Humidity controller

Abstract

To provide technique capable of reducing energy necessary for dehumidification in a humidity controller.SOLUTION: A humidity controller includes: a liquid desiccant for absorbing steam in air; a treatment machine for dehumidifying the air by bringing the liquid desiccant into contact with the air; and a regeneration machine which heats the liquid desiccant that has been used for dehumidification in the treatment machine to be in a higher temperature state than when it is in use for dehumidification in the treatment machine, and brings the liquid desiccant into contact with the air, thereby humidifying the air and concentrating the liquid desiccant. The treatment machine includes a first gas-liquid contact unit for bringing a first liquid desiccant into contact with the air, and a second gas-liquid contact unit for bringing the air dehumidified by the first gas-liquid contact unit into contact with a second liquid desiccant of which solute concentration is higher than that of the first liquid desiccant.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a humidity control device. [Background technology]

[0002] Humidity control devices that use a liquid humidity control agent to control humidity have been known for some time. For example, in the humidity control devices described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the liquid humidity control agent is brought into contact with air, so that the liquid humidity control agent absorbs water vapor contained in the air and dehumidifies the air. The liquid humidity control agent used to dehumidify the air is regenerated by being heated and brought into contact with air. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-36093 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2020-6299 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, even with the prior art such as Patent Documents 1 and 2, there is still room for improvement in the technology for reducing the energy required for dehumidification in the humidity control device. For example, in the humidity control devices described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, when the concentration of the liquid humidity control agent used for dehumidification is diluted in order to lower the regeneration temperature of the liquid humidity control agent used for dehumidification, the dehumidification temperature is lowered, and therefore the energy required for cooling the liquid humidity control agent during dehumidification is increased. In addition, when the concentration of the liquid humidity control agent is increased in order to raise the temperature at which dehumidification can be performed, the regeneration temperature of the liquid humidity control agent used for dehumidification is also raised, and therefore the energy required for heating the liquid humidity control agent during regeneration is increased. Therefore, there has been a demand for a technology for reducing the energy required for dehumidification in a humidity control device that uses a liquid humidity control agent to perform humidity control.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a technique for reducing the energy required for dehumidification in a humidity control device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve at least part of the above-mentioned problems, and can be realized in the following forms.

[0007] (1) According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a humidity control device comprising: a liquid humidity control agent that absorbs water vapor in air; a processor that brings the liquid humidity control agent into contact with air to dehumidify the air; and a regenerator that brings the liquid humidity control agent used for dehumidification in the processor into a state where the temperature of the liquid humidity control agent is higher than the temperature of the liquid humidity control agent when used for dehumidification in the processor, and brings the liquid humidity control agent into contact with air to humidify the air and concentrate the liquid humidity control agent, the processor including a first gas-liquid contactor that brings the first liquid humidity control agent into contact with the air, and a second gas-liquid contactor that brings the air dehumidified in the first gas-liquid contactor into contact with a second liquid humidity control agent having a higher solute concentration than the first liquid humidity control agent.

[0008] According to this configuration, the treatment machine that dehumidifies air includes a first gas-liquid contactor and a second gas-liquid contactor that are arranged in series with respect to the air flow. In this way, in the treatment machine, liquid humidity control agents with different concentrations absorb water vapor contained in the air in stages, so that the load on the gas-liquid contactor in dehumidification can be divided, and the dehumidification temperature can be made higher than in single-stage dehumidification. Therefore, the temperature difference between the dehumidification temperature when dehumidifying air in the treatment machine and the regeneration temperature when regenerating the liquid humidity control agent by concentrating it in the regenerator can be reduced, and the energy required for dehumidification can be reduced.

[0009] (2) In the humidity control device of the above aspect, the regenerator may have a third gas-liquid contactor that brings the second liquid humidity control agent used for dehumidifying the air dehumidified in the first gas-liquid contactor to a state where the second liquid humidity control agent is used for dehumidification in the second gas-liquid contactor and brings the air into contact with the second liquid humidity control agent to humidify the air and concentrate the second liquid humidity control agent, and a fourth gas-liquid contactor that brings the first liquid humidity control agent used for dehumidifying the air in the first gas-liquid contactor to a state where the first liquid humidity control agent is used for dehumidification in the first gas-liquid contactor and brings the humidified air in the third gas-liquid contactor into contact with the first liquid humidity control agent to further humidify the air humidified in the third gas-liquid contactor and concentrate the first liquid humidity control agent. According to this configuration, the regenerator that concentrates the liquid humidity control agent includes a third gas-liquid contactor and a fourth gas-liquid contactor that are arranged in series with respect to the air flow. The water vapor contained in the air dehumidified in the treatment machine is absorbed by each of the first liquid humidity control agent and the second liquid humidity control agent, so that the load on the gas-liquid contactors in regenerating the liquid humidity control agent can be divided. This allows the regeneration temperature to be relatively low, further reducing the temperature difference between the dehumidification temperature and the regeneration temperature, and reducing the energy required for dehumidification.

[0010] (3) In the humidity control device of the above embodiment, the regenerator may have a third gas-liquid contactor that brings the second liquid humidity control agent after the air dehumidified in the first gas-liquid contactor into a state where the temperature of the second liquid humidity control agent is higher than that of the second liquid humidity control agent when it is used for dehumidification in the second gas-liquid contactor, and brings the second liquid humidity control agent into contact with the air to humidify the air and concentrate the second liquid humidity control agent, and a fourth gas-liquid contactor that brings the first liquid humidity control agent after the air dehumidified in the first gas-liquid contactor into a state where the temperature of the first liquid humidity control agent after it is used for dehumidification in the first gas-liquid contactor is higher than that of the first liquid humidity control agent when it is used for dehumidification in the first gas-liquid contactor, and brings the first liquid humidity control agent into contact with the air to humidify the air and concentrate the first liquid humidity control agent. According to this configuration, the regenerator that concentrates the liquid humidity control agent includes the third gas-liquid contactor and the fourth gas-liquid contactor, so that the load of the gas-liquid contactor in regenerating the liquid humidity control agent can be divided. In addition, since the third gas-liquid contactor and the fourth gas-liquid contactor are arranged in parallel with respect to the air flow, each of the third gas-liquid contactor and the fourth gas-liquid contactor can concentrate the liquid humidity control agent by humidifying the air that has not been dehumidified. This makes it easier for both the third gas-liquid contactor and the fourth gas-liquid contactor to release moisture contained in the liquid humidity control agent to the air, so that the regeneration temperature can be further lowered. Therefore, the temperature difference between the dehumidification temperature and the regeneration temperature can be further reduced, so that the energy required for dehumidification can be reduced.

[0011] (4) The humidity control device of the above embodiment may further include a heating unit having a hot heat supply unit that supplies a heating medium for heating the liquid humidity control agent to the regenerator, and the heating medium may be supplied to the regenerator so as to heat the second liquid humidity control agent in the third gas-liquid contactor and then heat the first liquid humidity control agent in the fourth gas-liquid contactor. According to this configuration, the heating medium heats the second liquid humidity control agent in the third gas-liquid contactor and then heats the first liquid humidity control agent in the fourth gas-liquid contactor. This allows the second liquid humidity control agent, which has a relatively high solute concentration, to be heated to a higher temperature than the first liquid humidity control agent. Therefore, the dehumidification ability of the second liquid humidity control agent can be reliably restored.

[0012] (5) In the humidity control device of the above aspect, the hot heat supply unit may supply the heating medium heated by solar heat to the regenerator. According to this configuration, the hot heat supply unit supplies the heating medium heated by solar heat, which is a renewable energy, to the regenerator. This makes it possible to reduce the fossil energy required for dehumidification.

[0013] (6) The humidity control device of the above aspect may include a heating unit that heats the liquid humidity control agent, and the heating unit may irradiate the liquid humidity control agent that comes into contact with air in the regenerator with sunlight to bring the liquid humidity control agent to a higher temperature than when the liquid humidity control agent is used for dehumidification in the processor. With this configuration, the liquid humidity control agent can be concentrated in the regenerator even at a temperature that is about the same as when the liquid humidity control agent is heated by solar heat, which is a renewable energy source.

[0014] (7) The humidity control device of the above embodiment may further include a cold heat supply unit that supplies a cold heat medium for cooling the liquid humidity control agent to the processor, and the cold heat medium may be supplied to the processor so as to cool the second liquid humidity control agent in the second gas-liquid contactor and then cool the first liquid humidity control agent in the first gas-liquid contactor. According to this configuration, the cold heat medium cools the second liquid humidity control agent in the second gas-liquid contactor and then cools the first liquid humidity control agent in the first gas-liquid contactor. This allows the temperature of the second liquid humidity control agent to be set to a target temperature, thereby making it possible to set the dehumidified outside air discharged from the processor to a target humidity.

[0015] (8) The humidity control device of the above embodiment may further include a heat exchanger for transferring heat between the liquid humidity control agent remaining after the air has been dehumidified in the processor and the liquid humidity control agent used to humidify the air in the regenerator. With this configuration, heat is exchanged between the liquid humidity control agent discharged from the processor and the liquid humidity control agent discharged from the regenerator, making it possible to effectively utilize the heat contained in the liquid humidity control agent discharged from the regenerator. This makes it possible to further reduce the energy required for dehumidification.

[0016] The present invention can be realized in various forms, for example, in the form of a method for manufacturing a humidity control device, a system including a humidity control device, a control method for these devices and systems, and a computer program for causing dehumidification in these devices and systems. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a humidity control device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a first diagram illustrating a first operation example of the humidity control device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a second diagram illustrating the first operation example of the humidity control device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a third diagram illustrating the first operation example of the humidity control device. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a first diagram illustrating a second operation example of the humidity control device. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a second diagram illustrating a second operation example of the humidity control device. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a first diagram illustrating a third operation example of the humidity control device. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a second diagram illustrating the third operation example of the humidity control device. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a humidity control device according to a comparative example. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a first diagram illustrating an example of operation of a humidity control device of a comparative example. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a second diagram illustrating an example of operation of the humidity control device of the comparative example. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a third diagram illustrating an example of operation of the humidity control device of the comparative example. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a humidity control device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a modified example of the humidity control device of the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a humidity control device 1 of the first embodiment. The humidity control device 1 of this embodiment controls the humidity of gas using a liquid humidity control agent. In this embodiment, the humidity control device 1 dehumidifies outdoor air, which is the air outside the room, and regenerates the liquid humidity control agent used for dehumidification using indoor air, which is the air inside the room. The humidity control device 1 includes a processor 10 that dehumidifies the outdoor air, a regenerator 20 that regenerates the liquid humidity control agent, a first flow path 31 and a second flow path 32 that connect the processor 10 and the regenerator 20, a cooling section 40 that cools the liquid humidity control agent of the processor 10, a heating section 50 that heats the liquid humidity control agent of the regenerator 20, a plurality of heat exchangers 61, 62 provided in the first flow path 31 or the second flow path 32, and a control section 70.

[0019] Here, the liquid humidity control agent used in the humidity control device 1 will be described. The liquid humidity control agent used to dehumidify the outside air in the humidity control device 1 of this embodiment is an aqueous solution containing lithium chloride (LiCl) as a solute. In the liquid humidity control agent of this embodiment, the absolute humidity of the air in the gas-liquid equilibrium state decreases as the lithium chloride concentration increases at the same temperature. In other words, the higher the lithium chloride concentration at the same temperature, the greater the ability of the liquid humidity control agent to absorb water vapor, i.e., the greater the dehumidification ability.

[0020] The treatment machine 10 dehumidifies the outside air by contacting the liquid humidity control agent with the outside air. The treatment machine 10 includes a first gas-liquid contactor 11 and a second gas-liquid contactor 12. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the first gas-liquid contactor 11 and the second gas-liquid contactor 12 are connected in series with respect to the flow of the outside air, and dehumidify the outside air at approximately the same temperature. Here, for convenience, the outside air before being introduced into the first gas-liquid contactor 11 is referred to as outside air g10, the outside air that has come into contact with the liquid humidity control agent in the first gas-liquid contactor 11 is referred to as outside air g11, and the outside air that has come into contact with the liquid humidity control agent in the second gas-liquid contactor 12 is referred to as outside air g12.

[0021] The first gas-liquid contactor 11 has a hollow container 11a, a gas-liquid contact material 11b, and an injection unit 11c. The gas-liquid contact material 11b is a porous material having excellent hydrophilicity and water absorption, such as cellulose. The container 11a has an opening 11d through which the outside air g10 can flow into the container 11a, and an opening through which the outside air g11 can flow out of the container 11a. In this embodiment, the opening 11d is installed, for example, outside the room. The gas-liquid contact material 11b is arranged in the container 11a so that the outside air g10 passing through the opening 11d passes through the inside by driving a blower (not shown). The injection unit 11c is formed so that the liquid humidity control agent can be injected into the gas-liquid contact material 11b. As a result, the outside air passing through the inside of the gas-liquid contact material 11b is dehumidified by contacting with the liquid humidity control agent injected by the injection unit 11c and held in the gas-liquid contact material 11b. The liquid humidity control agent sprayed by the spraying portion 11c comes into contact with the outside air in the gas-liquid contact material 11b, absorbs water vapor contained in the outside air, and then accumulates at the bottom of the container 11a.

[0022] The second gas-liquid contactor 12 has a hollow container 12a, a gas-liquid contact material 12b, and an injection part 12c. The gas-liquid contact material 12b is a porous material with excellent hydrophilicity and water absorption, such as cellulose. The container 12a has an opening 12d through which the outside air g11 can flow into the container 12a, and an opening through which the outside air g13 can flow out from the container 12a. The gas-liquid contact material 12b is disposed in the container 12a so that the outside air passes through the inside. The injection part 12c is formed so that the liquid humidity control agent can be injected into the gas-liquid contact material 12b. As a result, the outside air passing through the inside of the gas-liquid contact material 12b is dehumidified by contacting with the liquid humidity control agent injected by the injection part 12c and held in the gas-liquid contact material 12b. The liquid humidity control agent sprayed by the spraying portion 12c comes into contact with the outside air in the gas-liquid contact material 12b, absorbs water vapor contained in the outside air, and then accumulates at the bottom of the container 12a.

[0023] In this embodiment, in the treatment machine 10, the liquid humidity control agent sprayed by the spray unit 11c of the first gas-liquid contactor 11 and the liquid humidity control agent sprayed by the spray unit 12c of the second gas-liquid contactor 12 have different lithium chloride concentrations. The lithium chloride concentration (second concentration) of the liquid humidity control agent sprayed by the spray unit 12c is greater than the lithium chloride concentration (first concentration) of the liquid humidity control agent sprayed by the spray unit 11c. Hereinafter, the liquid humidity control agent sprayed by the spray unit 11c will be referred to as the "first liquid humidity control agent," and the liquid humidity control agent sprayed by the spray unit 12c will be referred to as the "second liquid humidity control agent."

[0024] The regenerator 20 heats the liquid humidity control agent used in the treatment device 10 to dehumidify the outside air and brings it into contact with the inside air, thereby humidifying the inside air and concentrating the liquid humidity control agent. The regenerator 20 includes a third gas-liquid contactor 23 and a fourth gas-liquid contactor 24. In this embodiment, the third gas-liquid contactor 23 and the fourth gas-liquid contactor 24 are connected in series with respect to the flow of the inside air, and at approximately the same temperature, the inside air is humidified and the liquid humidity control agent is simultaneously concentrated. Here, for the sake of convenience, the inside air before being introduced into the third gas-liquid contactor 23 is referred to as inside air g20, the inside air that has come into contact with the liquid humidity control agent in the third gas-liquid contactor 23 is referred to as inside air g21, and the inside air that has come into contact with the liquid humidity control agent in the fourth gas-liquid contactor 24 is referred to as inside air g22.

[0025] The third gas-liquid contactor 23 has a hollow container 23a, a gas-liquid contact material 23b, and an injection part 23c. The gas-liquid contact material 23b is a porous material having excellent hydrophilicity and water absorption, such as cellulose. The container 23a has an opening 23d through which the inside air g20 can flow into the container 23a, and an opening through which the inside air g21 can flow out from the container 23a. In this embodiment, the opening 23d is installed, for example, inside the room. The gas-liquid contact material 23b is arranged in the container 23a so that the inside air g20 passing through the opening 23d by driving a blower (not shown) passes through the inside. The injection part 23c is formed so that the liquid humidity control agent can be injected into the gas-liquid contact material 23b. As a result, the inside air passing through the inside of the gas-liquid contact material 23b is humidified by contacting with the liquid humidity control agent injected by the injection part 23c and held in the gas-liquid contact material 23b. The liquid humidity control agent sprayed by the spray portion 23c comes into contact with the inside air at the gas-liquid contact material 23b, releases its own moisture into the inside air, and then accumulates at the bottom of the container 23a.

[0026] The fourth gas-liquid contactor 24 has a hollow container 24a, a gas-liquid contact material 24b, and an injection part 24c. The gas-liquid contact material 24b is a porous material with excellent hydrophilicity and water absorption, such as cellulose. The container 24a has an opening 24d through which the inside air g21 can flow into the container 24a and an opening through which the inside air g22 can flow out from the container 24a. The gas-liquid contact material 24b is disposed in the container 24a so that the inside air passes through the inside. The injection part 24c is formed so that the liquid humidity control agent can be injected into the gas-liquid contact material 24b. As a result, the inside air passing through the inside of the gas-liquid contact material 24b is humidified by contacting with the liquid humidity control agent injected by the injection part 24c and held in the gas-liquid contact material 24b. The liquid humidity control agent sprayed by the spraying portion 24c comes into contact with the inside air at the gas-liquid contact material 24b, releases its own moisture into the inside air, and then accumulates at the bottom of the container 24a.

[0027] In this embodiment, the liquid humidity control agent sprayed by the spray unit 23c of the third gas-liquid contactor 23 is the liquid humidity control agent used for dehumidification in the second gas-liquid contactor 12 of the treatment device 10. The liquid humidity control agent sprayed by the spray unit 24c of the fourth gas-liquid contactor 24 is the liquid humidity control agent used for dehumidification in the first gas-liquid contactor 11 of the treatment device 10. The first flow path 31 provided in the humidity control device 1 of this embodiment connects the first gas-liquid contactor 11 and the fourth gas-liquid contactor 24, and the second flow path 32 connects the second gas-liquid contactor 12 and the third gas-liquid contactor 23.

[0028] The first flow path 31 is a flow path through which the first liquid humidity control agent flows, and has a plurality of flow paths 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e, and 31f. The flow path 31a is connected to the bottom of the container 11a of the first gas-liquid contactor 11 and the heat exchanger 61. The flow path 31a is provided with a liquid feed pump 33 that adjusts the flow rate of the first liquid humidity control agent. The flow path 31b is connected to the heat exchanger 61 and the heat exchanger 55. The flow path 31c is connected to the heat exchanger 55 and the injection part 24c of the fourth gas-liquid contactor 24. The flow path 31d is connected to the bottom of the container 24a of the fourth gas-liquid contactor 24 and the heat exchanger 61. The flow path 31d is provided with a liquid feed pump 34 that adjusts the flow rate of the first liquid humidity control agent. The flow path 31e is connected to the heat exchanger 61 and the heat exchanger 45. The flow path 31 f is connected to the heat exchanger 45 and the injection portion 11 c of the first gas-liquid contactor 11 .

[0029] The second flow path 32 is a flow path through which the second liquid humidity control agent flows, and has a plurality of flow paths 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d, 32e, and 32f. The flow path 32a is connected to the bottom of the container 12a of the second gas-liquid contactor 12 and the heat exchanger 62. The flow path 32a is provided with a liquid feed pump 35 that adjusts the flow rate of the second liquid humidity control agent. The flow path 32b is connected to the heat exchanger 62 and the heat exchanger 52. The flow path 32c is connected to the heat exchanger 52 and the injection part 23c of the third gas-liquid contactor 23. The flow path 32d is connected to the bottom of the container 23a of the third gas-liquid contactor 23 and the heat exchanger 62. The flow path 32d is provided with a liquid feed pump 36 that adjusts the flow rate of the second liquid humidity control agent. The flow path 32e is connected to the heat exchanger 62 and the heat exchanger 42. The flow path 32f is connected to the heat exchanger 42 and the injection portion 12c of the second gas-liquid contactor 12.

[0030] The cooling section 40 includes a cold heat source 41, two heat exchangers 42, 45, and two heat exchange sections 43, 44. The cold heat source 41, the two heat exchangers 42, 45, and the two heat exchange sections 43, 44 are connected by a flow path through which a cold heat medium can flow. The cold heat source 41 is, for example, a heat pump or a cooling tower, and generates a cold heat medium. The heat exchanger 42 exchanges heat between the second liquid humidity control agent before being sprayed from the spray section 12c of the second gas-liquid contactor 12 and the cold heat medium. The heat exchanger 45 exchanges heat between the first liquid humidity control agent before being sprayed from the spray section 11c of the first gas-liquid contactor 11 and the cold heat medium. These heat exchanges can reduce the energy required to cool the liquid humidity control agent. The heat exchange section 43 is built into the gas-liquid contact material 12b of the second gas-liquid contactor 12. The heat exchange section 44 is built in the gas-liquid contact material 11b of the first gas-liquid contactor 11. In this embodiment, the cold medium generated by the cold source 41 flows through the heat exchanger 42, the heat exchange section 43, the heat exchange section 44, and the heat exchanger 45 in this order, and returns to the cold source 41.

[0031] The heating section 50 includes a hot heat source 51, two heat exchangers 52, 55, and two heat exchange sections 53, 54. The hot heat source 51, the two heat exchangers 52, 55, and the two heat exchange sections 53, 54 are connected by a flow path through which a heating medium can flow. The hot heat source 51 is, for example, a heat pump or a solar heat receiving device, and generates a heating medium. In this embodiment, the hot heat source 51 uses solar heat to heat the heating medium to be supplied to the regenerator 20. The heat exchanger 52 exchanges heat between the second liquid humidity control agent and the heating medium before being sprayed from the spray section 23c of the third gas-liquid contactor 23. The heat exchanger 55 exchanges heat between the first liquid humidity control agent and the heating medium before being sprayed from the spray section 24c of the fourth gas-liquid contactor 24. These heat exchanges can reduce the energy required to heat the liquid humidity control agent. The heat exchange section 53 is built into the gas-liquid contact material 23b of the third gas-liquid contactor 23. The heat exchange section 54 is built into the gas-liquid contact material 24b of the fourth gas-liquid contactor 24. In this embodiment, the heating medium generated by the hot heat source 51 flows through the heat exchanger 52, the heat exchange section 53, the heat exchange section 54, and the heat exchanger 55 in this order, and returns to the hot heat source 51. The hot heat source 51 and the two heat exchangers 52 and 55 correspond to the "hot heat supply section" recited in the claims.

[0032] The heat exchanger 61 exchanges heat between the first liquid humidity control agent flowing from the first gas-liquid contactor 11 to the fourth gas-liquid contactor 24 and the first liquid humidity control agent flowing from the fourth gas-liquid contactor 24 to the first gas-liquid contactor 11. By the heat exchange in the heat exchanger 61, the temperature of the first liquid humidity control agent flowing from the first gas-liquid contactor 11 to the fourth gas-liquid contactor 24 increases, and the temperature of the first liquid humidity control agent flowing from the fourth gas-liquid contactor 24 to the first gas-liquid contactor 11 decreases. This makes it possible to reduce the energy required for heating the first liquid humidity control agent in the fourth gas-liquid contactor 24 and to reduce the energy required for cooling the first liquid humidity control agent in the first gas-liquid contactor 11.

[0033] The heat exchanger 62 exchanges heat between the second liquid humidity control agent flowing from the second gas-liquid contactor 12 to the third gas-liquid contactor 23 and the second liquid humidity control agent flowing from the third gas-liquid contactor 23 to the second gas-liquid contactor 12. By the heat exchange in the heat exchanger 62, the temperature of the second liquid humidity control agent flowing from the second gas-liquid contactor 12 to the third gas-liquid contactor 23 increases, and the temperature of the second liquid humidity control agent flowing from the third gas-liquid contactor 23 to the second gas-liquid contactor 12 decreases. This makes it possible to reduce the energy required for heating the second liquid humidity control agent in the third gas-liquid contactor 23 and to reduce the energy required for cooling the second liquid humidity control agent in the second gas-liquid contactor 12.

[0034] The control unit 70 is a computer including a ROM, a RAM, and a CPU. The control unit 70 is electrically connected to the liquid pumps 33, 34, 35, and 36, the cooling unit 40, the heating unit 50, and a blower (not shown). The control unit 70 controls the temperature of the liquid humidity control agent by the cooling unit 40 and the heating unit 50 according to a program input in advance, and controls the flow rate of the liquid humidity control agent by the liquid pumps 33, 34, 35, and 36. The control unit 70 also controls the blower to adjust the flow rate of the outside air g10 introduced into the processing machine 10 and the flow rate of the inside air g20 introduced into the regenerator 20.

[0035] Next, a detailed description will be given of the dehumidification method using the humidity control apparatus 1 of this embodiment. The dehumidification method using the humidity control apparatus 1 of this embodiment can be performed, for example, by a person (operator) in a room operating the humidity control apparatus 1 when lowering the humidity in the room.

[0036] When a dehumidification command is input to the control unit 70 by an operator, the control unit 70 drives the liquid pumps 33, 34, 35, 36, the cooling unit 40, the heating unit 50, and the blower. The cooling unit 40 generates a cold medium in the cold heat source 41 and supplies it to the first gas-liquid contactor 11 and the second gas-liquid contactor 12. The heating unit 50 generates a heating medium in the hot heat source 51 and supplies it to the third gas-liquid contactor 23 and the fourth gas-liquid contactor 24. As a result, the gas-liquid contact materials 11b, 12b have a lower temperature than the outside air, for example, and the gas-liquid contact materials 23b, 24b have a higher temperature than the inside air, for example.

[0037] The liquid sending pumps 33 and 34 start the flow of the first liquid humidity control agent in the first flow path 31. The liquid sending pumps 35 and 36 start the flow of the second liquid humidity control agent in the second flow path 32. As a result, the injection units 11c, 12c, 23c, and 24c provided in the four gas-liquid contactors 11, 12, 23, and 24 start injection of the liquid humidity control agent, and the gas-liquid contact materials 11b, 12b, 23b, and 34b become wet with the liquid humidity control agent.

[0038] In the processing machine 10, the outside air g10 is introduced by driving a blower (not shown). The introduced outside air g10 flows through the inside of the gas-liquid contact material 11b of the first gas-liquid contactor 11 and the inside of the gas-liquid contact material 12b of the second gas-liquid contactor 12 in this order, and comes into contact with the liquid humidity control agent in each. Inside the gas-liquid contact material 11b, the outside air g10 comes into contact with the first liquid humidity control agent, so that a part of the water vapor contained in the outside air g10 is absorbed by the first liquid humidity control agent, and becomes the outside air g11. Furthermore, inside the gas-liquid contact material 12b, the outside air g11 comes into contact with the second liquid humidity control agent, so that a part of the water vapor contained in the outside air g11 is absorbed by the second liquid humidity control agent. As a result, the outside air g12 becomes the outside air g12 that is further dehumidified than the outside air g11. The outside air g12 is supplied into the room as supply air. As a result, the humidity in the room can be reduced.

[0039] The first liquid humidity control agent that has come into contact with the outside air g10 in the first gas-liquid contactor 11 has absorbed some of the water vapor contained in the outside air g10, and therefore the lithium chloride concentration has decreased. The first liquid humidity control agent that has come into contact with the outside air g10 is sent to the fourth gas-liquid contactor 24 through the flow paths 31a, 31b, and 31c. The second liquid humidity control agent that has come into contact with the outside air g11 in the second gas-liquid contactor 12 has absorbed some of the water vapor contained in the outside air g11, and therefore the lithium chloride concentration has decreased. The second liquid humidity control agent that has come into contact with the outside air g11 is sent to the third gas-liquid contactor 23 through the flow paths 32a, 32b, and 32c.

[0040] In the regenerator 20, the inside air g20 is introduced by driving a blower (not shown). The introduced inside air g20 flows through the inside of the gas-liquid contact material 23b of the third gas-liquid contactor 23 and the inside of the gas-liquid contact material 24b of the fourth gas-liquid contactor 24 in that order, and comes into contact with the liquid humidity control agent at each stage. Inside the gas-liquid contact material 23b, the second liquid humidity control agent comes into contact with the inside air g20, and some of the water contained in the second liquid humidity control agent is released into the inside air, so that the inside air g20 is humidified and becomes the inside air g21. Meanwhile, the second liquid humidity control agent that has released some of its own water is concentrated, and the lithium chloride concentration increases, so that the dehumidification ability of the second liquid humidity control agent is restored and regenerated. Furthermore, inside the gas-liquid contact material 24b, the first liquid humidity control agent comes into contact with the inside air g21, and some of the water contained in the first liquid humidity control agent is released into the inside air, so that the inside air g21 is humidified and becomes the inside air g22. Meanwhile, the first liquid humidity control agent that has released some of its own water is concentrated, and the lithium chloride concentration of the first liquid humidity control agent increases, so that the dehumidifying ability of the first liquid humidity control agent is restored and regenerated. The inside air g22 is exhausted to the outside of the room as exhaust air.

[0041] The regenerated first liquid humidity control agent passes through the flow paths 31d, 31e, and 31f, and is sprayed from the spray portion 11c of the first gas-liquid contactor 11. This allows the dehumidification of the outside air g10 in the gas-liquid contact material 11b to be continued. The regenerated second liquid humidity control agent passes through the flow paths 32d, 32e, and 32f, and is sprayed from the spray portion 12c of the second gas-liquid contactor 12. This allows the dehumidification of the outside air g11 in the gas-liquid contact material 12b to be continued.

[0042] In the heat exchanger 61, heat exchange is performed between the first liquid humidity control agent, which has been held in the gas-liquid contact material 11b of the first gas-liquid contactor 11 and has been held in the gas-liquid contact material 24b of the fourth gas-liquid contactor 24 and has been held in the gas-liquid contact material 24b of the fourth gas-liquid contactor 24. As a result, the temperature of the first liquid humidity control agent flowing through the flow path 31b is higher than when it is flowing through the flow path 31a, and the temperature of the first liquid humidity control agent flowing through the flow path 31e is lower than when it is flowing through the flow path 31d. Therefore, the energy required to change the temperature to the required level can be reduced in both the regeneration of the first liquid humidity control agent flowing through the flow path 31d and the dehumidification by the first liquid humidity control agent flowing through the flow path 31e.

[0043] In the heat exchanger 62, heat exchange is performed between the second liquid humidity control agent, which has been held in the gas-liquid contact material 12b of the second gas-liquid contactor 12 and has been held in the gas-liquid contact material 23b of the third gas-liquid contactor 23 and has been held in the gas-liquid contact material 23b of the third gas-liquid contactor 23. As a result, the temperature of the second liquid humidity control agent flowing through the flow path 32b is higher than when it is flowing through the flow path 32a, and the temperature of the second liquid humidity control agent flowing through the flow path 32e is lower than when it is flowing through the flow path 32d. Therefore, the energy required to change the temperature to the required level can be reduced in both the regeneration of the second liquid humidity control agent flowing through the flow path 32d and the dehumidification by the second liquid humidity control agent flowing through the flow path 32e.

[0044] Next, a number of operational examples of the humidity control apparatus 1 of this embodiment will be described. Here, the operational examples of the humidity control apparatus 1 will be described using specific numerical values ​​in an xy diagram representing gas-liquid equilibrium.

[0045] FIG. 2 is a first diagram for explaining a first operation example of the humidity control device 1 of this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a second diagram for explaining a first operation example of the humidity control device 1 of this embodiment. FIG. 2 shows the relationship between the solution temperature and absolute humidity in each of dehumidification in the processor 10 and humidification (regeneration) in the regenerator 20 in an xy diagram showing the gas-liquid equilibrium on the psychrometric chart of the lithium chloride aqueous solution. FIG. 3 shows the amount of water absorbed from the outside air in the processor 10 and the amount of water released (regenerated amount) from the liquid humidity control agent in the regenerator 20 to the inside air in an xy diagram showing the gas-liquid equilibrium. In FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, relative humidities of 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 100% are indicated by dashed lines L20, L30, L40, L50, L60, L70, and L80, and a solid line L100, respectively.

[0046] The operating conditions of the first operation example of the humidity control device 1 shown in FIGS. Outside air: Temperature 35°C, relative humidity 60% (point P10 shown in Figures 2 and 3) Inside air: Temperature 25°C, relative humidity 50% (point P20 shown in Figures 2 and 3) Absolute humidity of air supplied to the room: 5.6g / kg (equivalent to 30% relative humidity at 25°C) Lithium chloride concentration of the first liquid moisture control agent: 31% Lithium chloride concentration of the second liquid moisture control agent: 38.5% Cold source temperature: 29.5℃ (dehumidification temperature) Heat source temperature: 45℃ (playback temperature) 2 and 3, in the xy diagram, the gas-liquid equilibrium line of a liquid humidity control agent having a lithium chloride concentration of 31% is indicated by a solid line C31, and the gas-liquid equilibrium line of a liquid humidity control agent having a lithium chloride concentration of 38.5% is indicated by a solid line C38.5.

[0047] In the processing machine 10, first, the outside air is dehumidified using a first liquid humidity control agent with a lithium chloride concentration of 31%. Specifically, the outside air is dehumidified by contacting with the first liquid humidity control agent cooled to 29.5°C by the cooling unit 40, and the relative humidity becomes 39.8% (dotted arrow D11 and point P11 shown in FIG. 2). At this time, as shown in FIG. 3, the first liquid humidity control agent absorbs 11.2 g / kg of water vapor from the outside air.

[0048] In the processing machine 10, the second liquid humidity control agent having a lithium chloride concentration of 38.5% is then used to further dehumidify the outside air dehumidified by the first liquid humidity control agent. Specifically, the outside air dehumidified by the first liquid humidity control agent (point P11 shown in FIG. 2) is dehumidified by contacting with the second liquid humidity control agent cooled to 29.5°C by the cooling unit 40 in the same manner as in the dehumidification by the first liquid humidity control agent, and the relative humidity becomes 22.0% (dotted arrow D12 and point P12 shown in FIG. 2). At this time, as shown in FIG. 3, the second liquid humidity control agent absorbs 4.6 g / kg of water vapor from the outside air. The outside air dehumidified to a relative humidity of 22.0% is supplied into the room at an air temperature of 25°C (point P13 shown in FIG. 2).

[0049] In the regenerator 20, first, the second liquid humidity control agent used to dehumidify the outside air is regenerated. Specifically, by contacting the inside air with the second liquid humidity control agent heated to 45°C by the heating unit 50 after dehumidifying the outside air, a part of the moisture contained in the second liquid humidity control agent used to dehumidify the outside air is released into the inside air, and the relative humidity of the inside air becomes 23.7% (dotted arrow D21 and point P21 shown in FIG. 2). The second liquid humidity control agent used to dehumidify the outside air, which has released a part of the moisture into the inside air, is concentrated and regenerated by recovering its dehumidification ability. At this time, as shown in FIG. 3, 4.4 g / kg of water vapor is released into the inside air from the second liquid humidity control agent used to dehumidify the outside air.

[0050] In the regenerator 20, the first liquid humidity control agent used to dehumidify the outside air is then regenerated. Specifically, the first liquid humidity control agent heated to 45° C. by the heating unit 50 after dehumidifying the outside air is brought into contact with the inside air humidified by the second liquid humidity control agent used to dehumidify the outside air (point P21 shown in FIG. 2), so that a part of the moisture contained in the first liquid humidity control agent used to dehumidify the outside air is released into the inside air, and the relative humidity of the inside air becomes 41.4% (dotted arrow D22 and point P22 shown in FIG. 2). The first liquid humidity control agent used to dehumidify the outside air, which has released a part of the moisture into the inside air, is concentrated and regenerated by recovering its dehumidification ability. At this time, as shown in FIG. 3, 11.1 g / kg of water vapor is released into the inside air from the second liquid humidity control agent used to dehumidify the outside air.

[0051] FIG. 4 is a third diagram for explaining a first operation example of the humidity control device 1 of this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the balance of absorption and release of water vapor in the first operation example by the humidity control device 1 of this embodiment described in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. Under the operating conditions in the first operation example, when looking at the system of "first stage dehumidification" in the first gas-liquid contactor 11 and "second stage regeneration" in the fourth gas-liquid contactor 24 for the first liquid humidity control agent, 11.2 g / kg is absorbed in the "first stage dehumidification" and 11.1 g / kg is released in the "second stage regeneration". When looking at the system of "second stage dehumidification" in the second gas-liquid contactor 12 and "first stage regeneration" in the third gas-liquid contactor 23 for the second liquid humidity control agent, 4.6 kg / kg is absorbed in the "second stage dehumidification" and 4.4 g / kg is released in the "first stage regeneration". That is, it is understood that the balance between absorption and release of water vapor in the first operation example of the humidity control apparatus 1 is approximately balanced.

[0052] Next, as a second operation example of the humidity control device 1 of this embodiment, an operation example under operating conditions where the dehumidification temperature is relatively high will be described. As the second operation example, for example, the device is operated so that the outside air temperature and the dehumidification temperature are the same so that heat can be dissipated to the outside air. This makes it almost unnecessary to cool the liquid humidity control agent in the processor 10, thereby reducing the energy required for dehumidification.

[0053] FIG. 5 is the first diagram for explaining a second operation example of the humidity control device of this embodiment. FIG. 5 shows an xy diagram representing the vapor-liquid equilibrium on the psychrometric chart of the lithium chloride aqueous solution, which is the same as FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 described above. In the humidity control device 1, in order to make the outside air temperature and the dehumidification temperature the same and to make the absolute humidity after dehumidification equivalent to the relative humidity of 29% at an air temperature of 20°C, it is necessary to make the lithium chloride concentration of the liquid humidity control agent about 42%. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, in the second operation example, the lithium chloride concentration of the second liquid humidity control agent is set to 42% (line C42 in FIG. 5) and the lithium chloride concentration of the first liquid humidity control agent is set to 35.2% (line C35.2 in FIG. 5), and the regeneration temperature at which the balance between the absorption and release of water vapor is balanced is calculated.

[0054] In the xy diagram shown in FIG. 5, the outside air P10, the outside air P11 during the first stage dehumidification, and the outside air P12 during the second stage dehumidification are set to the same temperature (air temperature 35° C.). For example, in a humidity control device in which the treatment device and the regenerator each have only one gas-liquid contactor, when the lithium chloride concentration of the liquid humidity control agent is 42%, a regeneration temperature of 60° C. or more is required. However, in the humidity control device 1 of this embodiment, the first liquid humidity control agent and the second liquid humidity control agent can be regenerated by setting the regeneration temperature of the first liquid humidity control agent and the second liquid humidity control agent to 50.5° C. as shown in FIG. 5. Therefore, the dehumidification temperature can be increased without increasing the regeneration temperature.

[0055] FIG. 6 is a second diagram for explaining a second operation example of the humidity control device of this embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the balance of absorption and release of water vapor in the second operation example described in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 6, when looking at the system of "first stage dehumidification" in the first gas-liquid contactor 11 and "second stage regeneration" in the fourth gas-liquid contactor 24 for the first liquid humidity control agent, 11.0 g / kg is absorbed and 10.9 g / kg is released. When looking at the system of "second stage dehumidification" in the second gas-liquid contactor 12 and "first stage regeneration" in the third gas-liquid contactor 23 for the second liquid humidity control agent, 4.7 g / kg is absorbed and 4.6 g / kg is released. That is, it can be seen that the balance of absorption and release of water vapor in the second operation example by the humidity control device 1 is almost balanced.

[0056] Next, as a third operation example of the humidity control device 1 of this embodiment, an operation example under operating conditions where the regeneration temperature is relatively low will be described. As the third operation example, for example, operation is performed so that the room temperature and the dehumidification temperature are the same.

[0057] FIG. 7 is the first diagram for explaining a third operation example of the humidity control device 1 of this embodiment. FIG. 7 shows an xy diagram representing the vapor-liquid equilibrium on the psychrometric chart of the lithium chloride aqueous solution, which is the same as FIG. 5 described above. In the humidity control device 1, the room temperature and the dehumidification temperature are set to the same temperature, and the absolute humidity after dehumidification is set to the same relative humidity of 29% at an air temperature of 20° C., so that the lithium chloride concentration of the first liquid humidity control agent is set to 26.5% (line C26.5 in FIG. 7) and the lithium chloride concentration of the second liquid humidity control agent is set to 35% (line C35 in the diagram). Under these operating conditions, the regeneration temperature at which the balance between the absorption and release of water vapor is balanced was calculated.

[0058] In the xy diagram shown in FIG. 7, the outside air P11 during the first stage dehumidification, the outside air P12 during the second stage dehumidification, and the supply air P13 are at the same temperature (air temperature 25°C). For example, in a humidity control device in which the treatment machine and the regenerator each have only one gas-liquid contactor, when the lithium chloride concentration of the liquid humidity control agent is 35%, the regeneration temperature is 50°C or higher and the dehumidification temperature is 16°C or lower. However, in the humidity control device 1 of this embodiment, the regeneration temperature of the first liquid humidity control agent and the second liquid humidity control agent is set to 40.5°C as shown in FIG. 7, so that the first liquid humidity control agent and the second liquid humidity control agent can be regenerated. Therefore, the regeneration temperature can be lowered while maintaining the dehumidification temperature.

[0059] FIG. 8 is a second diagram for explaining the third operation example of the humidity control device 1 of this embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the balance of absorption and release of water vapor in the third operation example described in FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 8, when looking at the system of "first stage dehumidification" in the first gas-liquid contactor 11 and "second stage regeneration" in the fourth gas-liquid contactor 24 for the first liquid humidity control agent, 11.1 g / kg is absorbed and 11.2 g / kg is regenerated. When looking at the system of "second stage dehumidification" in the second gas-liquid contactor 12 and "first stage regeneration" in the third gas-liquid contactor 23 for the second liquid humidity control agent, 4.6 g / kg is absorbed and 4.7 g / kg is released. That is, it can be seen that the balance of absorption and release of water vapor in the third operation example by the humidity control device 1 is almost balanced.

[0060] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a humidity control device 9 of a comparative example. Here, the problem of the humidity control device 9 of the comparative example will be described. The humidity control device 9 of the comparative example includes a processor 91 that dehumidifies the outside air, a regenerator 92 that regenerates the liquid humidity control agent, a flow path 93 that connects the processor 91 and the regenerator 92, a cooling section 94a that cools the liquid humidity control agent, a heating section 94b that heats the liquid humidity control agent, a plurality of heat exchangers 95a, 95b, and 95c provided in the flow path 93, and a control section 96. As shown in FIG. 9, each of the processor 91 and the regenerator 92 has one gas-liquid contactor 91a, 92a, which is a so-called single-stage humidity control device. In the humidity control device 9 of the comparative example, the liquid humidity control agent dehumidifies the outside air g10 in the gas-liquid contactor 91a of the processor 91. After the liquid humidity control agent dehumidifies the outside air g10, it is sent to a regenerator 92 via a flow path 93, where it is heated in a gas-liquid contactor 92a and comes into contact with the inside air g20, thereby humidifying the inside air g20 and concentrating itself, thereby being regenerated.

[0061] FIG. 10 is a first diagram for explaining an operation example of the humidity control device 9 of the comparative example. FIG. 10 shows an xy diagram showing the gas-liquid equilibrium on the psychrometric chart of the lithium chloride aqueous solution. FIG. 10 shows with a solid line C35 the state of air in equilibrium with the liquid humidity control agent with a lithium chloride concentration of 35% used in the humidity control device 9 of the comparative example shown in FIG. 9. The operating conditions of the humidity control device 9 of the comparative example shown in FIG. 10 are as follows. Outside air: Temperature 35°C, relative humidity 60% (point P90 shown in Figure 10) Inside: Temperature 25°C, relative humidity 50% (point P92 in Figure 10) Temperature of liquid moisture control agent on the processor side: 25℃ (dehumidification temperature) Temperature of liquid moisture control agent on regenerator side: 50℃ (regeneration temperature)

[0062] As shown in FIG. 10, in the processor 91, the outside air (point P90 shown in FIG. 10) is sufficiently contacted with the liquid humidity control agent in the gas-liquid contactor 91a to become supply air in a gas-liquid equilibrium state (point P91 shown in FIG. 10). The supply air is supplied indoors as air with a temperature of 25° C. and a relative humidity of 29%. At this time, the liquid humidity control agent absorbs 15.7 g / kg of water vapor from the outside air, and dehumidification of 4.1 g / kg, which is the humidity difference between the inside air and the supply air, is performed indoors. In the regenerator 92, the inside air (point P92 shown in FIG. 10) is sufficiently contacted with the liquid humidity control agent in the gas-liquid contactor 92a to become exhaust air in a gas-liquid equilibrium state (point P93 shown in FIG. 10). The exhaust air is discharged to the outside as air with a temperature of 50° C. and a humidity of 32%. At this time, the liquid humidity control agent releases 15.5 g / kg of moisture into the exhaust air, thereby concentrating itself and regenerating.

[0063] In the humidity control device 9 of the comparative example, when dehumidifying until the absolute humidity becomes 5.6 g / kg, the dehumidification temperature is 25° C. and the regeneration temperature is 50° C. (see FIG. 10). Therefore, the humidity control device 9 of the comparative example requires a relatively large temperature difference (25 degrees).

[0064] On the other hand, in the humidity control device 1 of this embodiment, by using liquid humidity control agents with different solute concentrations in each of the two gas-liquid contactors provided in the treatment machine 10 and the regenerator 20, the dehumidification temperature becomes 29.5° C. and the regeneration temperature becomes 45° C., as explained in Fig. 2. In other words, the humidity control device 1 of this embodiment can increase the dehumidification temperature while decreasing the regeneration temperature, so that dehumidification and regeneration can be performed even with a relatively small temperature difference (15.5° C.).

[0065] FIG. 11 is a second diagram for explaining an operation example of the humidity control device 9 of the comparative example. FIG. 11 shows an operation example of the humidity control device 9 of the comparative example when the solute concentration of the liquid humidity control agent is reduced. As shown in FIG. 11, for example, by changing the lithium chloride concentration of the liquid humidity control agent from 35% (line C35 in FIG. 11) to 30% (line C30 in FIG. 11), the regeneration temperature of the liquid humidity control agent can be reduced from 50° C. (point P93a in FIG. 11) to 44° C. (point P93b in FIG. 11) in the humidity control device 9 of the comparative example. However, the dehumidification temperature also needs to be reduced from 25° C. (point P91a in FIG. 11) to 19° C. (point P91b in FIG. 11). Therefore, in the humidity control device 9 of the comparative example, even if the lithium chloride concentration of the liquid humidity control agent is reduced, the temperature difference between the dehumidification temperature and the regeneration temperature does not change significantly, and therefore the energy required for dehumidification does not decrease significantly.

[0066] FIG. 12 is a third diagram for explaining an operation example of the humidity control device 9 of the comparative example. FIG. 12 shows an operation example of the humidity control device 9 of the comparative example when the solute concentration of the liquid humidity control agent is increased. As shown in FIG. 12, for example, by changing the lithium chloride concentration of the liquid humidity control agent from 35% (line C35 in FIG. 12) to 40% (line C40 in FIG. 12), the dehumidification temperature can be increased from 25° C. (point P91c in FIG. 12) to 31° C. (point P91d in FIG. 12). However, the regeneration temperature also needs to be increased from 50° C. (point P93c in FIG. 12) to 58° C. (point P93d in FIG. 12). Therefore, in the humidity control device 9 of the comparative example, even if the lithium chloride concentration of the liquid humidity control agent is increased, the temperature difference between the dehumidification temperature and the regeneration temperature does not change significantly, and the energy required for dehumidification does not decrease significantly.

[0067] On the other hand, in the humidity control device 1 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the gas-liquid contactors provided in each of the treatment device 10 for dehumidification and the regenerator 20 for regeneration are multi-staged. In addition, the humidity control device 1 is provided with two systems, a first flow path 31 and a second flow path 32, through which a first liquid humidity control agent and a second liquid humidity control agent with different solute concentrations flow, as flow paths through which the liquid humidity control agent flows. In the treatment device 10, two gas-liquid contactors 11 and 12 are connected in series to the flow of the outside air g10, and in the regenerator 20, two gas-liquid contactors 23 and 24 are connected in series to the flow of the inside air g20. The first liquid humidity control agent with a relatively low solute concentration flows through the gas-liquid contactor 11, which is located upstream of the flow of the outside air g10 among the two gas-liquid contactors 11 and 12, and the gas-liquid contactor 24, which is located downstream of the flow of the inside air g20 among the two gas-liquid contactors 23 and 24. A first liquid humidity control agent having a higher solute concentration than the first liquid humidity control agent flows through the gas-liquid contactor 12, which is located downstream of the flow of outside air g10 among the two gas-liquid contactors 11, 12, and the gas-liquid contactor 23, which is located upstream of the flow of inside air g20 among the two gas-liquid contactors 23, 24. With this configuration, in the humidity control device 1 of this embodiment, the load during dehumidification of air and regeneration of the liquid humidity control agent can be divided into two systems with different solution concentrations, so that the temperature difference between the dehumidification temperature and the regeneration temperature can be reduced.

[0068] In the humidity control device 1 of this embodiment, the first liquid humidity control agent in the first gas-liquid contactor 11 first performs dehumidification in the processor 10, and then the second liquid humidity control agent in the second gas-liquid contactor 12 dehumidifies the water vapor that was not completely dehumidified in the gas-liquid contactor 11. In the regenerator 20, the second liquid humidity control agent is regenerated in the third gas-liquid contactor 23, and the first liquid humidity control agent is regenerated in the fourth gas-liquid contactor 24. Since the gas-liquid equilibrium humidity of the second liquid humidity control agent is lower than that of the first liquid humidity control agent, when the liquid humidity control agents are regenerated at the same temperature as in the humidity control device 1 of this embodiment, the regeneration of the first liquid humidity control agent can be performed continuously following the regeneration of the second liquid humidity control agent.

[0069] According to the humidity control device 1 of the present embodiment described above, the treatment machine 10 that brings the liquid humidity control agent into contact with the outside air to dehumidify the outside air includes the first gas-liquid contactor 11 and the second gas-liquid contactor 12 that are arranged in series with respect to the flow of the outside air. In the second gas-liquid contactor 12, the second liquid humidity control agent having a higher lithium chloride concentration than the first liquid humidity control agent that dehumidifies the air in the first gas-liquid contactor 11 further dehumidifies the outside air dehumidified in the first gas-liquid contactor 11. As a result, in the treatment machine 10, the water vapor contained in the outside air is absorbed in stages by the liquid humidity control agents with different concentrations, so that the load in dehumidification can be divided between the gas-liquid contactors 11 and 12, and the dehumidification temperature can be made higher than in dehumidification in a single stage. Therefore, the temperature difference between the dehumidification temperature when the outside air is dehumidified in the processor 10 and the regeneration temperature when the liquid dehumidifier is regenerated by concentrating it in the regenerator 20 can be reduced, thereby reducing the energy required for dehumidification.

[0070] According to the humidity control device 1 of the present embodiment, the regenerator 20, which heats the liquid humidity control agent and brings it into contact with the inside air to concentrate the liquid humidity control agent, includes a third gas-liquid contactor 23 and a fourth gas-liquid contactor 24 arranged in series with respect to the flow of the inside air. The water vapor contained in the outside air dehumidified in the treatment device 10 is absorbed by each of the first liquid humidity control agent and the second liquid humidity control agent. This allows the load of the gas-liquid contactor in the regeneration of the liquid humidity control agent to be divided between the fourth gas-liquid contactor 24 that regenerates the first liquid humidity control agent and the third gas-liquid contactor 23 that regenerates the second liquid humidity control agent. Therefore, the regeneration temperature of the liquid humidity control agent can be made relatively low, so that the temperature difference between the dehumidification temperature and the regeneration temperature is further reduced, and the energy required for dehumidification can be reduced.

[0071] The humidity control device 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a heating unit 50 having a heat source 51 that generates a heating medium for heating the liquid humidity control agent and supplies the generated heating medium to the regenerator 20. The heating medium generated in the heat source 51 heats the second liquid humidity control agent in the third gas-liquid contactor 23, and is then supplied to the regenerator 20 to heat the first liquid humidity control agent in the fourth gas-liquid contactor 24. As a result, the second liquid humidity control agent, which has a relatively high lithium chloride concentration, is heated to a higher temperature than the first liquid humidity control agent. Therefore, the dehumidification ability of the second liquid humidity control agent can be reliably restored.

[0072] Furthermore, according to the humidity control device 1 of this embodiment, the heat source 51 supplies the heating medium heated by solar heat to the regenerator 20. Since the humidity control device 1 can set the regeneration temperature relatively low, the liquid humidity control agent can be regenerated in the regenerator 20 even with a relatively low-temperature heating medium heated by solar heat, which is a renewable energy. This eliminates the need for energy required for heating in the regenerator 20, making it possible to reduce the fossil energy required for dehumidification.

[0073] Furthermore, according to the humidity control device 1 of this embodiment, the cold medium cools the second liquid humidity control agent in the second gas-liquid contactor 12, and then cools the first liquid humidity control agent in the first gas-liquid contactor 11. This allows the temperature of the second liquid humidity control agent to be set to a target temperature, and therefore the dehumidified outside air (supply air) supplied from the treatment machine 10 to the room can be set to a target humidity.

[0074] The humidity control device 1 of this embodiment also includes heat exchangers 61 and 62 that exchange heat between the liquid humidity control agent discharged from the processor 10 and the liquid humidity control agent discharged from the regenerator 20. The liquid humidity control agent discharged from the processor 10 is at a relatively low temperature, but needs to be at a high temperature when regenerated, and therefore needs to be heated in the regenerator 20. Thus, by providing the heat exchangers 61 and 62, the liquid humidity control agent sent from the processor 10 to the regenerator 20 can be heated to some extent by the heat of the liquid humidity control agent sent from the regenerator 20 to the processor 10, making it possible to effectively utilize the heat. This allows the energy required for dehumidification to be further reduced.

[0075] <Second embodiment> Fig. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a humidity control apparatus according to a second embodiment. Compared with the humidity control apparatus 1 (Fig. 1) according to the first embodiment, a humidity control apparatus 2 according to the second embodiment differs in a gas-liquid contactor into which inside air is introduced in the regenerator.

[0076] The humidity control device 2 of this embodiment comprises a treatment unit 10 that dehumidifies outside air, a regenerator 80 that regenerates a liquid humidity control agent, a first flow path 31 and a second flow path 32 connecting the treatment unit 10 and the regenerator 80, a cooling section 40 that cools the liquid humidity control agent in the treatment unit 10, a heating section 50 that heats the liquid humidity control agent in the regenerator 80, a plurality of heat exchangers 61, 62 provided in the first flow path 31 or the second flow path 32, and a control unit 70.

[0077] The regenerator 80 heats the liquid humidity control agent used to dehumidify the outside air in the processor 10 and brings it into contact with the inside air to humidify the inside air and to concentrate the liquid humidity control agent. The regenerator 80 includes a third gas-liquid contactor 23 and a fourth gas-liquid contactor 24.

[0078] In the regenerator 80, the inside air g20 is introduced into each of the third gas-liquid contactor 23 and the fourth gas-liquid contactor 24. Specifically, in the third gas-liquid contactor 23, the inside air g20 comes into contact with the second liquid humidity control agent that is sprayed by the spray unit 23c and held in the gas-liquid contact material 23b, and is humidified. The inside air g23 humidified in the third gas-liquid contactor 23 is exhausted to the outside. In the fourth gas-liquid contactor 24, the inside air g20 comes into contact with the first liquid humidity control agent that is sprayed by the spray unit 24c and held in the gas-liquid contact material 24b, and is humidified. The inside air g24 humidified in the fourth gas-liquid contactor 24 is exhausted to the outside.

[0079] According to the humidity control device 2 of the present embodiment described above, the processor 10 that brings the liquid humidity control agent into contact with the outside air to dehumidify the outside air includes the first gas-liquid contactor 11 and the second gas-liquid contactor 12 that are arranged in series with respect to the flow of the outside air. This allows the processor 10 to divide the load of the gas-liquid contactors 11 and 12 in dehumidification, thereby making it possible to reduce the temperature difference between the dehumidification temperature and the regeneration temperature. This allows the energy required for dehumidification to be reduced.

[0080] Moreover, according to the humidity control device 2 of this embodiment, the regenerator 20 that concentrates the liquid humidity control agent includes the third gas-liquid contactor 23 and the fourth gas-liquid contactor 24, so that the load of the gas-liquid contactor in the regeneration of the liquid humidity control agent can be divided. Furthermore, since the third gas-liquid contactor 23 and the fourth gas-liquid contactor 24 are arranged in parallel with respect to the flow of the inside air, each of the third gas-liquid contactor 23 and the fourth gas-liquid contactor 24 can concentrate the liquid humidity control agent by humidifying the inside air having a relatively low humidity. As a result, in both the third gas-liquid contactor 23 and the fourth gas-liquid contactor 24, the moisture contained in the liquid humidity control agent is easily released into the air, so that the regeneration temperature can be further lowered. Therefore, the temperature difference between the dehumidification temperature and the regeneration temperature can be further reduced, so that the energy required for dehumidification can be reduced.

[0081] <Modifications of this embodiment> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the following modifications are also possible.

[0082] [Variation 1] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the humidity control device includes a processor that dehumidifies the outside air, a regenerator that regenerates the liquid humidity control agent, a flow path connecting the processor and the regenerator, a cooling unit that cools the liquid humidity control agent of the processor, a heating unit that heats the liquid humidity control agent of the regenerator, a plurality of heat exchangers provided in the flow path, and a control unit. However, the configuration of the humidity control device is not limited to this. The cooling unit and the heat exchanger may be omitted. Also, even if there is no cooling unit and no heating unit, it is sufficient that the temperature of the liquid humidity control agent of the regenerator can be made higher than that of the liquid humidity control agent of the processor.

[0083] [Variation 2] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the processor and the regenerator each have two gas-liquid contactors. The number of gas-liquid contactors in the processor or the regenerator is not limited to this. The processor may have two or more gas-liquid contactors, and may have three or more gas-liquid contactors. The number of gas-liquid contactors in the processor and the number of gas-liquid contactors in the regenerator may be different.

[0084] [Variation 3] In the above embodiment, the heating medium supplied to the regenerator by the heat source flows from the upstream gas-liquid contactor (the third gas-liquid contactor) to the downstream gas-liquid contactor (the fourth gas-liquid contactor) with respect to the flow of the inside air. The order in which the heating medium flows is not limited to this.

[0085] [Variation 4] In the above embodiment, the cold medium supplied to the treatment device by the cold source flows from the downstream gas-liquid contactor (second gas-liquid contactor) to the upstream gas-liquid contactor (first gas-liquid contactor) with respect to the flow of outside air. The order in which the cold medium flows is not limited to this.

[0086] [Variation 5] In the above embodiment, in order to increase the temperature of the liquid humidity control agent in the regenerator, the liquid humidity control agent is heated using a heating medium generated by a hot heat source and a heat exchanger. However, the method of increasing the temperature of the liquid humidity control agent is not limited to this. For example, the liquid humidity control agent may be irradiated with sunlight and directly heated by solar heat, or the liquid humidity control agent may be directly heated by a heater or the like without using a heating medium. Also, only a heat exchanger may be provided as a supply source of the heating medium. Furthermore, when two gas-liquid contactors are provided as in the above embodiment, two gas-liquid contactors may be arranged in parallel with respect to the flow of the hot heat medium. Similarly, in the treatment machine, in order to lower the temperature of the liquid humidity control agent, the liquid humidity control agent may be directly cooled by a cooling tower or the like without using a cold heat medium, or only a heat exchanger may be provided as a supply source of the cold heat medium, or when two gas-liquid contactors are provided as in the above embodiment, two gas-liquid contactors may be arranged in parallel with respect to the flow of the cold heat medium.

[0087] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a modification of the humidity control device of the first embodiment. In the humidity control device 1 shown in FIG. 145, a light receiving unit 56 is provided between the heat exchanger 62 and the ejection unit 23c of the third gas-liquid contactor 23, which irradiates the sunlight S1 to make the second liquid humidity control agent in a state where it is at a higher temperature than when it is used for dehumidification in the processing device 10. A light receiving unit 57 is provided between the heat exchanger 61 and the ejection unit 24c of the fourth gas-liquid contactor 24, which irradiates the sunlight S1 to make the first liquid humidity control agent in a state where it is at a higher temperature than when it is used for dehumidification in the processing device 10. In the modification of the humidity control device 1 shown in FIG. 14, the liquid humidity control agent is heated by irradiating the sunlight S1 to the liquid humidity control agent. As a result, the humidity control device 1 can concentrate the liquid humidity control agent in the regenerator 20 even at a temperature that is heated by solar heat, which is renewable energy. The light receiving units 56 and 57 correspond to the "heating unit" described in the claims.

[0088] [Variation 6] In the above-described embodiment, the humidity control device regenerates the liquid humidity control agent used for dehumidification by using indoor air, which is the air inside the room. The air for regenerating the liquid humidity control agent is not limited to indoor air, and regeneration may be performed by using outdoor air.

[0089] [Variation 7] In the above embodiment, the liquid humidity control agent is an aqueous solution containing lithium chloride (LiCl) as a solute. However, the type of liquid humidity control agent is not limited to this. Any liquid that generally has a moisture absorbing effect, such as an ionic liquid, may be used.

[0090] [Variation 8] In the above embodiment, the treatment device dehumidifies the outside air by bringing the liquid humidity control agent into contact with the outside air. The treatment device may be a dehumidifier for circulating indoor air that dehumidifies the indoor air by bringing the liquid humidity control agent into contact with the indoor air.

[0091] Although the present aspect has been described above based on the embodiment and modified examples, the above-mentioned embodiment of the aspect is intended to facilitate understanding of the present aspect and does not limit the present aspect. The present aspect may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and equivalents are included in the present aspect. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it may be deleted as appropriate.

[0092] <Application example 1> A humidity control device, comprising: A liquid humidity control agent that absorbs water vapor in the air; a treatment machine that brings the liquid humidity control agent into contact with air to dehumidify the air; a regenerator that brings the liquid humidity control agent used for dehumidification in the processor into a state where the liquid humidity control agent is at a higher temperature than the liquid humidity control agent used for dehumidification in the processor, and brings the liquid humidity control agent into contact with air, thereby humidifying the air and concentrating the liquid humidity control agent; The processor comprises: a first gas-liquid contactor that brings the liquid humidity control agent into contact with air; and a second gas-liquid contactor that brings the air dehumidified in the first gas-liquid contactor into contact with a second liquid humidity control agent having a higher solute concentration than the first liquid humidity control agent. Humidity control device. <Application example 2> The humidity control device according to Application Example 1, The regenerator includes: a second liquid humidity control agent used for dehumidifying the air dehumidified in the first gas-liquid contactor; and a third gas-liquid contactor which is kept at a higher temperature than when the second gas-liquid contactor is used for dehumidification and contacts the air to humidify the air and concentrate the second liquid humidity control agent; a fourth gas-liquid contactor which is kept at a higher temperature than when the first gas-liquid contactor is used for dehumidifying air in the first gas-liquid contactor and which contacts the humidified air in the third gas-liquid contactor with the first liquid humidity control agent used for dehumidifying air in the first gas-liquid contactor, thereby further humidifying the air humidified in the third gas-liquid contactor and concentrating the first liquid humidity control agent; Humidity control device. <Application example 3> The humidity control device according to Application Example 1, The regenerator includes: a third gas-liquid contactor that brings the second liquid humidity control agent used for dehumidifying the air dehumidified in the first gas-liquid contactor into a state where the second liquid humidity control agent is at a higher temperature than when the second liquid humidity control agent is used for dehumidification in the second gas-liquid contactor, and brings the second liquid humidity control agent into contact with air, thereby humidifying the air and concentrating the second liquid humidity control agent; and a fourth gas-liquid contactor that brings the first liquid humidity control agent used for dehumidifying the air in the first gas-liquid contactor into a state where the first liquid humidity control agent is at a higher temperature than when the first liquid humidity control agent is used for dehumidification in the first gas-liquid contactor, and brings the first liquid humidity control agent into contact with the air, thereby humidifying the air and concentrating the first liquid humidity control agent. Humidity control device. <Application Example 4> The humidity control device according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 3 further comprises: a heating unit having a heat supply unit that supplies a heating medium for heating the liquid humidity control agent to the regenerator; The heating medium is supplied to the regenerator so as to heat the second liquid humidity control agent in the third gas-liquid contactor and then heat the first liquid humidity control agent in the fourth gas-liquid contactor. Humidity control device. <Application example 5> The humidity control device according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 4, The hot heat supply unit supplies the heating medium heated by solar heat to the regenerator. Humidity control device. <Application Example 6> The humidity control device according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 5 further comprises: A heating unit for heating the liquid humidity control agent is provided. The heating unit irradiates sunlight onto the liquid humidity control agent that comes into contact with the air in the regenerator, thereby bringing the liquid humidity control agent to a temperature higher than that when the liquid humidity control agent is used for dehumidification in the processor. Humidity control device. <Application Example 7> The humidity control device according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 6 may further include a cooling / heating supply unit that supplies a cooling medium to the processing machine for cooling the liquid humidity control agent; The cooling medium is supplied to the treatment machine so as to cool the second liquid humidity control agent in the second gas-liquid contactor and then cool the first liquid humidity control agent in the first gas-liquid contactor. Humidity control device. <Application Example 8> The humidity control device according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 7, further comprising: A heat exchanger is provided for exchanging heat between the liquid humidity control agent used for dehumidifying the air in the treatment device and the liquid humidity control agent used for humidifying the air in the regenerator. Humidity control device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 1,2... Humidity control device 10...Processing machine 11...First gas-liquid contactor 12...Second gas-liquid contactor 20,80…Regenerator 23...Third gas-liquid contactor 24...4th gas-liquid contactor 40…Cooling section 41...Heat source 42,45,52,55,61,62…Heat exchanger 50...Heating part 56,57...Light receiving section

Claims

1. A humidity control device, comprising: A liquid humidity control agent that absorbs water vapor in the air; a treatment machine that brings the liquid humidity control agent into contact with air to dehumidify the air; a regenerator that brings the liquid humidity control agent used for dehumidification in the processor into a state where the liquid humidity control agent is at a higher temperature than when the liquid humidity control agent is used for dehumidification in the processor, and brings the liquid humidity control agent into contact with air, thereby humidifying the air and concentrating the liquid humidity control agent; The processor comprises: a first gas-liquid contactor that brings the first liquid humidity control agent into contact with air; and a second gas-liquid contactor that brings the air dehumidified in the first gas-liquid contactor into contact with a second liquid humidity control agent having a higher solute concentration than the first liquid humidity control agent. Humidity control device.

2. The humidity control device according to claim 1, The regenerator includes: a third gas-liquid contactor that brings the second liquid humidity control agent used for dehumidifying the air dehumidified in the first gas-liquid contactor into a state where the second liquid humidity control agent is at a higher temperature than when the second liquid humidity control agent is used for dehumidification in the second gas-liquid contactor, and brings the second liquid humidity control agent into contact with air, thereby humidifying the air and concentrating the second liquid humidity control agent; a fourth gas-liquid contactor that brings the first liquid humidity control agent used for dehumidifying the air in the first gas-liquid contactor to a state where the first liquid humidity control agent is at a higher temperature than when the first liquid humidity control agent is used for dehumidification in the first gas-liquid contactor, and brings the first liquid humidity control agent into contact with humidified air in the third gas-liquid contactor, thereby further humidifying the air humidified in the third gas-liquid contactor and concentrating the first liquid humidity control agent. Humidity control device.

3. The humidity control device according to claim 1, The regenerator includes: a third gas-liquid contactor that brings the second liquid humidity control agent used for dehumidifying the air dehumidified in the first gas-liquid contactor into a state where the second liquid humidity control agent is at a higher temperature than when the second liquid humidity control agent is used for dehumidification in the second gas-liquid contactor, and brings the second liquid humidity control agent into contact with air, thereby humidifying the air and concentrating the second liquid humidity control agent; and a fourth gas-liquid contactor that brings the first liquid humidity control agent used for dehumidifying the air in the first gas-liquid contactor into a state where the first liquid humidity control agent is at a higher temperature than when the first liquid humidity control agent is used for dehumidification in the first gas-liquid contactor, and brings the first liquid humidity control agent into contact with the air, thereby humidifying the air and concentrating the first liquid humidity control agent. Humidity control device.

4. The humidity control device according to claim 2 or 3 further comprises: a heating unit having a heat supply unit that supplies a heating medium for heating the liquid humidity control agent to the regenerator; The heating medium is supplied to the regenerator so as to heat the second liquid humidity control agent in the third gas-liquid contactor and then heat the first liquid humidity control agent in the fourth gas-liquid contactor. Humidity control device.

5. The humidity control device according to claim 4, The hot heat supply unit supplies the heating medium heated by solar heat to the regenerator. Humidity control device.

6. The humidity control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 further comprises: A heating unit for heating the liquid humidity control agent is provided. The heating unit irradiates sunlight onto the liquid humidity control agent that comes into contact with air in the regenerator, thereby bringing the liquid humidity control agent to a temperature higher than that when the liquid humidity control agent is used for dehumidification in the processor. Humidity control device.

7. The humidity control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 further comprises: a cooling / heating supply unit that supplies a cooling medium to the processing machine for cooling the liquid humidity control agent; The cooling medium is supplied to the treatment machine so as to cool the second liquid humidity control agent in the second gas-liquid contactor and then cool the first liquid humidity control agent in the first gas-liquid contactor. Humidity control device.

8. The humidity control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 further comprises: A heat exchanger is provided for exchanging heat between the liquid humidity control agent used for dehumidifying the air in the treatment device and the liquid humidity control agent used for humidifying the air in the regenerator. Humidity control device.

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