Air conditioning system

• US 5,950,442 A
• Filed: 05/23/1997
• Issued: 09/14/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ebara Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ebara Corporation
• Inventors: Maeda, Kensaku, Furuya, Tai, Nowatari, Hiroyasu
• Primary Examiner(s): WAYNER, WILLIAM E
• Application Number:
  US08/863,062
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 62/91, 62/94, 62/175, 62/332, 62/271, 62/176.6, 236/44 C
• US Class Current: 62/175
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2203/1016 combined with another type of cooling principle, e.g. compression cycle
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2203/1028 combined with a spraying device
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2203/1032 Desiccant wheel
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2203/104 Heat exchanger wheel
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2203/1056 comprising a reheater
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2203/1072 comprising two rotors
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2203/1084 comprising two flow rotor segments
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/1423 with a moving bed of solid desiccants, e.g. a rotary wheel supporting solid desiccants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 5/001 Compression cycle type

Abstract

The air conditioning system can lower the cost by saving the energy through the use of a combination of a circulation type unit and outdoor air intake type unit, as well as simplification of mechanical arrangements. The air conditioning system comprises a first air conditioning unit for processing outdoor air and introducing processed outdoor air into indoors while discharging indoor air to outside; and a second air conditioning unit for processing indoor air while circulating the indoor air. The first air conditioning unit comprises: a desiccant device for adsorbing moisture from the outdoor air and being regenerated by the indoor air to be discharged; and a heat pump device functioning as a heat source for regenerating the desiccant device. A high temperature heat source of the heat pump device is used for heating regeneration air and a low temperature heat source of the heat pump device is used for cooling the outdoor air.

Claims

1. An air conditioning system comprising a first air conditioning unit for processing outdoor air and introducing processed outdoor air into indoors while discharging indoor air to outdoor;

and a second air conditioning unit for processing indoor air while circulating said indoor air, said first air conditioning unit and said second air conditioning unit being provided with respective air passages independent from each other,

wherein said first air conditioning unit comprises;

a desiccant device for absorbing moisture from said outdoor air and being regenerated by said indoor air; and

a heat pump device functioning as a heat source for regenerating said desiccant device;

wherein a high temperature heat source of said heat pump device is used for heating regeneration air and a low temperature heat source of said heat pump device is used for cooling said outdoor air.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said heat exchanger transfers heat between post-desiccant outdoor air and pre-desiccant indoor air.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said system is further provided with a humidity sensor for detecting a humidity in a conditioning space and a control device for controlling an operation of said heat pump device in accordance with output data from said humidity sensor.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein said system is further provided with a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature in a conditioning space and a control device for controlling an operation of said second air conditioning unit in accordance with output data from said temperature sensor.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein said system is provided with a humidifier in a supply air passage from said first air conditioning unit to said conditioning space.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein said system is provided with a control device for controlling the operation of at least one of said first air conditioning unit and said second air conditioning unit in accordance with output data from a humidity sensor and a temperature sensor provided in said conditioning space.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein said control device is preloaded with a parametric representation of operating parameters including a temperature value and a humidity value so that said humidifier is activated when a detected temperature exceeds a preset upper threshold temperature and when a detected humidity is less than a preset lower threshold humidity.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein said parametric representation is based on an indication of a wet bulb temperature sensor.

9. A system according to claim 6, wherein said temperature sensor is a dry bulb temperature sensor.

10. A system according to claim 6, wherein said humidity sensor is an absolute hygrometer.

11. A system according to claim 5, wherein said humidifier humidifies in substantially an isenthalpic process.

12. A system according to claim 5, wherein said humidifier is a water spraying type humidifier.

13. A system according to claim 5, wherein said humidifier is an evaporative type humidifier.

14. A system according to claim 1, wherein said heat pump device is an absorption type heat pump.

15. A system according to claim 1, wherein said air conditioning system is provided with a controller for controlling said system so that, when an excess capacity is available in said first air conditioning unit, said heat pump device in said first air conditioning unit is operated in an increasing mode and said second air conditioning unit is operated in a decreasing mode.

16. A system according to claim 1, wherein said heat pump device is a vapor compression type heat pump.