Patent Grant
12209769
The present invention relates, according to a first aspect, to an air flow cooling and humidifying system, said system comprising:
This type of humidifying and cooling system allows water to evaporate through an adiabatic process. As the air flow passes through water-soaked porous evaporation panels, the water in the evaporation panels is evaporated without needing an external energy source. The heat required for water vaporization is provided directly by the air. In this way, the air flow is cooled and the moisture level thereof increases.
The water supply system is used to control the water supply to the evaporation panels according to a setpoint, such as to maintain, e.g. a substantially constant moisture level, to increase or to reduce the moisture level in the room wherein the humidifying and cooling system is located. The control of the moisture level leads to maintaining, increasing or reducing the total exchange surface area of the system.
The position of the interface between the soaked portion and the dry portion of each of the evaporation panels varies during system operation.
The water dispersed over the evaporation panels still contains a fraction of minerals, even when same is deionized or permeated. The evaporation mechanism leads to the deposition of said minerals on the evaporation panels, more particularly at the interface between the soaked portion and the dry portion of each panel. This build-up of minerals harms the evaporation panels by reducing the porosity of the panels and thus reducing the efficiency thereof.
One object of the present invention is to provide a humidifying and cooling system for the regular cleaning of the evaporation panels while maintaining a control over the humidifying level and cooling during said cleaning phases.
For this purpose, the present invention relates to a humidifying and cooling system of the above-cited type, wherein the control unit comprises a plurality of control elements configured to control correspondingly, each of the supply flows, where the control elements can be controlled independently of each other between at least one evaporation configuration wherein the water supply flow-rate is substantially equal to a flow-rate of the water evaporated through the associated porous evaporation panel, and a cleaning configuration wherein the water supply flow-rate is greater than a flow-rate of the water that is evaporated through the associated porous evaporation panel that is completely soaked so as to result in water flowing out of the associated porous evaporation panel.
In this way, the dispersing elements can be supplied independently of each other depending on the total exchange surface area required. In the evaporation configuration, the supply flow-rate creates a flow outside the evaporation panel at the bottom of the panel, dragging along by gravity, the minerals deposited on the evaporation panel. Said flow does not change the evaporation conditions of the evaporation panel and thus allows the evaporation panel to be cleaned. In this way, by controlling the configuration of the different control elements independently of each other, it is possible to clean the various porous evaporation panels while providing a precise control over the moisture level of the ambient air.
According to different or supplementary embodiments, the humidifying and cooling system further includes one or more of the following characteristics, taken individually or according to all possible combinations:
According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a method for cleaning at least one porous evaporation panel of an air flow cooling and humidifying system as described above, the system comprising at least a first and a second porous evaporation panel, a first and a second water dispersing element, and a first and a second control element, the method comprising the following steps:
According to different or supplementary embodiments, the method also includes one or more of the following characteristics, taken individually or in all possible combinations:
Other aspects and advantages of the invention will appear upon the reading of the following description, given as an example and in reference to the annexed figures, amongst which:
The system 10 comprises a frame 12, a plurality of porous evaporation panels 14 mounted on the frame 12, a plurality of water dispersing elements 18 and a supply system 22 comprising a control unit 24 configured to supply each water dispersing element with a corresponding supply flow-rate. Preferentially, the supply system 22 further includes a water collection recipient 26 placed under the evaporation panels 14.
As shown in
The number of porous evaporation panels 14 is comprised, e.g. between two and twenty, e.g. five as shown in
The porous evaporation panels 14 are preferentially aligned next to each other along a direction substantially perpendicular to an elevation direction. The elevation direction is substantially merged with a vertical direction when the system 10 according to the invention, is in operation.
In a variant (not shown), the porous evaporation panels 14 are aligned along the elevation direction.
In another variant (not shown), the system 10 comprises a first row of porous evaporation panels 14 extending in a first direction substantially perpendicular to the elevation direction, and a second row of porous evaporation panels 14 extending in a second direction substantially parallel to the first direction, the first direction and the second direction extending in the same elevation plane.
Each porous evaporation panel 14 mainly extends along an elongation direction that is substantially parallel to the elevation direction.
Preferentially, the porous evaporation panels 14 are identical to each other.
Each porous evaporation panel is mounted on the frame 12 inside the passage 32, between the inlet 28 and the outlet 30.
Preferentially, the porous evaporation panels 14 are mounted on the frame 12 in a removable manner, i.e. the porous evaporation panels 14 can be separated from the frame 12 and extracted out of the passage 32 e.g. during installation operations. The porous evaporation panels 14 are extracted from the frame 12, e.g. along a direction of extraction that is substantially parallel to the first and second planes. In a variant, the porous evaporation panels 14 are extracted along an extraction direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first and second planes.
In this way, an air flow F that enters through the inlet 28 of the frame 12, upstream of the passage 32, flows across the passage 32 through the porous evaporation panels 14 and exits through the outlet 30, downstream of the passage 32, having evaporated a quantity of water present in the porous evaporation panel(s) 14, as discussed in detail further down in the description. The air flow F flows across the porous evaporation panels 14 along a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the main elongation direction of the porous evaporation panels 14.
The porous evaporation panels 14 are mounted on the frame 12 in such a way that the air flow F which flows through the passage 32 flows necessarily through one of the porous evaporation panels 14.
Each porous evaporation panel 14 has a shape which is, e.g. substantially parallelepipedal. Each panel 14 has two lateral surfaces 40 which are opposite to each other, one upper surface 42, one lower surface 44 opposite to the upper surface 42, both connected to the lateral surfaces 40. The lateral surfaces 40 extend in a plane substantially parallel to the first plane and to the second plane. The upper surface 42 and the lower surface 44 extend in planes that are substantially perpendicular to the first plane and to the second plane.
Each panel 14 comprises, e.g. a plurality of corrugated sheets of non-organic fibers, e.g. glass fibers, assembled together to form flow channels for the air flow F. Preferentially, the thickness of each corrugated sheet is between 0.1 mm and 0.6 mm, e.g. 0.3 mm. The channel ripple period is preferentially between 3 mm and 25 mm, e.g. 10 mm. The height of the corrugations is preferentially comprised between 2 mm and 10 mm, e. g. 5 mm.
Each water dispersing element 18 is placed above a corresponding porous evaporation panel 14 along the elevation direction.
In general, the system 10 comprises as many water dispersing elements 18 as porous evaporation panels 14. Thus, in the example shown in
Each dispersing element 18 is suitable for dispersing a volume of water over the corresponding evaporation panel 14 so as to soak at least one portion 54 of said evaporation panel 14 with the volume of water (
The volume of water in the soaked portion 54 of the porous evaporation panel 14 is intended to be evaporated through the passage of the air flow F through the porous evaporation panel 14. The air flow F is then cooled and humidified.
The soaked portion 54 comprises at least one exchange surface area 55 in contact with the air flow F allowing the volume of water to evaporate.
A total exchange surface area 53 of the system is formed by the sum of the exchange surfaces of each of the soaked portions 54 of each of the evaporation panels 14.
Preferentially, each water dispersing element 18 is formed by a dispersion ramp extending primarily along a direction substantially perpendicular to the main direction of extension of the evaporation panel 14, so that the water is dispersed uniformly over the upper surface 42 of the evaporation panel 14.
In the example shown, the control unit 24 is configured to supply the first dispersing element 43 with water at a first supply flow-rate, the second dispersing element 45 with a second supply flow-rate, the third dispersing element 46 with a third supply flow-rate, the fourth dispersing element 48 with a fourth supply flow-rate and the fifth dispersing element 50 with a fifth supply flow-rate.
According to the invention, the control unit 24 comprises a plurality of control elements 57 configured to control each of the water supply flow-rates, respectively. The operating elements 57 can be controlled independently of each other. In other words, the control unit 24, through the control elements 57, can control the different supply flow-rates independently of each other.
Each control element 57 is, e.g. a regulator valve. The ratio between the minimum flow-rate of the valve and the maximum flow-rate of the valve is very high, generally greater than 30.
In the example of
Each of the control elements 57 is controllable between at least one evaporation configuration wherein the water supply flow-rate is substantially equal to a flow-rate of the water evaporated through the associated porous evaporation panel 14, and a cleaning configuration wherein the water supply flow-rate is greater than a flow-rate of the water evaporated through the completely soaked associated porous evaporation panel 14 so that a flow-rate of the water 59 is generated, flowing outside the associated porous evaporation panel 14.
Preferentially, each control element 57 is further controllable between the evaporation configuration, the cleaning configuration, and a closed configuration wherein the supply flow-rate is zero.
In the evaporation configuration, the supply rate is controllable so as to increase or decrease the exchange surface area 55 of the porous evaporation panel 14, i.e. to increase or decrease the volume of the soaked portion 54 of the evaporation panel 14. In the evaporation configuration, the supply rate is, e.g. comprised between 1 l/h and 50 l/h.
In the evaporation configuration, the evaporation panel 14 always includes at least one portion 54 soaked with water.
In the cleaning configuration, the water supply flow-rate is used to generate by gravity, a water flow 59 at the lower part of the evaporation panel 14. The flow 59 drags along the minerals deposited on the evaporation panel 14.
Preferentially, in the cleaning configuration, the water supply flow-rate is 1.5 times to 2.5 times greater than the flow-rate of the water evaporated from the associated evaporation panel. In the cleaning configuration, the evaporation panel 14 is completely soaked with water. The exchange surface area 55 is maximum.
The water dispersed by dispersing elements 18 is, e.g. mains water, permeated water or deionized water. The conductivity of permeated water, e.g. is between 1 μS/cm and 50 μS/cm. The conductivity of deionized water is typically between 0.1 μS/cm and 1 μS/cm.
The supply system 22 preferentially comprises a plurality of water supply lines 68. Each supply line 68 is fluidically connected to a corresponding water dispersing element 18. The supply system comprises as many supply lines 68 as dispersing elements 18. In the example shown, the supply system 22 consists of five supply lines 68, one first supply line 70, one second supply line 72, one third supply line 74, one fourth supply line 76, and one fifth supply line 78, respectively, connected to the first dispersing element 43, second dispersing element 45, third dispersing element 46, fourth dispersing element 48 and fifth dispersing element 50, respectively.
Each control element 57 is connected to a corresponding supply line 68 so as to check the supply flow-rate provided by the water supply line 68.
Each of the supply lines 68 is fluidically connected to a source of fluids 80, preferentially to one source of fluids, e. g. formed by an incoming water mains or a reservoir. In this way, each of the control elements 57 is arranged between the source of fluids 80 and the corresponding water dispersing element on the corresponding supply line 68.
The control unit 24 is advantageously configured to control each of the water supply flow-rates according to a setpoint value. Preferentially, the control unit 24 is regulated by the setpoint value. In this way, the system 10 according to the present invention, is used, e.g. to maintain a constant humidity and/or a substantially constant temperature over time, in the room wherein the system is located.
The humidity and/or temperature are controlled by the total exchange surface area 53 of the evaporation panels 14, i.e. the total volume of the water-soaked portions of the panels 14 in contact with the air. Depending on conditions outside the system 10, maintaining the setpoint requires maintaining, increasing or decreasing the total exchange surface area 53.
The water collection recipient 26 is located under the porous evaporation panels 14 and is used to collect the water flow(s) 59 coming from the lower surface 44 of the evaporation panels 14. The recipient 26 is, e.g. fluidically connected to an outlet line 82 configured to drain the collected water and minerals.
A method for cleaning at least one porous evaporation panel 14 of a cooling and humidifying system 10 for an air flow F as described above, will now be described with reference to
The method involves a first step of supplying water to the first dispersing element 43 of the first evaporation panel 29 so as to soak at least part of the first evaporation panel 29. The first control element 58 is then in the evaporation configuration.
When the maintaining of the setpoint value requires an increase in the total exchange surface area 53, the first supply flow-rate is increased so as to increase the volume of the soaked portion 54 of the first evaporation panel 29 until the entire first evaporation panel 29 is soaked. At this stage, the other control elements 60, 62, 64, 66 are in the closed configuration, i.e. the other dispersing elements 45, 46, 48, 50 are not supplied with water.
If necessary, i.e. if the maintenance of the setpoint requires that the total exchange surface area 53 increases further, when the first evaporation panel 29 is completely soaked, the second dispersing element 45 is supplied with water. The second control element 60 is then in the evaporation configuration. A portion of the second panel 29 is soaked.
The first dispersing element 43 is then supplied with a first supply flow-rate greater than a flow-rate of the water evaporated through the first completely soaked porous evaporation panel 29. In other words, the first control element 58 is in the cleaning configuration. In this way, a flow of water 59 is created at lower part of the first panel 29, said flow dragging along the minerals deposited on the first panel 29. The flow 59 and the minerals are collected in the collection recipient 26. The other control elements, i.e. the third control element 62, the fourth control element 64 and the fifth control element 66 are in the closed configuration.
Such a state is shown in
If need be, the total exchange surface area 53 is increased by controlling the second supply flow-rate until the whole second evaporation panel 31 is soaked. When the second evaporation panel 31 is then completely soaked, the third dispersing element 46 is supplied with water by positioning the third control element 62 in the evaporation configuration.
The second dispersing element 45 is then supplied with water by a second supply flow-rate greater than a flow-rate of the water evaporated through the second completely soaked porous evaporation panel 31 so as to create a water flow 59 outside of the second evaporation panel 31. The second actuator 60 is now in the cleaning configuration.
At this stage, as shown in
In general, in order to increase the total exchange surface area 53 of the system 10, the dispersing elements 18 are successively supplied one after another as soon as an evaporation panel 14 is completely soaked. Each time that an evaporation panel 14 is completely soaked, the corresponding control element 57 is switched into the cleaning configuration so as to allow the associated panel 14 to be cleaned.
Returning to the state shown in
If need be, if it is necessary to further reduce the total exchange surface area 53, e. g. so that same represents less than 40% of the maximum total exchange surface area as shown in
If it is again necessary to increase the total exchange surface area 53, preferentially, the third supply flow-rate is controlled until, if need be, the third evaporation panel 34 becomes completely soaked. When the third evaporation panel 34 is completely soaked, the fourth evaporation panel 36 is supplied with water. The third actuator 62 is in the cleaning configuration allowing the third panel 34 to be cleaned. The fourth control element 64 is in the evaporation configuration.
It is then understood that during the operation of the system 10 according to the invention, it is possible to perform a cleaning of the various porous evaporation panels 14 of the system 10 while maintaining precise control of the level of moisture and of the temperature.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21305910 | Jul 2021 | EP | regional |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3339902 | Martin | Sep 1967 | A |
| 3395900 | Meek et al. | Aug 1968 | A |
| 4145384 | Wagaman et al. | Mar 1979 | A |
| 10955156 | Kreuger | Mar 2021 | B1 |
| 20130233005 | Gilbert | Sep 2013 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 3271660 | Jan 2018 | EP |
| 10-2019-0069202 | Jun 2019 | KR |
| Entry |
|---|
| Search Report for EP 21 30 5910, dated Dec. 20, 2021. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20230003401 A1 | Jan 2023 | US |
