WO2015170501A1

WO2015170501A1 - Humidity conditioner

Info

Publication number: WO2015170501A1
Application number: PCT/JP2015/055778
Authority: WO
Inventors: 伸基崎川; 浦元　嘉弘; 康昌鈴木
Original assignee: シャープ株式会社
Priority date: 2014-05-09
Filing date: 2015-02-27
Publication date: 2015-11-12
Also published as: JP6266100B2; CN106062484A; JPWO2015170501A1; CN106062484B

Abstract

A humidity conditioner (101) which comprises groups of particles (20) and a passage case (19) in which the groups of particles (20) are held, the groups of particles (20) comprising, as the main material, a moisture-absorbing polymer gel material having the property of: coming into a first state in which the polymer gel material can absorb (sorb) moisture and a second state in which the polymer gel material releases the moisture; changing from the first state into the second state when surrounding conditions become satisfied; and returning to the first state when the surrounding conditions become unsatisfied. The passage case (19) has both air inlets (17) through which air is introduced externally and air outlets (18) through which the air having passed through interstices among the particles of the groups of particles (20) is discharged. The groups of particles (20) comprise a first group of particles (21) having a first diameter and a second group of particles (22) having a second diameter, which is smaller than the first diameter. In the passage case (19), the first group of particles (21) have been disposed nearer the air inlets (17) than the second group of particles (22).

Description

Humidity control device

The present invention relates to a humidity control apparatus.

There are a refrigeration cycle type and a zeolite type as devices for performing dehumidification and humidity control. The “refrigeration cycle type” mainly has a built-in compressor, ie, a compressor, and cools indoor air with an evaporator, ie, an evaporator, to condense and dehumidify the humidity in the air. In the “zeolite type”, the moisture in the indoor air is absorbed by the rotor, the high-temperature air generated by the electric heater is applied to the absorbed rotor, and the moisture in the rotor is taken out as high-temperature and high-humidity air, and the air is extracted. By cooling with room air, moisture contained in high-temperature and high-humidity air is condensed and extracted.

JP-A-2003-144833 (Patent Document 1) can be cited as a document describing an example of a refrigeration cycle type. JP-A-2001-259349 (Patent Document 2) can be cited as a document describing examples of the zeolite type. A configuration combining both features is described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-34838 (Patent Document 3).

As a large-scale air conditioning system, a so-called desiccant air conditioning system that uses a moisture-absorbing element, for example, zeolite, to perform air conditioning such as cooling by utilizing the phenomenon of moisture adsorption and detachment by this element is also widespread. Yes. Highly efficient humidity control systems are still being developed in response to the demand for protecting the global environment. An example of this is described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-301014 (Patent Document 4).

The water absorbing agent is described in JP2012-161789 (Patent Document 5).

One of the characteristics of the behavior when a gel-like polymer is placed in a solvent is that when the solvent is water, the absorption and release rates are proportional to the square of the size of the polymer. It has been. References on this include "Critical Kinetics of Volume Phase Transition of Gels" by T. Tanaka et al., Physical Review Letters, Vol. 55, No. 22, pp. 2455-2458, The American Physical Society, (1985) ( Non-patent document 1).

JP 2003-144833 A JP 2001-259349 A JP 2005-34838 A JP-A-5-301014 JP 2012-161789 A

The particulate environmental stimulus-responsive polymer material has a higher moisture absorption rate as the particle size is smaller, and the moisture absorption rate tends to be higher than the volume of the polymer material. Therefore, the smaller the particle size, the larger the increase rate of the particle radius and the volume increase rate after saturated moisture absorption than before the moisture absorption. As a result of the sudden increase in particle radius, particles may stick together and become clogged after moisture absorption or in the process of moisture absorption. FIG. 34 shows an example of clogging. Here, particles 2a and 2b having the same diameter as the particulate environmental stimulus-responsive polymer material are arranged, and by receiving the air 3 guided from the inlet, it is close to the inlet by the moisture contained in the air 3 It is shown that the side particles 2a swell and become clogged. About the particle | grains 2a, the external shape before swelling is shown as a continuous line, and the external shape expanded by swelling is shown with a dashed-two dotted line. The particles 2b on the side far from the entrance are not swollen.

If such clogging occurs, the air flow is hindered, resulting in a pressure loss. Assuming that each part from the upstream to the downstream filled with particulate environmental stimulus-responsive polymer material can be grasped as a “layer”, the polymer material particles are clogged and fixed in a certain layer. If this occurs, the flow of air to the particle layer downstream from the site is inhibited, and the overall moisture absorption rate decreases.

In order to prevent such sticking of particles that cause a decrease in dehumidification efficiency, it is conceivable to make the particle size distribution of the polymer material not constant but random. For example, particles having a large diameter (hereinafter referred to as “large particles”) and particles having a small diameter (hereinafter referred to as “small particles”) are mixed and arranged. However, even if it does in that way, as shown in FIG. 35, when the small particle 2d enters between the large particles 2c, the particles stick to each other.

It is also conceivable to arrange particles having a relatively large particle size, for example, about several mm in order to prevent sticking due to moisture absorption. In this case, since the surface area per volume becomes small, there exists a problem that a moisture absorption rate will fall.

On the other hand, a system that can finish the moisture absorption process before the particles are fixed to each other with only small particles is also conceivable, but such a system has too short a time to exhibit the moisture absorption performance. Therefore, there is a concern that sufficient moisture absorption performance to meet the required dehumidifying work cannot be obtained.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a humidity control device that can avoid problems caused by clogging while ensuring sufficient moisture absorption performance.

In order to achieve the above object, a humidity control apparatus according to the present invention includes a first state in which moisture can be absorbed (sorbed), and a first state in which moisture absorbed (sorbed) in the first state is released. 2 when the environmental condition is satisfied, the first state is changed to the second state, and when the environmental condition is not satisfied, the first state is returned. A particle group mainly composed of the polymer gel moisture-absorbing material and a passage housing that accommodates the particle group. The passage housing includes an air inlet that takes in air from the outside, and an air outlet that discharges air that has been taken in from the air inlet and passed through the gaps between the particle groups. The particle group includes a first particle group having a first diameter and a second particle group having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter. In the passage housing, the first particle group is disposed closer to the air inlet than the second particle group.

According to the present invention, since more particles can each absorb moisture, it is possible to provide a humidity control apparatus capable of avoiding problems due to clogging while ensuring sufficient moisture absorption performance.

It is a conceptual diagram of the humidity control apparatus in Embodiment 1 based on this invention. It is a conceptual diagram of the humidity control apparatus in Embodiment 2 based on this invention. It is 1st explanatory drawing of the particle group with which the humidity control apparatus in Embodiment 2 based on this invention is equipped. It is 2nd explanatory drawing of the particle group with which the humidity control apparatus in Embodiment 2 based on this invention is equipped. It is a graph which shows the radius increase rate of the particle group with which the humidity control apparatus in Embodiment 2 based on this invention is equipped. It is explanatory drawing of a mode that air passes through the particle group arrange | positioned at layered form. It is explanatory drawing of a mode that a water | moisture content is taken out from the particle group arrange | positioned at layer form. It is a graph which shows the relationship of particle | grain surface area / volume ratio with respect to particle | grain radius, and a moisture absorption saturation time. It is a conceptual diagram of the humidity control apparatus in Embodiment 3 based on this invention. It is a conceptual diagram of the humidity control apparatus in Embodiment 4 based on this invention. It is a conceptual diagram of the humidity control apparatus in Embodiment 5 based on this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the 1st state of the humidity control apparatus in Embodiment 6 based on this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the 2nd state of the humidity control apparatus in Embodiment 6 based on this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the 3rd state of the humidity control apparatus in Embodiment 6 based on this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the 4th state of the humidity control apparatus in Embodiment 6 based on this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the 1st state of the humidity control apparatus in Embodiment 7 based on this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the 2nd state of the humidity control apparatus in Embodiment 7 based on this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the 3rd state of the humidity control apparatus in Embodiment 7 based on this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the 4th state of the humidity control apparatus in Embodiment 7 based on this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the 1st state of the humidity control apparatus in Embodiment 8 based on this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the 2nd state of the humidity control apparatus in Embodiment 8 based on this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the 3rd state of the humidity control apparatus in Embodiment 8 based on this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the 4th state of the humidity control apparatus in Embodiment 8 based on this invention. It is a front view of the dehumidifier in Embodiment 9 based on this invention. It is a rear view of the dehumidifier in Embodiment 9 based on this invention. FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXVI-XXVI in FIG. 24. It is the figure which looked at the dehumidifier in Embodiment 10 based on this invention from the 1st side. It is the figure which looked at the dehumidifier in Embodiment 10 based on this invention from the 2nd side. FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XXIX-XXIX in FIG. It is a front view of the dehumidifier in Embodiment 11 based on this invention. It is a rear view of the dehumidifier in Embodiment 11 based on this invention. FIG. 31 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XXXII-XXXII in FIG. 30. It is explanatory drawing of the reproduction | regeneration process performed with the dehumidifier in Embodiment 11 based on this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the clogging which arises when the particulate polymer material based on a prior art is made to absorb moisture. It is explanatory drawing of the clogging which arises when the large particle and small particle of polymeric material based on a prior art are mixed and hygroscopically arranged.

The polymer gel moisture-absorbing material used in the present invention is a so-called stimulus response type sensitive gel. This polymer gel moisture-absorbing material absorbs (sorbs) moisture in the air and discharges water in response to stimulation, thereby condensing water vapor without using supercooling or a large amount of heat. Can be converted to water. Here, the volume phase transition that occurs between water and polymer is utilized between water vapor (gas) and water (liquid). By making the polymer gel moisture-absorbing material hydrophilic or hydrophobic by stimulation, the cluster-like water molecules are bound and immobilized in the polymer network, or the bonds are removed from the polymer network to remove the water molecules. It can be fluidized.

(Embodiment 1)
With reference to FIG. 1, the humidity control apparatus in Embodiment 1 based on this invention is demonstrated.

As shown in FIG. 1, the humidity control apparatus 101 according to the present embodiment releases a first state in which moisture can be absorbed (sorbed) and moisture that has been absorbed (sorbed) in the first state. A second state that changes from the first state to the second state when the environmental condition is satisfied, and returns to the first state when the environmental condition is not satisfied. A particle group 20 mainly composed of a polymer gel moisture-absorbing material having properties, and a passage housing 19 for housing the particle group. The passage housing 19 includes an air inlet 17 for taking in air 3 from the outside, an air An air outlet 18 for discharging the air taken in from the inlet 17 and passing through the gap between the particle groups 20, and the particle group 20 includes a first particle group 21 having a first diameter and the first diameter. A second particle group 22 having a small second diameter, and a passage housing 1 The inner, first particles 21 are arranged in the air inlet 17 closer than the second particle group 22.

In FIG. 1, a blower fan for sending air 3 is not shown. Actually, a blower fan is provided at an appropriate position in order to create a flow of air 3 toward the inside of the passage housing 19. In FIG. 1, the size of each particle is exaggerated and enlarged for the convenience of explanation.

The first state of the particle group 20 is a hydrophilic state, and the second state is a hydrophobic state.

In FIG. 1, a structure for keeping the particle group 20 at a desired position in the passage housing 19 is not shown. For example, it is conceivable that the particle group 20 is held in a certain section by being sandwiched by mesh members from above and below in the passage housing 19.

In the present embodiment, some of the moisture in the air 3 is first absorbed (sorbed) by the first particle group 21 having a large diameter, and then absorbed (sorption) by the second particle group 22 having a small diameter. Therefore, it can avoid that the particle | grains of the 2nd particle group 22 swell excessively, and more particles can each absorb moisture. Therefore, it is possible to provide a humidity control apparatus that can avoid problems due to clogging while ensuring sufficient moisture absorption performance.

(Embodiment 2)
With reference to FIG. 2, the humidity control apparatus in Embodiment 2 based on this invention is demonstrated.

In the first embodiment, an example in which only two types of particle groups having different diameters are provided in the particle group 20 has been described. However, the size of the particle diameter is not limited to two stages as described above, and is not less than three stages. May be.

The humidity control apparatus 102 according to the present embodiment includes three particle groups as shown in FIG. In the first particle group 21, the second particle group 22, and the third particle group 23, the particle diameters are different from large, medium, and small. Inside the passage housing 19, the first particle group 21, the second particle group 22, and the third particle group 23 are arranged in order from the side close to the air inlet 17. Other basic configurations of the humidity control apparatus may be the same as those described in the first embodiment.

In the present embodiment, since the air taken in from the outside comes in contact with the particle group having the larger diameter in order, the particles of the particle group having the smaller diameter rapidly absorb (sorb) excessive moisture. Can be avoided. Therefore, it is possible to provide a humidity control apparatus that can avoid problems due to clogging while ensuring sufficient moisture absorption performance.

Here, three examples of the particle diameter are shown, but the particle diameter may be four or more. In that case, it arranges in order so that a particle with a large diameter may be located on the side closer to the air inlet 17 and a particle with a smaller diameter on the far side.

(Description of principle)
The change before and after moisture absorption when the particle diameter is controlled and arranged in layers for each particle diameter will be described with reference to FIGS. As illustrated in FIG. 3, it is assumed that several particles having different diameters are arranged in layers. When all of these particles have sufficiently absorbed moisture as well, each particle swells and expands as shown in FIG. In FIG. 4, the size of each particle before swelling is indicated by a two-dot chain line, and the size after swelling is indicated by a solid line. Paying attention to the radius of the particle, if the radius before swelling is r and the radius after swelling is r ′, the rate of increase in radius can be defined as (r′−r) / r. Particles with a smaller radius r have a larger radius increase rate than those with a larger original radius r. This is shown graphically in FIG. The three curves shown in FIG. 5 are saturated if the time is sufficiently long, and the possibility of the same radius increase rate cannot be denied. However, for practical use, the operation cycle is repeated after a certain period of time. Is realistic. At least within such a realistic range of time, the magnitude relationship of the radius increase rate that is different from the difference in particle size is maintained even after the lapse of time from the start of moisture absorption.

As shown in FIG. 4, since the original radius r of the particle is large and the radius increase rate is small near the air inlet, the size of the particle does not change much even after moisture absorption. Therefore, it is difficult to cause clogging. Small particles near the air outlet have a large radius increase rate, but the moisture absorption process may be completed before these small particles are clogged. Even in such a case, sufficient moisture absorption is performed by the large particles positioned on the upstream side before the air flow reaches the small particle layer, so that sufficient moisture absorption performance is exhibited as a whole.

FIG. 6 shows a state in which moist air 3 passes when particles having different particle diameters are sequentially arranged in layers. In FIG. 6, the thickness of the arrow indicates the humidity in the air. Each particle absorbs (sorbs) the same amount of moisture. As the air 3 travels, it comes into contact with a larger number of particles, so the humidity decreases.

FIG. 7 shows a so-called regeneration process, that is, a state in which moisture is taken out by sequentially stimulating moisture particles. In this figure, particles having a large diameter are arranged on the upper side, particles having a small diameter are arranged on the lower side, and water 5 is taken out from the lower side. In FIG. 7, the thickness of the arrow indicates the amount of moisture that moves. The stimulus here is, for example, any one of heat, light, electricity, and pH. By applying this stimulus, it is assumed that the environmental condition for the particle group to change from the first state to the second state is satisfied. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the stimulus is given in order from the layer arranged on the upper side. By doing so, the state changes from the upper layer to the second state in order. A description will be given assuming a certain point in the middle of applying stimulation sequentially from the upper layer to the lower layer. The layer that has changed to the second state due to the stimulation releases the water that has been absorbed (sorbed) up to that time as water 5 in the liquid state. At this time, the particles in the immediately lower layer are still in the first state, so that the water 5 can be absorbed (sorbed). In this way, the water 5 can be delivered from the upper layer to the layer adjacent to the lower side. Further, if the lower layer particles are sequentially stimulated, the lower layer also changes from the first state to the second state, and water cannot be retained. Is released. At this point, since the upper layer is already in the second state, even if it touches the water 5 in the liquid state, it cannot be absorbed (sorbed), but the particles in the lower layer are still in the first state. Therefore, the water 5 can be absorbed (sorbed). In this way, water can be sent sequentially to the lower layer. Since almost all the water 5 is collected in the lowermost layer, the water 5 is finally discharged to the outside of the particle group using gravity or centrifugal force.

A graph of the particle surface area / volume ratio and the moisture absorption saturation time with respect to the particle radius is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, the smaller the diameter, the larger the ratio of the surface area to the volume of the particle, so the time until the moisture absorption reaches a saturated state is shortened. Therefore, it can be said that the small particles tend to reach saturation in a short time, but as shown in the first and second embodiments, the small particles already remove some moisture by the large particles. Since only the conditioned air arrives, the small particles absorb less moisture and as a result can delay the small particles from reaching saturation.

(Embodiment 3)
With reference to FIG. 9, the humidity control apparatus in Embodiment 3 based on this invention is demonstrated.

In the present embodiment, the environmental condition in which the polymer gel moisture-absorbing material changes from the first state to the second state is that the temperature is a certain level or higher. Therefore, the stimulus to be given to satisfy the environmental condition is heat. As shown in FIG. 9, in the humidity control apparatus 103 according to the present embodiment, the passage housing 19 is provided with a heater 30 for applying heat to the particle group 20. Other basic configurations of the humidity control apparatus may be the same as those described in the first or second embodiment.

In the present embodiment, since heat can be applied to the particle group 20 by the heater 30 provided in the passage housing 19, when the moisture absorption process by the particle group 20 is finished and the regeneration process of the particle group 20 is performed, This can be done easily by operating the heater 30.

(Embodiment 4)
With reference to FIG. 10, the humidity control apparatus in Embodiment 4 based on this invention is demonstrated.

In the humidity control apparatus 104 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the passage housing 19 is divided into a plurality of sections arranged in a direction from the air inlet 17 toward the air outlet 18. The particle group 20 is accommodated in the plurality of compartments. The heater 30 includes an outer peripheral heater 31 disposed along the outer periphery of the passage housing 19 so as to individually apply heat to each of the plurality of sections.

More preferably, in the present embodiment, a particle group 20 having a different particle diameter is accommodated in each of the plurality of compartments. As shown in an enlarged view on the right side of FIG. 10, the sections are arranged so that the particle diameters become smaller in order from the air inlet 17 side toward the air outlet 18 side. The humidity control apparatus 104 includes a control mechanism 15 that controls the heater 30 so as to sequentially heat the section on the air inlet 17 side to the section on the air outlet 18 side. A power supply 10 is connected to operate the control mechanism 15 and the heater 30.

In the present embodiment, since the particle group 20 is accommodated in a plurality of sections, it is easy to control whether the first state or the second state is set for each section. Therefore, particle groups can be handled efficiently. In addition, since it is divided into a plurality of sections, it is easy to work when exchanging particle groups.

(Embodiment 5)
With reference to FIG. 11, the humidity control apparatus in Embodiment 5 based on this invention is demonstrated. The humidity control apparatus 105 in the present embodiment is a modification of the humidity control apparatus 104 shown in the fourth embodiment. In the humidity control apparatus 105 shown in FIG. 11, the passage housing is not shown. In the humidity control apparatus 105, the particle group 20 is arrange | positioned as a cylindrical multilayered structure. In the humidity control apparatus 105, the cylindrical passage housing in which the particle group 20 is accommodated is slowly rotated around the central axis 14 by a driving unit (not shown). The passage housing in which the particle group 20 is accommodated is divided into a ventilation region 11 and a non-venting region 12 in plan view. Regardless of the rotation of the passage housing, the positional relationship between the vent region 11 and the non-vent region 12 is fixed. Therefore, when the passage housing rotates, the particles in each part pass through the ventilation region 11 and the non-venting region 12 alternately. The wind of the air 3 hits the particle group 20 in at least a part of the ventilation region 11. In the non-ventilation area | region 12, the structure which shields so that the air 3 does not hit directly is provided. In the non-venting region 12, the particles are heated by a heater (not shown). By the action of the control mechanism 15, heating is performed in order from the top to the bottom.

In the present embodiment, the particles in each part alternately pass through the ventilation region 11 and the non-ventilation region 12 due to the rotation of the passage housing. Therefore, by continuing the rotation of the passage housing while operating the heater, Moisture absorption and regeneration can be repeated alternately. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is not necessary to stop the moisture absorption operation for the regeneration process. Therefore, in this Embodiment, the humidity control apparatus which can be continuously operated is realizable.

(Embodiment 6)
With reference to FIGS. 12 to 15, a humidity control apparatus according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention will be described. The humidity control apparatus in the present embodiment has a first state in which moisture can be absorbed (sorbed) and a second state in which moisture absorbed (sorbed) in the first state is released. The polymer gel moisture-absorbing material has a property of changing from the first state to the second state when the environmental condition is satisfied and returning to the first state when the environmental condition is not satisfied. And a passage housing 19 that contains the particle group. The passage housing 19 takes in air 3 from the outside, and the particle population is taken in from the air inlet 17. And an air outlet 18 for discharging the air that has passed through the gap 20. The air inlet 17 and the air outlet 18 are covered with a net-like member having a fineness that does not allow the particle group 20 to pass through. An outer peripheral heater 31 is provided so as to surround the outer periphery of the passage housing 19. The outer peripheral heater 31 is divided into several sections in the vertical direction in FIG. 14, and can be switched ON / OFF separately. Or the structure which can switch ON / OFF separately for each outer periphery heater 31 may be sufficient.

In FIG. 12, all the particles are displayed in the same size, but in practice, it is preferable to provide a difference in the particle diameter as described in the above embodiments. In FIG. 12, all particles belonging to the particle group 20 in the passage housing 19 are in the first state, that is, in a state where moisture can be absorbed (sorbed). In the drawing, for convenience of explanation, particles in a dry state are displayed as white small circles.

In the dehumidifying step, as shown in FIG. 12, the humid air 3 is sent into the passage housing 19 from the air inlet 17 by the blower fan 9. The air 3 is dehumidified by passing through the gaps between the particle groups 20 and exits from the air outlet 18 as dehumidified air 3e.

As a result of continuing the dehumidification of the air 3 in this manner, almost all particles are in a state of absorbing (sorbing) a certain amount of moisture. The state is shown in FIG. Even in the state shown in FIG. 13, each particle is not necessarily saturated. In the drawing, for convenience of explanation, particles in a state where a certain amount of moisture is stored are displayed as small circles with dot hatching.

Next, the reproduction process will be described. The regeneration step is a step for returning the polymer gel moisture-absorbing material constituting the particle group 20 to a state that can be used again for dehumidification. As shown in FIG. 14, a portion near the upper end of the outer peripheral heater 31 is turned on. In this portion, the particles inside the passage housing 19 are heated, so that the region surrounded by the outer peripheral heater 31 that is ON can be regarded as the heating region 41. Since the particles are not heated below the heating region 41, the non-heating region 42 is formed. In the heating region 41, the environmental condition is satisfied when the temperature reaches a certain level or more, and as a result, the particles change from the first state to the second state. In the second state, the absorbed (sorbed) moisture is released, but the particles already heated to the second state do not receive moisture. On the other hand, the particles in the first state because they have not been heated can receive moisture. As a result, moisture is sent downward in order. Moisture released from a particle may be absorbed (sorbed) by any of the particles present on the lower side, or moved through the gap between the particles without being absorbed (sorbed) by any particle. May be.

As shown in FIG. 15, the section where the outer peripheral heater 31 is ON is gradually extended downward, and the heating area 41 is expanded. In exchange for the heating area 41 expanding, the non-heating area 42 becomes narrower. As the heating area 41 expands downward, the discharged water 5 is pushed near the lower end of the passage housing 19, and as shown in FIG. 15, the water 5 that has lost its place in the passage housing 19 is It falls from the air outlet 18 in a liquid state.

In this embodiment, by gradually expanding the heating region 41 from top to bottom, the water stored in the particle group 20 can be pushed down efficiently.

Note that the temperature at which the particles change from the first state to the second state, that is, the so-called temperature sensitive point, is set to a temperature slightly higher than room temperature so that the water exuded from the particles does not evaporate immediately. It is preferable that The temperature sensitive point may be 50 ° C., for example.

(Embodiment 7)
With reference to FIGS. 16 to 19, the humidity control apparatus according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the humidity control apparatus in the present embodiment, the heater 30 includes an outer peripheral heater 31 provided on the outer periphery and a flat plate heater 32 that separates different sections adjacent in the vertical direction. The flat plate heater 32 has a structure through which water and air can pass. For example, the flat plate heater 32 may have a net shape.

In the dehumidifying step, as shown in FIG. 16, the humid air 3 is sent into the passage housing 19 from the air inlet 17 by the blower fan 9. The air 3 is dehumidified by passing through the gaps between the particle groups 20 and exits from the air outlet 18 as dehumidified air 3e.

As a result of continuing the dehumidification of the air 3 in this way, almost all the particles have absorbed (sorbed) a certain amount of moisture. The state is shown in FIG. Even in the state shown in FIG. 17, each particle is not necessarily saturated.

Next, the reproduction process will be described. As shown in FIG. 18, first, a part near the upper end of the outer peripheral heater 31 and the flat plate heater 32 positioned on the uppermost surface of the particle group 20 are turned on. Thus, the first section from the top is heated from the outer peripheral surface and the upper surface, and the particle group inside the section is heated to satisfy the environmental condition, and as a result, from the first state to the second state. And change. In FIG. 18, only the uppermost section is a heating area 41, and the other section is a non-heating area 42. At this time, in the heating region 41, water is released as water in a liquid state, and this water moves to the next lower compartment. As described above, the heaters on the outer peripheral surface and the upper surface of the section are heated simultaneously in a set for each section partitioned in the passage housing 19, so that the inside of the section is efficiently heated. Will release moisture and the moisture will be expelled to the next lower compartment. As the heating area 41 expands downward, the discharged water 5 is pushed near the lower end of the passage housing 19, and as shown in FIG. 19, the water 5 that has lost its place in the passage housing 19 is It falls from the air outlet 18 in a liquid state.

In the present embodiment, by gradually expanding the heating region 41 in units of sections from the top to the bottom, the moisture stored in the particle group 20 can be pushed down efficiently and reliably.

(Appendix 1)
The said heater is a humidity control apparatus containing the net-like flat plate heater arrange | positioned inside the said channel | path housing | casing so that what adjoins among these divisions may be separated.

(Appendix 2)
From the humidity control device, the heater is controlled so as to sequentially heat the plurality of sections from the section disposed on the side farther from the outlet from which water should be discharged to the section disposed on the near side. Water extraction method.

(Embodiment 8)
A humidity control apparatus according to Embodiment 8 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The humidity control apparatus in the present embodiment includes an outer peripheral heater 31 provided on the outer periphery as a heater.

In the humidity control apparatus according to the present embodiment, the passage housing 19 has a cylindrical shape, has a columnar cavity 13 that does not accommodate the particle group 20 along the central axis, and the heater is provided in the particle group 20 from the outer periphery to the inner periphery. The outer periphery heater 31 arrange | positioned along the outer periphery of the channel | path housing | casing 19 so that heat may be applied toward is included. The wall material that defines the inner surface of the columnar cavity 13 has a net shape.

In the dehumidifying process, as shown in FIG. 20, the humid air 3 is sent into the passage housing 19 from the air inlet 17 by the blower fan 9. The air 3 is dehumidified by passing through the gaps between the particle groups 20 disposed inside the passage housing 19 and outside the columnar cavity 13, and exits from the air outlet 18 as dehumidified air 3 e.

As a result of continuing the dehumidification of the air 3 in this way, almost all the particles have absorbed (sorbed) a certain amount of moisture. The state is shown in FIG. Even in the state shown in FIG. 21, each particle is not necessarily saturated.

Next, the reproduction process will be described. As shown in FIG. 22, the outer peripheral heaters 31 are simultaneously turned on over the entire section from the upper end to the lower end. By carrying out like this, it heats up sequentially from the particle | grains in the outer peripheral surface vicinity. The heated particles change to the second state, and the stored water is released. The moisture released from the particles is absorbed (sorbed) by the particles on the inner side, or moves inward through the gaps between the particles. By repeating this phenomenon from the outer periphery toward the inner periphery, water gathers in the vicinity of the columnar cavity 13 as shown in FIG. Further, the overflowing water 5 which is not absorbed (sorbed) by any particle oozes out from the inner surface of the columnar cavity 13 and falls downward according to gravity.

In the present embodiment, since the columnar cavity 13 is provided in the passage housing 19, a mechanism for controlling the heaters to be turned on in order for each part is unnecessary. In the present embodiment, it is possible to gradually guide water toward the columnar cavity by simply turning on all of the heaters provided on the outer periphery, and the water can be efficiently discharged. Therefore, even when a hygroscopic material having a small moisture absorption rate is used, water can be efficiently collected.

Also in this embodiment, instead of turning on all the heaters from the upper end to the lower end all at once, an operation of turning on the heaters one by one from the top, or dividing the heater into several blocks and starting from the top You may perform operation which turns ON sequentially for every block.

In addition, when only a large number of particle groups 20 mainly composed of a polymer gel moisture-absorbing material are stacked, heat conduction may be slowed. Therefore, for the purpose of promoting the conduction of heat from the heater, an appropriate material having a higher thermal conductivity than that of the polymer gel moisture-absorbing material, for example, a member made of metal, resin, or the like is directed from the outer periphery of the housing to the center side You may arrange | position so that it may extend. When the material used here is a metal, examples of the metal include aluminum and stainless steel. Aluminum is particularly preferable because of its high thermal conductivity. When arranging the casing from the outer periphery toward the center, a comb-like arrangement in which a plurality of branches extend from the outer periphery toward the center can be considered. Various shapes can be adopted without being limited to the comb shape.

(Embodiment 9)
A dehumidifier according to Embodiment 9 based on the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 24 shows a view of the dehumidifier 501 in the present embodiment from the front, and FIG. 25 shows a view from the back. On the front surface 513 of the dehumidifier 501, an air outlet 511 a is provided at the lower part, and an air outlet 511 b is provided at the upper part. The back surface 514 is provided with an intake port, and a filter 512 covers the intake port.

FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XXVI-XXVI in FIG. Inside the back surface 514, a first intake fan 516 arranged at the lower part and a second intake fan 517 arranged at the upper part are arranged. The internal space of the housing is separated vertically by a condensation plate 518. The end of the condensation plate 518 on the back surface 514 side is bent downward. A polymer hygroscopic material 520 is disposed below the dew condensation plate 518. The polymer hygroscopic material 520 holds the particle group 20 by applying the concept described in the first to eighth embodiments. In the figure, the polymer hygroscopic material 520 is displayed as a porous block, but this is merely an example and is not necessarily a block. In the polymer hygroscopic material 520, air does not pass from top to bottom as described in Embodiments 1 to 8, but air passes in the lateral direction. Therefore, the direction of the arrangement of the particle group 20 is 90 ° different from that described in the first to eighth embodiments.

The polymer hygroscopic material 520 is placed on a table 525. A heat source 521 is disposed below the table 525. The heat source 521 is disposed so that the polymer moisture absorbent 520 can be heated from below via the table 525. A tank 515 for receiving and storing water is disposed at the lowermost part of the dehumidifier 501.

In the dehumidifying process, the first intake fan 516 is turned on while the heat source 521 and the second intake fan 517 are turned off. The external air 3 is guided to the lower space inside the housing by the first intake fan 516. The air 3 is dehumidified by passing through the polymer hygroscopic material 520, becomes air 3 e, and is discharged from the outlet 511 a below the front surface 511.

In the regeneration process, the first intake fan 516 is turned off, and the heat source 521 and the second intake fan 517 are turned on. The polymer moisture absorbent 520 is heated by the heat source 521, and moisture is released from the polymer moisture absorbent 520. The water that has oozed out in the liquid state is guided to the tank 515 by gravity. Moisture, that is, water vapor 6 released in a gaseous state touches the lower surface of the dew condensation plate 518. On the upper side of the dew condensation plate 518, the air 3 guided from the outside by the second intake fan 517 passes while cooling the upper surface of the dew condensation plate 518 and exits from the air outlet 511 b on the upper side of the front surface 513. The water vapor 6 that has touched the lower surface of the dew condensation plate 518 is cooled by the dew condensation plate 518 and is condensed to form water 5 in a liquid state. Since one end of the dew condensation plate 518 is inclined, the water 5 adhering to this portion is guided to the lower end of the dew condensation plate 518 by the inclination and falls and is received by the tank 515.

In FIG. 26, the portion near the front surface 513 of the dew condensation plate 518 is displayed as extending horizontally, but actually this portion may also be inclined so as to decrease as it approaches the back surface 514 side. preferable.

In the present embodiment, moisture released as water vapor from the polymer moisture absorbent 520 can also be condensed by the action of the condensation plate 518 and recovered as liquid water.

(Embodiment 10)
A dehumidifier according to the tenth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 27 shows a view of the dehumidifier 502 in the present embodiment from one side, and FIG. 28 shows a view from the other side. As shown in FIG. 28, the blower outlet 511 is provided in the lower part. An intake port is provided in the upper part on the same side as the air outlet 511, and the filter 512 covers the intake port.

FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XXIX-XXIX in FIG. In the dehumidifier 502, a common intake fan 519 is provided at one location. A dew condensation plate 518i is provided so as to vertically separate the internal space of the housing. A polymer hygroscopic material 520 is disposed below the dew condensation plate 518i. A tank 515 for receiving and storing water is disposed at the lowermost part of the dehumidifier 502. A heat source 522 is disposed in a passage connecting the upper space and the lower space of the dew condensation plate 518i.

In the dehumidifying process, the common intake fan 519 is turned on while the heat source 522 is turned off. The common intake fan 519 guides air 3 from the outside into the housing. The air 3 passes through the upper space of the dew condensation plate 518i, wraps around the lower space, and passes through the polymer hygroscopic material 520. The air 3 is dehumidified by passing through the polymer hygroscopic material 520, and becomes air 3 e and is discharged from the outlet 511 to the outside.

In the regeneration process, the common intake fan 519 is turned on while the heat source 522 is turned on. The common intake fan 519 guides air 3 from the outside into the housing. Since the air 3 is warmed by the heat source 522 and passes through the polymer hygroscopic material 520, the temperature of the particles contained in the polymer hygroscopic material 520 rises to a second state, that is, a hydrophobic state. The water 5 released from the polymer hygroscopic material 520 in a liquid state falls by gravity and is received by the tank 515. The water, that is, the water vapor 6 released from the polymer hygroscopic material 520 in a gaseous state touches the lower surface of the inclined portion of the dew condensation plate 518i. Since a part of the air 3 introduced into the housing from the outside by the common intake fan 519 is branched and hit on the upper surface of the inclined portion of the dew condensation plate 518i, the inclined portion of the dew condensation plate 518i is cooled. The water vapor 6 is cooled by the dew condensation plate 518i, and is condensed to form water 5 in a liquid state. The water 5 adhering to the lower surface of the inclined portion of the dew condensation plate 518i is guided downward by gravity and received by the tank 515.

In the present embodiment, moisture released as water vapor from the polymer hygroscopic material 520 can also be condensed by the action of the condensation plate 518i and recovered as liquid water. In this embodiment, since the same common intake fan 519 is used for both dehumidification and regeneration, the number of fans installed can be reduced.

(Embodiment 11)
A dehumidifier according to Embodiment 11 based on the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 30 shows a view of the dehumidifier 503 in the present embodiment from the front, and FIG. 31 shows a view from the back. On the front surface 513 of the dehumidifier 501, an air outlet 511 a is provided at the lower part, and an air outlet 511 b is provided at the upper part. The back surface 514 is provided with an intake port, and a filter 512 covers the intake port.

FIG. 32 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line XXXII-XXXII in FIG. A common intake fan 519 is provided at one lower position inside the back surface 514. The internal space of the housing is vertically separated by a condensation plate 518j. The dew condensation plate 518j is curved so as to fall as it approaches the back surface 514 side. The dew condensation plate 518j can move up and down in the casing. A polymer hygroscopic material 520 is disposed below the dew condensation plate 518j in the same manner as described in the ninth embodiment. The point that the polymer hygroscopic material 520 is placed on the stand 525, the point that the heat source 521 and the tank 515 are arranged are the same as those described in the ninth embodiment.

In the dehumidification process, the dew condensation plate 518j is disposed at a high position as shown in FIG. 32, and the common intake fan 519 is turned on while the heat source 521 is turned off. The external air 3 is guided to the lower space inside the housing by the common intake fan 519. The air 3 is dehumidified by passing through the polymer hygroscopic material 520, becomes air 3 e, and is discharged from the outlet 511 a below the front surface 511.

In the regeneration process, the dew condensation plate 518j moves downward as shown by an arrow 91 in FIG. 32, and becomes as shown in FIG. That is, the dew condensation plate 518j is disposed at a low position. In this state, the heat source 521 and the common intake fan 519 are turned on. The polymer moisture absorbent 520 is heated by the heat source 521, and moisture is released from the polymer moisture absorbent 520. The water that has oozed out in the liquid state is guided to the tank 515 by gravity. Moisture, that is, water vapor 6 released in the gaseous state touches the lower surface of the dew condensation plate 518j. On the upper side of the dew condensation plate 518j, the air 3 guided from the outside by the common intake fan 519 passes through the upper surface of the dew condensation plate 518j while cooling and exits from the air outlet 511b on the upper side of the front surface 513. The water vapor 6 that has touched the lower surface of the dew condensation plate 518j is cooled by the dew condensation plate 518j, and is condensed to form water 5 in a liquid state. Since the dew condensation plate 518j is curved, the water 5 adhering to the dew condensation plate 518j is guided to the lower end of the dew condensation plate 518j by the inclination, falls, and is received by the tank 515.

Also in this embodiment, the same effect as in the tenth embodiment can be obtained. In the present embodiment, since the passage of air can be clearly switched by the movement of the dew condensation plate 518j, it can operate efficiently.

(Appendix 3-1)
It has a first state in which moisture can be absorbed (sorbed) and a second state in which moisture absorbed (sorbed) in the first state is released. A hygroscopic material whose main material is a polymer gel hygroscopic material that has the property of changing from the state to the second state and returning to the first state when the temperature is not higher than the predetermined temperature;
A first blower fan that induces and applies outside air to the hygroscopic material in the first state;
A dew plate disposed at a position to receive water vapor released from the moisture absorbent material in the second state;
A dehumidifying device comprising: a second blower fan that can apply wind to a surface of the dew condensation plate opposite to the surface that receives the water vapor.

(Appendix 3-2)
The dehumidifying device according to appendix 3-1, wherein the first blower fan also serves as the second blower fan.

It should be noted that the above-described embodiment disclosed herein is illustrative and non-restrictive in every respect. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

The present invention can be used for a humidity control apparatus.

2a, 2b particles, 2c large particles, 2d small particles, 3, 3e air, 5 water, 6 water vapor, 9 blower fan, 10 power supply, 11 venting area, 12 non-venting area, 13 columnar cavity, 14 central axis, 15 control Mechanism, 17 air inlet, 18 air outlet, 19 passage housing, 20 particle group, 21 first particle group, 22 second particle group, 23 third particle group, 30 heater, 31 peripheral heater, 32 flat plate heater, 41 heating Area, 42 unheated area, 91 arrow, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105 humidity controller, 501, 502, 503 dehumidifier, 511, 511a, 511b outlet, 512 filter, 513 front, 514 back, 515 tank 516, first intake fan, 517, second intake fan, 518, 518i, 518j, condensation plate 519 common intake fan, 520 absorbent polymer material, 521 and 522 heat source, 525 units.

Claims

A first state capable of absorbing moisture and a second state for releasing moisture absorbed in the first state, and when the environmental condition is satisfied, the second state is changed from the first state to the second state. A group of particles whose main material is a polymer gel hygroscopic material having a property of changing to a state and returning to the first state when the environmental condition is not satisfied;
A passage housing containing the particle group,
The passage housing has an air inlet that takes in air from the outside, and an air outlet that discharges air that has been taken in from the air inlet and passed through the gaps between the particle groups,
The particle group includes a first particle group having a first diameter and a second particle group having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter;
In the passage housing, the first particle group is disposed closer to the air inlet than the second particle group.
The humidity control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the environmental condition is that the temperature is equal to or higher than a certain level, and the passage housing is provided with a heater for applying heat to the particle group.
The passage housing is divided into a plurality of compartments arranged in a direction from the air inlet toward the air outlet, the particle group is accommodated in the plurality of compartments, and the heater is provided in the plurality of compartments. The humidity control apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an outer peripheral heater disposed along an outer periphery of the passage housing so as to individually apply heat to each of the first and second passages.
Each of the plurality of compartments contains the particle group having different particle diameters, and each compartment is arranged so that the particle diameters are sequentially reduced from the air inlet side toward the air outlet side. The humidity control apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a control mechanism that controls the heater so as to sequentially heat the section on the air inlet side to the section on the air outlet side.
The passage housing is cylindrical and has a columnar cavity that does not contain the particle group along a central axis, and the heater applies heat to the particle group from the outer periphery toward the inner periphery. The humidity control apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4, comprising an outer peripheral heater disposed along the outer periphery of the body.