side outlet (42) to the outside.

As described above, by rotating the humidity control elements (31A, 31B) and switching the valves (47 to 50), the humidification operation can be performed in the state of the solid line and the state of the broken line, and the heating is appropriately performed. Humidified air (SA) is supplied indoors. And
By repeating the above switching process, each element (31A, 3A
The first air passages (32) of 1B) are regenerated alternately. As a result, the outdoor air (OA) passes through the first air passage (32) in a state where moisture can be constantly released, and it is possible to perform stable humidification operation as a humidity controller for a long period of time. Is.

In the present embodiment, the dehumidifying passages (51, 55, 57, 58) and the regeneration passages (52, 53, 54, 56) are, for example, every 2 minutes in both the cooling operation and the heating operation. Switch to. Therefore, the portion absorbed by the humidity control elements (31A, 31B) is exposed to the regenerated air after 2 minutes to release the moisture, and the regenerated air is humidified and regenerated. In addition, the portion thus regenerated works again as a moisture absorption portion after 2 minutes.

-Effect of Embodiment 3-According to this embodiment, since imogolite is used as the adsorbent, about 20% of water is desorbed at a low temperature of 35 ° C to 45 ° C as in the above embodiments. It can be carried out and low temperature regeneration of the humidity control element becomes possible. By repeating adsorption and desorption (low temperature regeneration) at predetermined intervals (every 2 minutes in the above example), it is possible to control the humidity of the air while ensuring a sufficient adsorption / desorption amount.

Further, in this embodiment, since the humidity control elements (31A, 31B) can be regenerated by the exhaust heat of the air conditioner (3), the energy saving can be improved. Further, since the heater for heating the regenerated air is unnecessary, the device (3) can be made compact.

[0082]

Other Embodiments of the Invention The present invention may have the following configurations in the above embodiments.

For example, in the above-described first embodiment, the air volume of the first air is 180 m ³ / h, the air volume of the second air is 18 m ³ / h, the rotation speed of the adsorption rotor (11) is 25 rph, and the adsorption and desorption are continuously performed. However, these numbers are just examples.
It can be appropriately changed according to the device configuration. In addition, Embodiment 2,
Also for 3, the operating conditions may be appropriately set according to the device configuration.

In the present invention, allophane or imogolite is used as the adsorbent, and for allophane, 75 ° C to 8 ° C.
The humidity control element is designed to be regenerated at 5 ° C and 35 ° C to 45 ° C for imogolite. These substances have properties particularly suitable for low temperature regeneration of the humidity control element (11, 21, 31). However, other than allophane and imogolite, the humidity control element (11,21,31) can be regenerated at low temperature as well by using only the moisture absorption / desorption stage on the low temperature side by using an adsorbent having multi-stage moisture absorption / desorption properties. It is possible to do so.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing adsorption stages on a low temperature side and a high temperature side in allophane.

FIG. 2 is a graph showing the desorption rate of water according to the regeneration temperature of allophane.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of the unsupplied water humidifier according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air conditioner according to a second embodiment of the present invention, showing a cooling operation state.

FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air conditioner according to a second embodiment of the present invention, showing a heating operation state.

FIG. 6 is an external view of a humidity control element used in the air conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air conditioner according to a third embodiment of the present invention, showing a cooling operation state.

FIG. 8 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention, showing a heating operation state.

[Explanation of symbols]

(1) Non-water supply humidifier (humidity control device) (11) Humidity control element (12) Dehumidifying passage (13) Regeneration passage (2) Air conditioner (humidity control device) (21) Humidity control element (22) Sensible heat exchanger (23) Cooler (24) Heater (26) Dehumidifying passage (27) Regeneration passage (3) Air conditioner (humidity control device) (31) Humidity control element (32) First air passage (33) Second air passage (31A) 1st humidity control element (31B) 2nd humidity control element (51) First flow path (dehumidification passage) (52) Communication passage (regeneration passage) (53) Second channel (regeneration passage) (54) Third channel (regeneration passage) (55) 4th flow path (dehumidifying passage) (56) Communication passage (regeneration passage) (57) Fifth channel (dehumidifying passage) (58) 6th flow path (dehumidifying passage)

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Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A humidity control element which has an adsorbent and controls the humidity of air by adsorbing or desorbing moisture, wherein the adsorbent is composed of allophane. 2. A humidity control element having an adsorbent, which adjusts the humidity of air by adsorbing or desorbing water, wherein the adsorbent is composed of imogolite. 3. A humidity control element having an adsorbent (11, 21, 3)
A humidity control device comprising 1) for adjusting the humidity of air by adsorbing or desorbing moisture to or from the adsorbent, wherein the adsorbent is composed of allophane, and the desorption temperature is 75 ° C.
A humidity control device characterized in that the humidity control device is set in a range of up to 85 ° C. 4. A humidity control element having an adsorbent (11, 21, 3)
A humidity control device comprising 1) for controlling the humidity of air by adsorbing or desorbing moisture to or from the adsorbent, wherein the adsorbent is composed of imogolite, and the desorption temperature is 35
A humidity control device characterized in that the humidity control device is set in the range of ℃ to 45 ℃. 5. A dehumidifying passage (12) through which the first air passes, and a regeneration passage (13) through which the second air passes, wherein the humidity control element (11) regenerates with the dehumidifying passage (12). It is arranged rotatably while straddling the passageway (13) so that the water contained in the first air is adsorbed by the adsorbent of the humidity control element (11) and the water adsorbed by the adsorbent is desorbed. The humidity control apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the humidity control apparatus is configured to discharge to the second air. 6. A dehumidification passage (26) through which the first air passes and a regeneration passage (27) through which the second air passes, wherein the humidity control element (21) regenerates with the dehumidification passage (26). A sensible heat exchanger (22) that is arranged rotatably while straddling the passage (27) and cools the dehumidified first air by heat exchange with the second air, and the sensible heat exchanger. A cooler (23) for cooling the first air discharged from (22) and a heater (23) for heating the second air discharged from the sensible heat exchanger (22) to supply the humidity control element (21). 24) The humidity control device according to claim 3 or 4, further comprising: 7. A dehumidifying passage through which the first air passes (51, 55, 57,
58) and a regeneration passage (52, 53, 54, 56) through which the second air passes, and the humidity control element (31) includes a first humidity control element (31A) and a second humidity control element (31B). The dehumidifying passage (51,55,57,58) and the regeneration passage (52,53,54,56)
Is the first humidity control element (31
A state where the moisture of the second humidity control element (31B) is released to the second air and the moisture contained in the first air is absorbed to the second humidity control element (31B) and the first humidity control is performed. The humidity control apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the humidity control apparatus is configured to be capable of switching between a state in which the moisture of the element (31A) is released to the second air.