Claims
- 1. An air-conditioning apparatus which cools room air by an air cycle employing air as a refrigerant for performing air-cooling, comprising:a compressor (21) which draws in at least air in a room for compressing said drawn room air; cooling means (30) which subjects said compressed air compressed in said compressor (21) to heat exchange with exhaust air expelled from said room for cooling said compressed air; and an expansion device (23) which provides expansion of said compressed air cooled by said cooling means (30), wherein low-temperature air, cooled by said expansion in said expansion device (23), is delivered into said room; demoisturizing means (22) which has a separation membrane, said separation membrane being formed such that water vapor in the air is allowed to pass therethrough from a high partial pressure of water-vapor side to a low partial pressure of water-vapor side thereof, for separation of water vapor contained in said compressed air without causing said water vapor to undergo condensation; and depressurizing means (36) which provides depressurization of one of said sides of said separation membrane in said demoisturizing means (22) so as to ensure a difference in partial pressure of water-vapor between both said separation membrane sides.
- 2. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising moisturizing means (41) which supplies moisture to said exhaust air that is delivered to said cooling means (30) for pre-cooling said exhaust air.
- 3. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising moisturizing means (42) which supplies moisture to said exhaust air so that cooling of said compressed air is performed making utilization of a latent heat of vaporization of water in said cooling means (30).
- 4. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said demoisturizing means (22) is formed so that one of surfaces of said separation membrane is brought into contact with said compressed air whereas the other of said surfaces is brought into contact with said exhaust air, whereby water vapor contained in said compressed air will travel to said exhaust air.
- 5. The air-conditioning apparatus of 1, wherein a part or all of moisture separated from said compressed air by said demoisturizing means (22) is supplied, together with low-temperature air from said expansion device (23), into said room.
- 6. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 2, wherein a part or all of moisture separated from said compressed air by said demoisturizing means (22) is supplied to said exhaust air by said moisturizing means (41, 42).
- 7. The air-conditioning apparatus of 1, wherein said separation membrane is composed of a polymeric membrane and formed so as to allow water vapor to pass therethrough by water-molecule diffusion in said membrane.
- 8. The air-conditioning apparatus of 7, wherein said separation membrane has a large number of pores having a size equal to a molecule free path and is formed so as to allow water vapor to pass therethrough by water-molecule capillary condensation and diffusion.
- 9. An air-conditioning apparatus which cools room air by an air cycle employing air as a refrigerant for performing air-cooling, comprising:a compressor (21) which draws in at least air in a room for compressing said drawn room air; cooling means (30) which subjects said compressed air compressed in said compressor (21) to heat exchange with exhaust air expelled from said room for cooling said compressed air; an expansion device (23) which provides expansion of said compressed air cooled by said cooling means (30); wherein low-temperature air, cooled by said expansion in said expansion device (23), is delivered into said room; moisturizing means (42) which supplies moisture to said exhaust air so that cooling of said compressed air is performed making utilization of a latent heat of vaporization of water in said cooling means (30); demoisturizing means (22) which has a separation membrane, said separation membrane being formed such that water vapor in the air is allowed to pass therethrough from a high partial pressure of water-vapor side to a low partial pressure of water-vapor side thereof, for separation of water vapor contained in said compressed air without causing said water vapor to undergo condensation; depressurizing means (36) which provides depressurization of one of said sides of said separation membrane in said demoisturizing means (22) so as to ensure a difference in partial pressure of water-vapor between both said separation membrane sides, wherein a part or all of moisture separated from said compressed air by said demoisturizing means (22) is supplied to said exhaust air by said moisturizing means (42).
- 10. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said depressurizing means is a vacuum pump (36).
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
10-347370 |
Dec 1998 |
JP |
|
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 09/857,486 filed Jun. 6, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,539,744, which is a 371 of PCT/JP99/06933, filed on Dec. 9, 1999.
US Referenced Citations (10)
Foreign Referenced Citations (12)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0 419 007 |
Mar 1991 |
EP |
0 701 916 |
Mar 1996 |
EP |
871877 |
Jul 1961 |
GB |
60-82731 |
May 1985 |
JP |
62-102061 |
May 1987 |
JP |
62-223573 |
Oct 1987 |
JP |
63-80829 |
Apr 1988 |
JP |
5-322216 |
Dec 1993 |
JP |
6-213521 |
Aug 1994 |
JP |
8-318731 |
Dec 1996 |
JP |
10-235135 |
Sep 1998 |
JP |
WO 9528605 |
Oct 1995 |
WO |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
European Search Report (Dated Mar. 24, 2003). |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/857486 |
|
US |
Child |
10/403510 |
|
US |