1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to dehumidifiers, and more particularly, to a low power desiccant wheel dehumidifier.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional dehumidifier works by using a compressor in compressing a coolant, and entails introducing air into an evaporator inside the dehumidifier by means of a fan, and condensing moisture in the air into droplets adhering to a tray or a tube of the evaporator due to low temperature (of 5° C. approximately) of the evaporator; and the phenomenon is known as low-temperature dehumidifying. Efficiency of dehumidifying, which correlates closely with air temperature and surface temperature of the tray or tube of the evaporator, deteriorates in winter and in the nighttime when temperature is low and therefore adds to power consumption.
A conventional desiccant wheel dehumidifier works quickly, easily and efficiently and therefore is effective in overcoming the drawbacks of low-temperature dehumidifying. A conventional desiccant wheel dehumidifier comprises a desiccant wheel made of a dehumidifying material, such as porous silica gel or zeolite, and partitioned into regions, namely a dehumidifying region and a recycling region. The conventional desiccant wheel dehumidifier works in the following steps: the dehumidifying material adsorbs water vapor in the air; the recycling region evaporates water vapor adsorbed by the dehumidifying material; the air thus treated is delivered to a heat exchanger and turned into humid hot air; the humid hot air returns to the heat exchanger cooled down by humid cool indoor air so as for water vapor in the returning humid hot air to be condensed into water due to dew point difference; and the condensed water is discharged from the desiccant wheel dehumidifier. Furthermore, given coordinated arrangement and a favorable dew point, conventional desiccant wheel dehumidifiers can work at 40° C. below zero or even lower; hence, desiccant wheel dehumidifiers are popular with consumers.
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Accordingly, the dehumidifying related industrial sector is confronted with an urgent issue that involves developing a low power dehumidifier capable of reducing power consumption.
In view of the drawbacks of the prior art, it is the primary objective of the present invention to provide a low power dehumidifier to reduce power consumption.
To achieve the above and other objectives, the present invention provides a low power dehumidifier including: a body internally having a first channel for taking in humid ambient air and a second channel; a desiccation element provided inside the body, defined with a dehumidifying region and a recycling region, and configured for communication with condensing regions and heating regions of the second channel; and at least a heat transfer element having a cooling end positioned in the condensing regions of the second channel and a heating end positioned in the heating regions of the second channel, wherein the humid ambient air is introduced into the dehumidifying region of the desiccation element via the first channel to undergo water adsorption before proceeding to the second channel to turn into recycled air, thereby allowing the recycled air to be heated up in the heating regions, undergo water desorption in the recycling region of the desiccation element, and proceed to the condensing regions where water vapor in the recycled air condenses.
In a preferred embodiment, the desiccation element is a desiccant wheel, and dry air resulting from treatment of the humid ambient air by the desiccation element is discharged from the body via the first channel.
In another preferred embodiment, the at least a heat transfer element is a thermoelectric cooler (TEC), and the thermoelectric cooler comprises p-type and n-type semiconductor elements and a conductor interposed therebetween.
In a further preferred embodiment, an electric heater for heating the recycled air to a required temperature is provided between the desiccation element and the heating end of the at least a heat transfer element.
To achieve the above and other objectives, the present invention further provides a low power dehumidifier including: a body internally having a first channel for taking in humid ambient air and a second channel; a desiccation element provided inside the body, defined with a dehumidifying region and a recycling region, and configured for communication with condensing regions and heating regions of the second channel; and at least a heat transfer element comprising a compressor, a first condenser positioned in the heating regions of the second channel and positioned proximate to the desiccation element, a second condenser positioned upstream of the first condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator, and receiving a working fluid, wherein the humid ambient air is introduced into the dehumidifying region of the desiccation element via the first channel to undergo water adsorption before proceeding to the second channel to turn into recycled air, thereby allowing the recycled air to be heated up in the heating regions, undergo water desorption in the recycling region of the desiccation element, and proceed to the condensing regions where water vapor in the recycled air condenses.
In a further preferred embodiment, the low power dehumidifier further comprises a heat exchanger, and the heat transfer element comprises a compressor, a first condenser, a second condenser, a third condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator, and receives a working fluid, wherein the third condenser is provided between the second condenser and the expansion valve, positioned in the heating regions of the second channel, and positioned proximate to the desiccation element.
To achieve the above and other objectives, the present invention further provides a low power dehumidifier including: a body internally having a first channel for taking in humid ambient air and a second channel; a desiccation element provided inside the body, defined with a dehumidifying region and a recycling region, and configured for communication with condensing regions and heating regions of the second channel; and at least a heat transfer element having a closed chamber provided with a condensation end and an evaporation end and internally formed with a capillary structure so as for a working fluid to pass through the capillary structure, wherein an evaporator functioning as an cooling end is positioned at the condensing regions of the second channel, and the condensation end functioning as a heating end is positioned at the heating regions of the second channel, wherein the humid ambient air is introduced into the dehumidifying region of the desiccation element via the first channel to undergo water adsorption before proceeding to the second channel to turn into recycled air, thereby allowing the recycled air to be heated up in the heating regions, undergo water desorption in the recycling region of the desiccation element, and proceed to the condensing regions where water vapor in the recycled air condenses.
In a further preferred embodiment, an electric heater for heating the recycled air to a required temperature is provided between the desiccation element and the heating end of the at least a heat transfer element.
Unlike the prior art that taught heating up recycled air to a required temperature by an electric heater directly, the present invention discloses a heat transfer element having a cooling end and a heating end configured for high-temperature condensation and high-temperature heating, respectively, so as to efficiently recycle waste high heat generated by the dehumidifier and thereby reduce power consumption.
The present invention is herein illustrated with specific embodiments, so that one skilled in the pertinent art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the disclosure of the invention.
A low power dehumidifier of the present invention comprises a desiccation element and heat transfer elements. The appended drawings show only elements related to the present invention, but are not intended to limit the present invention. For the sake of conciseness, the desiccation element of the present invention is exemplified by a desiccant wheel as shown in the appended drawings.
The body 200 is internally provided with a first channel (marked with arrows indicated by A1′ through A3′) for taking in humid ambient air A1′ and a second channel (marked with arrows indicated by B1′ through B4′) composed of heating regions B1′, B2′ and condensing regions B3′, B4′.
The desiccant wheel 20 is provided inside the body 200, defined with a dehumidifying region 20A and a recycling region 20B, and provided with a transmission 20C. The humid ambient air A1′ is introduced, by passing through an air treatment inlet and turning into air to be treated A2′, into the dehumidifying region 20A of the desiccation wheel 20. Then, the air to be treated A2′ undergoes water adsorption and turns into dry air A3′. Afterward, the dry air A3′ is discharged from the dehumidifier by means of an air dehumidifying device 14 and thereby delivered to an environment to be dehumidified. Meanwhile, the transmission 20C positions a water-adsorbed portion of the desiccant wheel 20 in the recycling region 20B where desorption of water is achieved by a heat-drying process. During the heat-drying process configured for desorption of water, recycled air B1′ is heated up by the heating end 242 of the thermoelectric cooler 24 and thereby turned into humid hot air B2′ of 110° C. Then, the humid hot air B2′ undergoes desorption of water in the recycling region 20B of the desiccant wheel 20 before being pumped out of the desiccant wheel 20 by an air recycling device 18. Then, the humid hot air B2′ proceeds to the thermoelectric cooler 22. At the cooling end 221 of the thermoelectric cooler 22, the humid hot air B2′ is cooled down and thus water vapor therein condenses; meanwhile, the humid hot air B2′ turns into condensation-treated air B3′. Then, condensed water is delivered to a container (not shown) at the bottom of the body 200 of the dehumidifier, wherein the container is configured to contain the condensed water collected therein. Afterward, the condensation-treated air B3′ undergoes desorption of water at the heating end 222 of the thermoelectric cooler 22 and thereby turns into water-desorbed air B4′. Then, the water-desorbed air B4′ is delivered to the recycling region 20B of the desiccant wheel 20 so as for the water-desorbed air B4′ to be heated up by the electric heater 23. In so doing, the heat previously generated to enable desorption of water to take place in the desiccant wheel 20 is recycled. Specifically speaking, the heating end 242 of the thermoelectric cooler 24 favorably reaches temperature as high as 80 to 90° C., thereby allowing temperature of the recycled air B2′ to increase by as little as 30 to 40° C. when heated by the electric heater 23. In so doing, the dehumidifier of the present invention excels a conventional dehumidifier in power-saving, because a conventional dehumidifier entails increasing temperature of recycled air by 60° C. (110° C.−50° C.=60° C.).
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In the preceding preferred embodiments, recycled air which is going to undergo desorption of water is directly heated up by the thermoelectric cooler 24, or, alternatively, recycled air which is going to undergo desorption of water is heated up by the thermoelectric cooler 24 and then heated up by the electric heater 23 so as to provide hot air of sufficiently high temperature and allow the hot air to pass through the desiccant wheel 20 for desorption of water. Compared to a conventional dehumidifier that entails heating up recycled air to sufficiently high temperature by an electric heater directly, the dehumidifier of the present invention is more efficient in power saving.
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After being treated by the heat exchanger 21, the humid ambient air A1′ is turned into air to be treated A2′. Then, the air to be treated A2′ enters the dehumidifying region 20A of the desiccant wheel 20 to undergo adsorption of moisture in the air to be treated A2′ and turn into dry air A3′. Afterward, the dry air A3′ is discharged from the dehumidifier via a channel (not shown). Meanwhile, a transmission (not shown) positions a water-adsorbed portion of the desiccant wheel 20 in the recycling region 20B where desorption of water is achieved by a heat-drying process. At the beginning of the heat-drying process configured for desorption of water, recycled air is heated up by the compressor 260 (for generating high pressure and high temperature) and the first condenser 262, thereby allowing hot air passes through the desiccant wheel 20 to enable water vapor in the hot air to desorbed, and in consequence the hot air turns into humid hot recycled air B2′. Meanwhile, the humid hot recycled air B2′ turns into humid hot air B3′ The humid hot air B3′ in the second channel is delivered to the heat exchanger 21 and cooled down by the heat exchanger 21, thereby allowing water vapor in the humid hot air B3′ to condense and the humid hot air B3′ to turn into water-desorbed air B4′. Afterward, humid air B5′ decreases in temperature by passing through the evaporator 266 and thereby turns into humid air B6′. Then, the humid air B6′ increases in temperature by passing through the compressor 260. The recycled air B1′ passes through a second condenser 261 and a first condenser 262 and therefore is heated up by the second condenser 261 and the first condenser 262 due to temperature difference therebetween so as for the recycled air B1′ to turn into the hot air B2′; and the cycle continues. Specifically speaking, the working fluid L introduced into the first condenser 261 from the compressor 260 is susceptible to high-temperature condensation (because of a pipe wall surface temperature of 95° C. approximately), and then the working fluid L undergoes low-temperature condensation (because of a pipe wall surface temperature of 50° C. approximately) at the second condenser 262. Then, the working fluid L decreases in temperature and pressure when passing through the expansion valve 264 and the evaporator 266, respectively. Afterward, the working fluid L returns to the compressor 260 to finalize the refrigeration cycle. The recycled air B1′ is heated up by a high-temperature pipe wall configured for high-temperature condensation when passing through the first condenser 261, thereby allowing temperature of the recycled air B1′ to increase by as little as 20° C. (110° C.−90° C.=20° C.) when heated by the electric heater 23. In so doing, the dehumidifier of the present invention excels a conventional dehumidifier in power-saving, because a conventional dehumidifier entails increasing temperature of recycled air by 60° C. (110° C.−50° C.=60° C.) by means of the second condenser 262 directly, thereby reducing power consumption of the electric heater 23 but making no substantive changes in the heat circulation of the refrigeration system.
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The other preferred embodiments of the present invention have the following technical features: the compressor 261 is omitted and is replaced by a heat pipe; the heat transfer element has a closed chamber provided with a condensation end and an evaporation end and internally formed with a capillary structure (functionally equivalent to the expansion valve 264) so as for a working fluid to pass through the capillary structure, wherein the evaporator functioning as an cooling end is positioned at the condensing regions of the second channel, and the condensation end functioning as a heating end is positioned at the heating regions of the second channel. Details of the heat pipe in the other preferred embodiments of the present invention are omitted herein for the sake of brevity, as not only are heat pipes well known by persons skilled, but there is not any difference in the operating principles of the heat pipe between the preferred embodiments.
The foregoing specific embodiments are only illustrative of the features and functions of the present invention but are not intended to restrict the scope of the present invention. It is apparent to those skilled in the art that all equivalent modifications and variations made in the foregoing embodiments according to the spirit and principle in the disclosure of the present invention should fall within the scope of the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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097146901 | Dec 2008 | TW | national |