Systems and methods for regenerating adsorbents for indoor air scrubbing

• US 9,950,290 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2013
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Enverid Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Enverid Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Meirav, Udi, Biran, Israel, Bechar, Abraham
• Primary Examiner(s): HOLECEK, CABRENA L
• Application Number:
  US13/945,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20140020559A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,741 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/40098 with other heating means
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/4508 for cleaning air in buildings
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/0438 Cooling or heating systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/52 Heat recovery pumps, i.e. heat pump based systems or units able to transfer the thermal energy from one area of the premises or part of the facilities to a different one, improving the overall efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/10 of nitrous oxide (N2O)

Abstract

Some embodiments of the disclosure correspond to, for example, a system for scrubbing a mixture of gases and/or contaminants from indoor air from an enclosed space to remove at least one gas and/or contaminant from the mixture of gases and/or contaminants. The system may include one or more adsorbent materials configured to be cycled between adsorption and regeneration of at least one of gas and/or contaminant from the mixture of gases and/or contaminants via a temperature swing adsorption cycle (for example), regeneration means configured to regenerate one or more adsorbent materials. The regeneration means may be configured at a regeneration temperature to regenerate the one or more adsorbent materials.

Claims

1. A system for scrubbing a mixture of gases and/or contaminants from an enclosed space to remove at least one gas and/or contaminant from the mixture of gases and/or contaminants, the system comprising:

one or more adsorbent materials configured to be cycled between adsorption of at least one of gas and/or contaminant from the mixture of gases and/or contaminants, and regeneration thereof via a temperature swing adsorption cycle; and

a dedicated heat pump configured to remove heat from indoor air of the enclosed space and deliver the removed heat as regeneration heat to a purge gas and/or the one or more adsorbent materials, the dedicated heat pump separate from a heat pump system configured for providing conditioned air to the enclosed space.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the enclosed space comprises a building, a house, a vehicle, or a vessel.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein gases and/or contaminants are selected from the group consisting of:

carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, sulfur oxides, radon, nitrous oxides and carbon monoxide.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the purge gas comprises outdoor air, and wherein:

the system further comprises an outdoor air inlet configured to receive the outdoor air at an outdoor air temperature; and

the received outdoor air is heated directly and/or indirectly by the heat pump to the regeneration temperature.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the regeneration temperature is at least about 10°

C. greater than the outdoor air temperature.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the removing of heat from the indoor air results in a reduction of a cooling load of the enclosed space.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the reduction of the cooling load of the enclosed space is configured to minimize a difference between an amount of the reduction of the cooling load and an energy consumption of the heat pump.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the dedicated heat pump is configured to collect heat from a source of warm air.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the source of warm air comprises at least one of a chiller, a compressor, a cooling tower, a generator, a solar heater, and a furnace.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the enclosed space includes an HVAC system having circulating air flow in the enclosed space, and wherein the system is configured to intercept a portion of the air flow.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the portion is less than 20% of a volume of the circulating airflow.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein an evaporator side of the heat pump is in thermal communication with circulating indoor air from the enclosed space.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the heat pump is provided by an HVAC system, the heat pump including a refrigerant and configured such that a portion of the refrigerant, in a heated state, is diverted to deliver heat to the purge gas and/or the one or more adsorbent materials.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein less than 50% of a volume of the refrigerant is diverted to heat at least one of the purge gas and the one or more adsorbent materials.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein less than 20% of a volume of the refrigerant is diverted to heat at least one of the purge gas and the one or more adsorbent materials.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further includes a controller, the controller configured for controlling delivery of heat by the dedicated heat pump to the one or more adsorbent materials in coordination with regeneration of the adsorbent materials.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more adsorbent materials are configured as a scrubber, and wherein the system includes a plurality of scrubbers and the dedicated heat pump comprises a single heat pump configured to provide heat to the plurality of scrubbers to regenerate the one or more adsorbent materials.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the system further comprises a network of conduits configured for delivering heat from the dedicated heat pump to the plurality of scrubbers.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a controller configured for controlling at least coordination of the dedicated heat pump, network of conduits and the plurality of scrubbers such that regeneration heat is available to each scrubber when it is required for respective regeneration.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the controller controls coordination of at least one of the dedicated heat pump, network of conduits and plurality of scrubbers, according to at least one of the following parameters:

an occupancy level of one or more areas in the enclosed space;

a level of the at least one of gas and/or contaminant in indoor air circulating in the one or more areas of the enclosed space;

a level of the at least one of gas and/or contaminant accumulated in the one or more adsorbent materials;

a level of the at least one of gas and/or contaminant in air exiting at least one of the more than one scrubber;

an indoor air temperature and/or an indoor air humidity level;

an outdoor air temperature and/or an outdoor air humidity level; and

a preset schedule.