JP3693581B2 - Dehumidifier - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a dehumidifying device, and more particularly to a dehumidifying device (external air conditioner) that processes outside air and guides the air into a room.
[0002]
[Prior art]
FIG. 14 shows the configuration of a conventional dehumidifier (external air conditioner). As shown in FIG. 14, a conventional dehumidifying device includes a booster 301 that compresses a refrigerant, a condenser 302 that condenses the compressed refrigerant and heats the outside air OA, and depressurizes the condensed refrigerant with a throttle 303. Are evaporated to cool the outside air OA to the dew point temperature or lower, and a blower 305 for supplying the outside air OA to the air-conditioned space 100 is provided. The evaporator 304 cools the outside air OA below the dew point and removes moisture in the outside air OA. The outside air OA cooled below the dew point is heated by the condenser 302 and supplied to the conditioned space 100. The booster 301, the condenser 302, the throttle 303 and the evaporator 304 constitute a heat pump HP that pumps heat from the outside air OA flowing through the evaporator 304 to the outside air OA flowing through the condenser 302.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the conventional dehumidifying device, the operating temperature of the evaporator 304 in the heat pump HP becomes below freezing point, and therefore, the dehumidified moisture is deposited as ice on the heat transfer surface, which inhibits heat transfer and continues. It may be impossible to drive. Therefore, in the conventional dehumidifier, it was not possible to supply dry air having an absolute humidity of 4 g / kgDA or less.
[0004]
As a method for obtaining air having a low dew point temperature, that is, a low absolute humidity, a method of adsorbing moisture using a desiccant and dehumidifying it is known. However, a conventional dehumidifier using a desiccant can be used for outdoor air with a high absolute humidity exceeding 20 g / kgDA in the midsummer, for example, because the heat of adsorption becomes an obstacle and the humidity does not decrease. There wasn't. In addition, in the dehumidifying apparatus using the desiccant, an electric heater is used to heat the regenerated air for regenerating the desiccant, and there is a problem that the operation cost is increased.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of such problems of the prior art, and even if air is dehumidified, the dehumidified water is not deposited as ice on the heat transfer surface of the evaporator of the heat pump, and the absolute humidity is maintained. An object of the present invention is to provide a dehumidifier capable of continuously supplying dry air of 4 g / kg DA or less.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve such problems in the prior art, one aspect of the present invention includes a booster that boosts the refrigerant, a condenser that condenses the refrigerant and heats the regenerated air, and evaporates the refrigerant. An evaporator that cools external air to a temperature below the dew point, and a refrigerant path that connects the condenser and the evaporator, and an intermediate pressure between the condensation pressure of the condenser and the evaporation pressure of the evaporator In the refrigerant path connecting the condenser and the evaporator, and the condensation pressure of the condenser and the evaporation pressure of the evaporator. The second heat exchange means for condensing the refrigerant with an intermediate pressure to heat the external air, and the external air heated by the second heat exchange means as the treatment air and the regeneration air, the moisture of the treatment air And the above regeneration air A dehumidifier comprising: a desiccant to which moisture is desorbed and regenerated; and an air path that connects the first heat exchange means, the evaporator, and the second heat exchange means in this order. It is.
[0007]
With such a configuration, a part of the moisture in the air can be condensed by cooling by the first heat exchange means, and the moisture content can be reduced. Since it is cooled by the first heat exchanging means (precooling) before being cooled by the evaporator, and is cooled by the second heat exchanging means after being cooled by the evaporator (preheating), low sensible heat Ratio operation. In addition, since the moisture is adsorbed by the moisture adsorption device, the humidity of the treatment air is greatly reduced, and dry air can be supplied.
[0008]
In addition, air can be pre-cooled by the first heat exchange means before cooling in the evaporator, and the pre-cooling heat can be recovered from the air once cooled by the evaporator, and a heat pump having a high operating coefficient is provided. It is possible to provide a dehumidifying device. Moreover, it can be set as the dehumidification apparatus with the high dehumidification capability per energy consumption. As described above, the heating amount is smaller than that required in the electric heater for heating the regeneration air for regenerating the conventional desiccant, and the heat pump has high energy efficiency, so that the power consumption can be reduced.
[0009]
Further, the air heated by the second heat exchanging means may be added with indoor air to which the processing air is supplied to form regenerated air. The capacity of the dehumidifying device can be improved by taking in air from the room supplied with the treated air thus dehumidified as ventilation and adding it to the regenerated air.
[0010]
Furthermore, in a preferred aspect of the present invention, the first heat exchanging means and the second heat exchanging means are configured such that air flowing through the respective heat exchanging means flows opposite to each other, and In the first heat exchange means and the second heat exchange means, the refrigerant path includes at least a pair of first and second penetration portions in a first plane substantially orthogonal to the air flow. And having at least a pair of a first penetrating portion and a second penetrating portion in a second plane substantially orthogonal to the air flow different from the first plane, and the first plane An intermediate stop is provided at a position that moves from the inside to the second plane.
[0011]
If comprised in this way, from the viewpoint of heat exchange between air, since it is counter flow heat exchange, high heat exchange efficiency can be achieved. The second surface has at least a pair of first and second penetrating portions in the first surface, forms a pair of refrigerant paths, and is substantially orthogonal to the flow of regeneration air different from the first surface. Since it has at least a pair of 1st penetration parts and a 2nd penetration part in a field and serves as a pair of refrigerant paths, a heat exchanger can be formed small and compact as a whole. In addition, since the intermediate diaphragm is provided at a position that moves from the first plane to the second plane, the evaporation or condensation pressure of the first and second through portions in the second plane is set to the first plane. Since it can be a value lower than the pressure of evaporation or condensation of the first and second penetrations in the inside, the heat exchange between the air flowing through each penetration can be close to the countercurrent heat exchange, Heat exchange efficiency can be increased. Note that the shapes of the first surface and the second surface are typically rectangular planes.
[0012]
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, a branch refrigerant path that branches into a plurality of rows between the condenser and the evaporator is provided, and the first heat exchange means and the second heat exchanger are provided in the branch refrigerant path. The heat exchange means is provided.
[0013]
With such a configuration, the working temperature of the refrigerant can be changed stepwise, so that the heat exchange efficiency can be increased. Here, when the heat exchanger inlet temperature of the high temperature side fluid is TP1, the outlet temperature is T, the heat exchanger inlet temperature of the low temperature side fluid is TC1, and the outlet temperature is TC2, the heat exchange efficiency φ is When focusing on the cooling of the fluid, that is, when the purpose of the heat exchange is cooling, φ = (TP1−TP2) / (TP1−TC1), when focusing on the heating of the low temperature fluid, that is, the heat exchange When the purpose is heating, it is defined as φ = (TC2−TC1) / (TP1−TC1).
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of a dehumidifier according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a dehumidifying device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a flow in the dehumidifying device of FIG. The dehumidifying device in the present embodiment cools the air OA introduced from the outside below its dew point temperature and collects the moisture as condensed water, and dehumidifies the air using a desiccant. HP1 is included. The air SA whose humidity has been lowered by the dehumidifier is supplied to the air-conditioned space 100, whereby the air-conditioned space 100 is maintained at a low humidity.
[0015]
As shown in FIG. 1, the dehumidifying device compresses the blower 1 for introducing the air OA from the outside, the evaporator 2 for heating and evaporating the refrigerant, and the refrigerant evaporating into the gas by the evaporator 2. The pressure booster 3 that cools the refrigerant, the condenser 4 that cools and condenses the refrigerant, the heat exchanger 5 that acts as an economizer, and the desiccant that adsorbs the moisture of the processing air that passes through it and is regenerated by the regeneration air that passes through it. And a desiccant rotor 6. The heat exchanger 5 exchanges heat indirectly between the air before and after flowing into the evaporator 2 via a refrigerant, and cools the air by evaporating the refrigerant. 51 and a second heat exchange unit 52 that condenses the refrigerant and heats the air. These devices are accommodated in a cabinet 10, and the cabinet 10 is formed as a rectangular parallelepiped casing made of, for example, a thin steel plate.
[0016]
An air inlet 11 is opened at the uppermost front portion of the cabinet 10, and air OA from the outside is introduced into the dehumidifier through the air inlet 11. A filter 12 is provided in the vicinity of the air inlet 11 so that dust does not enter the apparatus from the outside. An air path through which air flows is formed in the cabinet 10 by a partition plate extending in the horizontal or vertical direction, and the air OA introduced from the intake port 11 passes through the uppermost air path 13a and is a middle air path. 13b, and flows from the middle air path 13b to the lowermost air path 13c. The air that has flowed into the lowermost air path 13c is divided into two flows that flow upward and horizontally. The air that flows upward is treated air that is dehumidified by the desiccant, and the air that flows horizontally regenerates the desiccant. It becomes air.
[0017]
In the middle air path 13b described above, the first heat exchanging part 51, the blower 1, and the evaporator 2 of the heat exchanger 5 are arranged in this order along the air flow direction. Here, the evaporator 2 cools the air introduced from the outside below its dew point temperature and recovers the moisture in the air as condensed water, and a drain pan 14 is installed below it. A drain tank 15 is disposed in the lowermost air path 13 c located below the drain pan 14, and moisture in the outside air OA condensed by the evaporator 2 is collected by the drain pan 14 into the drain tank 15. Accumulated. The drain pan 14 is preferably provided so as to cover not only the evaporator 2 but also the lower part of the heat exchanger 5. In the first heat exchanging part 51 of the heat exchanger 5, air is mainly precooled. However, since some moisture may condense here, it is particularly preferable to be provided below the first heat exchanging part 51. .
[0018]
In the lowermost air path 13c, the drain tank 15, the second heat exchange unit 52 of the heat exchanger 5, and the booster 3 are sequentially arranged along the air flow direction. In the vicinity of the booster 3 in the lowermost air path 13c, as described above, the air path is divided into an upward direction and a horizontal direction. Of these, the regenerated air that has flowed in the horizontal direction passes through the condenser 4 and the desiccant rotor 6 in order to regenerate the desiccant, and is then discharged from a discharge port 16 formed at the lowermost rear surface of the cabinet 10. On the other hand, the processing air that has flowed upward flows in the horizontal direction from the top of the cabinet 10, passes through the desiccant rotor 6, and is dehumidified, and then is supplied from the supply port 17 formed on the side surface of the cabinet 10 to the conditioned space. 100.
[0019]
The desiccant rotor 6 is formed as a thick disk-shaped rotor that rotates about a rotation axis AX extending in the horizontal direction. The rotor is filled with a desiccant with a gap through which gas can pass. For example, it is preferable to configure a desiccant by bundling a large number of tube-shaped drying elements so that the central axis thereof is parallel to the rotation axis AX. Since the rotation axis AX of the desiccant rotor 6 is arranged in the horizontal direction, the horizontal length of the cabinet 10 can be made short and compact.
[0020]
The semicircular upper half of the desiccant rotor 6 is disposed in the air path through which the processing air flows, and the semicircular lower half is disposed in the air path through which the regeneration air flows. The processing air and the regeneration air flow in parallel to the rotation axis AX of the desiccant rotor 6 and flow out in the thickness direction of the disk-shaped rotor. In general, the processing air and the regeneration air are configured to flow in a counterflow manner in almost half of the circular desiccant rotor 6 in parallel with the rotation axis AX.
[0021]
The desiccant rotor 6 is provided with a motor 6a, which is a drive machine, with its rotating shaft horizontal, and the motor 6a and the desiccant rotor 6 are coupled via a chain 6b. With such a configuration, the rotation of the electric motor 6a is transmitted to the desiccant rotor 6, and the desiccant rotor 6 is moved to 15 to 20h. ^-1 It rotates around the rotation axis AX at a rotation speed of. Each drying element is arranged so as to alternately contact the processing air and the regeneration air as the desiccant rotor 6 rotates.
[0022]
As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerant path through which the refrigerant circulates is a path 40 connecting the evaporator 2 and the booster 3, a path 41 connecting the booster 3 and the condenser 4, the condenser 4 and the heat. A path 42 connecting the exchanger 5 and a path 43 connecting the heat exchanger 5 and the evaporator 2 are configured. In the heat exchanger 5, the refrigerant path passes through the first heat exchange unit 51 and the second heat exchange unit 52, and the refrigerant is evaporated in the first heat exchange unit 51. The evaporation section 61 for cooling the air OA flowing through the first heat exchanging part 51 is formed by the air R, and the air R flowing through the second heat exchanging part 52 by condensing the refrigerant in the second heat exchanging part 52. Is formed. In addition, a throttle 48 is disposed in the refrigerant path 42 upstream of the first heat exchange unit 51 of the heat exchanger 5, and a throttle 49 is disposed in the refrigerant path 43 downstream of the second heat exchange unit 52. ing. As these restrictors 48 and 49, for example, an orifice, a capillary tube, an expansion valve, or the like can be used.
[0023]
FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing a refrigerant path in the heat exchanger 5 of the dehumidifying apparatus of FIG. The refrigerant path including the evaporation section 61 and the condensation section 62 passes through the first heat exchange unit 51 and the second heat exchange unit 52 alternately and repeatedly. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the refrigerant path in the heat exchanger 5 is in order from the condenser 4 side in the order of the evaporation section 61a, the condensation section 62a, the condensation section 62b, the evaporation section 61b, the evaporation section 61c, and the condensation section 62c. , A condensing section 62d, an evaporating section 61d, an evaporating section 61e, and a condensing section 62e.
[0024]
Here, the first heat exchanging part 51 that flows the air OA before passing through the evaporator 2 and the second heat exchanging part 52 that flows the air R after passing through the evaporator 2 are separate rectangular parallelepiped spaces. Is housed in. In these rectangular parallelepiped spaces, a plurality of heat exchange tubes are arranged in parallel as refrigerant paths on a plane orthogonal to the air flow. In the first heat exchange unit 51 and the second heat exchange unit 52, a partition wall 510 and a partition wall 520 are provided adjacent to each other, and a heat exchange tube is provided through the two partition walls 510 and 520. It has been. As another form, the heat exchanger 5 divides one rectangular parallelepiped space into one partition, and a heat exchange tube passes through the partition to connect the first heat exchange unit and the second heat exchange unit. You may comprise so that it may penetrate alternately.
[0025]
The ends of the evaporation section 61b and the evaporation section 61c, and the ends of the evaporation section 61d and the evaporation section 61e are connected by a U tube 63, respectively. Similarly, the end portions of the condensing section 62a and the condensing section 62b and the end portions of the condensing section 62c and the condensing section 62d are also connected by the U tube 64, respectively. With such a configuration, the refrigerant that has flowed from the evaporation section 61 a toward the condensation section 62 a in the refrigerant path 42 is guided to the condensation section 62 b by the U tube 64. The refrigerant guided to the condensing section 62b further flows into the evaporating section 61b, is introduced into the evaporating section 61c by the U tube 63, and further flows into the condensing section 62c. Thus, the refrigerant path in the heat exchanger 5 is constituted by a meandering narrow tube group, and the narrow tube group passes through the first heat exchanging part 51 and the second heat exchanging part 52 while meandering, and has a high temperature. It comes into contact with air and air of low temperature alternately.
[0026]
Next, the flow of the refrigerant between the devices will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
The refrigerant gas compressed by the booster 3 is guided to the condenser 4 via the refrigerant gas pipe 41 connected to the discharge port of the booster 3. In the condenser 4, the refrigerant gas compressed by the booster 3 is cooled and condensed by the regeneration air T before flowing into the desiccant rotor 6, and the regeneration air T is heated by this refrigerant.
[0027]
The refrigerant liquid exiting the condenser 4 is decompressed and expanded by the throttle 48, and a part of the refrigerant liquid is evaporated (flashed). The refrigerant in which the liquid and gas are mixed reaches the evaporation section 61a of the first heat exchange section 51, where the refrigerant liquid flows so as to wet the inner wall of the tube of the evaporation section 61a. The refrigerant liquid is heated and evaporated by the air OA introduced from the outside while flowing through the evaporation section 61a, and the air OA before flowing into the evaporator 2 is cooled (precooled). At this time, the refrigerant itself is heated to increase the gas phase.
[0028]
As described above, since the evaporating section 61a and the condensing section 62a are constituted by a series of tubes, the refrigerant gas evaporated in the evaporating section 61a (and the refrigerant liquid that has not evaporated) flows into the condensing section 62a. In the condensing section 62a, the air R cooled and dehumidified by the evaporator 2 is heated (reheated) at a temperature lower than the air in the evaporating section 61a. It flows into the next condensing section 62b. While the refrigerant flows through the condensing section 62b, the refrigerant is further deprived of heat by the low-temperature air R to condense the gas-phase refrigerant.
[0029]
The condensed refrigerant liquid flows into the next evaporation section 61b and the subsequent evaporation section 61c, and the air OA before flowing into the evaporator 2 is cooled (precooled) in the same manner as described above. Further, the refrigerant gas flows into the condensing section 62c and the condensing section 62d, and the air R is heated. Thus, the refrigerant flows through the refrigerant path in the heat exchanger while repeating the phase change between the gas phase and the liquid phase, and the air OA before being cooled by the evaporator 2 and the absolute humidity by being cooled by the evaporator 2. Heat exchange is indirectly performed with the lowered air R.
[0030]
The refrigerant liquid condensed in the final condensing section 62e is depressurized and expanded by the throttle 49 disposed on the downstream side of the second heat exchanging section 52, and the temperature decreases. Then, the refrigerant reaches the evaporator 2 and evaporates in the evaporator 2. The air Q that has passed through the first heat exchanging portion 51 is cooled by the heat of evaporation of the refrigerant. The refrigerant evaporated and gasified in the evaporator 2 is guided to the suction side of the booster 3. Then, the above cycle is repeated.
[0031]
Next, the operation of the heat pump HP1 included in the dehumidifier according to this embodiment will be described. 4 is a refrigerant Mollier diagram of the heat pump HP1 included in the dehumidifier of FIG. In the diagram shown in FIG. 4, HFC134a is used as the refrigerant, and the horizontal axis represents enthalpy and the vertical axis represents pressure. Not only HFC134a but also HFC407C and HFC410A can be used as refrigerants, and when these refrigerants are used, the operating pressure region shifts to a higher pressure side than in the case of HFC134a.
[0032]
In FIG. 4, a point a indicates the state of the refrigerant evaporated in the evaporator 2 of FIG. 2, and the refrigerant at this time is in a saturated gas state. The pressure of the refrigerant is 0.30 MPa, the temperature is 1 ° C., and the enthalpy is 399.2 kJ / kg. Point b shows the state in which this gas is sucked and compressed by the booster 3, that is, the state at the discharge port of the booster 3, and the refrigerant at this time has a pressure of 1.89 MPa and is in a superheated gas state. .
[0033]
The refrigerant gas in the state of point b is cooled in the condenser 4 and reaches the state indicated by point c. The refrigerant at this time is in a saturated gas state, the pressure is 1.89 MPa, and the temperature is 65 ° C. The refrigerant is further cooled and condensed under this pressure to reach the state indicated by point d. The refrigerant at this time is in a saturated liquid state, and its pressure and temperature are the same as the pressure and temperature at point c. The enthalpy at this time is 295.8 kJ / kg.
[0034]
The refrigerant liquid is depressurized by the throttle 48 and flows into the evaporation section 61 a of the first heat exchange unit 51. The state at this time is indicated by a point e, in which a part of the liquid is evaporated and the liquid and the gas are mixed. The pressure at this time is an intermediate pressure between the condensing pressure of the condenser 4 and the evaporating pressure of the evaporator 2, and is a value between 0.30 MPa and 1.89 MPa in this embodiment.
[0035]
In the evaporating section 61a, the cooling liquid evaporates under the above intermediate pressure, and a state of a point f1 located between the saturated liquid line and the saturated gas line is obtained at the same pressure. In this state, a part of the liquid is evaporated, but a considerable amount of the refrigerant liquid remains. And the refrigerant | coolant of the state shown by the point f1 flows in into the condensation sections 62a and 62b. In the condensing sections 62a and 62b, the refrigerant is deprived of heat by the low-temperature air R flowing through the second heat exchanging section 52 and reaches the state of the point g1.
[0036]
The refrigerant in the state of point g1 flows into the evaporation sections 61b and 61c, where heat is taken away and the liquid phase is increased to reach the state of point f2, and further flows into the condensation sections 62c and 62d. In the condensing sections 62c and 62d, the refrigerant increases the liquid phase and reaches the state of the point g2. The point g2 is located on the saturated liquid line in the Mollier diagram. At this time, the temperature of the refrigerant is 15 ° C., and the enthalpy is 220.5 kJ / kg. Similarly, evaporation and condensation in the evaporation sections 61d and 61e and the condensation section 62e are repeated, but in the Mollier diagram of FIG. 4, the evaporation sections 61d and 61e and the condensation section 62e are omitted, and the condensation section 62d is throttled 49. Is shown as being connected.
[0037]
The refrigerant liquid in the state of the point g2 is depressurized to 0.30 MPa, which is a saturation pressure at a temperature of 15 ° C., by the throttle 49, and reaches the state indicated by the point h. The refrigerant in the state of the point h reaches the evaporator 2 as a mixture of refrigerant liquid and gas at 1 ° C., where heat is taken from the air Q and is evaporated to become a saturated gas shown in the point a. This saturated gas is again sucked into the booster 3, and the above-described cycle is repeated.
[0038]
Thus, in the heat exchanger 5, the refrigerant changes in the evaporation state such as from the point e to the point f1 or from the point g1 to the point f2 in the evaporation section 61, and from the point f1 to the point g1, in the condensation section 62. Or since the state of condensation is changed from point f2 to point g2 and evaporative heat transfer and condensation heat transfer are performed, the heat transfer rate is very high and the heat exchange efficiency is high.
[0039]
Here, when considering as the compression heat pump HP1 including the booster 3, the condenser 4, the throttles 48 and 49, and the evaporator 2, when the heat exchanger 5 according to the present invention is not provided, the point d in the condenser 4 is Since the refrigerant in the state is returned to the evaporator 2 through the throttle, the enthalpy difference usable in the evaporator 2 is only 399.2−295.8 = 103.4 kJ / kg. However, when the heat exchanger 5 according to the present invention is provided, 399.2-220.5 = 178.7 kJ / kg, and the amount of gas circulating to the booster with respect to the same cooling load, and thus the required power Can be reduced by 42% (= 1-103.4 / 178.7). That is, it is possible to have the same action as the subcool cycle. Thus, the dehumidifying device of the present invention has a high dehumidifying effect and energy efficiency because the refrigerant enthalpy at the inlet of the evaporator 2 is reduced due to the economizer effect of the heat pump HP1 and the refrigerant refrigeration effect per unit flow rate is high. Become.
[0040]
FIG. 5 is a moist air diagram showing an air conditioning cycle in the dehumidifier of FIG. In FIG. 5, symbols P to V, OA, EX, and SA correspond to the air states denoted by the respective symbols in FIG. 2.
The air OA introduced from the outside passes through the uppermost air path 13a of FIG. 1 and is sent to the first heat exchanging portion 51 of the heat exchanger 5 and is cooled to some extent by the refrigerant evaporating in the evaporation section 61. Reduce the dry bulb temperature while keeping the absolute humidity constant (air P). Since this is preliminary cooling before the evaporator 2 cools to the dew point temperature or lower, it can be called precooling.
[0041]
The air P is sucked into the blower 1 and is further discharged from the blower 1 and sent into the evaporator 2 (air Q). In the evaporator 2, the air Q is cooled below its dew point temperature by the refrigerant evaporating at a low temperature, and the dry bulb temperature is lowered to 5 ° C. while reducing the absolute humidity to 5 g / kg DA while depriving moisture (air R ). Note that DA in the unit of absolute humidity indicates dry air.
[0042]
The air R (absolute humidity 5 g / kgDA, dry bulb temperature 5 ° C.) flows into the second heat exchange section 52 of the heat exchanger 5 and is heated to some extent by the refrigerant condensed in the condensing section 62. Raise the dry bulb temperature (to an intermediate temperature between 5 ° C. and 60 ° C.) while keeping constant (air S). Since this is preliminary heating before being heated by the condenser 4, it can be called preheating.
[0043]
The air S exiting the second heat exchange unit 52 is divided into the processing air V and the regeneration air T as described above. The regeneration air T is introduced into the condenser 4 where it is heated and the dry bulb temperature is further raised to 60 ° C. while keeping the absolute humidity constant (air U). The regenerated air U is further fed into the desiccant rotor 6, where it takes moisture from the desiccant in the drying element and regenerates it, raising its own absolute humidity, and lowering the dry bulb temperature by the desiccant heat of moisture desorption. . The air EX after the regeneration of the desiccant is discharged to the outside from the discharge port 16.
[0044]
On the other hand, the processing air V is sent to the desiccant rotor 6 as it is. In the desiccant rotor 6, moisture is adsorbed and dried by the desiccant in the drying element, the absolute humidity is lowered to 2 g / kgDA, and the dry bulb temperature is raised (air SA). The dehumidified processing air SA is supplied to the conditioned space 100 from the supply port 17.
[0045]
Here, in the air-side cycle shown on the wet air diagram of FIG. 5, the amount of heat ΔQ obtained by heating the regeneration air U by the condenser 4 is heating by using exhaust heat, and the air Q is cooled by the evaporator 2. The amount of heat Δi is a dehumidifying cooling effect, and heat recovery by a heat exchanger as an economizer is ΔH.
[0046]
As described above, in the heat exchanger 5, the air OA introduced from the outside by the evaporation of the refrigerant in the evaporation section 61 is pre-cooled, and the air R is heated by the condensation of the refrigerant in the condensing section 62. The refrigerant evaporated in the evaporation section 61 is condensed in the condensation section 62. Thus, heat exchange between the air before and after being cooled by the evaporator 2 is indirectly performed by the evaporation and condensation action of the same refrigerant.
[0047]
As described above, in the dehumidifying apparatus according to the present invention, the heat exchanger 5 is used as a precooling / preheating heat exchanger, the working fluid of the heat exchanger 5 and the working fluid of the heat pump HP1 are the same, and the refrigerant charge Since the process can be standardized, manufacturing costs and maintenance costs are low. In addition, the precooling / preheating heat exchanger can be manufactured as one body, and the internal wick of the heat pipe is not required, and it can be manufactured with the normal air / refrigerant heat exchanger coil production facility without the wick inside. Therefore, the manufacturing cost is low.
[0048]
Furthermore, since the heat pump HP1 is used to simultaneously cool and dehumidify the outside air and regenerate the desiccant, and to precool the air and heat the air after dehumidification using the internal working medium, the apparatus is simple. Moreover, since most of the cooling capacity of the heat pump can be used to condense moisture in the air, the dehumidifying capacity is high.
[0049]
When the air is cooled and dehumidified, if the air is cooled to the dew point as it is, the amount of cooling is large. Therefore, a considerable part of the cooling effect of the heat pump is consumed for this purpose, and the dehumidifying capacity (dehumidifying performance) per power consumption is low. Therefore, an air / air heat exchanger 5 is provided before and after the evaporator 2 to perform precooling and reheating (preheating) of the air to reduce the sensible heat ratio and reduce the cooling amount to the dew point.
[0050]
Furthermore, the dehumidifying apparatus according to the present invention can exhibit the desiccant's dehumidifying ability with a small amount of electric power because it collects the heat that is cooled to the dew point and can be used as the heat for heating the regenerated air in addition to having a high dehumidifying ability. can do. Therefore, the amount of heat required is less than the amount of heat required for the conventional electric heater, and the heat pump HP1 has high energy efficiency and therefore consumes less power.
[0051]
Next, a second embodiment of the dehumidifying device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing a flow in the dehumidifying device in the second embodiment, and FIG. 7 is a refrigerant Mollier diagram of the heat pump HP2 included in the dehumidifying device of FIG. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the member or element which has the same effect | action or function as the member or element in the above-mentioned 1st Embodiment, and the part which is not demonstrated in particular is the same as that of 1st Embodiment.
[0052]
In the heat exchanger 150 in the present embodiment, intermediate throttles 163 and 164 are provided between the condensation sections 162a and 162b and between the condensation sections 162c and 162d of the second heat exchange unit 152, respectively. This is different from the first embodiment described above. Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment. Such an intermediate throttle can also be provided on the evaporation section side of the first heat exchanger 151.
[0053]
In FIG. 7, points a to e are the same as those in the first embodiment shown in FIG. Note that the refrigerant in the state of the point e flowing into the evaporation section 161a of the heat exchanger 150 is in a state where a part of the liquid is evaporated and the liquid and the gas are mixed as described with reference to FIG.
[0054]
The refrigerant evaporates in the evaporating section 161a and reaches a state indicated by a point f1 that approaches the saturated gas line in the wet region on the Mollier diagram of FIG. The refrigerant in this state enters the condensing section 162a, where it is condensed and reaches the state indicated by the point g1a. The refrigerant in the state at the point g1a is depressurized through the intermediate throttle 163 and reaches the state indicated by the point g1b. That is, the refrigerant flows from the condensing section 162a through the restrictor 163 into the condensing section 162b.
[0055]
The refrigerant flowing into the condensing section 162b is condensed here, and reaches a state indicated by a point h1 that is in the wet region but close to the saturated liquid line. Thereafter, it enters the evaporation section 161b and is condensed here, and is inverted by the U tube and enters the evaporation section 161c where it is further condensed and reaches a state indicated by a point f2.
[0056]
Thereafter, the refrigerant passes through the condensing section 162c, the intermediate throttle 164, and the condensing section 162d, and reaches the state indicated by the points g2a, g2b, and h2, and further passes through the evaporation sections 161d and 161e and the condensing section 162e. Thus, the state indicated by the points f3 and h3 is reached. This point h3 is on the saturated liquid line in the Mollier diagram, the temperature is 11 ° C., and the enthalpy is 215.0 kJ / kg.
[0057]
Similarly to the case of the first embodiment, the refrigerant liquid at the point h3 is depressurized to 0.30 MPa, which is a saturation pressure at a temperature of 1 ° C., by the restrictor 49, becomes a point i state, and the refrigerant liquid and gas at 1 ° C. To the evaporator 2 where heat is taken from the air Q and evaporated to become a saturated gas in a state indicated by a point a on the Mollier diagram. This saturated gas is again sucked into the booster 3, and the above-described cycle is repeated.
[0058]
Here, when considering as the compression heat pump HP2 including the booster 3, the condenser 4, the throttles 48, 49, 163, 164 and the evaporator 2, the condenser 4 is provided when the heat exchanger 150 according to the present invention is not provided. Since the refrigerant in the state of the point d is returned to the evaporator 2 through the throttle, the enthalpy difference usable in the evaporator 2 is only 399.2−295.8 = 103.4 kJ / kg. However, when the heat exchanger 150 according to the present invention is provided, 399.2-215.0 = 184.2 kJ / kg, and the amount of gas circulated to the booster for the same cooling load, and thus the required power Can be reduced by 44% (= 1-103.4 / 184.2). That is, it is possible to have the same action as the subcool cycle.
[0059]
FIG. 8 shows an example of the structure of the heat exchanger 150 in the present embodiment. 8A is a front view seen in the air flow direction, FIG. 8B is a side view seen from a direction perpendicular to the air flow, and FIG. 8A is A in FIG. 8B. FIG. In FIG. 8A, the air OA flows forward from the front side of the page, and the air R flows from the front side to the front side. The tubes in the heat exchanger 150 are each arranged in 8 rows in four planes orthogonal to the air flow. That is, they are arranged in 4 rows and 8 columns along the air flow. In FIG. 2 and FIG. 6, for convenience, the heat exchange tubes are described as having one row and one column, but typically, each row includes a plurality of tube columns. Moreover, such a heat exchanger may be arranged in parallel with respect to those flows according to the flow rate of air, or may be arranged in series.
[0060]
Such a heat exchanger is inexpensive and economical when used in place of an expensive heat pipe. Also, unlike the heat pipe, the working fluid can be the same as that of the heat pump, so that maintenance is not required.
[0061]
Next, a third embodiment of the dehumidifying device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11. FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing a flow in the dehumidifying device in the third embodiment, and FIG. 10 is a refrigerant Mollier diagram of the heat pump HP3 included in the dehumidifying device of FIG. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the member or element which has the same effect | action or function as the member or element in the above-mentioned 1st Embodiment, and the part which is not demonstrated in particular is the same as that of 1st Embodiment.
[0062]
In the present embodiment, the refrigerant path is branched into a plurality of rows (three rows in FIG. 9) on the downstream side of the condenser 4, and the above-described first refrigerant passages 44 to 46 are formed. This is different from the embodiment. The branched refrigerant paths 44 to 46 merge into one refrigerant path 43 on the upstream side of the evaporator 2.
[0063]
The branch refrigerant paths 44 to 46 pass through the first heat exchange unit 251 and the second heat exchange unit 252 of the heat exchanger 250 alternately and repeatedly. Further, in each of the branch refrigerant paths 44 to 46, throttles 253 to 255 are respectively arranged on the upstream side of the first heat exchange unit 251, and throttles 256 to 258 are respectively arranged on the downstream side of the second heat exchange unit 252. Has been. As these restrictors 253 to 258, for example, an orifice, a capillary tube, an expansion valve, or the like can be used.
[0064]
FIG. 11 is an enlarged view showing the branch refrigerant paths 44 to 46 in the heat exchanger 250 of the dehumidifying device of FIG. 9. The branch refrigerant paths 44 to 46 pass through the first heat exchange unit 251 and the second heat exchange unit 252. That is, as shown in FIG. 11, the branch refrigerant path 44 includes, in order from the condenser 4 side, an evaporation section 261a, a condensation section 262a, a condensation section 262b, an evaporation section 261b, an evaporation section 261c, and a condensation section 262c. Yes. Similarly, the branch refrigerant path 44 includes an evaporation section 263a, a condensation section 264a, a condensation section 264b, an evaporation section 263b, an evaporation section 263c, and a condensation section 264c, and the branch refrigerant path 46 includes an evaporation section 265a and a condensation section 266a. , A condensing section 266b, an evaporating section 265b, an evaporating section 265c, and a condensing section 266c.
[0065]
In FIG. 10, points a to d are the same as those in the first embodiment shown in FIG. The refrigerant liquid that is in the state indicated by the point d by being cooled in the condenser 4 is divided into the branched refrigerant paths 44 to 46 and flows into the heat exchanger 250. First, the refrigerant that passes through the refrigerant path 45 explain. The refrigerant liquid flowing into the refrigerant path 45 is depressurized by the throttle 254 and flows into the evaporation section 263a of the first heat exchange unit 251. The state at this time is indicated by a point e, in which a part of the liquid is evaporated and the liquid and the gas are mixed. The pressure at this time is an intermediate pressure between the condensing pressure of the condenser 4 and the evaporating pressure of the evaporator 2, and is a value between 1.89 MPa and 0.30 MPa in this embodiment.
[0066]
In the evaporating section 263a, the refrigerant liquid evaporates under the intermediate pressure, and a state of a point f1 located between the saturated liquid line and the saturated gas line is obtained at the same pressure. In this state, a part of the liquid is evaporated, but a considerable amount of the refrigerant liquid remains. And the refrigerant | coolant of the state shown by the point f1 flows in into the condensation sections 264a and 264b. In the condensing sections 264a and 264b, the refrigerant is deprived of heat by the low-temperature air R flowing through the second heat exchanging section 252, and reaches the state of the point g1.
[0067]
The refrigerant in the state of the point g1 flows into the evaporation sections 263b and 263c, where heat is taken away to increase the liquid phase to the state of the point f2, and further flows into the condensing section 264c. In the condensing section 264c, the refrigerant increases the liquid phase and reaches the state of the point g2. The point g2 is located on the saturated liquid line in the Mollier diagram. At this time, the temperature of the refrigerant is 15 ° C., and the enthalpy is 220.5 kJ / kg.
[0068]
The refrigerant liquid in the state of the point g2 is depressurized to 0.30 MPa, which is the saturation pressure at a temperature of 1 ° C., by the restriction 257, and reaches the state indicated by the point h. The refrigerant in the state of the point h reaches the evaporator 2 as a mixture of refrigerant liquid and gas at 1 ° C., where heat is taken from the air Q and is evaporated to become a saturated gas shown in the point a. This saturated gas is again sucked into the booster 3, and the above-described cycle is repeated.
[0069]
Similarly, the refrigerant passing through the refrigerant path 44 passes through the restrictor 253, the evaporation section, the condensing section, and the restrictor 256, and is indicated by the point l through the state indicated by the point j, the point i1, the point k1, the point i2, and the point k2. To the state. The refrigerant passing through the refrigerant path 46 passes through the restriction 255, the evaporation section, the condensation section, and the restriction 258, and reaches the state indicated by the point p through the state indicated by the point m, the point n1, the point o1, the point n2, and the point o2. .
[0070]
As described above, in the heat exchanger 250, the refrigerant changes in the evaporation state such as from the point e to the point f1 or from the point g1 to the point f2 in the evaporation section, and from the point f1 to the point g1 in the condensation section. Since the state of condensation is changed from f2 to point g2, evaporative heat transfer and condensation heat transfer are performed, the heat transfer rate is very high and the heat exchange efficiency is high.
[0071]
Here, when considered as a compression heat pump HP3 including the booster 3, the condenser 4, the throttles 253 to 258, and the evaporator 2, when the heat exchanger 250 according to the present invention is provided, the pressure is increased with respect to the same cooling load. As in the first embodiment, the amount of gas circulating to the machine and thus the required power can be reduced by 42%. That is, it is possible to have the same action as the subcool cycle. Thus, the dehumidifying device of the present invention has a high dehumidifying effect and energy efficiency because the refrigerant enthalpy at the inlet of the evaporator 2 is reduced due to the economizer effect of the heat pump HP3 and the refrigerant refrigeration effect per unit flow rate is high. Become.
[0072]
Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described so far, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be implemented in various forms within the scope of the technical idea. For example, the number of evaporation sections in the first heat exchange section and the number of condensation sections in the second heat exchange section of each refrigerant path are not limited to those shown in the figure. Further, the number of branching refrigerant paths in the third embodiment is not limited to the illustrated one, and the refrigerant paths may be branched in any number of rows. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the dehumidifying device that air-conditions the air-conditioned space has been described as an example. .
[0073]
Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, the air in the air-conditioned space 100 may be taken in as ventilation, and this may be added to the air S that has exited the second heat exchange unit to generate regenerated air. FIGS. 12 and 13 show a configuration example in the case where the air in the conditioned space 100 is taken in as ventilation and used as regenerated air in the first embodiment described above. In this case, for example, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, a ventilation port 18 that takes in air in the air-conditioned space 100 is provided near the position where the air path branches in the upward and horizontal directions. Ventilation taken in is added to the regenerated air and sent to the condenser 4 by the blower 7. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 13, it is good also as providing the air blower 8 as needed.
[0074]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, air can be pre-cooled by the first heat exchanging means before cooling in the evaporator, and the pre-cooling heat can be recovered from the air once cooled in the evaporator. It is possible to provide a dehumidifying device including a heat pump having a high operation coefficient. Moreover, it can be set as the dehumidification apparatus with the high dehumidification capability per energy consumption. Furthermore, by providing the branch refrigerant path, the operating temperature of the refrigerant can be changed in stages, so that the heat exchange efficiency can be increased.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a dehumidifying device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a flow in the dehumidifying device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing a refrigerant path in the heat exchanger of the dehumidifying device of FIG. 2;
4 is a refrigerant Mollier diagram of a heat pump included in the dehumidifier of FIG. 2. FIG.
5 is a moist air diagram showing an air conditioning cycle in the dehumidifying device of FIG. 2;
FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing a flow in a dehumidifying device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a refrigerant Mollier diagram of a heat pump included in the dehumidifier of FIG. 6. FIG.
8 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of a heat exchanger of the dehumidifying device in FIG. 6. FIG.
FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing a flow in a dehumidifier according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a refrigerant Mollier diagram of a heat pump included in the dehumidifier of FIG.
11 is an enlarged view showing a refrigerant path in the heat exchanger of the dehumidifier of FIG.
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a dehumidifying device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
13 is a diagram schematically showing a flow in the dehumidifying device of FIG. 12. FIG.
FIG. 14 is a diagram schematically showing a flow in a conventional dehumidifier.
[Explanation of symbols]
1, 7, 8 Blower
2 Evaporator
3 Booster
4 Condenser
5 Heat exchanger
6 Desiccant rotor
6a Electric motor
6b chain
10 cabinets
11 Inlet
12 Filter
13a, 13b, 13c Air path
14 Drain pan
15 Drain tank
16 Discharge port
17 Supply port
18 Ventilation opening
51 1st heat exchange part
52 2nd heat exchange part
61 Evaporation section
62 Condensation section
63, 64 U tube
40-46 route
48, 49, 163, 164, 253-258 Aperture

Claims (4)

A booster for boosting the refrigerant;
A condenser for condensing the refrigerant and heating the regenerated air;
An evaporator that evaporates the refrigerant and cools external air to a temperature below the dew point;
Provided in a refrigerant path connecting the condenser and the evaporator, and evaporates the refrigerant at a pressure intermediate between the condensation pressure of the condenser and the evaporation pressure of the evaporator to cool external air. Heat exchange means;
Provided in a refrigerant path connecting the condenser and the evaporator, and heats the external air by condensing the refrigerant with a pressure intermediate between the condensation pressure of the condenser and the evaporation pressure of the evaporator. Heat exchange means;
A desiccant that uses external air heated by the second heat exchange means as treated air and regenerated air, adsorbs moisture from the treated air, and is regenerated by desorbing moisture from the regenerated air;
A dehumidifying device comprising an air path connecting the first heat exchange means, the evaporator, and the second heat exchange means in this order. The dehumidifying device according to claim 1, wherein the outside air heated by the second heat exchanging means is added with indoor air to which the processing air is supplied to form regenerated air. The first heat exchanging means and the second heat exchanging means are configured such that air flowing through the heat exchanging means flows opposite to each other.
In the first heat exchange means and the second heat exchange means, the refrigerant path has at least a pair of first and second through portions in a first plane substantially orthogonal to the air flow. And having at least a pair of a first penetrating portion and a second penetrating portion in a second surface substantially orthogonal to the air flow different from the first surface,
The dehumidifying device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising an intermediate diaphragm at a position that moves from the first surface to the second surface. A branched refrigerant path that branches into a plurality of rows between the condenser and the evaporator;
The dehumidifying device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first heat exchange means and the second heat exchange means are provided in the branch refrigerant path.

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