Membrane desiccation heat pump

• US 6,739,142 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2001
• Issued: 05/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amos Korin
• Original Assignee: Amos Korin
• Inventors: Korin, Amos
• Primary Examiner(s): Doerrler, William C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zec, Filip
• Application Number:
  US10/011,790
• Publication Number:
  US 20020096312A1
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• Field of Search: 62/92, 62/93, 62/94, 622/71, 624/80, 622/41, 622/44
• US Class Current: 62/92
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/22 by diffusion manufacturing semi-permeable membranes B01D67/00; form, structure or properties of semi-permeable membranes B01D69/00; material for semi-permeable membranes B01D71/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/268 by diffusion
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2003/1435 comprising semi-permeable membrane
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2003/144 by dehumidification only
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/1417 with liquid hygroscopic desiccants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 5/0007 cooling apparatus specially adapted for use in air-conditioning F24F5/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 5/0035 using evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 29/00 Combined heating and refrigeration systems, e.g. operating alternately or simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 30/00 Heat pumps F25B1/00-F25B25/00, F25B29/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/54 Free-cooling systems

Abstract

There is provided a system for pumping thermal energy. The system includes (a) a membrane permeator for removing vapor from a process gas and for providing a vapor-depleted process gas, and (b) a gas-liquid contactor for adding vapor from a liquid to a vapor-depleted gas to produce a vapor-added process gas. The system transfers a quantity of thermal energy from the liquid to the vapor-added process gas, and is also capable of upgrading the thermal energy to a higher temperature. The system may be used for various heat pump applications including chilling and waste heat or low level heat recovery.

Claims

1. A system for pumping thermal energy, comprising:

a membrane permeator for removing vapor from a process gas and for providing a vapor-depleted process gas; and

a gas-liquid contactor for adding vapor from a liquid to said vapor-depleted gas to produce a vapor-added process gas,

wherein said system transfers a quantity of thermal energy from said liquid to said vapor-added process gas.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said vapor-depleted process gas is routed from said membrane permeator to said gas-liquid contactor such that said process gas circulates in a loop that includes said membrane permeator and said gas-liquid contactor.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a pumping means for facilitating circulation of said process gas in said loop.

4. The system of claim 1,

further comprising a reservoir for supplying said liquid to said gas-liquid contactor,

wherein said liquid is routed from an output of said gas-liquid contactor to said reservoir such that said liquid circulates in a loop that includes said gas-liquid contactor and said reservoir.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a pump for facilitating circulation of said liquid in said loop.

6. The system of claim 1,

wherein said vapor permeates from a feed side of said membrane permeator to a permeate side of said membrane permeator, and

wherein said system further comprises an arrangement for increasing a driving force between said feed side and said permeate side.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said arrangement employs a technique selected from the group consisting of (a) sweeping a dry gas proximate to said permeate side, (b) applying a vacuum to said permeate side, and (c) allowing a portion of said process gas to permeate said membrane.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein said arrangement refluxes a portion of said vapor-depleted process gas into said permeate side.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said process gas enters said system at a first temperature, and subsequent to being routed through said membrane permeator, said process gas exists said system at a second, colder temperature.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said liquid enters said system at a first temperature, and subsequent to being routed through said gas-liquid contactor, said liquid exits said system at a second, colder temperature.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said vapor-added gas is routed to a space for chilling of said space.

12. The system of claim 1,

wherein said membrane permeator is a first membrane permeator, and

wherein said system further comprises a second membrane permeator for reducing humidity of said vapor-added process gas.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a heat exchanger for transferring energy between said process gas and said liquid, before said liquid enters said gas-liquid contactor and after said process gas exits from said gas-liquid contactor.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a heat exchanger for transferring energy between said process gas and said liquid, before said process gas enters said gas-liquid contactor and after said liquid exits from said gas-liquid contactor.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a heat exchanger through which said process gas is routed for chilling of a media.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising a heat exchanger through which said liquid is routed from said gas-liquid contactor for chilling of a media.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein said vapor-depleted process gas is routed to a space for chilling of said space.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein said gas-liquid contactor comprises a component selected from the group consisting of (a) cooling tower, (b) a spray contactor, (c) an atomizing contactor, (d) a dripping contactor, (e) a sprinkler contactor, (f) a wet pad contactor, (g) a packed column, (h) a plates column, (i) a baffle tower, (j) a membrane contactor, (k) a humidifier, (l) an evaporator and (m), a flash evaporator.

19. A system for pumping thermal energy, comprising:

an energy source for heating a vapor-containing gas; and

a membrane permeator for removing vapor from said vapor-containing gas and for providing a resultant vapor,

wherein said system transfers a quantity of thermal energy from said energy source to said resultant vapor.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said energy source comprises a component selected from the group consisting of a compressor and a blower.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein said energy source comprises a heater.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said heater uses a source of energy selected from the group consisting of (a) waste heat, (b) solar heat, (c) low level heat, (d) a furnace, (e) flue gas, (f) geothermal heat, (g) steam, (h) hot water, (i) burning fuel, (j) burning gas, (k) electrical and (l) geothermal.

23. The system of claim 19, further comprising a heat exchanger through which said resultant vapor is routed for heating a media.

24. The system of claim 19,

wherein said vapor permeates from a feed side of said membrane permeator to a permeate side of said membrane permeator, and

wherein said system further comprises an arrangement for increasing a driving force between said feed side and said permeate side.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said arrangement employs a technique selected from the group consisting of (a) sweeping a dry gas proximate to said permeate side, (b) applying a vacuum to said permeate side, and (c) allowing a portion of said vapor-containing gas to permeate said membrane.

26. The system of claim 19,

wherein said membrane permeator discharges a retentate gas, and

wherein said arrangement refluxes a portion of said retentate gas into said permeate side.

27. The system of claim 19,

wherein said heater comprises a heat exchanger for transferring heat from a waste heat source to said vapor-containing gas, and

wherein said quantity of thermal energy comprises thermal energy from a source selected from the group consisting of (a) a waste heat, (b) solar heat, (c) low level heat, (d) a furnace, (e) flue gas, (f) geothermal heat, (g) steam, (h) hot water, (i) burning fuel, (j) burning gas, (k) electrical and (l) geothermal.

28. The system of claim 19, further comprising a gas-liquid contactor that adds vapor from a liquid to a process gas to produce said vapor-containing gas.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein said gas-liquid contactor comprises a component selected from the group consisting of (a) cooling tower, (b) a spray contactor, (c) an atomizing contactor, (d) a dripping contactor, (e) a sprinkler contactor, (f) a wet pad contactor, (g) a packed column, (h) a plates column, (i) a baffle tower, (j) a membrane contactor, (k) a humidifier, (l) an evaporator and (m) a flash evaporator.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein said system transfers a quantity of thermal energy from said liquid to said resultant vapor.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein said resultant vapor releases said quantity of thermal energy at a temperature higher than a temperature of said liquid.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein said resultant vapor heats media by condensation in a heat exchanger and releases latent heat.

33. The system of claim 28, further comprising a heat exchanger for transferring energy between said process gas and said liquid, before said liquid enters said gas-liquid contactor and after said process gas exits from said gas-liquid contactor.

34. The system of claim 28, further comprising a heat exchanger for transferring energy between said process gas and said liquid, before said process gas enters said gas-liquid contactor and after said liquid exits from said gas-liquid contactor.

35. The system of claim 28,

wherein said heater is a first heater and said quantity of thermal energy is a first quantity of thermal energy,

wherein said system further comprises a second heater for heating said liquid,

and wherein said system further transfers a second quantity of thermal energy from said heater to said resultant vapor.

36. The system of claim 35,

wherein said second heater comprises a heat exchanger for transferring heat from a waste heat source to said liquid, and

wherein said second quantity of thermal energy comprises thermal energy from said waste heat source.

37. A method for pumping a quantity of thermal energy, comprising:

adding vapor from a liquid to a process gas, thus yielding a vapor-containing gas; and

employing a membrane permeator to remove said vapor from said vapor-containing gas, thus providing a resultant vapor,

wherein said quantity of thermal energy is transferred from said liquid to said resultant vapor.

38. A method for pumping a quantity of thermal energy, comprising:

employing a heater to heat a vapor-containing gas; and

employing a membrane permeator to remove vapor from said vapor-containing gas, thus providing a resultant vapor,

wherein said quantity of thermal energy is transferred from said heater to said resultant vapor.

39. A method for pumping a quantity of thermal energy, comprising:

employing a heater to heat a liquid;

adding vapor from said liquid to a process gas to produce a vapor-containing gas; and

employing a membrane permeator to remove said vapor from said vapor-containing gas, thus providing a resultant vapor,

wherein said quantity of thermal energy is transferred from said heater to said resultant vapor.

40. A method for pumping thermal energy, comprising:

removing vapor from a process gas with a membrane permeator to yield a vapor-depleted gas; and

adding vapor from a liquid to-a said vapor-depleted gas via a gas-liquid contactor to yield a vapor-added gas,

wherein said method transfers a quantity of thermal energy from said liquid to said vapor-added gas.