US-12618571-B2 - Two-phase pre-cooling method for air conditioning system

US12618571B2US 12618571 B2US12618571 B2US 12618571B2US-12618571-B2

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a system and method of controlling the temperature and humidity of a conditioned space. The method and system are based on the two-phase pre-cooling of an airflow prior to dehumidification, wherein the airflow passes through a heat exchanger which initially cools and dehumidifies the air before it enters the dehumidifier for additional dehumidification.

Inventors

Demis Łukasz Pandelidis

Assignees

Baryon Inc.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20221115

Claims (19)

1 . An air conditioning system for conditioning air in a space, comprising: a conditioned space; a dehumidifier; and a heat exchanger comprising: a first channel having a first inlet configured to intake exhaust air from the conditioned space and a first outlet configured to expel the exhaust air from the first channel to an outdoor environment; a second channel having a second inlet configured to intake outdoor ambient air from the outdoor environment and a second outlet configured to deliver the outdoor ambient air to the dehumidifier; wherein a wall of the first channel and an adjacent wall of the second channel form a shared, thermally coupled wall comprised of a single impenetrable plate; wherein a first surface of the thermally coupled wall in the first channel is coated in a liquid such that the passage of the exhaust air through the first channel evaporates at a least a portion of the liquid coated on the first surface of the thermally coupled wall thereby reducing the temperature of the first surface of the thermally coupled wall; wherein the evaporation of the liquid transfers heat between the first surface of the thermally coupled wall and a second surface of the thermally coupled wall disposed within the second channel such that reducing the temperature of the first surface of the thermally coupled wall reduces the temperature of the second surface of the thermally coupled wall and cools the outdoor ambient air traversing the second channel to create pre-cooled air; wherein the dehumidifier dehumidifies the pre-cooled air received from the second channel to a desired condition and delivers conditioned air to the conditioned space; and wherein the conditioned air circulates within the conditioned space and exits the conditioned space as the exhaust air.
2 . The air conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein: the first inlet is proximate a first end of the heat exchanger; the first outlet is proximate a second end of the heat exchanger; a second inlet is proximate the second end of the heat exchanger; a second outlet is proximate the first end of the heat exchanger; and the outdoor ambient air drawn through the second inlet of the second channel comprises a mixture of outdoor air and the exhaust air expelled from the first outlet of the first channel.
3 . The air conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the dehumidifier is selected from a group consisting of a membrane dehumidifier, desiccant dehumidifier, or mechanical compression dehumidifier.
4 . The air conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger includes a third channel, wherein the third channel pre-cools the exhaust air before the exhaust air enters through the first channel.
5 . The air conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the liquid is comprised of water.
6 . The air conditioning system of claim 5 , wherein the system further comprises a connection to an external water supply to replenish the water coated on the first surface of the thermally coupled wall.
7 . The air conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the walls of the first channel and second channel are comprised of a plastic, metal, metal alloy, ceramic material, or combination thereof.
8 . The air conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the air conditioning system further comprises: an exhaust fan drawing the exhaust air from the conditioned room and into the first channel, and a supply fan drawing the outdoor ambient air into the second channel.
9 . A method of conditioning a space by circulating air through a heat exchanger, dehumidifier, and a conditioned space, the method comprising the steps of: drawing ambient air through a first dry channel of the heat exchanger to precondition the ambient air; passing the preconditioned ambient air through the dehumidifier to produce conditioned air and delivering the conditioned air to the conditioned space; passing the conditioned air through the conditioned space and directing the conditioned air out of the conditioned space as exhaust air; moving the exhaust air from the conditioned space through a wet channel of the heat exchanger, the wet channel and first dry channel having a shared, thermally coupled wall, the exhaust air evaporating a liquid from a surface of the thermally coupled wall within the wet channel and reducing temperature of the first dry channel; wherein the liquid coats the surface of the thermally coupled wall in the wet channel; wherein the evaporation of liquid from the thermally coupled wall removes heat from the thermally coupled wall to reduce the temperature of the first dry channel; and wherein the reduction in temperature of the first dry channel pre-cools and partially dehumidifies the ambient air as it passes through the first dry channel prior to delivering the preconditioned ambient air to the dehumidifier.
10 . The method of conditioning a space in claim 9 , wherein the ambient air drawn through the first dry channel comprises a mixture of outdoor air from an outdoor environment and the exhaust air expelled from the wet channel.
11 . The method of conditioning a space in claim 10 , wherein the dehumidifier is selected from a group consisting of a membrane dehumidifier, desiccant dehumidifier, or mechanical compression dehumidifier.
12 . The method of conditioning a space in claim 10 , wherein the thermally coupled wall is comprised of a single impenetrable plate.
13 . The method of conditioning a space in claim 12 , further comprising a pre-cooling step wherein a second dry channel pre-cools the exhaust air before the exhaust air enters the wet channel.
14 . The method of conditioning a space in claim 13 , further comprising the step of replenishing supply of the liquid to the wet channel, wherein the wet channel includes a connection to an external supply of the liquid to replenish supply of the liquid in the wet channel.
15 . A heat exchanger as a system for conditioning air, the heat exchanger comprising: a wet channel to draw exhaust air from a conditioned room through an inlet and discharge the exhaust air through an outlet located on an opposite end of the wet channel; a first dry channel sharing a thermally coupled wall with the wet channel, the first dry channel disposed to draw ambient air through an inlet and discharge the ambient air through an outlet located on an opposite end of the first dry channel and toward a dehumidifier; and wherein a surface of the thermally coupled wall within the wet channel is coated in a liquid; and wherein when the temperature of the exhaust air is less than the ambient air, passage of the exhaust air through the wet channel evaporates liquid from the thermally coupled wall to cool the wet channel, and the first dry channel transfers heat to the wet channel to modulate the ambient air to a desired condition as the ambient air passes through the first dry channel; and an operative connection between the dehumidifier and the conditioned room directs the ambient air through the dehumidifier to create dehumidified air which is delivered to the conditioned room and exits the conditioned room as the exhaust air.
16 . The heat exchanger system of claim 15 , the heat exchanger further comprising a second dry channel to pre cool the exhaust air before the exhaust air enters through the wet channel.
17 . An air conditioning system for conditioning air in a space, comprising: a heat exchanger comprising: a first channel; a second channel; wherein a wall of the first channel and an adjacent wall of the second channel form a shared, thermally coupled wall; a dehumidifier operatively connected to the second channel; a conditioned space operatively connected to the first channel; a first inlet proximate a first end of the first channel, the first inlet configured to draw conditioned air from the conditioned space; a first outlet proximate a second end of the first channel, the first outlet configured to expel the conditioned air to an environment; a second inlet proximate a first end of the second channel, the second inlet configured to intake ambient air from the environment; a second outlet proximate a second end of the second channel, the second outlet configured to deliver the ambient air to the dehumidifier, wherein the dehumidifier dehumidifies the ambient air into conditioned air prior to delivering the conditioned air to the conditioned space; and a coat of liquid is disposed along walls within the first channel such that the conditioned air evaporates the liquid as the conditioned air passes through the first channel and reduces the temperature of the shared thermally coupled wall and wherein the second channel transfers heat through the thermally coupled wall to the first channel, reducing temperature of the second channel and pre-cooling the ambient air as it passes through the second channel.
18 . The air conditioning system of claim 17 , wherein the air conditioning system further comprises: an exhaust fan to draw the conditioned air from the conditioned room and into the first channel, and a supply fan to draw the ambient air into the second channel.
19 . The air conditioning system of claim 18 , wherein the heat exchanger includes a third channel, wherein the third channel pre-cools the conditioned air after it exits the conditioned room and before the conditioned air enters the first channel.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO OTHER APPLICATION This Application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/279,528 filed Nov. 15, 2021, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference. FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of existing dehumidifiers. BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE Air conditioning systems generally provide some amount of dehumidification of air as part of the cooling process. These systems can be used to cool air already within an enclosed, conditioned space. Alternatively, such systems can be used to cool external air prior to introducing it to a conditioned space. However, such systems generally are inefficient and as a result, when external air is introduced into a conditioned room, the external air can introduce significant amounts of moisture that the air conditioning system may be unable to quickly or fully address. This introduction of external, humid air increases the perceived temperature of the conditioned space and decreases the comfort of individuals therein. These problems are typically mitigated by using a separate dehumidification process (beyond the cooling system) on the external air prior to introducing the air to a conditioned room. However, such dehumidification processes are generally inefficient and require the expenditure of significant amounts of additional energy. Thus, there exists a long-felt and currently unmet need for a system which allows for the more efficient dehumidification of external air prior to introducing it to a conditioned space. SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to systems and methods of controlling the temperature and humidity of a defined space. More specifically, the present disclosure is directed to systems and methods employing a two-phase process for pre-cooling air prior to dehumidification. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, external air is passed through a dry channel of a heat exchanger for pre-cooling prior to undergoing dehumidification. Any additional energy requirements for the heat exchanger are reduced or eliminated by simultaneously passing conditioned air through a wet channel of the heat exchanger prior to venting the conditioned air to the environment. Liquid in the wet channel evaporates into the exhausted, conditioned air, cooling the channel. The wet channel is thermally coupled to the dry channel, thereby cooling the dry channel and initially cooling and dehumidifying the external air before it enters the dehumidifier for additional dehumidification. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The following detailed description, given by way of example, but not intended to limit the disclosure solely to the specific embodiments described, may best be understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows a diagram of the air conditioning system comprising a heat exchanger, dehumidifier, conditioned room, and the airflow into and out of the system. FIG. 2 displays a first embodiment of the system of FIG. 1 comprising a heat exchanger with a plurality of channels. FIG. 3 displays a second embodiment of the system of FIG. 1 comprising a heat exchanger with a plurality of channels. FIG. 4 displays a third embodiment of the system of FIG. 1 which includes exhaust and supply fans. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE For the purposes of promoting and understanding the principles disclosed herein, reference is now made to the preferred embodiments illustrated in the drawings, and specific language is used to describe the same. It is nevertheless understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is hereby intended. Such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated devices and such further applications of the principles disclosed and illustrated herein are contemplated as would normally occur to one of skill in the art to which this disclosure relates. The inventors of the present disclosure have created a new method for controlling the air temperature, air flow, and humidity of a space which comprises an air conditioning system 100. FIG. 1 shows an air conditioning system 100 for a conditioned room 106 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, the air conditioning system 100 comprises a heat exchanger 102 and a dehumidifier 104. The heat exchanger 102 and dehumidifier 104 are coupled together such that air is passed from the heat exchanger 102 to the dehumidifier 104. The dehumidifier 104 is in turn coupled to the conditioned room 106. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the heat exchanger 102 and dehumidifier 104 and the dehumidifier 104 and conditioned room 106 are coupled together, respectively, using pipes, ductwork, or another physical linkage that is generally impermeable to air such that substantially all of the air that passes through the heat exchanger 102 is received by the dehumidifier 104 and substantially all of the air