KR102159396B1 - Desiccant-based cooling system - Google Patents

Abstract

A desiccant-based system and method for air conditioning includes a first unit located remotely from an area in which the environment is to be controlled. Each additional unit is located in an area where air conditioning is required. Each of the additional units may be connected to the first unit so that the desiccant may be transferred between each of the additional units and the first unit. The cool, undiluted desiccant can be delivered from the first unit to at least one of the addition units, so that the ambient air at the location of the addition unit can be dehumidified and cooled. As each of the additional units is individually controllable, each environment surrounding the additional units can be maintained at different levels of humidity and temperature.

Description

Desiccant-based cooling system {DESICCANT-BASED COOLING SYSTEM}

Cross-reference to related applications

This application claims the advantage of US Provisional Patent Application No. 61/527,904, filed August 26, 2011, which US Provisional Application is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

Technical field

The present invention relates to a desiccant-based air conditioning system and method.

The air conditioning system can utilize any of a variety of processes for heating, cooling, dehumidifying and humidifying the air. For example, a vapor-compression system may utilize the expansion and compression of the refrigerant to provide cooling and/or heat to other surrounding spaces. Other types of air conditioning systems use hygroscopic materials such as desiccants to remove water from the air stream or add water to the air stream, and cool or heat the surrounding environment. An example of such a system is described in U.S. Patent No. US6487872, issued on December 3, 2002, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

A typical desiccant-based system employs a central unit using a desiccant to remove moisture from one air stream that dilutes the desiccant, and passes the moisture away from the desiccant to another to concentrate or regenerate the diluted desiccant. This central unit then provides conditioned air to the surrounding environment, which may for example be one or more rooms in the building.

One limitation of this type of desiccant system is that it may not allow individual control of the surrounding environment inside different rooms within a building. Different remotely located parts of the desiccant system-for example by having a regenerator outdoors and a process part indoors-may require a complex system to balance the desiccant concentration between the regeneration operation and the processing operation. Thus, there is a need for a desiccant-based air conditioning system that provides individual control over one or more rooms in a building without an overly complex system for desiccant balance.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a desiccant-based cooling system.

Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for conditioning air using desiccant-based systems that allow individual control of the environment within one or more rooms within a building.

An embodiment of the present invention includes a system having a first subsystem disposed outside of a building in which the environment is to be controlled. The second subsystem is preferably located inside the building, ie in a room where environmental control is required. By connecting the second subsystem to the first subsystem, the desiccant is transferred between the first subsystem and the second subsystem as required to provide the desired environment in the room.

Embodiments of the present invention also include a desiccant-based air conditioning system having a first subsystem or outdoor unit, and a plurality of second subsystems or indoor units. As each indoor unit is connected to the outdoor unit, the desiccant can flow to and from each of the indoor units individually as required to provide individual environmental control for each of the rooms. One such approach can be achieved by using a float-actuated valve to control the desiccant flow into the indoor unit. As a temperature sensor can also be connected to the valve to provide additional control, the flow of desiccant into the indoor unit can be a function of both the mass and temperature of the desiccant. In this way, a computer algorithm can be used to individually control the flow of desiccant into and out of the indoor unit, so that different environmental conditions can be maintained within each space in which the indoor unit is located. .

For cooling and dehumidification, the indoor unit will receive a cool, concentrated desiccant from the outdoor unit, which desiccant is then brought into contact with the airflow from the interior space. The airflow can enter a part of the indoor unit, where the airflow is cooled while delivering water to the desiccant. The dry cold is then discharged to the surrounding environment to provide the desired condition.

The diluted desiccant may be collected in a sump within the indoor unit and delivered back to the outdoor unit, for example by means of gravity or pump systems. The diluted desiccant is regenerated in an outdoor unit, where the desiccant may be exposed to a combination of heat and a relatively dry air stream that removes water from the desiccant. In some embodiments of the present invention, heat may be provided through one or more heat exchangers that are part of a vapor-compression system. The vapor-compression system also comprises at least one evaporator, which can be a source of cooling for the desiccant provided to the indoor unit.

The outdoor unit may itself be separated into separate chambers, the first of which, i.e., the first process chamber, receives the diluted desiccant from the indoor unit and delivers the regenerated desiccant to the indoor unit. The second chamber in the outdoor unit performs regeneration of the diluted desiccant by adding air flow and/or heat to remove water from the desiccant. The two chambers can be connected, for example, via an orifice or some other mechanism that is effective for transferring the desiccant between the chambers.

In addition to the above, embodiments of the present invention also provide a mechanism for humidifying and warming the indoor air processed by the indoor unit. This mechanism can be achieved, for example, by adding water to the desiccant in the outdoor unit, so that the desiccant delivered to the indoor unit contains a relatively high percentage of water. Thus, when the indoor air is treated by one of the indoor units, the indoor air gets water from the desiccant and discharges the humid air back into the indoor environment. This can be particularly helpful in cold climates where the air is usually very dry in winter. In this same way, the desiccant in the outdoor unit can be heated, so in addition to providing moisture to the indoor air, the desiccant warms this air as it is processed through the indoor unit.

At least some embodiments of the invention include a system for air conditioning. The system includes a first unit containing a regenerator operable to receive the first air stream and to contact the first air stream with the liquid desiccant to transfer water from the liquid desiccant to the first air stream. The regenerator includes a regenerator sump for collecting the liquid desiccant after water has been transferred from the liquid desiccant to the first air stream, the first unit further receiving a first portion of the process sump fluidly connected to the regenerator sump. . The second unit is located remotely from the first unit and is configured to receive the second air stream and to contact the second air stream with the liquid desiccant. The second unit receives a second portion of the process sump for collecting the liquid desiccant after the liquid desiccant contacts the second air stream. As the first unit is in selective fluid communication with the second unit, the liquid desiccant may be selectively transferred between the first and second portions of the process sump, and the second portion of the process sump before returning the liquid desiccant to the second unit. The liquid desiccant transferred from the to the first portion of the process sump may be mixed with the liquid desiccant in the regenerator sump.

At least some embodiments of the present invention include an air conditioning system including a first unit located remotely from the indoor space, and a second unit located within the indoor space and in selective fluid communication with the first unit. The first unit includes a regeneration chamber, into which a first air stream is introduced and is contacted with the liquid desiccant to transfer water from the liquid desiccant to the first air stream. The regeneration chamber includes a regenerator sump for collecting the liquid desiccant after water has been delivered from the first air stream to the liquid desiccant. The first unit further includes a first process chamber separated from the regenerator chamber to prevent the first airflow from flowing into the first process chamber. The first process chamber includes a first portion of the process sump fluidly connected to the regenerator sump. The second unit includes a second process chamber, and a liquid desiccant for transferring water between the second air stream and the liquid desiccant before a second air stream is introduced into the second process chamber and the second air stream is discharged into the indoor space. Is in contact with The second process chamber includes a second portion of the process sump for collecting the liquid desiccant after the liquid desiccant contacts the second air stream. The optional fluid communication between the first unit and the second unit provides for selective delivery of the liquid desiccant between the first and second portions of the process sump.

At least some embodiments of the present invention include an air conditioning method comprising contacting a first air stream with a liquid desiccant in a regeneration chamber to transfer water from the liquid desiccant to the first air stream during a first mode of operation. The liquid desiccant is collected in the regenerator sump after the water has been transferred from the liquid desiccant to the first air stream. The liquid desiccant in the regenerator sump is mixed with the liquid desiccant in a first portion of the process sump disposed in a first process chamber adjacent to the regeneration chamber. A portion of the liquid desiccant from the first portion of the process sump is transferred to a second portion of the process sump disposed within a second process chamber located remotely from the first process chamber. The second air stream is contacted with the liquid desiccant in the second process chamber to transfer water from the second air stream to the liquid desiccant during the first mode of operation. After the second airflow contacts the liquid in the second process chamber, the second airflow is discharged from the second process chamber to the surrounding environment with air to be conditioned.

1 schematically shows an embodiment of the invention having an outdoor unit and three indoor units located in separate rooms within a building.
2 schematically shows an outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, shown as being operated in a first mode of operation.
3A and 3B are schematic front and side views, respectively, of an indoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 schematically shows an outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, shown as running in a second mode of operation.

As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein, but it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples of the present invention that can be implemented in various and alternative forms. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale; Some features can be exaggerated or minimized to show the details of a particular component. Accordingly, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein should not be construed as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching those skilled in the art to variously use the present invention.

1 shows a desiccant-based air conditioning system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The system 10 comprises a first unit or outdoor unit 12, and three "second units" or indoor units 14, 16, 18 located remotely from the outdoor unit 12. Each of the indoor units 14, 16, 18 is located in a respective room 20, 22, 24 within the building 26. Although at least some of the indoor units 14, 16, 18 appear to be located at a relatively distant distance from the outdoor unit 12, embodiments of the present invention are located remotely from each other but are still located within a relatively close distance from each other. It can have 1 and 2 units. Overall, the term “remotely located” refers to the operation of the first and second units being at least substantially located and operating within different surrounding environments, such as outdoor and indoor environments.

As shown in Fig. 1, supply line 28 provides desiccant from outdoor unit 12 to indoor units 14, 16, 18, respectively, similarly return line 30 The desiccant is received from each of the indoor units 14, 16 and 18 to return the desiccant to the outdoor unit 12. Although three indoor units are shown in FIG. 1, other embodiments may include less than or more than three indoor units. As used herein, the words “indoor” and “building” generally refer to any structure that defines an at least partially enclosed space and separates the space from the surrounding outdoor environment. For example, a "building" could be a tent or other temporary structure that is partially enclosed.

FIG. 2 schematically shows the outdoor unit 12 shown in FIG. 1. The outdoor unit 12 houses a first process chamber 32 through which the desiccant 34 is delivered to and from the indoor units 14, 16, 18. Any desiccant material may be used, including liquids in the form of pure liquids, solutions, aqueous solutions, mixtures and combinations thereof and effective to produce the desired results. Lithium chloride (LiCl) and calcium chloride (CaCl ₂ ) are typical liquid desiccant solutions, but other liquid desiccants may be used. The outdoor unit 12 also houses a regenerator 35 comprising a regeneration chamber 36 in which the desiccant 34 can be regenerated. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the desiccant 34 is delivered between the first process chamber 32 and the regeneration chamber 36 through an aperture that may be an orifice 38. In other embodiments, delivery may be controlled through float and pump mechanisms, or any other method or system effective to deliver the desiccant as desired. In more detail, the desiccant 34 is transferred between the regenerator sump 43 and the first portion of the process sump 42, separated by a divider 39 in which an orifice 38 is disposed. , This orifice allows diffusion of the desiccant 34 between the sumps 42, 43 based on the concentration gradient. As will be explained in more detail below, each of the indoor units includes a second portion of the process sump, each of which is in selective fluid communication with a first portion of the process sump 42.

As shown in Fig. 2, the first chamber 32 receives the desiccant 34 from the indoor units 14, 16, 18 as indicated by the dotted line 40. In this embodiment, the desiccant 34 is held in the first portion of the process sump 42 at the bottom of the first process chamber 32 housed in the outdoor unit 12. The first process pump 44 is used to pump the desiccant 34 from the first portion of the process sump 42 through the heat exchanger 46 and then into the indoor unit as indicated by the dotted line 48. In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the heat exchanger 46 is based on a vapor-compression cycle comprising a compressor 50, a first condenser 52, a second condenser 54 and a thermal expansion valve 55. It is an evaporator that is part of a cooling system. In other embodiments, the desiccant may be cooled and heated by other sources such as cold water reservoirs, solar heat, and the like. The bypass valve 57 allows a portion of the cooled desiccant 34 to be reintroduced into the first process chamber 32 as indicated by the dotted line 59. By adding the cooled desiccant 34 back into the first portion of the process sump 42, the sump 42 holds the cooled desiccant 34 and one or more indoor units 14, 16, 18) It is effectively allowed to act as a cold liquid reservoir that can provide cold liquid when it requires cooling.

The vapor-compression system shown in Figure 2 utilizes any fluid, such as a refrigerant, effective to allow the vapor-compression system to selectively heat and cool the desiccant 34 through heat transfer to and from the refrigerant. I can. 2 shows the outdoor unit 12 in a first mode of operation, which can be effectively used in a warm and humid condition. In this mode, heat from the first condenser 52 is transferred to the desiccant 34 as indicated by the dotted line 56. Desiccant 34 is pumped through condenser 52 by regenerator pump 58. After leaving the condenser 52, the desiccant 34 is sprayed over a medium 60, which may include one or more porous materials to allow flow through of the desiccant 34. The second condenser 54 may have a fan (not shown) associated with the second condenser for transferring some of the heat from the vapor-compression system to the surrounding environment outside the outdoor unit 12, thereby prior to the expansion phase of the cycle. The refrigerant is further cooled. While compressor 50 and condenser 52 are shown within regeneration chamber 36, in other embodiments the compressor and condenser may be located outside the regeneration chamber and inside other parts of the first unit or completely outside the first unit. . Having such a component in the regeneration chamber 36 provides additional heat to the regeneration process, thereby helping to evaporate even more water from the desiccant 34.

As indicated above, the desiccant 34 receives heat from the heat exchanger 52, which process is obtained by the indoor units 14, 16, 18 from the air in each of the indoor spaces 20, 22, 24. Helps regenerate the desiccant 34 by blocking some of the water. In addition to using heat to block some of the moisture from the desiccant 34, the outdoor unit 12 also uses an airflow to further remove the moisture. As shown in FIG. 2, the first airflow 62 from the surrounding outdoor environment enters the second chamber 36 through the suction unit 64. The airflow 62 is sucked in by a fan 66 that moves air into the second chamber 36 and is discharged to the outside through an exhaust port 68 across the desiccant-filled medium 60, where the airflow ( 62) is now shown as 62', indicating that the airflow is full of moisture as it leaves the second chamber 36. Since the orifice 38 is located below the level of the desiccant in the sumps 42, 43, the first process chamber 32 effectively blocks any contact with the airflow 62.

3A and 3B respectively show a front view and a side view of one of the indoor units 14 shown in FIG. 1. 3A, the valve 70 receives the desiccant 34 from the outdoor unit 12 as shown by the dashed line 72, in particular the valve from the first portion of the process sump 42. The desiccant 34 is accommodated. The valve 70 is connected to the float system 74, the level of desiccant 34 in the second portion of the process sump 76 at the bottom of the second process chamber 77 housed in the indoor unit 14. Is displayed. Thus, in the embodiments illustrated and described herein, the process side of the system 10 is separated between the outdoor unit 12 and the indoor units 14, 16, 18. The mass associated with balancing the desiccant 34 between the dilution process side desiccant and the more concentrated regenerator side desiccant by having a portion of the process side located inside the same unit that houses the regenerated portion of the system 10. And significantly reduce the complexity of energy transfer. Further, by having different parts of the process side housed in the indoor unit, individual control of the conditioning of ambient air in different spaces is allowed.

In addition to receiving information about the level of desiccant 34, valve 70 also receives information from temperature sensor 78, which measures the temperature of desiccant 34 in sump 76. . Valve 70 may be, for example, a three-way electronically actuated solenoid valve, which responds to certain inputs including inputs from float system 74 and temperature sensor 78. The control of the valve 70 may also be part of a larger control system that coordinates and controls the operation of the various components of the outdoor unit shown in FIG. 2. Such a control system is one or more algorithms that allow each of the indoor units (14, 16, 18) to operate independently of each other to provide independent environmental control within their respective rooms (20, 22, 24). It may include.

The input to the valve 70, for example the level of desiccant 34 indicated by the float system 74 and/or the temperature of the desiccant 34 as indicated by the temperature sensor 78, the valve 70 opens. When indicating that it should be, desiccant from outdoor unit 12 is provided to indoor unit 14 as shown by dotted line 80. In a warm and humid environment, the desiccant 34 entering the indoor unit 14 from the outdoor unit 12 will be cold and relatively dry, in other words will not be diluted by water. As explained below, this allows the ambient air in the room 20 to be dehumidified and cooled to a desired level.

3B shows the indoor unit 14 in a side view and shows how air flows through and is treated by the indoor unit 14. First, the second airflow 86 from the surrounding indoor environment enters the indoor unit 14, and once it enters, as indicated by the arrow 88, when the airflow 86 passes over the medium 84, this The airflow comes into contact with the desiccant 34. The flow of air is controlled by the fan 90. As indicated by the label 86' in this embodiment, after the second airflow 86 is cooled and dehumidified, the fan transfers the second airflow into the surrounding environment. Discharge in reverse. If the desiccant 34 in the indoor unit 14 continues to collect water, the level of the desiccant 34 in the sump 76 will rise. In addition, the temperature of the desiccant 34 in the second portion of the process sump 76 will also increase.

At some point, some of the desiccant 34 will be pumped back into the outdoor unit as indicated by the dotted line 94 shown in FIG. 3A. The desiccant 34 in the indoor unit 14 can flow or be pumped to the outdoor unit through a gravity feed. Thus, the device 96 schematically shown in FIG. 3A may be, for example, a valve that allows the desiccant to flow out of the indoor unit 14 automatically when the desiccant 34 reaches a predetermined level. Alternatively, device 96 may be an electronically actuated valve such as valve 70 described above. In such a case, the valve 96 may be opened upon generation of a predetermined input signal such as the level and/or temperature of the desiccant 34 in the sump 76. Upon returning to the outdoor unit 12, the desiccant 34 is regenerated according to the procedure described above.

Because the indoor units 14, 16, 18 are individually controlled and provide a space that can have different requirements, the float system 74 can be operated frequently within some units while the float system is very It works seldom. In at least some circumstances, the air streams 86 and 86 ′ may be recirculated several times through a special indoor unit before float system 74 is activated. This is another advantage of having the process side of the desiccant-based air conditioning system separate between the outdoor unit and the individual indoor unit, i.e. the delivery of desiccant from the indoor unit does not require that it be based on the concentration of desiccant in the indoor unit sump. Not (although delivery of the desiccant may require this), but rather may be based on the temperature of the liquid in the indoor sump or, strictly, the volume of this liquid. In this way, the more complex control process of balancing the concentration of the desiccant is handled completely within the outdoor unit, independent of the indoor unit.

The air conditioner described above is operated to cool and dehumidify the ambient air in the room in a first mode of operation. However, the system 10 may also condition the air to cause the opposite effect, i.e. the system 10 will be operated to warm the ambient air in the space and increase the humidity of this ambient air in the second mode of operation. I can. One way this can be achieved is to provide additional water directly to the outdoor unit 12. This is illustrated in FIG. 4 by a dashed line 98 indicating that water is added directly to the first portion of the process sump indicated by (42') in FIG. 4, and the prime symbol (') indicates the system 10 in the first operating mode. ) Shows similar components from other drawings showing components of. If the regenerator 35' is stopped, and in particular the pump 58' and the fan 66' are not operated, the addition of water to the outdoor unit 12 is immediately followed by dilution of the desiccant 34 in the sump 42'. And the water does not evaporate from the desiccant in the regenerator sump 43'.

In addition to adding water to the desiccant 34, it is also possible to add heat to the desiccant 34, so that a warm, diluted desiccant can be provided to the indoor units 14, 16, 18. Heat can be added by any method effective to achieve the desired result, such as operating the vapor-compression system in reverse. As shown in Fig. 4, the compressor 50' now pumps the refrigerant to the first condenser 52', which refrigerant is the first process sump 42' by the first process pump 44'. It is used to exchange heat with the desiccant 34 pumped from the portion to the indoor units 14, 16, 18. In this second mode of operation, which in some cases may be considered a "winter mode", the refrigerant may be selectively pumped through the second condenser 54', although not shown in FIG. 4, the desiccant 34 ) Can be pumped through both condensers 52' and 54' to obtain additional heat.

Alternatively, system 10 may be provided with a solar energy collector that is physically attached or operated remotely to provide heat and/or electricity to the system 10. When this process is followed, the warm, diluted desiccant 34 passes over the medium 84 (see FIG. 3A), where the moisture and heat are discharged back into the surrounding environment before the moisture and heat are discharged back into the surrounding environment. 86) (see Fig. 3b).

Although exemplary embodiments have been described above, they are not intended to describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the terms used in the above description are terms for description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In addition, features of various implemented embodiments may be combined to form additional embodiments of the present invention.

Claims (20)

As an air conditioning system,
A first unit containing a regenerator operable to receive a first air stream and to contact the first air stream with the liquid desiccant to transfer water from the liquid desiccant to the first air stream, the regenerator comprising: A first of a process sump fluidly connected to the regenerator sump and separated from the regenerator sump, the first unit comprising a regenerator sump for collecting the liquid desiccant after delivery from the liquid desiccant to the first air stream. By further receiving a portion, direct contact of the first air stream with the liquid desiccant in the process sump is prevented,
A second unit located remotely from the first unit and configured to receive a second airflow and to contact the second airflow with the liquid desiccant, wherein the second unit comprises the liquid desiccant Receiving a second portion of the process sump for collecting the liquid desiccant after contact with the first unit, wherein the first unit is in selective fluid communication with the second unit, whereby the liquid desiccant is The liquid desiccant transferred from the second portion of the process sump to the first portion of the process sump may be selectively transferred between portions, and the liquid desiccant transferred from the second portion of the process sump to the first portion of the process sump is mixed with the liquid desiccant in the regenerator sump before the liquid desiccant returns to the second unit. Wherein the regenerator sump and the first portion of the process sump are separated by a partition having an orifice to facilitate diffusion of the liquid desiccant therebetween and
The orifice is an air conditioning system disposed below the surface of the liquid desiccant. delete The method of claim 1,
The first unit is located outside the building and is configured to receive and discharge the first airflow from and to the surrounding outdoor environment, the second unit being located inside the building, from the surrounding environment inside the building and An air conditioning system configured to receive and discharge the second airflow into the surrounding environment. The method of claim 1,
When the second air stream contacts the liquid desiccant in the second unit, the first and second units can be operated in a first mode of operation to transfer water from the second air stream to the liquid desiccant, and An air conditioning system capable of being operated in a second mode of operation to transfer from the liquid desiccant to the second airflow. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the regenerator is configured to be stopped during the second mode of operation to prevent evaporation of water from the liquid desiccant in the regenerator sump. The method of claim 4,
The first unit further houses at least a portion of a cooling system configured to selectively heat and cool the liquid desiccant through heat transfer with a refrigerant. The method of claim 6,
The first unit receives at least an evaporator of the cooling system, and during a first mode of operation to transfer heat from the liquid desiccant to the refrigerant before the liquid desiccant is transferred to the second unit and contacts the second airflow. An air conditioning system comprising a first process pump configured to pump a liquid desiccant from a first portion of the process sump through the evaporator. The method of claim 7,
And a bypass valve configured to return a portion of the liquid desiccant leaving the evaporator to a first portion of the process sump before the liquid desiccant is delivered to the second unit. The method of claim 6,
The first unit comprises a regenerator pump configured to pump the liquid desiccant from the regenerator sump through the condenser of the cooling system during a first mode of operation to receive heat from the refrigerant prior to contact with the first airflow, Air conditioning system. The method of claim 9,
The cooling system further comprising a second condenser configured to further cool the refrigerant prior to the step of expanding the refrigerant. As an air conditioning system,
A first unit located remotely from the indoor space; And
And a second unit located in the indoor space and selectively in fluid communication with the first unit,
The first unit includes a regeneration chamber in which a first airflow is introduced into the interior and is in contact with a liquid desiccant to transfer water from the liquid desiccant to the first airflow, and the regeneration chamber includes a regeneration chamber in which water is transferred from the liquid desiccant to the first airflow. And a regenerator sump for collecting the liquid desiccant after being delivered to an air stream,
The first unit further comprises a first process chamber separated from the regeneration chamber to prevent the first airflow from flowing into the first process chamber, and the first process chamber is fluidly connected to the regenerator sump. Comprising a first portion of the process sump,
The second unit includes a second process chamber in contact with the liquid desiccant so that a second airflow is introduced into the interior before the second airflow is discharged into the indoor space to transfer water between the second airflow and the liquid desiccant, The second process chamber comprises a second portion of the process sump for collecting the liquid desiccant after the liquid desiccant has contacted the second air stream, and an optional fluid between the first unit and the second unit. Communication provides for selective delivery of the liquid desiccant between the first and second portions of the process sump,
The regeneration chamber and the first process chamber are separated by a partition having an orifice between the first portion of the process sump and the regenerator sump to facilitate diffusion of the liquid desiccant therebetween,
The orifice is an air conditioning system disposed below the surface of the liquid desiccant. The method of claim 11,
The air conditioning system further comprising a plurality of second units each positioned within each indoor space and in selective fluid communication with each of the first units. delete The method of claim 11,
When the second airflow is in contact with the liquid desiccant in the second unit, the first and second units may be operated to transfer water from the second airflow to the liquid desiccant in a first mode of operation, and An air conditioning system operable to transfer water from the liquid desiccant to the second air stream in a two mode of operation. The method of claim 14,
The first unit further receives at least a portion of a cooling system configured to selectively heat and cool the liquid desiccant through heat transfer by a refrigerant. The method of claim 15,
The first unit receives at least an evaporator of the cooling system, and the first process chamber transfers heat from the liquid desiccant to the refrigerant before the liquid desiccant is transferred to the second unit and contacts the second airflow. And a first process pump configured to pump the liquid desiccant through the evaporator from the first portion of the process sump during a first mode of operation for the air conditioning system. The method of claim 16,
And a bypass valve configured to return a portion of the liquid desiccant leaving the evaporator to a first portion of the process sump before the liquid desiccant is delivered to the second unit, whereby the first portion of the process pump An air conditioning system that allows a portion to hold the cooled desiccant. The method of claim 17,
The regeneration chamber comprises a regenerator pump configured to pump the liquid desiccant from the regenerator sump through the condenser of the cooling system during the first mode of operation to receive heat from the refrigerant prior to contacting the first airflow. Air conditioning system. As an air conditioning method,
Contacting the first air stream with the liquid desiccant in the regeneration chamber to transfer water from the liquid desiccant to the first air stream during the first mode of operation;
Collecting a liquid desiccant in a regenerator sump after water has been transferred from the liquid desiccant to the first air stream;
Mixing a liquid desiccant in a first portion of a process sump disposed in a first process chamber adjacent to the regeneration chamber and a liquid desiccant in the regenerator sump, wherein the first process chamber is separated from the regeneration chamber. A mixing step in which airflow is inhibited from entering the first process chamber;
Transferring a portion of the liquid desiccant from a first portion of the process sump to a second portion of the process sump disposed within a second process chamber located remotely from the first process chamber;
Contacting the second air stream with a liquid desiccant in the second process chamber to transfer water from the second air stream to the liquid desiccant during a first mode of operation; And
After the second airflow contacts the liquid in the second process chamber, discharging the second airflow from the second process chamber to an ambient environment having air to be conditioned,
In the step of mixing a liquid desiccant in a first portion of a process sump disposed in a first process chamber adjacent to the regeneration chamber with a liquid desiccant in the regenerator sump,
The regeneration chamber and the first process chamber include an orifice disposed below the surface of the liquid desiccant. The air conditioning method is separated by a partition and the liquid desiccant is transferred between the regeneration chamber and the first process chamber by the orifice. The method of claim 19,
Preventing a first airflow from contacting the liquid desiccant in the regeneration chamber during a second mode of operation, and directing the second airflow to transfer water from the liquid desiccant to the second airflow during the second mode of operation. 2 further comprising contacting the liquid desiccant in the process chamber.

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