Dehumidification unit

Abstract

To provide a dehumidification unit enabling energy-saving dehumidification when circulating a liquid moisture absorbing material and repeating adsorption and desorption of water for dehumidification.SOLUTION: A dehumidification unit 1 includes: an adsorption part 2 adsorbing water in the air to a liquid moisture absorbing material 25 having an ionic substance; and a desorption part 4 desorbing the water adsorbed in the liquid moisture absorbing material 25. The desorption part 4 includes: a concentration flow path 15 and a dehydration flow path 16 disposed between an anode 12 and a cathode 13 side by side. The dehydration flow path 16 has a flow path held between an anion exchange membrane 6 and a cation exchange membrane 7, removes the ionic substance from the circulating liquid moisture absorbing material 25 via the cation exchange membrane 7 and the anion exchange membrane 6, and drains water to the outside. The concentration flow path 15 includes a first concentration flow path 15a in contact with the dehydration flow path 16 via the anion exchange membrane 6 and a second concentration flow path 15b in contact with the dehydration flow path 16 via the cation exchange membrane 7, recovers the ionic substance removed from the dehydration flow path 16 to the liquid moisture absorbing material 25, and transfers the ionic substance to the adsorption part 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a dehumidification unit for removing moisture from the air. [Background technology]

[0002] Known conventional dehumidification units are ones that adsorb moisture in the air to a liquid moisture absorbent and regenerate it in a regeneration section (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In conventional dehumidification units, the liquid moisture absorbent that has adsorbed moisture is pressurized, and the moisture is separated using a reverse osmosis membrane and regenerated. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2008-30014 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In conventional dehumidification units, the liquid absorbent is pressurized to regenerate it, and the liquid is passed through a reverse osmosis membrane to separate the absorbent components contained in the liquid absorbent from the water, but in order to move the water molecules against the osmotic pressure, a high pressure of, for example, more than 0.5 MPa is required, and a large pressure pump must be operated. Therefore, a large amount of electricity is required to run the dehumidification cycle of the dehumidification unit.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a dehumidification unit that can dehumidify with more energy by electrically moving the ionic components of the liquid absorbent material, which eliminates the need for pressurization when dehumidifying by circulating the liquid absorbent material to repeatedly adsorb and desorb moisture, thereby enabling dehumidification with greater energy savings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the dehumidification unit according to the present invention includes an adsorption section that adsorbs moisture in the air onto a liquid absorbent having an ionic substance, a desorption section that desorbs the moisture adsorbed by the liquid absorbent from the liquid absorbent, and a pump that circulates the liquid absorbent between the adsorption section and the desorption section through a flow pipe. The desorption section has a concentration flow path and a dehydration flow path arranged in parallel between a pair of an anode and a cathode, and the concentration flow path and the dehydration flow path are separated from each other by a cation exchange membrane or an anion exchange membrane. The dehydration flow path is configured to have a flow path sandwiched between an anion exchange membrane located on the anode side and a cation exchange membrane located on the cathode side, and removes ionic substances from the liquid absorbent flowing inside via the cation exchange membrane or the anion exchange membrane and discharges the ionic substances to the outside. The concentration flow path is composed of a first concentration flow path having an anode within the flow path and connecting to the dehydration flow path via an anion exchange membrane, and a second concentration flow path having a cathode within the flow path and connecting to the dehydration flow path via a cation exchange membrane. Ionic substances removed from the dehydration flow path are collected by the liquid absorbent flowing inside and sent to the adsorption section. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, when dehumidifying by circulating a liquid absorbent material and repeatedly absorbing and desorbing moisture, the ionic components of the liquid absorbent material are electrically moved, eliminating the need for pressurization and allowing the dehumidifying unit to operate with less electricity. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a dehumidifying unit according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the adsorption unit in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a modified example of the adsorption unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the detachment unit in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a dehumidifying unit according to the first modification. [Figure 6]FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a dehumidifying unit according to the second modification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] The dehumidification unit according to the present invention includes an adsorption section that adsorbs moisture in the air onto a liquid absorbent having an ionic substance, a desorption section that desorbs the moisture adsorbed by the liquid absorbent from the liquid absorbent, and a pump that circulates the liquid absorbent between the adsorption section and the desorption section through a flow pipe. The desorption section has a concentration flow path and a dehydration flow path arranged in parallel between a pair of an anode and a cathode, and the concentration flow path and the dehydration flow path are separated from each other by a cation exchange membrane or an anion exchange membrane. The dehydration flow path is configured to have a flow path sandwiched between an anion exchange membrane located on the anode side and a cation exchange membrane located on the cathode side, and removes ionic substances from the liquid absorbent flowing inside via the cation exchange membrane or the anion exchange membrane and discharges the ionic substances to the outside. The concentration flow path is composed of a first concentration flow path having an anode within the flow path and connecting to the dehydration flow path via an anion exchange membrane, and a second concentration flow path having a cathode within the flow path and connecting to the dehydration flow path via a cation exchange membrane. Ionic substances removed from the dehydration flow path are collected by the liquid absorbent flowing inside and sent to the adsorption section.

[0010] With this configuration, by passing humid air to be dehumidified through the adsorption section, the moisture in the air can be adsorbed by the liquid absorbent, and by applying a voltage to a pair of anodes and cathodes in the desorption section, the moisture can be electrically removed from the liquid absorbent that has flowed into the desorption section, so that excess moisture can be removed with little power. In other words, when dehumidifying by circulating the liquid absorbent and repeatedly adsorbing and desorbing moisture, pressurization is eliminated by electrically moving the ionic components, which are components of the liquid absorbent, and a dehumidification unit that can dehumidify with less energy can be obtained.

[0011] In addition, in the dehumidification unit of the present invention, the concentration flow path is arranged in parallel between the first concentration flow path and the second concentration flow path, and is configured to have a third concentration flow path sandwiched between a cation exchange membrane located on the anode side and an anion exchange membrane located on the cathode side, and the liquid moisture absorbent flowing inside recovers ionic substances removed from the dehydration flow path and sends them to the adsorption section.

[0012] With this configuration, by providing multiple concentration flow paths, the area through which the liquid absorbent material permeates from the dehydration flow path to the concentration flow path can be made larger, thereby reducing the permeation resistance of the liquid absorbent material in the desorption section and resulting in a dehumidification unit with lower power consumption.

[0013] In the dehumidification unit according to the present invention, the cross-sectional area of ​​the concentration flow path is preferably larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the dehydration flow path. Since the amount of moisture adsorbed from the air to the liquid absorbent is relatively small compared to the amount of liquid absorbent circulating in the dehumidification unit, this configuration makes it possible to reduce the passage resistance of the concentration flow path that circulates the liquid absorbent within the limited size of the desorption section, thereby obtaining a dehumidification unit with lower power consumption.

[0014] In the dehumidifying unit according to the present invention, the liquid absorbent flowing through the adsorption section may be configured to adsorb moisture from the air via a moisture permeable membrane in contact with the liquid absorbent. This configuration can prevent dirt in the air from mixing with the liquid absorbent in the adsorption section, thereby preventing extra electricity consumption in the desorption section to move dirt, and thus providing a dehumidifying unit with lower power consumption.

[0015] The dehumidifying unit according to the present invention further includes a hygrometer for measuring the humidity of the air flowing into the adsorption section. The dehydration unit further includes a desorption unit, a water flow valve that controls the flow rate of the liquid absorbent material introduced into the dehydration flow path, and a control unit that controls the water flow valve. The control unit may be configured to adjust the opening of the water flow valve based on the humidity measured by the hygrometer unit. With this configuration, the control unit adjusts the amount of water flowing through the dehydration flow path according to the amount of water absorbed, thereby making it possible to suppress the amount of water flowing through the dehydration flow path when the amount of moisture absorption is small, and therefore the amount of liquid absorbent material components in the dehydration flow path that needs to be moved is reduced, making it possible to lower the voltage applied to the desorption unit, and to obtain a dehumidification unit with lower power consumption.

[0016] The dehumidification unit according to the present invention further includes an ion concentration meter side section that measures the ion concentration of the liquid absorbent material sent from the adsorption section, a water flow valve that controls the flow rate of the liquid absorbent material introduced into the dehydration flow path, and a control section that controls the water flow valve. The control section may be configured to adjust the opening of the water flow valve based on the ion concentration measured by the ion concentration meter side section. With this configuration, the control section adjusts the amount of water flowing through the dehydration flow path according to the concentration of the liquid absorbent material that has been reduced by absorbing moisture, thereby making it possible to suppress the amount of water flowing through the dehydration flow path when the reduction in concentration is small, and therefore the amount of liquid absorbent material components in the dehydration flow path that needs to be moved is reduced, making it possible to reduce the voltage applied to the desorption section, and thus to obtain a dehumidification unit that consumes less power.

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiment is an example of the present invention, and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention. Also, each figure described in the embodiment is a schematic diagram, and the ratio of the size and thickness of each component in each figure does not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratio. Also, the same parts are given the same reference numerals throughout the drawings, and the second and subsequent explanations are omitted.

[0018] (Embodiment 1) First, a dehumidifying unit 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the dehumidifying unit 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] The dehumidifying unit 1 according to the first embodiment is a unit that removes moisture in the form of liquid from the air by repeatedly causing the circulating liquid moisture absorbent 25 to adsorb moisture and then desorb the moisture.

[0020] The dehumidification unit 1 includes an adsorption section 2, a pump 3, a desorption section 4, and a tube 5 which connects these sections and serves as a flow pipe through which a liquid moisture absorbent 25 flows.

[0021] The adsorption section 2 is a member that adsorbs moisture in the air to the liquid absorbent material 25. Details will be described later.

[0022] The pump 3 is a member that transports the liquid absorbent material 25. The pump 3 transports the liquid absorbent material 25 by sucking in and discharging liquid, and a known pump can be selected according to the flow rate, the pressure loss in the tube 5, the viscosity of the liquid absorbent material 25, and the like.

[0023] 1, the pump 3 is configured to be disposed in the tube 5 leading from the adsorption unit 2 to the desorption unit 4, but it may be provided in the tube 5 leading from the desorption unit 4 to the adsorption unit 2. As for the location of the pump 3, it is more preferable to configure it to be disposed in the tube 5 leading from the adsorption unit 2 to the desorption unit 4 in order to reduce the risk of the liquid moisture absorbent 25 precipitating as a solid inside the pump 3.

[0024] The desorption section 4 is a member that removes excess moisture (moisture adsorbed by the adsorption section 2) from the liquid moisture absorbent 25 to regenerate it. Details will be described later.

[0025] The tube 5 is a pipe material for transporting the liquid absorbent material 25, and may be made of a known material that is not corroded by the liquid absorbent material 25 and to whose inner surface the liquid absorbent material 25 does not easily adhere. The tube 5 connects the adsorption unit 2 and the desorption unit 4 in a ring shape.

[0026] The liquid moisture absorbent 25 includes an ionic substance and is obtained by dissolving a highly hygroscopic salt in water, such as an aqueous solution of lithium bromide, lithium chloride, calcium chloride, etc. The liquid moisture absorbent 25 circulates between the adsorption section 2 and the desorption section 4, which are connected in a ring shape via a tube 5, by driving the pump 3.

[0027] Next, the adsorption unit 2 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the adsorption unit 2 of Fig. 1.

[0028] The adsorption unit 2 is a member that adsorbs moisture contained in the air flowing inside the adsorption unit 2 to the liquid moisture absorbent 25 through the moisture permeable membrane 17. The adsorption unit 2 is configured, for example, with a gap inside so that a plurality of moisture permeable membranes 17 in the form of hollow fibers are not in contact with each other, and a flow path 19 through which air flows is configured in the gap. The adsorption unit 2 adsorbs moisture contained in the air flowing through the flow path 19 when the liquid moisture absorbent 25 flowing from the upstream tube 5 branches into each of the moisture permeable membranes 17 and flows inside the hollow fibers. In other words, the adsorption unit 2 is configured so that the air passing through the flow path 19 does not come into direct contact with the liquid moisture absorbent 25, but comes into contact with it through the moisture permeable membrane 17. As a result, the liquid moisture absorbent 25 adsorbs moisture through the moisture permeable membrane 17 in the adsorption unit 2. Then, the liquid moisture absorbent 25 that has adsorbed moisture is collected from each of the moisture permeable membranes 17 and flows out of the downstream tube 5. This configuration is preferable because it is possible to obtain a large contact area between the liquid moisture absorbent 25 and the air.

[0029] Here, the moisture permeable membrane 17 may be made of a material that allows moisture to pass through but does not allow the components of the liquid moisture absorbent 25 to pass through, and examples of such material include non-porous membranes such as polyurethane or cellophane, and microporous membranes in which fine holes are made in a polyolefin membrane.

[0030] We will now explain a modified example of the adsorption part 2. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a modified example of the adsorption part 2. Fig. 3 shows a configuration in which an adsorption part 2x in the form of a laminate of flat moisture-permeable membranes 17x is used instead of the hollow fiber-shaped adsorption part 2.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 3, the adsorption unit 2x is configured by alternately stacking the flow paths 18x through which the liquid absorbent 25 passes and the flow paths 19x through which the air passes, sandwiching the moisture-permeable membrane surface 20x of the moisture-permeable membrane 17x. When the liquid absorbent 25 flowing from the upstream tube 5 branches into each of the flow paths 18x and flows inside, the adsorption unit 2x adsorbs moisture contained in the air flowing through the flow paths 19x. That is, the adsorption unit 2x is also configured so that the air passing through the flow paths 19x and the liquid absorbent 25 flowing through the flow paths 18x do not come into direct contact with each other, but come into contact with each other through the moisture-permeable membrane 17x. As a result, the liquid absorbent 25 adsorbs moisture through the moisture-permeable membrane 17x in the adsorption unit 2x. Then, the liquid absorbent 25 that has adsorbed moisture is collected and flows out from each of the flow paths 18x into the downstream tube 5. This configuration is also preferable because it is possible to obtain a large contact area between the liquid absorbent 25 and the air.

[0032] Next, the detachable unit 4 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the detachable unit 4 of Fig. 1.

[0033] The desorption section 4 is a member that removes the moisture adsorbed by the liquid absorbent 25 in the adsorption section 2 from the liquid absorbent 25 as excess moisture, thereby regenerating the liquid absorbent.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 4, the desorption section 4 is configured to include an inlet 8, a concentrated water outlet 9, a drain 10, a pair of an anode 12 and a cathode 13, an anion exchange membrane 6, a cation exchange membrane 7, and a concentration flow path 15 and a dehydration flow path 16 arranged in parallel between the anode 12 and the cathode 13.

[0035] The inlet 8 is connected to the tube 5 on the upstream side of the desorption section 4, and is an opening for introducing the liquid moisture absorbent 25 that has flowed through the adsorption section 2 into the desorption section 4.

[0036] The concentrated water outlet 9 is connected to the tube 5 downstream of the desorption section 4, and is an opening for sending out the liquid moisture absorbent 25 that has flowed through the desorption section 4 (concentration flow path 15) to the adsorption section 2.

[0037] The drain port 10 is an opening for discharging the water that has flowed through the desorption section 4 (dehydration flow path 16) and from which ionic substances have been removed.

[0038] The pair of anode 12 and cathode 13 are, for example, flat electrodes and are arranged opposite each other. By applying a voltage to the pair of anode 12 and cathode 13, ionic substances (cations and anions) contained in the liquid moisture absorbent 25 are caused to move to the predetermined electrode side through each ion exchange membrane.

[0039] The anion exchange membrane 6 is a membrane that does not allow cations to pass through but allows anions to pass through. The anion exchange membrane 6 is disposed between the concentration flow path 15 and the dehydration flow path 16, and allows anions to pass from the dehydration flow path 16 to the concentration flow path 15 located on the anode 12 side by applying a voltage to the pair of anode 12 and cathode 13.

[0040] The cation exchange membrane 7 is a membrane that does not allow anions to pass therethrough but allows cations to pass therethrough. The cation exchange membrane 7 is disposed between the concentration flow path 15 and the dehydration flow path 16, and when a voltage is applied to the pair of anode 12 and cathode 13, the cation exchange membrane 7 allows cations to pass from the dehydration flow path 16 to the concentration flow path 15 located on the cathode 13 side.

[0041] The concentrate flow path 15 is a flow path that recovers ionic substances (cations and anions) removed from the dehydration flow path 16 by applying a voltage to the pair of anode 12 and cathode 13, and sends the recovered ionic substances to the adsorption section 2. The concentrate flow path 15 communicates between the inlet 8 and the concentrated water outlet 9, and sends out the liquid moisture absorbent 25 introduced from the inlet 8 from the concentrated water outlet 9.

[0042] The concentration flow path 15 has a plurality of flow paths. More specifically, the concentration flow path 15 has a first concentration flow path 15a that includes the anode 12 therein and is in contact with the dehydration flow path 16 via the anion exchange membrane 6, a second concentration flow path 15b that includes the cathode 13 therein and is in contact with the dehydration flow path 16 via the cation exchange membrane 7, and a third concentration flow path 15c that is sandwiched between the cation exchange membrane 7 located on the anode 12 side and the anion exchange membrane 6 located on the cathode 13 side.

[0043] The dehydration flow path 16 is a flow path that removes ionic substances (anions or cations) from the liquid absorbent 25 flowing inside through the cation exchange membrane 7 or anion exchange membrane 6 by applying a voltage to a pair of the anode 12 and the cathode 13, and discharges the liquid absorbent 25 to the outside. The dehydration flow path 16 is sandwiched between the anion exchange membrane 6 located on the anode 12 side and the cation exchange membrane 7 located on the cathode 13 side. The dehydration flow path 16 communicates between the inlet 8 and the drain port 10, and removes ionic substances (cations and anions) from a part of the liquid absorbent 25 introduced from the inlet 8 and discharges the liquid absorbent 25 from the drain port 10. In the dehydration flow path 16, ionic substances are removed from the liquid absorbent 25 flowing inside through the cation exchange membrane 7 or anion exchange membrane 6, so that the liquid absorbent 25 can be discharged from the drain port 10, which is the outlet of the dehydration flow path 16, in the form of water that contains almost no ionic components contained in the liquid absorbent 25.

[0044] The dehydration flow path 16 has a plurality of flow paths. More specifically, the dehydration flow path 16 has a first dehydration flow path 16a located on the anode 12 side and sandwiched between the first concentration flow path 15a and the third concentration flow path 15c, and a second dehydration flow path 16b located on the cathode 13 side and sandwiched between the third concentration flow path 15c and the second concentration flow path 15b.

[0045] Here, the inside of the dehydration flow path 16 may be filled with ion exchange resin 11. This allows a part of the ionic substances contained in the liquid moisture absorbent 25 introduced into the dehydration flow path 16 to be retained in the ion exchange resin 11, so that the ionic substances can be reliably removed from the dehydration flow path 16.

[0046] To summarize the above, inside the desorption section 4, between a pair of anodes 12 and cathodes 13, the first concentration flow path 15a, the anion exchange membrane 6, the first dehydration flow path 16a, the cation exchange membrane 7, the third concentration flow path 15c, the anion exchange membrane 6, the second dehydration flow path 16b, the cation exchange membrane 7, and the second concentration flow path 15b are arranged in parallel in this order from the anode 12 side.

[0047] In this embodiment, the cross-sectional area of ​​the dehydration flow path 16 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the concentration flow path 15. In other words, the cross-sectional area of ​​each of the first dehydration flow path 16a and the second dehydration flow path 16b is smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​each of the first concentration flow path 15a, the second concentration flow path 15b, and the third concentration flow path 15c.

[0048] Next, the flow of the liquid absorbent material 25 in the desorption section 4 will be described.

[0049] As shown in Fig. 4, when liquid moisture absorbent 25 that has absorbed moisture in the air and become diluted flows into desorption section 4 from inlet 8, it is distributed to concentration flow path 15 and dehydration flow path 16. The liquid that flows into concentration flow path 15 is concentrated by collecting ionic substances as it passes through the flow path, and is then transported as liquid moisture absorbent 25 through tube 5 to adsorption section 2. On the other hand, a portion of the liquid that flows into dehydration flow path 16 has ionic substances removed as it passes through the flow path, and is discharged outside dehumidification unit 1 as wastewater. The flow rate of the portion of the liquid that flows into dehydration flow path 16 is preferably set based on the amount of moisture adsorbed in adsorption section 2.

[0050] Next, the mechanism of the detachable unit 4 will be described.

[0051] As described above, the desorption section 4 has the concentration flow path 15 and the dehydration flow path 16 arranged in parallel between a pair of the anode 12 and the cathode 13. The concentration flow path 15 and the dehydration flow path 16 are separated from each other by the cation exchange membrane 7 or the anion exchange membrane 6.

[0052] In the desorption section 4, a voltage is applied to the liquid absorbent 25 by the pair of anode 12 and cathode 13, so that cations (e.g., calcium ions) contained in the liquid absorbent 25 migrate toward the cathode 13 side and anions (e.g., chloride ions) contained in the liquid absorbent 25 migrate toward the anode 12 side in proportion to the amount of current flowing through the liquid absorbent 25. In the following, calcium ions and chloride ions will be described as examples of ionic substances.

[0053] First, the movement of ionic substances with respect to first concentration channel 15a will be described.

[0054] The liquid absorbent 25 flows into the concentration flow path 15 (first concentration flow path 15a) in which the anode 12 is arranged from the inlet 8. Chloride ions are attracted to the anode 12 and permeate the anion exchange membrane 6 from the adjacent flow path (first dehydration flow path 16a) and flow in, whereby the ion concentration in the liquid absorbent 25 increases.

[0055] Next, the movement of ionic substances with respect to second concentration channel 15b will be described.

[0056] In the concentration flow path 15 (second concentration flow path 15b) in which the cathode 13 is arranged, the liquid absorbent 25 also flows in from the inlet 8, and calcium ions are attracted to the cathode 13 and permeate the cation exchange membrane 7 from the adjacent flow path (second dehydration flow path 16b), causing the ion concentration in the liquid absorbent 25 to increase.

[0057] Finally, the movement of ionic substances with respect to third concentration channel 15c will be described.

[0058] In the central concentration flow path 15 (third concentration flow path 15c) sandwiched in the desorption section 4 shown in Figure 4, chloride ions flow in from the adjacent flow path (second dehydration flow path 16b) by permeating the anion exchange membrane 6, and calcium ions flow in from the adjacent flow path (first dehydration flow path 16a) by permeating the cation exchange membrane 7, so that the ion concentration contained in the liquid absorbent 25 increases.

[0059] The liquid moisture absorbent 25 that passes through these concentration flow paths 15 (first concentration flow path 15a, second concentration flow path 15b, third concentration flow path 15c) joins together with ionic substances flowing in from the dehydration flow path 16 and reaches the concentrated water outlet 9.

[0060] As described above, the movement of ionic substances in each of the first concentration flow path 15a, the second concentration flow path 15b, and the third concentration flow path 15c causes the liquid absorbent material 25 components removed from the dehydration flow path 16 to be recovered in the concentration flow path 15.

[0061] 4 shows only one third concentration flow path 15c, a structure in which a plurality of third concentration flow paths 15c are built in may be adopted by alternately arranging the cation exchange membranes 7 and the anion exchange membranes 6. Alternatively, the third concentration flow path 15c may not be provided, and only the first concentration flow path 15a and the second concentration flow path 15b may be provided, and the desorption section 4 may be constituted by the first concentration flow path 15a, the anion exchange membrane 6, one dehydration flow path 16, the cation exchange membrane 7, and the second concentration flow path 15b.

[0062] Next, the movement of ionic substances in the dehydration flow channel 16 will be described.

[0063] A cation exchange membrane 7 and an anion exchange membrane 6 are arranged on the left and right sides of the dehydration flow path 16, with the cation exchange membrane 7 arranged on the side closer to the cathode 13 and the anion exchange membrane 6 arranged on the side closer to the anode 12.

[0064] Therefore, when a voltage is applied between the anode 12 and the cathode 13 , chloride ions are attracted to the anode 12 and permeate the anion exchange membrane 6 , moving from the dehydration channel 16 to the concentration channel 15 .

[0065] Similarly, by applying a voltage, calcium ions are attracted to the cathode 13 and permeate the cation exchange membrane 7, migrating from the dehydration channel 16 to the concentration channel 15. As these ionic substances move, the ion concentration in the dehydration channel 16 decreases.

[0066] Furthermore, some of the chloride ions and calcium ions contained in the dehydration flow path 16 are adsorbed by the ion exchange resin 11, and when a voltage is applied between the anode 12 and the cathode 13, they move toward the left and right concentration flow paths 15 while being adsorbed. At the same time, when the ionic components contained in the dehydration flow path 16 decrease and the conductivity of the water decreases, the water is electrolyzed by the current flowing between the anode 12 and the cathode 13, and hydrogen ions and hydroxide ions are generated. The chloride ions and calcium ions adsorbed by the ion exchange resin 11 are regenerated by these hydrogen ions and hydroxide ions, so that the ion exchange resin 11 can continue to adsorb the chloride ions and calcium ions. Then, when the water passes through the dehydration flow path 16 and is finally discharged from the drain 10, it can be discharged as water that contains almost no ionic components (ionic substances).

[0067] The ion exchange resin 11 is a mixture of a cation exchange resin that adsorbs cations and an anion exchange resin that adsorbs anions, and is capable of adsorbing and desorbing both types of ions. Any known cation exchange resin and anion exchange resin can be used.

[0068] Next, the dehumidification cycle of the dehumidification unit 1 will be described.

[0069] In the adsorption section 2, the liquid absorbent 25 adsorbs moisture contained in the air. Then, the liquid absorbent 25 that has adsorbed moisture is introduced into the desorption section 4 and concentrated. The liquid absorbent 25 concentrated in the desorption section 4 returns to the adsorption section 2 again and adsorbs moisture from the air. Meanwhile, the adsorbed moisture is separated into the dehydration flow path 16 in the desorption section 4 and discharged to the outside through the drain outlet 10, making it possible to form a dehumidification cycle in which moisture in the air is extracted in a liquid state.

[0070] In addition, under general conditions, it is assumed that the amount of moisture adsorbed from the air is less than the amount of circulating liquid absorbent 25. Therefore, by configuring the cross-sectional area of ​​the dehydration flow path 16 to be smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the concentration flow path 15, the flow resistance of the concentration flow path 15 can be reduced, and the dehumidification cycle can be performed with less power consumption.

[0071] Next, two examples of a method for controlling a dehumidification cycle will be described with reference to Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a dehumidification unit 1a according to Modification 1. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a dehumidification unit 1b according to Modification 2.

[0072] (Example 1) 5, the dehumidification unit 1a according to Modification 1 differs from the dehumidification unit 1 according to Embodiment 1 in that it includes a flow path 19a and a humidity sensor 21 provided in the adsorption section 2a, a solenoid valve 23 provided in the desorption section 4a, and a control section 24 that controls the solenoid valve 23. Other than this, the configuration of the dehumidification unit 1a is similar to that of the dehumidification unit 1 according to Embodiment 1. Below, the contents already explained in Embodiment 1 will not be explained again as appropriate, and differences from Embodiment 1 will be mainly explained.

[0073] Generally, the temperature and humidity in the air are not constant, so the amount of moisture adsorbed by liquid absorbent 25 in adsorption unit 2a is often not constant. For this reason, a humidity sensor 21 is provided inside flow path 19a of adsorption unit 2a as a hygrometer side that measures the humidity of the air entering adsorption unit 2a, and a solenoid valve 23 is provided in dehydration flow path 16 as a water flow rate valve, and solenoid valve 23 is controlled by control unit 24 based on the output value of humidity sensor 21.

[0074] The control unit 24 of the dehumidification unit 1a is designed based on a certain humidity condition, for example, a relative humidity of 50%, and when the detection value of the humidity sensor 21 is lower than the basic condition, that is, when the humidity of the air passing through the flow path 19a is low, the solenoid valve 23 is throttled to reduce the amount of moisture flowing out from the drain port 10. When the amount of moisture adsorbed to the liquid absorbent 25 in the adsorption unit 2a is small, the liquid absorbent 25 flows into the desorption unit 4a in a high concentration state. Normally, in order to electrically remove all the ionic substances contained in the high concentration liquid absorbent 25, a larger current is required, which increases the power consumption of the desorption unit 4a. In addition, when the amount of moisture adsorbed to the liquid absorbent 25 is small, the amount of moisture that needs to flow out from the drain port 10 in the first place is also small. That is, by controlling in this way, the amount of liquid absorbent 25 flowing through the dehydration flow path 16 can be reduced, and the amount of ionic substances moved through the dehydration flow path 16 can be reduced, which reduces the power consumption of the desorption unit 4a and allows the minimum amount of water required to be discharged from the drain port 10.

[0075] A sensor capable of measuring temperature and humidity may be used as the humidity sensor 21. In general, the amount of moisture absorbed by the liquid absorbent material 25 depends on temperature and humidity, so in this case, the amount of adsorption by the liquid absorbent material 25 can be calculated more accurately, which is more preferable.

[0076] (Example 2) 6, the dehumidification unit 1b according to the second modification differs from the dehumidification unit 1 according to the first embodiment in that it includes a flow path 19b provided in the adsorption section 2b, an electric conductivity meter 22 provided in the tube 5 between the pump 3 and the desorption section 4b, a solenoid valve 23 provided in the desorption section 4b, and a control section 24 that controls the solenoid valve 23. The rest of the configuration of the dehumidification unit 1b is the same as that of the dehumidification unit 1 according to the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the contents already described in the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate, and the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

[0077] Generally, the temperature and humidity in the air are not constant, so the amount of moisture adsorbed by the liquid absorbent 25 in the adsorption unit 2b is often not constant. For this reason, an electric conductivity meter 22 is provided as an ion concentration measuring unit inside the tube 5 connecting the adsorption unit 2b to the desorption unit 4b, and a solenoid valve 23 is provided in the dehydration flow path 16, and the solenoid valve 23 is controlled by the control unit 24 based on the output value of the electric conductivity meter 22.

[0078] The control unit 24 of the dehumidification unit 1b is designed based on a certain humidity condition, for example, a relative humidity of 50%, and the concentration of the liquid absorbent 25 in contact with air of a relative humidity of 50% is recorded in advance as a standard value. If the concentration of the liquid absorbent 25 calculated from the detection value of the electrical conductivity meter 22 is lower than the basic condition, that is, if the humidity of the air passing through the flow path 19b is low, the solenoid valve 23 is throttled to reduce the amount of moisture flowing out from the drain port 10. If the amount of moisture adsorbed by the liquid absorbent 25 in the adsorption unit 2b is small, the liquid absorbent 25 flows into the desorption unit 4b in a high concentration state. Usually, in order to electrically remove all the ionic substances contained in the high concentration liquid absorbent 25, a larger current is required, which increases the power consumption of the desorption unit 4b. In addition, if the amount of moisture adsorbed by the liquid absorbent 25 is small, the amount of moisture that needs to flow out from the drain port 10 in the first place is also small. In other words, by controlling in this manner, the amount of liquid absorbent material 25 flowing through the dehydration flow path 16 can be reduced, thereby reducing the amount of ionic substances moved from the dehydration flow path 16, thereby reducing the power consumption of the desorption section 4b and allowing the minimum amount of moisture to be discharged from the drain outlet 10.

[0079] Instead of the electrical conductivity meter 22, other means may be used as long as they are capable of predicting the ion concentration, such as an ion electrode or a pH meter.

[0080] As described above, according to the dehumidification unit 1 according to the first embodiment and the dehumidification units 1a, 1b according to the modifications (first example and second example), the following effects can be obtained.

[0081] (1) The dehumidification unit 1 includes an adsorption section 2 that adsorbs moisture in the air onto a liquid absorbent 25 having an ionic substance, a desorption section 4 that desorbs the moisture adsorbed by the liquid absorbent 25 from the liquid absorbent 25, and a pump 3 that circulates the liquid absorbent 25 between the adsorption section 2 and the desorption section 4 via a tube 5. The desorption section 4 has a concentration flow path 15 and a dehydration flow path 16 arranged in parallel between a pair of an anode 12 and a cathode 13, and the concentration flow path 15 and the dehydration flow path 16 are separated from each other by a cation exchange membrane 7 or an anion exchange membrane 6. The dehydration flow path 16 is configured to have a flow path sandwiched between the anion exchange membrane 6 located on the anode 12 side and the cation exchange membrane 7 located on the cathode 13 side, and ionic substances are removed from the liquid absorbent 25 flowing inside via the cation exchange membrane 7 or anion exchange membrane 6 and discharged to the outside. The concentration flow path 15 is configured to include a first concentration flow path 15a having an anode 12 therein and contacting the dehydration flow path 16 via an anion exchange membrane 6, and a second concentration flow path 15b having a cathode 13 therein and contacting the dehydration flow path 16 via a cation exchange membrane 7. In the dehydration flow path 16, ionic substances removed from the dehydration flow path 16 are collected and sent to the adsorption section 2.

[0082] With this configuration, by passing humid air to be dehumidified through the adsorption section 2, the moisture in the air can be adsorbed by the liquid absorbent 25, and by applying a voltage to the pair of anode 12 and cathode 13 in the desorption section 4, the moisture can be electrically removed from the liquid absorbent 25 that has flowed into the desorption section 4, so that excess moisture can be removed with less power. In other words, when dehumidifying by circulating the liquid absorbent 25 and repeatedly adsorbing and desorbing moisture, pressurization is unnecessary by electrically moving the ionic substances that are components of the liquid absorbent 25, and a dehumidification unit 1 that can dehumidify with more energy can be achieved.

[0083] (2) In the dehumidification unit 1, the concentration flow path 15 is arranged in parallel between the first concentration flow path 15a and the second concentration flow path 15b, and is configured to have a third concentration flow path 15c sandwiched between the cation exchange membrane 7 located on the anode 12 side and the anion exchange membrane 6 located on the cathode 13 side, and the liquid moisture absorbent 25 flowing inside recovers ionic substances removed from the dehydration flow path 16 and sends them to the adsorption section 2.

[0084] According to this configuration, by providing multiple concentration flow paths 15, the area through which the liquid absorbent material 25 permeates from the dehydration flow path 16 to the concentration flow path 15 can be made larger, thereby reducing the permeation resistance of the liquid absorbent material 25 in the desorption section 4 and resulting in a dehumidification unit with lower power consumption.

[0085] (3) In the dehumidification unit 1, the cross-sectional area of ​​the concentration flow path 15 is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the dehydration flow path 16. Since the amount of moisture adsorbed from the air to the liquid absorbent 25 is relatively small compared to the amount of liquid absorbent 25 circulating in the dehumidification unit 1, this configuration makes it possible to reduce the passage resistance of the concentration flow path 15, which circulates the liquid absorbent 25, within the limited size of the desorption section 4, and therefore makes it possible to obtain a dehumidification unit 1 with lower power consumption.

[0086] (4) In the dehumidifying unit 1, the liquid absorbent 25 flowing through the adsorption section 2 is configured to adsorb moisture from the air via the moisture permeable membrane 17 in contact with the liquid absorbent 25. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent dirt in the air from mixing with the liquid absorbent 25 in the adsorption section 2, thereby preventing extra consumption of electricity to move dirt in the desorption section 4, and thus making it possible to obtain a dehumidifying unit 1 with lower power consumption.

[0087] (5) The dehumidification unit 1a includes a humidity sensor 21 that measures the humidity of the air flowing into the adsorption section 2, a solenoid valve 23 that controls the flow rate of the liquid absorbent material 25 introduced into the dehydration flow path 16, and a control section 24 that controls the solenoid valve 23. The control section 24 is configured to adjust the opening degree of the solenoid valve 23 based on the humidity measured by the humidity sensor 21. With this configuration, the control section 24 adjusts the amount of moisture flowing through the dehydration flow path 16 in accordance with the amount of moisture absorbed, thereby making it possible to suppress the amount of moisture flowing through the dehydration flow path 16 when the amount of moisture absorption is small. As a result, the amount of components of the liquid absorbent material 25 in the dehydration flow path that needs to be moved is reduced, making it possible to reduce the voltage applied to the desorption section 4, and thus making it possible to obtain a dehumidification unit 1a that consumes less power.

[0088] (6) Dehumidification unit 1b includes an electric conductivity meter 22 that measures the ion concentration of liquid absorbent 25 delivered from adsorption section 2, a solenoid valve 23 that controls the flow rate of liquid absorbent 25 introduced into dehydration flow path 16, and a control section 24 that controls solenoid valve 23. Control section 24 is configured to adjust the opening degree of solenoid valve 23 based on the ion concentration measured by electric conductivity meter 22. With this configuration, control section 24 adjusts the amount of moisture flowing through dehydration flow path 16 in accordance with the concentration of liquid absorbent 25 that has been reduced by moisture absorption, thereby making it possible to suppress the amount of moisture flowing through dehydration flow path 16 when the reduction in concentration is small, thereby reducing the amount of moisture that needs to be moved through dehydration flow path 16. By reducing the amount of the liquid moisture absorbent 25 in the dehumidifying unit 1b, the voltage applied to the desorbing unit 4 can be reduced, and a dehumidifying unit 1b with lower power consumption can be obtained.

[0089] The present invention has been described above based on the embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and it can be easily imagined that various improvements and modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0090] The dehumidifying unit of the present invention is useful as a device that can remove moisture from the air with little power consumption by electrically moving the ionic components of the liquid absorbent material, which eliminates the need for pressurization when dehumidifying by circulating the liquid absorbent material and repeatedly absorbing and desorbing moisture. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 1, 1a, 1b Dehumidification unit 2, 2a, 2b, 2x suction section 3. Pump 4, 4a, 4b Detachable part 5 Tubes 6 Anion exchange membrane 7 Cation exchange membrane 8 Inlet 9 Concentrated water outlet 10 Drain 11 Ion exchange resin 12 Anode 13 Cathode 15 Concentration channel 15a First concentration channel 15b Second concentration channel 15c Third concentration channel 16 Dehydration channel 16a 1st dehydration channel 16b 2nd dehydration channel 17, 17x Moisture permeable membrane 18x flow channels 19, 19a, 19b, 19x flow path 20x Moisture permeable membrane surface 21 Humidity Sensor 22 Electrical conductivity meter 23 Solenoid valve 24 Control Unit 25 Liquid moisture absorption material

Claims

1. an adsorption section that adsorbs moisture in the air into a liquid moisture absorbent having an ionic substance; a desorption unit that desorbs moisture from the liquid absorbent material; a pump that circulates the liquid moisture absorbent material between the adsorption unit and the desorption unit through a circulation pipe; Equipped with The desorption unit has a concentration flow path and a dehydration flow path arranged in parallel between a pair of an anode and a cathode, The concentration flow path and the dehydration flow path are separated from each other by a cation exchange membrane or an anion exchange membrane, the dehydration flow path is configured to have a flow path sandwiched between the anion exchange membrane located on the anode side and the cation exchange membrane located on the cathode side, and removes the ionic substances from the liquid moisture absorbent flowing inside through the cation exchange membrane or the anion exchange membrane and discharges the ionic substances to the outside; The concentration flow path includes a first concentration flow path having the anode therein and contacting the dehydration flow path via the anion exchange membrane, and a second concentration flow path having the cathode therein and contacting the dehydration flow path via the cation exchange membrane, and the ionic substances removed from the dehydration flow path are recovered by the liquid moisture absorbent flowing inside the first concentration flow path and sent to the adsorption section. Dehumidification unit.

2. The concentration flow path further includes a third concentration flow path that is arranged in parallel between the first concentration flow path and the second concentration flow path and is sandwiched between the cation exchange membrane located on the anode side and the anion exchange membrane located on the cathode side, and the ionic substance removed from the dehydration flow path is recovered by the liquid moisture absorbent flowing inside and sent to the adsorption section.

2. The dehumidification unit of claim 1.

3. The cross-sectional area of ​​the concentration flow path is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the dehydration flow path. A dehumidifying unit according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The liquid absorbent flowing through the adsorption section adsorbs moisture from the air via a moisture permeable membrane in contact with the liquid absorbent. A dehumidifying unit according to claim 1 or 2.

5. A hygrometer section for measuring the humidity of air flowing into the adsorption section; a water flow rate valve for controlling the flow rate of the liquid moisture absorbent introduced into the dehydration flow path; A control unit for controlling the water flow valve; Further equipped with The control unit adjusts the opening degree of the water flow valve based on the humidity measured by the hygrometer unit. A dehumidifying unit according to claim 1 or 2.

6. an ion concentration meter section for measuring the ion concentration of the liquid absorbent material delivered from the adsorption section; a water flow rate valve for controlling the flow rate of the liquid moisture absorbent introduced into the dehydration flow path; A control unit for controlling the water flow valve; Further equipped with The control unit adjusts the opening degree of the water flow valve based on the ion concentration measured by the ion concentration meter unit. A dehumidifying unit according to claim 1 or 2.

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