Variable desiccant control energy exchange system and method

• US 9,109,808 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nortek Air Solutions Canada, Inc. (Melrose Industries Plc)
• Original Assignee: Venmar CES, Inc. (Melrose Industries Plc)
• Inventors: Gerber, Manfred, LePoudre, Philip Paul, Wawryk, Maury Brad
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad M
• Application Number:
  US13/801,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20140260373A1
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 62/93, 62/94, 621/21, 622/71, 623/14
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/83 by controlling the supply of heat-exchange fluids to heat-exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/84 using valves
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2003/1435 comprising semi-permeable membrane
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2003/1458 using regenerators
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/20 Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/06 characterised by the arrangements for the supply of heat-exchange fluid for the subsequent treatment of primary air in the room units
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/1417 with liquid hygroscopic desiccants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 5/0014 using absorption or desorption
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/56 Heat recovery units

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a system and method for providing conditioned air to at least one enclosed structure. The system may include at least one conditioning module configured to provide conditioned air to the at least one enclosed structure. The conditioning module(s) may include a conditioning energy exchanger. The conditioning module(s) is configured to circulate desiccant through a desiccant circuit to condition air passing through the conditioning energy exchanger. The conditioning module(s) may be configured to receive at least one of concentrated desiccant or diluted desiccant in order to vary temperature or concentration of the desiccant circulating through the desiccant circuit.

Claims

1. A system for providing conditioned air to at least one enclosed structure, the system comprising:

at least one conditioning module configured to provide conditioned air to the at least one enclosed structure, the at least one conditioning module comprises;

a conditioning energy exchanger;

at least one desiccant mixing chamber;

a warm tap line connected to the at least one mixing chamber; and

a cool tap line connected to the at least one mixing chamber,

wherein the at least one conditioning module is configured to circulate desiccant through a desiccant circuit to condition air passing through the conditioning energy exchanger, wherein the at least one conditioning module is configured to receive at least one of concentrated desiccant or diluted desiccant in order to vary temperature or concentration of the desiccant circulating through the desiccant circuit, and wherein the at least one desiccant mixing chamber is configured to receive one or both of the concentrated desiccant from the warm tap line and the diluted desiccant from the cool tap line.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the conditioning energy exchanger comprises a conditioning liquid-to-air membrane energy exchanger (LAMEE) configured to exchange sensible and latent energy between the desiccant and an air stream.

3. The system of claim 1,

the warm tap line connecting a heat exchanger of the at least one conditioning module to a warm loop configured to circulate the concentrated desiccant therethrough;

and

the cool tap line connecting the heat exchanger to a cool loop configured to circulate the diluted desiccant therethrough.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a desiccant regeneration module configured to regenerate the desiccant.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the desiccant regeneration module comprises a regeneration LAMEE configured to regenerate the desiccant.

6. The system of claim 4, further comprising a heat source operatively connected to the desiccant regeneration module, wherein the heat source is configured to exchange sensible energy with the desiccant flowing through the desiccant regeneration module.

7. The system of claim 4, further comprising a heating module operatively connected to the desiccant regeneration module through a heat pump.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a control sub-system configured to control variation of the temperature and concentration of the desiccant.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a water source configured to dilute the desiccant.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a bypass duct configured to bypass airflow around the at least one conditioning module.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one conditioning module comprises a plurality of conditioning modules, wherein each of the plurality of conditioning modules are within a separate and distinct zone.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of conditioning modules are operatively connected to a one of a plurality of enclosed structures.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising a regeneration module operatively connected to each of the plurality of conditioning modules.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising a desiccant connection conduit connecting at least one of the plurality of conditioning modules in a first zone to at least another of the plurality of conditioning modules in a second zone that is separate and distinct from the first zone.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a warm loop configured to circulate the concentrated desiccant therethrough; and

a cool loop configured to circulate the diluted desiccant therethrough.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a heat pump operatively connected between the warm and cool loops.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising a concentrated desiccant storage tank connected to the warm loop, wherein the concentrated desiccant storage tank is configured to provide additional concentrated desiccant to the warm loop.

18. A method of providing conditioned air to at least one enclosed structure, the method comprising:

monitoring a temperature of air within the at least one enclosed structure;

monitoring a humidity level of the air within the at least one enclosed structure;

conditioning the air within the at least one enclosed structure with at least one conditioning module, wherein the conditioning operation includes exchanging sensible and latent energy between the air and desiccant that circulates through the at least one conditioning module;

circulating concentrated desiccant through a warm loop that connects to the at least one conditioning module;

circulating diluted desiccant through a cool loop that connects to the at least one conditioning module;

controlling the temperature of the desiccant based on the monitoring a temperature operation;

controlling the concentration of the desiccant based on the monitoring a humidity level operation, wherein the controlling the concentration operation comprises mixing one or both of the concentrated desiccant from the warm loop or the diluted desiccant from the cool loop with the desiccant in a mixing chamber of the at least one conditioning module.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one conditioning module comprises a conditioning liquid-to-air membrane energy exchanger (LAMEE).

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising exchanging sensible energy between the warm and cool loops through a heat pump connected therebetween.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing additional concentrated desiccant to the warm loop through a concentrated desiccant storage tank.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the controlling the temperature operation comprises exchanging sensible energy between the desiccant within the at least one conditioning module with one or both of the concentrated desiccant from the warm loop or the diluted desiccant from the cool loop.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising regenerating the concentrated desiccant with a desiccant regeneration module.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the desiccant regeneration module comprises a regeneration LAMEE configured to regenerate the desiccant.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

heating a fluid with a heat source; and

exchanging sensible energy between the desiccant flowing through the desiccant regeneration module and the fluid.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising operatively connecting a heating module to the desiccant regeneration module through a heat pump.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the controlling operations are controlled by a control sub-system.

28. The method of claim 18, further comprising diluting the desiccant with water from a water source.

29. The method of claim 18, further comprising bypassing airflow around the at least one conditioning module.

30. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one enclosed structure comprises a plurality of enclosed structures.

31. The method of claim 18, wherein the least one conditioning module comprises a plurality of conditioning modules.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising operatively connecting a regeneration module to each of the plurality of conditioning modules.

33. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

connecting first and second conditioning modules with a desiccant connection conduit; and

transferring the desiccant between the first and second conditioning modules through the desiccant connection conduit.

34. A conditioning module configured to provide conditioned air to an enclosed structure, the conditioning module comprising:

a desiccant mixing chamber;

a warm tap line connected to the mixing chamber; and

a cool tap line connected to the mixing chamber,

wherein the desiccant mixing chamber is configured to receive one or both of concentrated desiccant from the warm tap line and diluted desiccant from the cool tap line and mix the desiccant.