JP5360893B2 - Desiccant air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a desiccant air conditioner with a heat pump system integrated therein, covering all of dehumidifying and cooling independently by itself, and easily and delicately controlling the air conditioning of air supplied into a room. <P>SOLUTION: In the desiccant air conditioner, an evaporator as a pre-cooler is arranged in a preceding stage of a processing side desiccant rotor taking in outside air, and an after-cooler is arranged in a rear stage of the desiccant rotor, thereby conditioning the outside air and supplying it into the room. Moreover, a condenser as a regenerator is arranged in the preceding stage of a regeneration side desiccant rotor taking in indoor return air. The heat pump system is formed by the evaporator and the condenser. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a desiccant air conditioner, and more particularly to a desiccant air conditioner incorporating a heat pump system.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an air conditioning system that performs cooling and heating using a desiccant (hygroscopic material), for example, Patent Document 1, is known, and recently, a desiccant air conditioner in which a heat pump is incorporated in the desiccant air conditioning system has been proposed.
Originally, a desiccant air conditioner incorporating a heat pump system is known to cool a target air with a heat pump and perform dehumidification with a desiccant.
For example, as shown in FIG. 1, an evaporator b1 serving as a precooler for sucking outside air OA and increasing the dehumidifying efficiency is disposed in front of the desiccant rotor a on the processing side, and an evaporator b2 for cooling is disposed in the subsequent stage. Is arranged to supply the conditioned air into the room, suck the indoor return air RA into the regeneration side, and place the condenser c, which is the exhaust heat of both evaporators, in front of the desiccant rotor a on the processing air side. It is fundamental and ideal that the desiccant rotor a is dried and regenerated in the apparatus c and exhausted to the outside, and the evaporators b1 and b2 and the condenser c are combined with the compressor d and the expansion valves e1 and e2 to constitute a heat pump. It is a typical configuration.

  However, in the operation of general air conditioning, in the configuration as shown in FIG. 1, the condensing pressure becomes too high and the operation as a heat pump system cannot be established. Therefore, the conventional example 1 in FIG. 2 or the conventional example 2 in FIG. It is common to establish a heat pump system as such a configuration. That is, only a part of the cooling load of the air conditioner is processed using the condensation heat of the heat pump as the regeneration heat source of the desiccant rotor and the evaporating heat (cold heat) as the cooling heat source on the processing side. In the desiccant rotor, the untreated sensible heat load was handled by a separate sensible heat treatment air conditioner (indoor unit), and the desiccant air conditioner alone could not cover all of dehumidification and cooling.

This will be explained with reference to the air line diagram of FIG. 4 as an example of the operation of the desiccant air conditioner having the configuration shown in FIG. 2 of the conventional example 1. For example, if the outside air OA is at a dry bulb temperature of 33 ° C. and a humidity of RH 50%. When the outside air OA is cooled by the evaporator b, the point moves to the left and moves to the point of 24.5 ° C. and RH80%. At this time, the evaporator b not only cools but slightly dehumidifies, that is, the generation of condensation occurs. So go down a little below the left. Next, when the outside air OA passes through the desiccant rotor a and the water content decreases, it moves to the lower right on the air diagram, the temperature rises, and the outlet air of 35 ° C. and RH 32% becomes the supply air SA, which Supplied indoors.
On the other hand, for example, if the return air RA in the living room is 28 ° C. and RH 45%, it is heated by the condenser c and moved to the right to 40 ° C. and RH 27%, and then the moisture passes through the desiccant rotor a. It moves to the upper left of the receiving and becomes exhausted EA at 29 ° C. and RH 60% and discharged outside the room.
Thus, even during cooling, the supply air as the outlet air is 35 ° C. and RH 32% with only the desiccant air conditioner, and sufficient cooling cannot be performed.

  Further, as shown in Patent Document 2, the cooling load of the indoor return air is almost stable during operation. Therefore, the capacity of the heat pump is set in accordance with the cooling load, so that the desiccant is used with the condenser or gas cooler of the heat pump. The regenerative air of the rotor is heated, and the evaporator cools the indoor return air that is recirculated from the air-conditioned room to the dehumidifying rotor, reducing the initial cost compared to the case where the scale of the heat pump device cools the outside air. A dehumidifying air-conditioning system has been proposed in which the heat pump can be operated at almost maximum capacity throughout the period, and a stable energy saving effect can be obtained.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 08-014600 JP 2007-327893 A

By the way, the dehumidifying air conditioning system of Patent Document 2 of the above-mentioned prior art arranges a condenser as a regenerator in front of the regeneration side desiccant rotor, and arranges an evaporator as a precooler in front of the processing side desiccant rotor. However, since the aftercooler is not disposed in the processing-side desiccant rotor that is supplied into the room, air that directly passes through the desiccant rotor is supplied into the room, and precise air conditioning control cannot be performed.
The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and in a desiccant air conditioner incorporating a heat pump system, the desiccant air conditioner alone can cover all of dehumidification and cooling, and air conditioning of the air supplied to the room Is to provide a desiccant air conditioner that can be easily and delicately controlled.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention of claim 1 is directed to a desiccant air conditioner, wherein a part of the return air from the air-conditioned room is introduced downstream of the outside air-side desiccant rotor and passes through the desiccant rotor to adjust the humidity. The evaporator (first evaporator) is arranged downstream of the confluence, and the mixed air is temperature-adjusted and supplied to the room, and is used as the first condensing means upstream of the regeneration-side desiccant rotor. A water-cooled condenser that cools by an external cold heat source as a second condensing unit is disposed in or near the air conditioner, and the regenerator, the water-cooled condenser, and the evaporator form a heat pump system. It is characterized by that.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the desiccant air conditioner according to the first aspect, the second upstream side of the external air side desiccant rotor is separate from the evaporator (first evaporator) disposed on the downstream side of the external air side desiccant rotor. An evaporator is disposed, and the evaporator and the second evaporator are connected in refrigerant in series or in parallel, and the evaporator, the second evaporator, the regenerator, and the water-cooled condenser form a heat pump. It is characterized by.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the desiccant air conditioner, an evaporator as a precooler is disposed on the upstream side of the outside air-side desiccant rotor, a cold water coil is disposed on the downstream side of the desiccant rotor, and a cover is provided between the desiccant rotor and the cold water coil. The return air from the air-conditioned room is introduced and mixed with the outside air whose humidity has been adjusted by passing through the desiccant rotor, the temperature of the mixed air is adjusted by the cold water coil and supplied to the room, and the first is placed upstream of the regeneration-side desiccant rotor. A regenerator as a condensing unit is disposed, and a water-cooled condenser that is cooled by an external cold heat source as a second condensing unit is disposed in or near the air conditioner. The regenerator, the water-cooled condenser, and the evaporator are heat pumps. A system is formed, and cold water is supplied to the cold water coil and the water-cooled condenser from an external cold heat source.
The invention of claim 4 is the desiccant air conditioner of claim 3, wherein the cold water coil and the water cooled condenser are connected in cold water in series, and the cold water heated by the cold water coil is reused in the water cooled condenser. To do.

According to the present invention, in a desiccant air conditioner incorporating a heat pump system, it is possible to eliminate the imbalance between the capacities of the condenser and the evaporator by controlling the water-cooled condenser, and the evaporator or the chilled water coil that is the aftercooler. The outlet air temperature can be precisely and independently controlled to the desired temperature, while the regeneration temperature in the desiccant rotor can be independently controlled to the desired temperature in the condenser, and the supply SA temperature and regeneration temperature can be controlled precisely and freely. It becomes possible.
Furthermore, the conventional desiccant air conditioner is an external air conditioner for adjusting the humidity, and an internal air conditioner for adjusting the temperature is required separately. However, the second (water-cooled) is different from the first condenser (regenerator). ) Since a heat pump system including a condenser is used, the external air conditioner and the internal air conditioner can be integrated into a single desiccant air conditioner, and the entire air conditioner can be downsized.

System diagram of the concept of a desiccant air conditioner incorporating a heat pump, System diagram of desiccant air conditioner incorporating the heat pump of Conventional Example 1, System diagram of desiccant air conditioner incorporating the heat pump of Conventional Example 1, Air line diagram of Conventional Example 1, System diagram of the desiccant air conditioner of Example 1 of the present invention, Air line diagram of Example 1, It is a systematic diagram of the desiccant air conditioner of Example 2 of the present invention.

The present invention can eliminate the imbalance between the condenser and the evaporator capacity, and can accurately control the outlet air temperature of the evaporator or the chilled water coil, which is an aftercooler, precisely to a desired temperature, while the desiccant rotor. In the condenser, the regeneration temperature can be controlled independently of the desired temperature, and the supply SA temperature and the regeneration temperature can be freely and precisely controlled. The external air conditioner and the internal air conditioner were integrated into a single desiccant air conditioner, and the overall size of the air conditioner could be reduced.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, although Example 1 is demonstrated, FIG. 5 is a systematic diagram of the desiccant air conditioner 1 of Example 1, Comprising: The desiccant rotor 21 which comprises the desiccant air conditioning system 2, and the heat pump system 3 are comprised.
One side (lower side in the figure) 211 of the desiccant rotor 21 constitutes the processing side 1A that takes in the outside air OA that is the processing target air, processes (dehumidifies) the air, and supplies the air-conditioned supply air SA to the room. The other one side (the upper side in the figure) 212 constitutes a regeneration side 1B that takes in the target indoor return air RA, which is the target air on the regeneration side, and dries it in the desiccant rotor 21 and exhausts it EA to the outdoors.

In the heat pump system 3, the refrigerant flow during cooling is sent from the compressor 31 to the condenser 32 as indicated by the arrow X1, and the refrigerant is condensed in the condenser 32, and the temperature of the ventilation RA increases due to the condensation heat. The condenser 32 has a temperature that is too high for the evaporation process of the next process, so the temperature of the refrigerant in the coil 44 is lowered by the coil 43 of the water-cooled condenser 4, and then it is cooled slightly. The refrigerant is sent to the second expansion valve 332, the second evaporator 342 connected thereto, and the first expansion valve 331 and the first evaporator 341 connected thereto, and the refrigerant circulates. Form a heat pump.
Here, the flow paths of the refrigerant of the first evaporator 341 and the second evaporator 342 are arranged in parallel, but the second evaporator 342 is arranged as a precooler in a preceding stage upstream of the desiccant rotor 21. The first evaporator 341 is disposed in the rear stage downstream of the desiccant rotor 21 as an aftercooler. However, although the refrigerant flow path of the first evaporator 341 and the refrigerant flow path of the second evaporator 342 are arranged in parallel in this embodiment, they may be arranged in series.
Further, the condenser 32 is disposed on the regeneration side 1B, and is disposed on the upstream side of one side (upper side in the drawing) 212 of the desiccant rotor 21, and the desiccant rotor 21 is dried and regenerated by the condenser 32.

As described above, the water-cooled condenser 4 is cooled by the coil 44 that is a heat exchanger when the desiccant air conditioner 1 is operated for cooling. The coil 43 that faces the coil 44 is supplied to the cooling tower 41 by the pump 42. The cold water stored in the water is supplied in the direction of arrow X2, and the water after cooling the coil 44 by the coil 43 is returned to the storage tank 413 from the nozzle 411 on the ceiling of the cooling tower 41 to the storage tank 413. Cooled by outdoor air.
As described above, in the water-cooled condenser 4, during the cooling operation of an air conditioner that combines a normal desiccant system and a heat pump system, the condensation pressure increases as the cooling load increases. The condensation pressure can be kept low by cooling with. Thereby, the operation as a heat pump system can be established. In other words, even if the capacities of the evaporators 341 and 342 and the condenser 32 are imbalanced, they can be balanced by controlling the water-cooled condenser 4.
As a result, in the first evaporator 341 that is an aftercooler, the supply SA temperature is controlled precisely and independently to a desired temperature, and on the other hand, the regeneration temperature in the desiccant rotor 212 is independent of the desired heat in the condenser 32. In this case, it is sufficient to adjust the imbalance between the capacities of the two with the water-cooled condenser 4, and the supply SA temperature and the regeneration temperature can be freely and precisely controlled.

Further, in this embodiment, in addition to the configuration of the water-cooled condenser 4, a part of the indoor return air RA in the air-conditioned room, which is usually at a lower temperature than the outside air OA, is used as the first evaporator 341 as an aftercooler. As a result, the temperature of the mixed air between the outside air OA and a part of the indoor return air RA (75% is introduced into the first evaporator 341 by a damper or the like) can be lowered. The load on the first evaporator 341 is reduced.
For example, in the first embodiment, when the air amount of the indoor return air RA is set to 100%, the partial air amount of the indoor return air RA mixed from the return path 1C to the outside air OA is set to 75%. Therefore, the outside air OA and the exhaust gas EA are 25%, the load on both the evaporators 341 and 342 can be reduced, and the desiccant air conditioner with high operation efficiency is obtained.
In the first embodiment, a part of the indoor return air RA in the air-conditioned room is returned to the upstream side of the first evaporator 341 on the processing side 1A via the return path 1C in the air conditioner. The temperature of the outside air OA may be lowered by returning to the containers 341 and 342, and the load on the evaporator as these coolers may be reduced.

The operation example of the desiccant air conditioner of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 5 will be described with reference to the air diagram of FIG. 6. For example, if the outside air OA is at a point where the dry bulb temperature is 33 ° C. and the humidity is RH 50%, the outside air OA Is cooled by the second evaporator 342 and the point moves to the left and moves to the point of 24.5 ° C and RH80%. At this time, it is cooled by the second evaporator 342, but condensation is also generated and slightly Dehumidify and go down slightly from the left side.
Next, when the outside air OA passes through the desiccant rotor 21 and the water content decreases, it moves to the lower right on the air diagram, the temperature rises and moves to a point of 35 ° C. and RH 32%, and further the first evaporation This point is moved to the left and moved to a point of 22 ° C. and RH 65%. In this case, condensation is generated as in the case of the second evaporator 342. Although the air is lowered slightly, the conditioned air is supplied to the room such as a living room by using the outlet air as the supply air SA.
On the other hand, for example, if the return air RA in the room is 28 ° C. and RH 45%, it is heated by the condenser 32 and moved to the right to 40 ° C. and RH 27%, and then the moisture passes through the desiccant rotor 21. It moves to the upper left of the receiving and becomes exhausted EA at 29 ° C. and RH 60% and discharged outside the room.
Thus, the temperature and humidity during cooling in Example 1 are 22 ° C. and RH 65% with only the desiccant air conditioner, and the temperature and humidity can be sufficiently maintained.

  Since the first embodiment is configured as described above, the operation as the heat pump system is established, and the final adjustment of the air conditioning control of the air SA to the room may be performed by controlling the evaporator 341 that is an aftercooler. Precise air conditioning can be easily adjusted. In this way, if a part (75%) of the indoor return air RA is returned to the upstream side of the first evaporator 341 as the aftercooler through the return path 1C, the supply SA temperature is increased in the evaporator 341 as the aftercooler. The temperature is controlled independently and precisely to the desired temperature, and on the other hand, the regeneration temperature in the desiccant rotor 21 is independently controlled to the desired temperature in the condenser 32, and the imbalance between the capacities at that time is controlled by the water-cooled condenser 4. The supply SA temperature and the regeneration temperature can be controlled independently and precisely, and operation as a heat pump system is established. In addition, as a desiccant air conditioner with a built-in heat pump, the capacity of both 341 and 342 may be smaller by the capacity of the water-cooled condenser 4 than the case where the scale of the heat pump device cools outside air, and the evaporator is larger than necessary. Therefore, the heat pump can be properly operated at almost the rated capacity throughout the operation period, and a stable energy saving effect can be obtained. Furthermore, in the conventional desiccant air conditioning system, the external air conditioner and the internal air conditioner were separated, but by using a heat pump system, a second condenser (water cooling) was placed to cool the external air conditioner for dehumidification and cooling. The desiccant air conditioner can be integrated with the internal air conditioner, and the entire air conditioner can be downsized.

Next, Example 2 will be described. In the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, a precooler is disposed in front of the processing-side desiccant rotor, and a condenser as a regenerator is disposed in front of the regeneration-side desiccant rotor that takes in the indoor return air to form a heat pump system. However, the configuration of the aftercooler arranged in the subsequent stage of the desiccant rotor on the processing side is different. Here, this different configuration will be mainly described, and a part of the description of the configuration common to the first embodiment will be omitted.
FIG. 7 is a system diagram of the desiccant air conditioner 1 according to the second embodiment, which includes a desiccant rotor 21 constituting the desiccant air conditioning system 2 and a heat pump system 3, and one side (lower side in the figure) 211 of the desiccant rotor 21. Constitutes the processing side 1A that takes in the outside air OA that is the processing target air, processes it (dehumidifies), and supplies the conditioned supply air SA to the room, and the other one side (upper side in the figure) 212 of the desiccant rotor 21 is: The regeneration side 1B is configured to take in the target indoor return air RA that is the target air on the regeneration side, dry the desiccant rotor 21 by the condenser 32, and exhaust EA to the outdoors or the like.

In the heat pump system 3, the refrigerant flow during cooling is sent from the compressor 31 to the condenser 32 as indicated by the arrow X1, and the refrigerant is condensed in the condenser 32, and the temperature of the return air RA rises, and the regenerator is The condenser 32 has a temperature that is too high for the evaporation process of the next process, so the temperature is lowered by the coil 44 of the water-cooled condenser 4, and then the refrigerant that has been slightly cooled is connected to the expansion valve 35 and the expansion valve 35. The refrigerant is sent to the evaporator 36 and circulates to form a heat pump.
Further, the condenser 32 is disposed on the regeneration side 1B, and is disposed in a front stage upstream of the upper side 212 of the desiccant rotor 21, and the desiccant rotor 21 is dried and regenerated by the condenser 32, and the evaporator 36 serving as a precooler is It arrange | positions in the front | former stage which is the upstream of the lower side 211 of the desiccant rotor 21 of the process side 1A.
And the water cooling coil 5 which is an aftercooler is arrange | positioned in the back | latter stage which is the downstream of the lower side 211 of the desiccant rotor 21 of the process side 1A.

Here, the water-cooled condenser 4 and the water-cooled coil 5 which is an aftercooler in Example 2 are demonstrated.
The water-cooled condenser 4 and the water-cooled coil 5 that is an aftercooler in the second embodiment are supplied with cold water from the forward path 51 of the cold heat source of the cold heat source facility, and are returned from the return path 52 to the cold heat source facility. The cooling heat source facility may be a cooling tower as in the first embodiment, but there are a cooling heat source facility using an air cooling chiller and a heat storage tank using nighttime power, an industrial waste liquid, a DHC cooling heat source facility such as a district cooling and heating system, and the like.
First, from the forward path 51, for example, chilled water of about 12 ° C. in the above-described cold heat source facility or the like is supplied to the chilled water coil 5 of the aftercooler by the pump 53, cools the outside air OA, and chilled water of about 12 ° C. The temperature rises to, for example, 17 ° C. by heat exchange, and partly opens the three-way valve 54 toward the return path 52 and returns to the cold heat source facility. Here, in order to operate the water-cooled condenser 4, the return side of the three-way valve 54 is controlled to open to the water-cooled condenser 4 side, the coil 44 that is a heat exchanger is cooled, and the return path is then returned. Return to the cold source facility on the 52 side. In this case, since the outlet refrigerant of the condenser 32 is sufficiently hot, it is useful for cooling sufficiently even when the chilled water is about 17 ° C. In this example, the heat is exchanged to rise to about 20 ° C. Return water.
Also in the second embodiment, a part of the indoor return air RA is returned to the upstream side of the water cooling coil 5 on the processing side 1A through the return path 1C.

The operation example of the desiccant air conditioner of the second embodiment is also substantially the same as the air diagram of FIG. 6, and only the desiccant air conditioner can sufficiently maintain the temperature and humidity, and the operation as a heat pump system is established. Since the final adjustment of the air-conditioning control of the air SA may be performed by controlling the cold water coil 5 that is an aftercooler, precise air-conditioning adjustment can be easily performed. That is, in the chilled water coil 5 that is an aftercooler, the supply air SA temperature is precisely and independently controlled to a desired temperature by the pump 53 and the three-way valve 54, and on the other hand, a desired regeneration temperature in the desiccant rotor 212 is obtained in the condenser 32. It is possible to control independently of the heat and adjust the imbalance between the capacities of the two with the water-cooled condenser 4, and the supply SA temperature and the regeneration temperature can be freely and precisely controlled as in the first embodiment. .
As a result, the capacity of the condenser 32 may be as small as the capacity of the water-cooled condenser 4, the scale of the heat pump device is reduced, the initial cost is suppressed, and the heat pump can be operated at almost the maximum capacity throughout the operation period and is stable. Energy saving effect is obtained. In particular, the desiccant air conditioner alone can cover all of dehumidification and cooling. In addition, since an external cold source facility is used as an aftercooler, the degree of freedom in design is increased, the evaporator 36 can be made smaller, and a desiccant air conditioner incorporating a conventional heat pump can be made smaller. Furthermore, in the conventional desiccant air conditioning system, the external air conditioner and the internal air conditioner were separate, but by placing a second condenser (water-cooled condenser), the dehumidifying external air conditioner and cooling internal air conditioner Can be integrated into one desiccant air conditioner, and the entire air conditioner can be downsized.
Of course, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments as long as the features of the present invention are not impaired.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Desiccant air conditioner, 1A ... processing side, 1B ... reproduction | regeneration side, 1C ... return path,
2 ... Desiccant air conditioning system, 21 ... Desiccant rotor,
211 ... Lower side of the desiccant rotor, 212 ... Upper side of the desiccant rotor,
3 ... heat pump system, 31 ... compressor, 32 ... condenser,
331 ... first expansion valve, 332 ... second expansion valve,
3322 ... Temperature sensor, 3321 ... Valve control device,
341 ... first evaporator, 342 ... second evaporator,
35 ... expansion valve, 36 ... evaporator,
4 ... Water-cooled condenser, 41 ... Cooling tower, 411 ... Nozzle, 412 ... Fan,
413 ... Reservoir, 42 ... Pump, 43, 44 ... Coil 5 ... Cold water coil, 51 ... Outward path, 52 ... Return path, 53 ... Pump, 54 ... Three-way valve

Claims (4)

A part of the return air from the air-conditioned room is introduced to the downstream side of the outside air desiccant rotor and mixed with the outside air whose humidity has been adjusted through the desiccant rotor. Adjust the temperature and supply it indoors.
A regenerator as the first condensing means is arranged upstream of the regeneration-side desiccant rotor, and a water-cooled condenser cooled by an external cold heat source is arranged as the second condensing means in or near the air conditioner, and the regenerator and the The desiccant air conditioner characterized in that the water-cooled condenser and the evaporator form a heat pump system. In Claim 1, in addition to the evaporator disposed downstream of the outside air desiccant rotor, a second evaporator is disposed upstream of the outside air desiccant rotor, and the evaporator and the second evaporator are disposed. The desiccant air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein a refrigerant is connected in series or in parallel, and the evaporator, the second evaporator, the regenerator, and the water-cooled condenser form a heat pump. An evaporator as a precooler is arranged on the upstream side of the outside air desiccant rotor, a cold water coil is arranged on the downstream side of the desiccant rotor, and the return air from the air-conditioned room is introduced between the desiccant rotor and the cold water coil. Is mixed with the outside air whose humidity has been adjusted, and the temperature of the mixed air is adjusted with the cold water coil and supplied to the room,
A regenerator as the first condensing means is arranged upstream of the regeneration-side desiccant rotor, and a water-cooled condenser cooled by an external cold heat source is arranged as the second condensing means in or near the air conditioner , and the regenerator and the The desiccant air conditioner is characterized in that the water-cooled condenser and the evaporator form a heat pump system, and cold water is supplied to the cold-water coil and the water-cooled condenser from an external cold heat source.   4. The desiccant air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein the cold water coil and the water cooled condenser are connected in cold water in series, and the cold water heated by the cold water coil is reused in the water cooled condenser.

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