WO2009022778A1

WO2009022778A1 - Air-conditioner comprised thermoelectric module and heat pipe

Info

Publication number: WO2009022778A1
Application number: PCT/KR2008/000947
Authority: WO
Inventors: Young -Woo Vahc
Original assignee: Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, Yonsei University
Priority date: 2007-08-10
Filing date: 2008-02-18
Publication date: 2009-02-19
Also published as: KR100861005B1

Abstract

The present invention relates to an air conditioner; and, more particularly, to an air conditioner in which a heat is exchanged between a heat pipe and an atmospheric air so as to cool or heat the atmospheric air and a working fluid of the heat pipe evaporated or condensed by heat transfer is again evaporated or condensed by a low temperature part and a high temperature part which are rapidly formed in an thermoelectric module. In particular, the present invention relates to an air conditioner capable of easily cooling an indoor air even under high-temperature and high- humidity weather. In the present invention, a low-temperature and high-humidity outdoor air introduced into an inlet 210 of a second chamber 200 passes heating elements 340, 700 and 900 formed in an inner structure of the air conditioner and is changed into a high-temperature and low-humidity atmospheric air to be cooled with passing a vaporization member 620 wet with condensed water stored in a cooling water tank 600, and the cooled atmospheric air exchanges heat with a heat exchanging unit 520 of a second heat pipe in an exhaust tunnel 220 and is discharged to an outlet 221, whereby a cooling ability is improved without being influenced by the temperature and humidity of an outdoor air at the time of cooling in hot summer.

Description

AIR-CONDITIONER COMPRISED THERMOELECTRIC MODULE AND HEAT PIPE

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to an air conditioner; and, more particularly, to an air conditioner in which a heat is exchanged between a heat pipe and an atmospheric air so as to cool or heat the atmospheric air and a working fluid of the heat pipe evaporated or condensed by heat transfer is again evaporated or condensed by a low temperature part and a high temperature part which are rapidly formed in an thermoelectric module. In particular, the present invention relates to an air conditioner capable of easily cooling an indoor air even under high-temperature and high-humidity weather. Background Art

[2] A technique used to discharge heat which is generated in a high temperature part of an air conditioner by injecting cooling water to an introduced external air to lower a temperature of the external air so as to discharge the heat of the air conditioner which is an example of a prior art related to the present invention.

[3] However, there has been proposed a demerit that the prior art is vulnerable to atmosphere humidity in summer when the air conditioner is most frequently used. A concept required to explain the demerit of the prior art will be briefly described.

[4] In general, an atmospheric air includes some amount of water vapor or moisture.

Meanwhile, an atmospheric air not containing the water vapor is called a dry air. In general, the atmospheric air is treated as a mixture of the dry air and the water vapor.

[5] When the water vapor gradually flows in the atmospheric air, the atmospheric air does not contain the water vapor any more in the end. This atmospheric air is called a saturated atmospheric air. As a temperature increases, the atmospheric air contains more water vapor. That is to say, the saturated air represents an atmospheric air containing a maximum amount of water vapor contained in the atmospheric air at a given temperature. When the water vapor further flows in the saturated atmospheric air at the given temperature, the saturated atmospheric air begins to be condensed.

[6] Relative humidity represents a ratio of the maximum amount of the water vapor contained in the atmospheric air at the given temperature and a current amount of the water vapor.

[7] In case of weather in which external atmosphere humidity is high in summer, cooling methods using a vaporization heat by injecting the cooling water have been generally used in the air conditioner so as to cool the high temperature part, but vaporization does not occur any longer due to high atmosphere relative humidity, thereby it rapidly lowering a cooling effect. Disclosure of Invention

Technical Problem

[8] In case of a conventional air conditioner operated by a refrigerating cycle using a refrigerant material, destruction of the ozone layer of the earth and global warming are caused by a CFCs gas having been generally used as the refrigerant material, the use of the CFCs gas has been restricted in developed countries. In particular, the global warming may cause damage to a global environment as much as a nuclear war. Hence, a new refrigerant gas has been developed, but an environmental problem such as the global warming has been still caused. Accordingly, introduction of an environment- friendly method without using the refrigerant gas in the air conditioner has been strongly required.

[9] Hence, some air conditioners without using the refrigerant gas appeared, but a structural problem in a cooling ability was proposed. That is to say, there was proposed a problem that the cooling ability of the air conditioner required under a high- temperature and high-humidity atmosphere environment in summer as a cooling apparatus was remarkably degraded by adopting the method of cooling a high temperature part by injecting refrigerant water.

[10] Accordingly, an air conditioner in accordance with the present invention minimizes an environmental problem such as the destruction of the ozone layer of the earth by using an environment-friendly thermoelectric module and an environment-friendly heat pipe without using the refrigerant gas.

[11] The present invention provides an air conditioner having a superior cooling ability even under the high-temperature and high-humidity weather in summer. Technical Solution

[12] An air conditioner in accordance with the present invention has a heating and cooling cycle in which the above-mentioned processes are successively performed.

[13] The air conditioner in accordance with the present invention includes a first chamber provided with an inlet for introducing an indoor air and an outlet for discharging an atmospheric air to a room; a second chamber provided with an inlet for introducing an outdoor air and an outlet for exhausting the atmospheric air to the outside and disposed adjacent to the first chamber in a state where the second chamber is hermetically sealed with the first chamber; a thermoelectric module part introducing a thermoelectric module of which one side is in thermal contact with the first chamber and the other side is in thermal contact with the second chamber; a first heat pipe part and a second heat pipe part each having heat pipes being in thermal contact with the one side and the other side of the thermoelectric module, respectively; a cooling water tank for storing condensed water generated in the first chamber; a driving unit for driving blowing fans disposed in the first chamber and the second chamber; a power supply unit for supplying power to thermoelectric module; and a controller for controlling the power supply, wherein the exhaust tunnel of the second chamber includes a hollow sealing structure in which one side of the exhaust tunnel is in communication with the outside and the other side is in communication with the cooling water tank; the one side of the heat pipe of the second heat pipe part is disposed in the exhaust tunnel; and the outdoor air introduced into the inlet of the second chamber vaporizes cooling water through the cooling water tank to be cooled and the cooled atmospheric air exchanges heat with the second heat pipe part in the exhaust tunnel and is discharged to the outlet.

Advantageous Effects

[14] An air conditioner in accordance with the present invention has the following effects.

[15] First, it is possible to efficiently cool a high temperature part without being influenced by humidity of an external air. [16] Second, a user do not need to supply cooling water since self-generated condensed water is used as the cooling water. [17] Third, it is possible to semi-permanently use the air conditioner with low power consumption and without maintenance since a heat pipe is used as a main cooling device and a thermoelectric module is used as a sub cooling device. [18] Fourth, the present invention is capable of improving a difference in temperature of the cooling ability since a total mass of a heat exchanging unit relative to a cooling ability is comparatively small and therefore a latent heat contained by the air conditioner reduces.

[19] Fifth, a noise is isolated by a sound absorbing member at the time of indoor blowing.

[20] Sixth, the air conditioner is low energy type and since a refrigerant gas which de- structing an environment is not used, the air conditioner is environment-friendly.

Brief Description of the Drawings [21] Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an operation principle of an air conditioner in accordance with the present invention; [22] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an air flow in an interior part of the air conditioner in accordance with the present invention; [23] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing operation principles of a thermoelectric module and a heat pipe in accordance with the present invention; and [24] Fig. 4 is a plan view showing arrangements of a plurality of thermoelectric modules and heat pipes in accordance with the present invention.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention [25] When a high-temperature indoor air is in contact with a first heat pipe part in a first chamber, a working fluid is vaporized in an evaporator portion of a heat pipe to rapidly cool the atmospheric air to a low temperature and the cooled atmospheric air is blown to a room through a blowing fan.

[26] At this time, a first thermoelectric panel being in contact with a condenser portion is cooled so as to cool the condenser portion of the first heat pipe part. More specifically, when DC power is applied to a thermoelectric module, a temperature of one side (a low-temperature portion) drops to a low temperature (for example, -3O⁰C or lower).

[27] Next, in order to cool the other side (a high-temperature portion) of the thermoelectric module, as the working fluid is vaporized in an evaporator portion of a second heat pipe part, a temperature of a second thermoelectric panel of the thermoelectric module being in contact with the condenser portion of the second heat pipe part drops and therefore the condenser portion of the first heat pipe part is cooled, whereby the working fluid in the condenser portion returns to the evaporator portion again.

[28] Next, an outdoor air is introduced from the outside and is converted to a high- temperature and dry (low-temperature) atmospheric air so as to cool the condenser portion of the second heat pipe part in a second chamber.

[29] The high-temperature and dry atmospheric air is converted to a low-temperature atmospheric air through a vaporization operation in a vaporization member to cool the condenser portion of the second heat pipe part again.

[30] During these processes, an outdoor air (for example, the low-temperature and high- humidity atmospheric air) is converted to the high-temperature and dry (low-humidity) atmospheric air, without supply of additional power. A low-temperature and high- humidity atmospheric air introduced from the outside is rapidly converted to the high- temperature and low-humidity atmospheric air by absorbing a heat from heat generating units (for example, a heat exchanging unit, a driving unit, and a power supply unit) in the second chamber. The introduced atmospheric air converted to the high-temperature and low-humidity atmospheric air is converted to an atmospheric air having a temperature of approximately 3O⁰C or lower by vaporization generated in the vaporization member connected to a cooling water storing unit to easily cool the condenser portion of the second heat pipe part irrespective of the temperature and humidity of an outside air.

[31] An air conditioner in accordance with the present invention has a heating and cooling cycle in which the above-mentioned processes are successively performed.

[32] The air conditioner in accordance with the present invention includes a first chamber provided with an inlet for introducing an indoor air and an outlet for discharging an atmospheric air to a room; a second chamber provided with an inlet for introducing an outdoor air and an outlet for exhausting the atmospheric air to the outside and disposed adjacent to the first chamber in a state where the second chamber is hermetically sealed with the first chamber; a thermoelectric module part introducing a thermoelectric module of which one side is in thermal contact with the first chamber and the other side is in thermal contact with the second chamber; a first heat pipe part and a second heat pipe part each having heat pipes being in thermal contact with the one side and the other side of the thermoelectric module, respectively; a cooling water tank for storing condensed water generated in the first chamber; a driving unit for driving blowing fans disposed in the first chamber and the second chamber; a power supply unit for supplying power to thermoelectric module; and a controller for controlling the power supply, wherein the exhaust tunnel of the second chamber includes a hollow sealing structure in which one side of the exhaust tunnel is in communication with the outside and the other side is in communication with the cooling water tank; the one side of the heat pipe of the second heat pipe part is disposed in the exhaust tunnel; and the outdoor air introduced into the inlet of the second chamber vaporizes cooling water through the cooling water tank to be cooled and the cooled atmospheric air exchanges heat with the second heat pipe part in the exhaust tunnel and is discharged to the outlet.

[33] It is preferable that the thermoelectric module part in accordance with the present invention is provided with a first thermoelectric panel being in contact with the one side of the thermoelectric module and a second thermoelectric panel being in contact with the other side of the thermoelectric module and the heat pipes of the first heat pipe part and the second heat pipe part are in thermal contact with the one side and the other side of the thermoelectric module through the contacts with the first thermoelectric panel and the second thermoelectric panel, respectively.

[34] It is preferable that when the thermoelectric module part in accordance with the present invention is constituted of a plurality of thermoelectric modules, the thermoelectric modules are horizontally arranged.

[35] It is preferable that when the thermoelectric part in accordance with the present invention is constituted of the plurality of thermoelectric modules, the thermoelectric modules are vertically arranged.

[36] In the air conditioner in accordance with the present invention, it is preferable that the first heat pipe part includes a heat pipe of which one side is in contact with the indoor air introduced into the first chamber and the other side is in thermal contact with the one side of the thermoelectric module, and a first heat exchanging unit disposed in a portion of the heat pipe being in contact with the introduced indoor air.

[37] The heat pipe of the first heat pipe part in accordance with the present invention may be disposed by being bent so that the one side and the other side of the heat pipe are not positioned on the same line.

[38] The heat pipe of the first heat pipe part in accordance with the present invention may be disposed by being bent so that an end of the one side being in contact with the atmospheric air has a lowest height.

[39] The first chamber is provided with a water collecting unit for sending the condensed water generated from the introduced indoor air to the cooling water tank being in communication with the first chamber in a lower part of the first chamber in accordance with the present invention.

[40] The water collecting unit in accordance with the present invention may have a slant of a structure in which an upper part is wide and a lower part is narrow, and a bottom part is opened.

[41] The first chamber in accordance with the present invention further includes the blowing tunnel having a hollow sealing structure in which one side of the blowing tunnel is in communication with the room through the inlet and the other side of the blowing tunnel is in communication with the lower part of the first chamber.

[42] It is preferable that the one side of the heat pipe of the first heat pipe part is disposed in the blowing tunnel through an insertion hole formed in the blowing tunnel.

[43] It is preferable that the heat pipe of the first heat pipe part in accordance with the present invention is further provided with a second heat exchanging unit in a portion disposed in the blowing tunnel.

[44] It is preferable that the heat pipe of the second heat pipe part in accordance with the present invention is disposed by being bent so that the one side and the other side of the heat pipe are not positioned on the same line.

[45] The heat pipe of the second heat pipe part in accordance with the present invention may be disposed by being bent so that an end of the one side being in contact with the atmospheric air is positioned in a highest portion inside the exhaust tunnel.

[46] The second heat pipe part in accordance with the present invention is further provided with a heat exchanging unit in a portion of the heat pipe disposed in the exhaust tunnel and being in contact with the atmospheric air.

[47] The cooling water tank in accordance with the present invention is provided with a cooling water storing unit which is disposed on lower ends of the first chamber and the second chamber, and of which one side is in communication with the first chamber and stores condensed water and the other side is in communication with the other end of the exhaust tunnel of the second chamber.

[48] The cooling water tank in accordance with the present invention may further include a vaporization member of which one side is submerged in the cooling water storing unit and the other side is disposed adjacent to the other end of the exhaust tunnel of the second chamber, and which moves absorbed cooling water to the other side and vaporizes the cooling water by the use of an atmospheric air transferred to the inside of the exhaust tunnel. [49] The driving unit in accordance with the present invention is disposed in at least one of the first chamber and the second chamber, and is disposed on an air flowing passage so that the heat can be exchanged between the heated driving unit and the atmospheric air introduced into the second chamber at the time when the driving unit is disposed in the second chamber.

[50] The power supply unit in accordance with the present invention is disposed in the first chamber or the second chamber, and is disposed on the air flowing passage so that the heat can be exchanged between the heated power supply unit and the atmospheric air introduced into the second chamber when the power supply unit is disposed in the second chamber. Mode for the Invention

[51] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a cooling operation principle of an air conditioner in accordance with the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[52] First, an operation principle in a second chamber 200 as a high temperature generating part is described. After an operation principle in a first chamber 100 as a low temperature generating part is described, the above-mentioned operation principles are integrally described. First of all, the common statements between the first chamber 100 and the second chamber 200 will be mainly described in the description of the operation principle of the second chamber 200.

[53] Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the operation principle of the air conditioner in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an air flow in an interior part of the air conditioner in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing operation principles of a thermoelectric module and a heat pipe in accordance with the present invention; and Fig. 4 is a plan view showing arrangements of thermoelectric modules and heat pipes in accordance with the present invention.

[54] As shown in Fig. 1, the air conditioner in accordance with the present invention includes the first chamber 100, the second chamber 200, a thermoelectric module part 300, a first heat pipe part 400, a second heat pipe part 500, a cooling water tank 600, a driving part 700, a power supply part 800 and a controller 900.

[55] The air conditioner in accordance with the present invention may be largely partitioned into the first chamber 100 and the second chamber 200. A low temperature generating unit of a thermoelectric module 310 of the thermoelectric module part 300 is connected to the first chamber 100 and a high temperature generating unit of the thermoelectric module 310 of the thermoelectric module part 300 is connected to a second chamber 200. [56] The thermoelectric module is a cooling device using a Peltier effect. This is a reversible reaction in which a heat is absorbed in one connection portion and the heat is emitted from the other connection portion at the time of allowing a DC current to flow on a circuit constituted of two different metals and the heat absorption and the heat emission are reversely generated at the time of reversely turning the direction of the DC current.

[57] The thermoelectric module using such an environment is a module in which an n- type semiconductor and a p-type semiconductor are electrically connected in series with each other and thermally connected in parallel to each other. When the DC current flows on the thermoelectric module, a difference in temperature between both surfaces of the thermoelectric module occurs by the Peltier effect.

[58] When the DC current flows on the thermoelectric module, a maximum temperature difference Δ

T between a heat emitting unit (the high temperature generating unit) and a heat absorbing unit(the low temperature unit or the cooling unit) is theoretically in the range of 65 to 76⁰C. Accordingly, a method for effectively emitting the heat of the high temperature generating unit, that is, a method for lowering the temperature of the high temperature generating unit is important so as to improve the cooling ability by lowering a temperature of the low temperature generating unit. In the air conditioner in accordance with the present invention, the temperature of the high temperature generating unit of the thermoelectric module can be effectively lowered by the use of vaporization phenomena in the heat pipe and a vaporization member without power consumption.

[59] As shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the thermoelectric module part 300 has the thermoelectric module 310 of which one side is in thermal contact with the first chamber 100 and the other side is in thermal contact with the second chamber 200.

[60] It is preferable that the thermoelectric module part 300 is provided with a first thermoelectric panel 320 being in contact with the one side of the thermoelectric module 310 and a second thermoelectric panel 330 being in contact with the other side of the thermoelectric module 310.

[61] The thermoelectric module part 300 in accordance with the present invention may be further provided with a heat exchanging unit 340 on the second thermoelectric panel 330. The heat exchanging unit 340 may be generally formed by arranging sheet-like fins in parallel to each other or by arranging sheet-like heat sinks in a heat emission structure.

[62] The thermoelectric module part 300 in accordance with the present invention may be disposed in plural. The plurality of thermoelectric module parts 300 may be vertically arranged as shown in Fig. 1 and the plurality of thermoelectric module parts 300 may be horizontally arranged as shown in Fig. 4. The plurality of thermoelectric module parts 300 constituted of the plurality thermoelectric modules 310 arranged horizontally may be vertically arranged.

[63] The plurality of thermoelectric module parts 300 in accordance with the present invention is vertically arranged. At this time, it is preferable to make lengths of the heat pipes 410 and 510 short. Fig. 1 shows an example three thermoelectric module parts 300 are vertically arranged for uniform cooling.

[64] The first chamber 100 in accordance with the present invention includes an inlet 110 for introducing an indoor air and an outlet 130 for discharging an atmospheric air to a room.

[65] The second chamber 200 includes an inlet 210 for introducing an outdoor air and an exhaust tunnel 220 for exhausting the atmospheric air to the outside. The second chamber 200 is disposed adjacent to the first chamber 100 in a state where the second chamber 200 is hermetically sealed with the first chamber 100.

[66] The second chamber 200 in accordance with the present invention further has the exhaust tunnel 220 in one side thereof. The exhaust tunnel 220 has a hollow sealing structure in which one end of the exhaust tunnel 220 is in communication with the outside through the outlet 221 and the other end of the exhaust tunnel 220 is in communication with a cooling water tank. As shown in Fig. 2, the atmospheric air introduced through the inlet 210 and flowing downward flows to the exhaust tunnel 220 from a lower side of the second chamber 200 and then flows upward. A descending atmospheric air and an ascending atmospheric air inside the second chamber 200 are not in contact with each other by a wall of the exhaust tunnel 220.

[67] Heat pipes of the first pipe part and the second pipe part in accordance with the present invention are in thermal contact with one side (a low temperature portion) and the other side (a high temperature portion) of the thermoelectric module 310 through direct contact with the first thermoelectric panel 320 and the second thermoelectric panel 330, respectively.

[68] The heat pipe is completely sealed by injecting a working fluid into a sealed container and vacuum-exhausting the atmospheric air inside the sealed container. When a heat absorbing unit (an evaporation unit) which is one side of the heat pipe is heated by absorbing an external heat, the working fluid inside the sealed container is evaporated and flows to a heat emitting unit (a condensation unit) by a pressure difference and then the working fluid discharges the heat to the periphery and returns to the evaporation unit through a condensation process. That is to say, this structure represents an automatic thermal cycling structure without adding special energy.

[69] A wick which is the core of an operation of the heat pipe as a capillary structure for returning the liquid working fluid to the evaporation unit from the condensation unit and is generally formed of various structures such as a mesh structure and a groove structure. The structure allows the liquid to rapidly move by causing a capillary phenomenon by the use of a surface tension of the liquid. An electromagnetic force, a centrifugal force, an osmotic pressure, or gravity may be used for the return of the liquid in addition to a capillary.

[70] In particular, this is called a thermo-syphon and the inner capillary structure is not required in case of using the gravity. The thermo-syphon has a restriction that a heating unit is necessarily positioned lower than the condensation unit since the working liquid condensed in the condensation unit returns to the heating unit by a force of the gravity.

[71] A performance of the heat pipe is influenced by a slant. In case that the condensation unit is positioned higher than the evaporation unit, the condensed working fluid is easy to return to the vaporization. At this time, such a slant is called a favorable slant. Meanwhile, in case that the condensation unit is positioned lower than the evaporation unit, the condensed working fluid runs against the gravity, whereby a return speed reduces a little. At this time, such a slant is an objection slant.

[72] The performance of the heat pipe depending on the slant may depend on an internal structure of the wick. In case that the structure of the wick is dense, the performance of the heat pipe deteriorates slightly but the heat pipe works well even though the slant is generated. However, in case that the structure of the wick is sparse, the performance of the heat pipe may deteriorate rapidly at the time when the slant is generated.

[73] Various types of heat pipes may be used as the heat pipes 410 and 510 in accordance with the present invention. In the heat pipes in accordance with the present invention, it is preferable that the condensation unit is disposed above the evaporation unit. In particular, this structure is more preferable in a heat pipe of a thermo-syphon type.

[74] It is preferable that the heat pipes 410 and 510 in accordance with the present invention are curved so that one side and the other side of each heat pipe are not positioned on the same line. Objects of this structure are to enable the thermoelectric module parts 300 to be vertically arranged in the air conditioner, to allow the one side of the heat pipe to be in contact with the thermoelectric module part 300, and to allow the other side of the heat pipe to be in contact with the atmospheric air.

[75] It is preferable that the heat pipe 510 of the second heat pipe part in accordance with the present invention is curved so that an end of the one side (the condensation unit) being in contact with the atmospheric air is positioned in a highest portion inside the exhaust tunnel 220. The heat pipe using a capillary force may utilize the gravity and in particular, the heat pipe of the thermo-syphon type is more preferable.

[76] The second heat pipe part 500 in accordance with the present invention is disposed in the exhaust tunnel 220 and the second heat pipe part 500 may be further provided with a heat exchanging unit 520 in a portion being in contact with the atmospheric air. Sheet-like fins are preferably arranged in parallel to each other in the heat exchanging part 520.

[77] The cooling water tank 600 in accordance with the present invention has a cooling water storing unit 610 which is disposed on lower ends of the first chamber 100 and the second chamber 200, and of which one side is in communication with the first chamber 100 and stores condensed water and the other side is in communication with the other end of the exhaust tunnel 220 of the second chamber 200.

[78] It is preferably that the cooling water tank 600 in accordance with the present invention further includes a vaporization member 620 of which one side includes the cooling water storing unit 610 and the other side is disposed adjacent to the other end of the exhaust tunnel 220 of the second chamber, and which moves absorbed cooling water to the other side and vaporizes the cooling water by the use of an atmospheric air transferred to the inside of the exhaust tunnel.

[79] The vaporization member 620 must not excessively shut the flow of the atmospheric air while being easily in contact with the atmospheric air. Accordingly, it is preferable that the vaporization member 620 is disposed in a length, an area, a shape, a number, and the like pertinent to the configuration.

[80] Various materials absorbing and moving moisture may be used as the vaporization member 620. The vaporization member 620 has a structure for allowing a wind to pass easily as a material such as non- woven fabric capable of easily absorbing the moisture.

[81] The operation principle of the second chamber 200 which is the high temperature generating part of the thermoelectric module part 300 will be described. The outdoor air introduced to the inside of the air conditioner through the inlet 210 passes the heat exchanging unit 340, the driving unit 700, the power supply unit 800, and the like as heating elements, which are formed in the air conditioner before reaching the cooling water tank 600. In particular, the outside air is continuously heated with absorbing most heats from the second thermoelectric panel 330 and the heat exchanging unit 340.

[82] The introduced outdoor air is rapidly heated by absorbing a large amount of heat by heat radiation with the heat pipe 510 being in thermal contact with the one side (the high temperature portion) of the thermoelectric module 310 where a high temperature is generated and the second thermoelectric panel 330, and the heat exchanging unit 340. As a temperature increases by the heating, the amount of saturated water vapor which can be contained in the outdoor air increases, thereby rapidly lowering relative humidity.

[83] That is to say, the introduced outdoor air (an approximately middle temperature and high-humidity atmospheric air in summer) becomes a high-temperature and low- humidity atmospheric air. The high and dry (low-humidity) atmospheric air contains water vapor corresponding to the amount of the saturated water vapor by vaporization while passing the vaporization member 620 of the cooling water tank 600. As a result, the temperature of the atmospheric air will be rapidly lowered. That is, the atmospheric air will become a low-temperature and high-humidity atmospheric air.

[84] The low-temperature and high-humidity atmospheric air is introduced into the exhaust tunnel 220 and the heat of the heat exchanging unit 520 formed in the one side (the condensation unit) of the heat pipe 510 positioned in the exhaust tunnel 220 is effectively discharged. The working fluid in the heat pipe 510 is condensed into a liquid state by a heat exchange between the low-temperature atmospheric air and the heat exchanging unit 520, and returns to the evaporation unit. The atmospheric air is discharged to the outside through the outlet 221 in a state where a temperature of the atmospheric air increases.

[85] The second chamber 200 in accordance with the present invention heats the introduced outdoor air without supply of an additional power. Accordingly, it is preferable that the driving unit 700 and the power supply unit 800 which may serve as the heating elements are also utilized so as to heat the introduced outdoor air without the supply of the additional power.

[86] The air conditioner in accordance with the present invention includes the driving unit

700 for driving blowing fans 720 positioned in the first chamber 100 and the second chamber 200, the power supply unit 800 for supplying the power to the thermoelectric module part 300 and the controller 900 for controlling the power supply.

[87] The driving unit 700 in accordance with the present invention is disposed in at least one of the first chamber 100 and the second chamber 200. The driving unit 700 is preferably disposed on an atmospheric air flowing passage so that the heat can be exchanged between the heated driving unit 700 and the atmospheric air introduced into the second chamber 200 at the time when the driving unit 700 is disposed in the second chamber 200.

[88] The power supply unit 800 in accordance with the present invention is disposed in the first chamber 100 or the second chamber 200. The power supply unit 800 is preferably disposed on the air flowing passage so that the heat can be exchanged between the heated power supply unit 800 and the atmospheric air introduced into the second chamber 200 when the power supply unit 800 is disposed in the second chamber 200.

[89] The operation principle of the second chamber 200 in accordance with the present invention necessarily has a step of changing a high-humidity outdoor air into a low- humidity atmospheric air and therefore has a merit of being not influenced by a humidity of the outdoor air. The second chamber 200 is provided with a second cooling system cooling the high-temperature and low-humidity atmospheric air through the vaporization phenomenon and reutilizing the cooled atmospheric air to cool the heat exchanging unit 520 of the heat pipe 510, whereby the second chamber 200 as the high temperature generating unit of the thermoelectric module 310 is efficiently cooled. As described above, the effective cooling (heat radiation) in the high temperature generating unit of the thermoelectric module 310 is logically connected to effective cooling of the indoor air in the low temperature generating unit of the thermoelectric module 310. Hereinafter, the first chamber 100 as the low temperature generating unit of the thermoelectric module 310 will be described.

[90] The first chamber 100 in accordance with the present invention includes an inlet 110 for introducing the indoor air and an outlet 130 for discharging the atmospheric air to the room.

[91] The first chamber 100 in accordance with the present invention is preferably provided with a water collecting unit 120 for sending the condensed water generated from the introduced indoor air to the cooling water tank 600 being in communication with the first chamber 100 in a lower part of the first chamber. The water collecting unit 120 is generally formed on a bottom surface of the first chamber 100. A structure such as a hole allowing the dropped condensed water to be introduced into the cooling water tank 600 is formed in the water collecting unit 120. The water collecting unit 120 in accordance with the present invention may have a structure in which a plurality of holes is formed on a flat bottom surface and may have a slant of a structure in which an upper part is wide and a lower part is narrow, and a bottom part is opened.

[92] The first chamber 100 in accordance with the present invention may be further provided with a blowing tunnel 140 having a hollow sealing structure in which one end of the blowing tunnel 140 is in communication with the room through the inlet 110 and the other end of the blowing tunnel 140 is in communication with the lower part of the first chamber.

[93] The blowing tunnel 140 in accordance with the present invention has a sound absorbing member 142 for absorbing noise formed on an inner wall surface of the blowing tunnel and therefore noise generated by the blowing fans 720 is preferably blocked.

[94] The blowing tunnel 140 in accordance with the present invention preferably has one side of the heat pipe 410 of the first heat pipe part 400 disposed therein through an insertion hole 141 formed in the blowing tunnel.

[95] The first heat pipe part 400 in accordance with the present invention has the heat pipe

410 of which one side is being in contact with the indoor air introduced into the first chamber 100 and the other side is in thermal contact with the one side (the low temperature portion) of the thermoelectric module 300, and a first heat exchanging unit 420 disposed in the part of the heat pipe being in contact with the introduced indoor air.

[96] The first heat exchanging unit 420 in accordance with the present invention has a structure in which the sheet-like fins are arranged in parallel to each other.

[97] It is preferable that the heat pipe 410 in accordance with the present invention is curved so that one side and the other side of the heat pipe are not positioned on the same line. It is preferable that the heat pipe 410 in accordance with the present invention is curved so that an end of the one side (the evaporation unit) being in contact with the atmospheric air has a lowest height.

[98] It is preferable that the heat pipe 410 of the first heat pipe part 400 in accordance with the present invention is further provided with a second heat exchanging unit 430 in a part of the heat pipe 410 disposed in the blowing tunnel and a second heat exchanging unit 430 may have a structure in which the sheet-like fins are arranged in parallel to each other.

[99] The operation principle of the first chamber 100 as the low temperature generating unit of the thermoelectric part 300 will be described. The temperature of an approximately high-temperature or middle-temperature indoor air introduced through the inlet 110 is lowered through heat exchange in the first heat exchanging unit 420 of the low-temperature heat pipe 420. As the amount of the saturated water vapor which be contained in the atmospheric air according to a predetermined temperature at the time when the temperature of the atmospheric air is lowered, the water vapor begins to be condensed. The dropped condensed water is stored in the cooling water storing unit 610 of the cooling water tank 600 through the water collecting unit 120.

[100] The low-temperature atmospheric air is introduced into the blowing tunnel 140 in the lower part of the first chamber 100. At this time, the blowing fans 720 of the driving unit 700 help the atmospheric air to be introduced into the blowing tunnel 140. Since the temperature of the first heat exchanging unit 420 of the heat pipe 410 is structurally higher than the temperature of the second heat exchanging unit 430 of the heat pipe 410, the second cooling of the atmospheric air introduced into the blowing tunnel 140 is performed.

[101] The air conditioner in accordance with the present invention used the thermoelectric module 310 in the low temperature generating unit so as to rapidly return the working fluid by rapidly cooling the condensation unit of the first heat pipe part 400. The low temperature generating unit of the thermoelectric module 310 can be continuously cooled only by effectively cooling (radiating the heat of) the high temperature generating unit formed opposite to the low temperature generating unit, whereby the heat pipe 510 is used to cool the high-temperature generating unit. The heat pipe is firstly cooled by partially heating the high-humidity outdoor air so as to effectively cool the high-temperature generating unit even though the high-humidity outdoor air is introduced and an atmospheric air dried by the heating passes the vaporization member 620 and is rapidly changed into the low-temperature atmospheric air by vaporization of the cooling water, whereby the low-temperature atmospheric air is reutilized for the cooling.

[102] As the heat pipe of the high temperature generating unit is smoothly cooled, the first cooling of the atmospheric air in the low temperature generating unit can be smoothly performed. The second cooling of an atmospheric air discharged to the room in the past is performed in the blowing tunnel 140 through a heat exchange with the heat pipe 410 and the second heat exchanging unit 430.

[103] The condensed water generated in the first chamber 100 is utilized as the cooling water, whereby the cooling water do not need to be replenished.

[104] The specification described the cooling embodiments of the air conditioner in accordance with the present invention. This reason is that an object of the present invention is to efficiently cooling the high-temperature generating part when the high- humidity outdoor air is introduced into the air conditioner. However, the air conditioner in accordance with the present invention may be used for heating by the DC current

[105] The embodiments and the drawings appended in the specification clearly describe only a part of the scope of the invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various change and detailed embodiments maybe made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the specification and the drawings of the invention.

Claims

[1] An air conditioner comprised a thermoelectric module and a heat pipe, comprising: a first chamber provided with an inlet for introducing an indoor air and an outlet for discharging an atmospheric air to a room; a second chamber provided with an inlet for introducing an outdoor air and an exhaust tunnel for exhausting the atmospheric air to the outside and disposed adjacent to the first chamber in a state where the second chamber is hermetically sealed with the first chamber; a thermoelectric module part introducing the thermoelectric module of which one side is in thermal contact with the first chamber and the other side is in thermal contact with the second chamber; a first heat pipe part and a second heat pipe part each having heat pipes being in thermal contact with the one side and the other side of the thermoelectric module, respectively; a cooling water tank storing condensed water generated in the first chamber; a driving unit for driving blowing fans disposed in the first chamber and the second chamber; a power supply unit for supplying power to thermoelectric module; and a controller for controlling the power supply, wherein the exhaust tunnel of the second chamber includes a hollow sealing structure in which one side of the exhaust tunnel is in communication with the outside and the other side is in communication with the cooling water tank; the one side of the heat pipe of the second heat pipe part is disposed in the exhaust tunnel; and the outdoor air introduced into the inlet of the second chamber vaporizes cooling water through the cooling water tank to be cooled and the cooled atmospheric air exchanges heat with the second heat pipe part in the exhaust tunnel and is discharged to the outlet.

[2] The air conditioner comprised the thermoelectric module and the heat pipe as recited in claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric module part is provided with a first thermoelectric panel being in contact with the one side of the thermoelectric module and a second thermoelectric panel being in contact with the other side of the thermoelectric module; and the heat pipes of the first heat pipe part and the second heat pipe part are in thermal contact with the one side and the other side of the thermoelectric module through the contacts with the first thermoelectric panel and the second thermoelectric panel, respectively.

[3] The air conditioner comprised the thermoelectric module and the heat pipe as recited in claim 2, wherein the thermoelectric module part further includes a heat exchanging unit on the second thermoelectric panel.

[4] The air conditioner comprised the thermoelectric module and the heat pipe as recited in claim 3, wherein a plurality of sheet-like fins is arranged in the heat exchanging unit in parallel to each other.

[5] The air conditioner comprised the thermoelectric module and the heat pipe as recited in claim 1, wherein if the thermoelectric module part is constituted of a plurality of thermoelectric modules, the thermoelectric modules are horizontally arranged.

[6] The air conditioner comprised the thermoelectric module and the heat pipe as recited in claim 1, wherein if the thermoelectric part is constituted of plural number, the thermoelectric modules are vertically arranged.

[7] The air conditioner comprised the thermoelectric module and the heat pipe as recited in claim 1, wherein the first heat pipe part includes: a heat pipe of which one side is in contact with the indoor air introduced into the first chamber and the other side is in thermal contact with the one side of the thermoelectric module; and a first heat exchanging unit disposed in a portion of the heat pipe being in contact with the introduced indoor air.

[8] The air conditioner comprised the thermoelectric module and the heat pipe as recited in claim 7, wherein the heat pipe is disposed by being bent so that the one side and the other side of the heat pipe are not positioned on the same line.

[9] The air conditioner comprised the thermoelectric module and the heat pipe as recited in claim 8, wherein the heat pipe is disposed by being bent so that an end of the one side being in contact with the atmospheric air has a lowest height.

[10] The air conditioner comprised the thermoelectric module and the heat pipe as recited in claim 7, wherein the first heat exchanging unit is provided with a plurality of sheet-like fins arranged in parallel to each other.

[11] The air conditioner having the thermoelectric module and the heat pipe as recited in claim 1, wherein the first chamber is provided with a water collecting unit for sending the condensed water generated from the introduced indoor air to the cooling water tank being in communication with the first chamber in a lower part of the first chamber.

[12] The air conditioner comprised the thermoelectric module and the heat pipe as recited in claim 11, wherein the water collecting unit includes a slant of have a slope of a structure in which an upper part is wide and a lower part is narrow, and a bottom part is opened.

[13] The air conditioner comprised the thermoelectric module and the heat pipe as recited in claim 1, wherein the first chamber further includes the blowing tunnel with a hollow sealing structure in which one end of the blowing tunnel is in communication with the room through the inlet and the other end of the blowing tunnel is in communication with the lower part of the first chamber.

[14] The air conditioner comprised having the thermoelectric module and the heat pipe as recited in claim 13, wherein a sound absorbing member absorbing a noise is disposed on an inner wall of the blowing tunnel.

[15] The air conditioner comprised the thermoelectric module and the heat pipe as recited in claim 13, wherein the one side of the heat pipe of the first heat pipe part is disposed inside the blowing tunnel through an insertion hole formed in the blowing tunnel.

[16] The air conditioner comprised the thermoelectric module and the heat pipe as recited in claim 15, wherein the heat pipe of the first heat pipe part is further provided with a second heat exchanging unit in a portion disposed in the blowing tunnel.

[17] The air conditioner comprised the thermoelectric module and the heat pipe as recited in claim 16, wherein a plurality of sheet-like fins is arranged in the second heat exchanging unit in parallel to each other.

[18] The air conditioner comprised the thermoelectric module and the heat pipe as recited in claim 1, wherein the heat pipe of the second heat pipe part is disposed by being bent so that the one side and the other side of the heat pipe are not positioned on the same line.

[19] The air conditioner comprised the thermoelectric module and the heat pipe as recited in claim 18, wherein the heat pipe of the second heat pipe part is curved so that an end of the one side being in contact with the atmospheric air is positioned in a highest portion inside the exhaust tunnel.

[20] The air conditioner comprised the thermoelectric module and the heat pipe as recited in claim 1, wherein the second heat pipe part is further provided with a heat exchanging unit in a portion of the heat pipe disposed in the exhaust tunnel and being in contact with the atmospheric air.

[21] The air conditioner comprised the thermoelectric module and the heat pipe as recited in claim 20, wherein a plurality of sheet-like fins is arranged in the heat exchanging unit of the second heat pipe part in parallel to each other.

[22] The air conditioner comprised the thermoelectric module and the heat pipe as recited in claim 1, wherein the cooling water tank is provided with a cooling water storing unit which is disposed on lower ends of the first chamber and the second chamber, and of which one side is in communication with the first chamber and stores condensed water and the other side is in communication with the other end of the exhaust tunnel of the second chamber.

[23] The air conditioner comprised the thermoelectric module and the heat pipe as recited in claim 22, wherein the cooling water tank further includes a vaporization member of which one side is submerged in the cooling water storing unit and the other side is disposed adjacent to the other end of the exhaust tunnel of the second chamber, and which moves absorbed cooling water to the other side and vaporizes the cooling water by the use of an atmospheric air transferred to the inside of the exhaust tunnel.

[24] The air conditioner comprised the thermoelectric module and the heat pipe as recited in claim 23, wherein the vaporization member is formed of non woven fabric.

[25] The air conditioner comprised the thermoelectric module and the heat pipe as recited in claim 1, wherein the driving unit is disposed in at least one of the first chamber and the second chamber, and is disposed on an air flowing passage so that the heat can be exchanged between the heated driving unit and the atmospheric air introduced into the second chamber at the time when the driving unit is disposed in the second chamber.

[26] The air conditioner comprised the thermoelectric module and the heat pipe as recited in claim 1, wherein the power supply unit is disposed in the first chamber or the second chamber, and is disposed on the air flowing passage so that the heat can be exchanged between the heated power supply unit and the atmospheric air introduced into the second chamber.