Air conditioning

Abstract

It suppresses the temperature rise of the moisture-absorbing section and efficiently generates low-temperature, high-humidity, low-temperature air. [Solution] This cooling system comprises a heat storage unit 8 equipped with three or more heat storage towers 22A to 22F containing adsorbent, a blower 4 for introducing air to be cooled into the heat storage unit 8, a mist cooler 10 for generating high-humidity, low-temperature air by spraying water onto the low-humidity air discharged from the heat storage unit 8, an adsorbent regenerator 36 for supplying high-temperature air to the heat storage unit 8, flow path switching devices 18A to 18F and 30A to 30F for selecting at least one of the heat storage towers as a moisture absorption section, a regeneration section, and a cooling section, and a controller 12 for controlling the switching of selections.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling device configured to dehumidify by sending air to be cooled to an adsorbent to adsorb water vapor, and further performing fine mist cooling by spraying water.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a cold and heat supply device that dehumidifies by sending air to an adsorbent housed in a heat storage tank to adsorb water vapor, cools the dehumidified air through a heat exchanger, and then sprays fine mist of water for cooling.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the cold and heat supply device of Patent Document 1, while air is being sent to the adsorbent housed in the heat storage tank, the adsorbent generates heat due to latent heat, so the dehumidified air is heated. Therefore, in order to enhance the effect of fine mist cooling, it was necessary to perform primary cooling by heat-exchanging the dehumidified hot air with a heat medium through a heat exchanger before fine mist cooling.

[0005] However, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, since a heat exchanger and a heat medium circulation function are required, there is a problem that the structure of the entire device inevitably becomes complicated.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems and has the following aspects. [First Aspect] The first embodiment of the cooling system includes a heat storage unit having three or more heat storage towers containing an adsorbent that generates heat by adsorbing water vapor, a blower for introducing air to be cooled into the heat storage unit, a mist cooler for spraying water into the low-humidity air discharged from the heat storage unit to generate high-humidity low-temperature air, an adsorbent regenerator for supplying high-temperature air to the heat storage unit to remove water vapor from the adsorbent that has adsorbed water vapor, a flow path switching device that selects at least one of the plurality of heat storage towers as a moisture absorption section, introduces air to be cooled from the blower into the moisture absorption section and supplies the low-humidity air discharged from the moisture absorption section to the mist cooler, selects the heat storage tower that was the moisture absorption section in the previous cycle as a regeneration section, introduces high-temperature air from the adsorbent regenerator into the regeneration section and discharges regenerated air from the regeneration section, and selects at least one of the remaining heat storage towers that is neither the moisture absorption section nor the regeneration section as a cooling section. An air conditioning system comprising a controller that controls the selection and switching of the moisture absorption section, the regeneration section, and the cooling section by the flow path switching device.

[0007] According to the first embodiment of the cooling system, first, based on the control of the controller, the flow path switching device selects at least one each of a moisture absorption unit, a regeneration unit, and a cooling unit from the heat storage tower of the heat storage unit. The air to be cooled is introduced into the moisture absorption section of the heat storage unit by the blower, and water vapor in the air is adsorbed by the adsorbent in the heat storage tower, and the air is discharged from the heat storage unit as low-humidity air. During this time, the temperature of the adsorbent in the moisture absorption section rises from its initial temperature due to the latent heat of the adsorbed water vapor. The low-humidity air discharged from the heat storage unit is introduced into the mist cooler, where water is sprayed as a fine mist, and high-humidity, low-temperature air is generated by the heat of vaporization and used for cooling.

[0008] On the other hand, the regeneration section of the heat storage unit is the heat storage tower that was the moisture absorption section in the previous cycle. High-temperature air is supplied to the moisture absorption section from the adsorbent regeneration machine, and the adsorbent in the heat storage tower comes into contact with the high-temperature air, removing moisture and restoring its adsorption capacity. Furthermore, the cooling section of the heat storage unit is the heat storage tower that was the regeneration section in the previous cycle. The cooling section is cooled by natural cooling or by a cooling means while it is idle until it is selected as the moisture absorption section, and the adsorbent inside returns to the initial temperature.

[0009] The first embodiment of the cooling system, by repeating the above cycle based on the control of the controller, continuously generates high-humidity, low-temperature air to perform cooling. By using the heat storage tower, which has been cooled while selected as the cooling unit, as the moisture absorption unit in the next cycle, the initial temperature can be sufficiently reduced. Therefore, high-humidity, low-temperature air can be efficiently generated without passing the dehumidified high-temperature air through a separately provided heat exchanger for cooling, and the configuration is simple, which is an excellent advantage.

[0010] The number of thermal storage towers may be three or more, and may be four, five, six, or more depending on the required cooling capacity and the size of the thermal storage towers. Also, the number of thermal storage towers simultaneously selected as the moisture absorption section may be one or more, and may be two, three, or more. Similarly, the number of thermal storage towers simultaneously selected as the regeneration section may be one or more, and may be two, three, or more, and the number of thermal storage towers simultaneously selected as the cooling section may be one or more, and may be two, three, or more.

[0011] [Second aspect] The cooling system according to the second embodiment is characterized by comprising a cooling means for cooling the heat storage tower selected as the cooling unit in the first embodiment. The cooling means may be a blower fin that blows air onto the outer surface of the heat storage tower, or a cooling device that exchanges heat with the heat storage tower using cooling water or other heat transfer medium.

[0012] According to the second embodiment of the cooling system, since it is equipped with a cooling means for cooling the heat storage tower selected as the cooling unit, it is possible to sufficiently cool the heat storage tower while it is selected as the cooling unit, and high-humidity, low-temperature air can be efficiently generated.

[0013] [Third aspect] The cooling system according to the third embodiment further comprises an adsorbent cooler that supplies a cooling fluid to the heat storage unit for cooling the adsorbent, each of the heat storage towers has a cooling path for heat exchange between the adsorbent and the cooling fluid, and a cooling path switching device that selects the cooling path of the heat storage tower selected as the moisture absorption section and the cooling section, and circulates the cooling fluid from the adsorbent cooler.

[0014] According to the third embodiment of the cooling system, the cooling path of the heat storage tower, which is selected as the moisture absorption section and the cooling section, is selected, and the cooling fluid from the adsorbent cooler is circulated through it. As a result, the adsorbent in the moisture absorption section and the cooling section can be directly cooled by the cooling fluid, and high-humidity, low-temperature air can be efficiently generated.

[0015] [Fourth aspect] A cooling system according to the fourth embodiment includes a heat storage unit equipped with two or more heat storage towers containing an adsorbent that generates heat by adsorbing water vapor, a cooling passage provided in each of the heat storage towers for heat exchange between the adsorbent and a cooling fluid, a blower for introducing air to be cooled into the heat storage unit, a mist cooler for generating high-humidity, low-temperature air by spraying water into the low-humidity air discharged from the heat storage unit, an adsorbent regenerator for supplying high-temperature air to the heat storage unit to remove water vapor from the adsorbent, and at least one of the plurality of heat storage towers selected as a moisture absorption section, and introducing air to be cooled from the blower into the moisture absorption section and discharging from the moisture absorption section The system comprises a flow path switching device that supplies the low-humidity air being released to the mist cooler, selects the heat storage tower, which was the moisture absorption section in the previous cycle, as the regeneration section, introduces high-temperature air from the adsorbent regeneration device to the regeneration section, and discharges regenerated air from the regeneration section; an adsorbent cooler that supplies a cooling fluid to the heat storage unit for cooling the adsorbent; a cooling path switching device that selects the cooling path of the heat storage tower, which has been selected as the moisture absorption section, and allows the cooling fluid from the adsorbent cooler to flow through it; and a controller that controls the switching between the moisture absorption section and the regeneration section by the flow path switching device, and the selection of the cooling path by the cooling path switching device.

[0016] According to the cooling system of the fourth embodiment, first, based on the control of the controller, the flow path switching device selects at least one moisture absorption unit and at least one regeneration unit from the heat storage tower of the heat storage unit. The cooling path switching device then selects the cooling path of the heat storage tower that has been selected as the moisture absorption unit.

[0017] The air to be cooled is introduced into the moisture absorption section of the heat storage unit by the blower, and water vapor in the air is adsorbed by the adsorbent in the heat storage tower, and the air is discharged from the heat storage unit as low-humidity air. During this time, the temperature of the adsorbent in the moisture absorption section rises from its initial temperature due to the latent heat of the adsorbed water vapor, but since the cooling fluid from the adsorbent cooler is circulated through the cooling passage of the moisture absorption section, the temperature rise of the adsorbent in the moisture absorption section is suppressed to a low level relative to the amount of heat generated. The low-humidity air discharged from the heat storage unit is introduced into the mist cooler, where water is sprayed as a fine mist, and high-humidity, low-temperature air is generated by the heat of vaporization and used for cooling.

[0018] On the other hand, the regeneration section of the heat storage unit is the heat storage tower that was the moisture absorption section in the previous cycle. High-temperature air is supplied to the regeneration section from the adsorbent regeneration machine, and the adsorbent in the heat storage tower comes into contact with the high-temperature air, removing moisture and restoring its adsorption capacity.

[0019] The cooling system of the fourth embodiment performs cooling by continuously generating high-humidity, low-temperature air by repeating the above cycle based on the control of the controller. This suppresses the temperature rise of the moisture absorption section, and the temperature rise of the adsorbent in the moisture absorption section is suppressed because the cooling fluid from the adsorbent cooler is circulated through the cooling passage of the moisture absorption section. Therefore, high-humidity, low-temperature air can be efficiently generated without passing the dehumidified high-temperature air through a separately provided heat exchanger for cooling, and the configuration is simple, which is an excellent advantage.

[0020] In the fourth embodiment, the number of thermal storage towers may be two or more, and may be three, four, five, six or more depending on the required cooling capacity and the size of the thermal storage towers. Also, the number of thermal storage towers simultaneously selected as the moisture absorption section may be one or more, and may be two, three or more, and the number of thermal storage towers simultaneously selected as the regeneration section may be one or more, and may be two, three or more.

[0021] [Fifth aspect] The cooling device according to the fifth aspect is characterized in that, in the first to fourth aspects, it further includes a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the low-humidity air derived from the heat storage unit and a fluid supplied from the outside. If necessary, by installing the heat exchanger in this way, it is also possible to use water as the fluid and generate hot water.

Advantages of the Invention

[0022] As described above, in the cooling device according to the present invention, since the temperature rise of the moisture absorption part can be suppressed, it is possible to efficiently generate high-humidity low-temperature air at a sufficiently low temperature without passing the high-temperature air after dehumidification through a separately provided heat exchanger for cooling, and the configuration can be simplified.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023] [Figure 1] It is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of the cooling device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a cross-sectional view showing a method of switching heat storage towers in the heat storage unit of the first embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a longitudinal sectional view showing a method of switching heat storage towers in the heat storage unit of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the cooling device according to the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a block diagram showing a third embodiment of the cooling device according to the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a cross-sectional view showing an adsorbent housing part and a cooling path of the heat storage tower of the third embodiment. [Figure 7] It is a block diagram showing a fourth embodiment of the cooling device according to the present invention. [Figure 8] It is a longitudinal sectional view showing a method of switching an adsorbent housing part and a cooling path of the heat storage tower of the fourth embodiment. [Figure 9] It is a psychrometric chart showing the effects of an example of the cooling device according to the present invention.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0024] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of the cooling device of the present invention, which is used to circulate and cool the air in an indoor space 2, such as an agricultural building, factory, warehouse, or living room.

[0025] The cooling system 1 comprises a heat storage unit 8 equipped with three or more (six in the illustrated example) heat storage towers 22A to 22F containing an adsorbent that generates heat by adsorbing water vapor; a blower 4 that introduces air to be cooled from the room 2 into the heat storage unit 8; a mist cooler 10 that sprays water onto the low-humidity air discharged from the heat storage unit 8 to generate high-humidity, low-temperature air; an adsorbent regenerator 36 that supplies high-temperature air to remove water vapor from the adsorbent that has adsorbed water vapor in the heat storage unit 8; a flow path switching device (switching valves 18A to 18F, switching valves 30A to 30F) that selects at least one of the multiple heat storage towers 22A to 22F as a moisture absorption section, at least one as a regeneration section, and at least one as a cooling section, and switches the flow paths accordingly; and a controller 12 that controls the switching of the selection of the moisture absorption section, regeneration section, and cooling section by the flow path switching device. Each part will be described in detail below.

[0026] The air to be cooled in the room 2 is connected to the blower 4 through a flow path 14 such as a duct, and is sent to flow path 16 by a blower 6 inside the blower 4. The first ports of six switching valves 18A to 18F are connected in parallel to flow path 16. Switching valves 18A to 18F have a common port and three selectable first to third ports, and have a structure that allows connection to either the common port or one of the first to third ports. Switching valves 18A to 18F are, for example, solenoid valves and are controlled by a controller 12. The second ports of switching valves 18A to 18F are closed, the third ports of all of them are connected in parallel to flow path 19, and the common port is connected via flow path 20 to the open end (which may be the lower end) of one end of each of the heat storage towers 22A to 22F.

[0027] The thermal storage towers 22A to 22F are hollow columnar structures, such as cylindrical, rectangular, or hexagonal columns. Inside the thermal storage towers 22A to 22F, there is an adsorbent housing section 23 with open ends at both ends, and an annular cooling passage 25 is formed surrounding the outer circumference of the adsorbent housing section 23. The cooling passage 25 has an inlet 26 and an outlet 24 near its upper and lower ends, respectively. The adsorbent housing section 23 is supported at both ends by filters, meshes, etc. (not shown) to prevent the adsorbent from escaping. The adsorbent can be any well-known material that generates heat by adsorbing water vapor. For example, materials such as a composite of amorphous aluminum silicate and low-crystallinity clay (e.g., Huskclay®), silica gel, zeolite, polymer sorbent, etc., can be used as the adsorbent. Depending on the required permeability, the adsorbent may be in the form of a porous body with a three-dimensional shape, a lump, granules, powder, or a combination thereof.

[0028] The open ends at the top of the thermal storage towers 22A to 22F are connected to the common ports of the switching valves 30A to 30F via the flow path 28. Like the switching valves 18A to 18F, the switching valves 30A to 30F also have a common port and three selectable first to third ports, to which the common port and one of the first to third ports are selected for connection. The switching valves 30A to 30F are, for example, solenoid valves and are controlled by the controller 12. The first ports of the switching valves 30A to 30F are all connected in parallel to the flow path 32, the second ports are closed, and the third ports are all connected in parallel to the flow path 34.

[0029] The intake port of the adsorbent regenerator 36 is connected to the flow path 19, and the discharge port is connected to the flow path 34. The adsorbent regenerator 36 draws in regenerated air from the flow path 19 through the intake port and discharges high-temperature air (e.g., 40-120°C) from the discharge port for use in regenerating the adsorbent. The adsorbent regenerator 36 may exhaust some or all of the regenerated air drawn in from the flow path 19 to the outside, or it may draw in outside air from the outside and use only this, or mix outside air with the regenerated air, heat it, and supply it to the flow path 34 from the discharge port. The heat source for the adsorbent regenerator 36 can be anything, such as electricity, thermal power, waste heat from other systems, or heat recovered by a heat pump.

[0030] The inlet of the mist cooler 10 is connected to the flow path 32. The mist cooler 10 has a mist duct 38, a rectifier 40, a spray section 42, and a rectifier 46 located within it. The rectifier 40 has numerous rectifier fins and the like, and rectifies the flow of low-humidity air introduced from the flow path 32 into the mist duct 38, thereby making the flow velocity almost uniform throughout the entire cross-section of the mist duct 38.

[0031] The spray unit 42 has multiple spray nozzles 44. When water is supplied from a water source 40 (not shown), the spray nozzles 44, positioned between the rectifier 40 and the rectifier 46, spray a fine mist of water into the low-humidity air. The heat of vaporization of the water lowers the temperature of the low-humidity air and increases its humidity, generating high-humidity, low-temperature air. The generated high-humidity, low-temperature air is discharged from the mist cooler 10 through the rectifier 46 and returned to the room 2 via the flow path 48. This enables cooling of the room 2. The rectifier 46 has numerous rectifying fins and other components that rectify the flow of the high-humidity, low-temperature air and remove water droplets mixed into the high-humidity, low-temperature air.

[0032] In this example, the controller 12 is connected to the temperature sensor 50 and humidity sensor 52 located in room 2, and executes a pre-programmed flow, controlling the switching valves 18A-18F, switching valves 30A-30F, adsorbent regenerator 36, and adsorbent cooler 27 based on the temperature information from the temperature sensor 50 and the humidity information from the humidity sensor 52. The cycle described below may be run at a fixed interval without the temperature sensor 50 and humidity sensor 52, but if the temperature sensor 50 and humidity sensor 52 are provided, it is possible to determine that the capacity of the heat storage tower in the moisture absorption section (a) has saturated when the temperature information from the temperature sensor 50 and / or the humidity information from the humidity sensor 52 exceeds a certain threshold, and the control cycle described below can be advanced to the next step, thereby increasing safety.

[0033] Figures 2 and 3 show an example of control by the controller 12. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the thermal storage towers 22A to 22F, and Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the thermal storage towers 22A to 22F. In Figures 2 and 3, (a) is the moisture absorption section, (b) is the regeneration section, and (c) to (f) are the cooling sections. Figures 2 and 3 (a) to (f) do not show a physical change in the position of the thermal storage towers 22A to 22F, but rather that the role of each thermal storage tower changes sequentially by switching the switching valves 18A to 18F and 30A to 30F by the controller 12. Alternatively, as a modification of the first embodiment, the thermal storage towers 22A to 22F may rotate horizontally in the order of (a) to (f), and the flow path may be switched according to each position in the same manner as described above.

[0034] In the moisture absorption section (a) of Figures 2 and 3, the adsorbent in the adsorbent containment section 23 is in a regenerated state, and both the switching valve (one of 18A to 18F) and the switching valve (one of 30A to 30F) have the first port selected. As a result, the air to be cooled from the blower 4 flows from the flow path 20 to the flow path 28, that is, from bottom to top, into the adsorbent containment section 23. As the air to be cooled passes between the adsorbents in the adsorbent containment section 23, water vapor is adsorbed, and the air is led to the flow path 28 as low-humidity air. During this time, the adsorbent in the moisture absorption section (a) generates heat due to the latent heat of the adsorbed water vapor, and its temperature rises from the initial temperature.

[0035] In the moisture absorption section (a), cooling fluid from the adsorbent cooler 27 is simultaneously circulated from the inlet 26 to the outlet 24 of the cooling passage 25, that is, from top to bottom. As a result, the temperature rise of the adsorbent in the adsorbent containment section 23 is suppressed to a low level relative to the amount of heat released by the latent heat of adsorbed water vapor. The cooling fluid may also be circulated from the outlet 24 to the inlet 26.

[0036] In Figures 2 and 3, the regeneration section (b) is the heat storage tower that was the moisture absorption section (a) in the previous cycle, and both the switching valve (one of 18A to 18F) and the switching valve (one of 30A to 30F) have the third port selected. The adsorbent inside the adsorbent housing section 23 is in a state where it has adsorbed water vapor. High-temperature air from the adsorbent regenerator 36 flows into the regeneration section (b) from the flow path 28 to the flow path 20, that is, from top to bottom, and the adsorbent inside the adsorbent housing section 23 is exposed to the high-temperature air, moisture is removed, the adsorption capacity is restored, and the temperature also rises.

[0037] In the regeneration section (b), the cooling fluid from the adsorbent cooler 27 is stopped. As a result, the temperature of the adsorbent in the adsorbent containment section 23 rises as the adsorbent regeneration progresses. The reason the supply of cooling fluid is stopped in the regeneration section (b) is that regeneration proceeds more effectively if the adsorbent is not cooled.

[0038] In Figures 2 and 3, the cooling sections (c) to (f) represent all of the thermal storage tower (22A to 22F) except for the moisture absorption section (a) and the regeneration section (b). The second port is selected for both the switching valve (one of 18A to 18F) and the switching valve (one of 30A to 30F), and both ends of the adsorbent housing section 23 are closed. In the cooling sections (c) to (f), the cooling fluid from the adsorbent cooler 27 flows from the inlet 26 to the outlet 24, cooling the adsorbent in the adsorbent housing section 23, and its temperature returns to the initial temperature over time. The cooling fluid may also flow from the outlet 24 to the inlet 26.

[0039] Thus, in this example, six thermal storage towers 22A to 22F are provided, and four of them are used as cooling sections (c) to (f), so that the heated adsorbent after passing through the regeneration section (b) can be sufficiently cooled back to its initial temperature.

[0040] However, the control method by the controller 12 is not limited to the above example, and the number of thermal storage towers simultaneously selected as the moisture absorption section (a) is not limited to one; two, three, or four towers may be selected depending on the required cooling capacity. Similarly, the number of thermal storage towers simultaneously selected as the regeneration section (b) is not limited to one; two, three, or four towers may be selected, and the number of thermal storage towers simultaneously selected as the cooling section (c) is not limited to four; one, two, or three towers may be selected. If the required cooling capacity is small, a dormant section that is neither a moisture absorption section (a), a regeneration section (b), nor a cooling section (c) may be provided, resulting in a configuration that does not absorb moisture, regenerate, or cool. In this example, there were six thermal storage towers, but it is possible to provide a moisture absorption section (a), a regeneration section (b), and a cooling section (c) with three or more towers.

[0041] According to the cooling device of the first embodiment, by repeating the above six cycles based on the control of the controller 12, high-humidity, low-temperature air can be continuously generated to perform cooling, the temperature rise of the adsorbent in the moisture absorption section (a) can be suppressed, and the initial temperature can be sufficiently reduced by using the heat storage tower, which has been cooled while selected as the cooling section (c) to (f), as the moisture absorption section (a) in the next cycle. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently generate low-temperature, high-humidity, low-temperature air without passing the dehumidified high-temperature air through a separately provided heat exchanger, and it has the excellent effect of being simple in configuration.

[0042] In the first embodiment, a cooling passage 25 was provided for each of the thermal storage towers 22A to 22F. However, the cooling passage 25 and the adsorbent cooler 27 may be omitted, and the thermal storage towers may be cooled naturally in the cooling sections (c) to (f), or by blowing air onto the thermal storage towers with a fan, or by bringing other cooling media (groundwater, river water, tap water that may rise in temperature) into contact with the thermal storage towers.

[0043] [Second Embodiment] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention. In this example, the same reference numerals are used to indicate parts that are the same as those in the first embodiment. The second embodiment is characterized by the provision of a heat exchanger 60 in place of the flow rectifier 40 that was previously located inside the mist cooler 10. The heat exchanger 60 is supplied with a fluid to be heated (such as water) from a fluid inlet 62, and the fluid after heat exchange is discharged from a fluid outlet 64. In the second embodiment, when there is a need to heat the fluid, the fluid supplied from the fluid inlet 62 can be heat-exchanged with low-humidity air from the flow path 32, further cooling the low-humidity air and generating a heated fluid, which can be used, for example, for hot water supply.

[0044] [Third Embodiment] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing a third embodiment of the present invention. In this example, the same reference numerals are used to indicate parts that are the same as those in the first embodiment, and the explanation will be based on these same numerals. In this example, there are two thermal storage towers 66A-66B, which are wider than the thermal storage towers 22A-22F in the first embodiment. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing one example of the arrangement of the adsorbent storage section 71 and cooling passage 72 of the thermal storage towers 66A-66B. As shown in Figure 6, a large number of adsorbent storage sections 71 and a large number of cooling passages 72 are formed by airtight partitions, for example, with grid-like partitions. It is preferable that the partitions are made of a material with high thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance. All of the adsorbent storage sections 71 extend parallel to the axis of the thermal storage tower and converge at the upper and lower ends of the thermal storage towers 66A-66B, connecting to the flow path 70 and flow path 73, respectively. The cooling passages 72 also extend parallel to the axis of the thermal storage tower and converge at the upper and lower ends of the thermal storage towers 66A-66B, connecting to the inlet 76 and outlet 74, respectively.

[0045] The common ports of the switching valves 68A to 68B are connected to the flow path 70. The switching valves 68A to 68B have a common port and two selectable first and second ports, and one of the common port and the first or second port is selected for connection. The switching valves 68A to 68B are, for example, solenoid valves and are controlled by the controller 12. The first ports of the switching valves 68A to 68B are all connected in parallel to the flow path 16, and the second ports of each are connected to the flow path 19.

[0046] The common ports of the switching valves 78A to 78B are connected to the flow path 73. The switching valves 78A to 78B have a common port and two selectable first and second ports, and one of the common port and the first or second port is selected for connection. The switching valves 78A to 78B are also, for example, solenoid valves and are controlled by the controller 12. The first ports of the switching valves 78A to 78B are all connected in parallel to the flow path 32, and the second ports of each are connected to the flow path 34.

[0047] The flow path 74 leading to the lower end of the cooling passage 72 of the thermal storage towers 66A to 66B is connected to the first and second ports of the switching valve 82. The switching valve 82 has a common port and two selectable first and second ports, and one of the common port and one of the first or second ports is selected for connection. The switching valve 82 is also, for example, a solenoid valve and is controlled by the controller 12. The flow path 76 leading to the upper end of the cooling passage 72 of the thermal storage towers 66A to 66B is connected to the first and second ports of the switching valve 86. The switching valve 86 has a common port and two selectable first and second ports, and one of the common port and one of the first or second ports is selected for connection. The switching valve 86 is also, for example, a solenoid valve and is controlled by the controller 12.

[0048] An adsorbent cooler 85 is connected between flow path 84 and flow path 88, and a cooling fluid is flowed from top to bottom (or bottom to top) through the cooling passage 72 of either one of the thermal storage towers 66A to 66B.

[0049] In the third embodiment, the controller 12 alternately designates one of the thermal storage towers 66A to 66B as a moisture absorption section (a) and the other as a regeneration section (b). In this example, there is no cooling section (c), and the controller 12 controls each section as follows.

[0050] In the heat storage tower (any of 66A to 66B) selected as the moisture absorption section (a), cooling air from the blower 4 flows from the flow path 70 to the flow path 73, that is, from bottom to top, into the adsorbent containment section 71. Simultaneously, in the moisture absorption section (a), cooling fluid from the adsorbent cooler 85 flows from the inlet 76 to the outlet 74 of the cooling passage 72, that is, from top to bottom. As a result, the adsorbent in the adsorbent containment section 71 is effectively cooled, and the temperature rise is suppressed to a low level relative to the amount of heat released by the latent heat of adsorbed water vapor.

[0051] Meanwhile, in the adsorbent storage section 71 of the regeneration section (b), high-temperature air from the adsorbent regenerator 36 flows from the flow path 73 to the flow path 70, that is, from top to bottom. The adsorbent in the adsorbent storage section 71 comes into contact with the high-temperature air, removing moisture and restoring its adsorption capacity. In the regeneration section (b), the cooling fluid from the adsorbent cooler 85 is stopped, but while it is functioning as the moisture absorption section (a), the adsorbent is cooled by the cooling fluid in the cooling passage 72, so the temperature rise of the low-humidity air released into the flow path 32 can be sufficiently suppressed.

[0052] In particular, according to the third embodiment, within the thermal storage towers 66A to 66B, numerous adsorbent storage sections 71 and numerous cooling passages 72 are arranged alternately, airtightly partitioned by grid-like partitions. This results in high cooling efficiency for the adsorbent and facilitates cooling and temperature control of the adsorbent in the moisture absorption section (a).

[0053] [Fourth Embodiment] Figure 7 is a block diagram showing the air conditioning system of the fourth embodiment. Components common to the first and third embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals and described accordingly. In the fourth embodiment, three thermal storage towers 66A to 66C are provided, each having an adsorbent storage section 71 and a cooling passage 72. Three three-option switching valves 68A to 68C and three three-option switching valves 78A to 78C are connected to the flow paths 70 and 73 leading to the adsorbent storage section 71, respectively. As a result, flow paths 16 and 32 are connected to the adsorbent storage section 71 of the thermal storage tower selected as the moisture absorption section (a), flow paths 19 and 34 are connected to the adsorbent storage section 71 of the thermal storage tower selected as the regeneration section (b), and both ends of the adsorbent storage section 71 of the thermal storage tower selected as the cooling section (c) are closed.

[0054] Furthermore, two-option switching valves 82A-82C and 86A-86C are connected to the inlet 76 and outlet 74 of the cooling passage 72 of the thermal storage towers 66A-66C, respectively. Flow paths 84 and 88 are connected to the cooling passage 72 of the thermal storage tower selected as the moisture absorption section (a) and the cooling section (c), while both ends of the cooling passage 72 of the thermal storage tower selected as the regeneration section (b) are closed.

[0055] As shown in Figure 8, cooling fluid is flowed from top to bottom through the cooling passage 72 of the thermal storage tower selected as the moisture absorption section (a), while the cooling passage 72 of the thermal storage tower selected as the regeneration section (b) is closed at both ends, and cooling fluid is flowed from top to bottom through the cooling passage 72 of the thermal storage tower selected as the cooling section (c). Alternatively, cooling fluid may be flowed from bottom to top through the cooling passage 72 of the thermal storage tower selected as the cooling section (c).

[0056] According to the fourth embodiment, within the thermal storage towers 66A to 66C, numerous adsorbent storage sections 71 and numerous cooling passages 72 are arranged alternately, airtightly partitioned by grid-like partitions. This results in high cooling efficiency for the heat-generating adsorbent in the moisture-absorbing section (a). Furthermore, by using three thermal storage towers 66A to 66C to provide a cooling section (c), a cooling effect can be obtained on the regenerated adsorbent in the cooling section (c), making it possible to further enhance the cooling effect compared to the third embodiment.

[0057] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included within the technical scope of the present invention. [Examples]

[0058] The effects of the present invention will be further explained below with reference to examples. [Example 1] Figure 9 is a psychrometric chart showing simulation results illustrating the cooling effect according to an embodiment of the present invention. Assuming that the indoor air to be cooled is 25.0°C / 90%RH (relative humidity), if water mist is sprayed onto the air using only the mist cooler 10, the cooling effect is only achieved up to 100%RH, which is only from point A to point B in Figure 9. The cooled air is then 23.5°C / 100%RH. In other words, it can only be cooled by 1.5°C.

[0059] Next, using the thermal storage tower 22A and the mist cooler 10, when dehumidification is performed in the thermal storage tower 22A while generating heat, and then water mist is sprayed onto the dehumidified air, the temperature progresses from point A → point C (outside the psychrometric chart) → point D → point E in Figure 9, and the cooled air is 15.0℃ / 100%RH. In other words, it can be cooled by 10.0℃.

[0060] Next, using a thermal storage tower 22A with a cooling passage 25 and a mist cooler 10, when dehumidification is performed by flowing chilled water through the cooling passage 25 of the thermal storage tower 22A, and then water mist is sprayed onto the dehumidified air, the temperature progresses from point A to point F to point G in Figure 9, and the cooled air is 10.0℃ / 100%RH. In other words, it can be seen that the temperature can be cooled by 15.0℃.

[0061] [Example 2] When 25.0°C / 90%RH air was flowed through a thermal storage tower containing 100kg of husk clay, low-humidity air at 25.0°C / 7%RH was produced during the initial period (approximately 15-20 minutes) while the husk clay was warming up. Therefore, it was found that by applying the present invention and switching to the next heat storage tower in a cycle of about 15 to 20 minutes, it is possible to continuously produce the low-humidity air described above, and by spraying mist onto this low-humidity air with the mist cooler 10, it is possible to continuously produce air at 10°C / 100%RH. [Industrial applicability]

[0062] The cooling device according to the present invention can suppress the temperature rise of the moisture absorption section, so it can efficiently generate sufficiently low-temperature, high-humidity, low-temperature air without passing the dehumidified high-temperature air through a separately provided heat exchanger for cooling, and it also has the advantage of a simple configuration. Therefore, it is suitable for industrial use. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 1. Air conditioning unit 2. Indoor 4 Blower 6 Blower 8. Heat storage unit 10. Mist cooling unit 12 Controller 14 Flow path 16 Flow path 18A~18F Switching valve 20 Flow paths 22A~22F Thermal storage tower 23 Adsorbent containment section 24 Outlet 25 Cooling path 26 Inlet 27 Adsorbent cooler 28 Flow path 30A~30F Switching valve 32 flow paths 34 Flow channel 36 Adsorbent regenerator 38. Fine mist duct 40. Rectifier 42 Spray section 44 Spray nozzle 46 Rectifier 48 Flow path 50 Temperature sensor 52 Humidity sensor 60 Heat exchanger 62 Fluid inlet 64 Fluid outlet 66A~66C Heat storage tower 68A~68C Switching valve 70 flow path 71 Adsorbent containment section 72 Cooling passage 74 Exit 76 Entrance 78A~78C Switching valve 82 Switching valve 82A~82C Switching valve 84 flow path 85 Adsorbent cooler 86 Switching valve 86A~86C Switching valve 88 flow path

Claims

1. A thermal storage unit comprising three or more thermal storage towers containing an adsorbent that generates heat by adsorbing water vapor, A blower for introducing air to be cooled into the heat storage unit, A mist cooler that sprays water onto the low-humidity air discharged from the heat storage unit to generate high-humidity, low-temperature air, The heat storage unit is provided with an adsorbent regenerator that supplies high-temperature air to remove water vapor from the adsorbent that has adsorbed water vapor, A flow path switching device that selects at least one of the plurality of heat storage towers as a moisture absorption section, introduces the air to be cooled from the blower into the moisture absorption section and supplies the low-humidity air discharged from the moisture absorption section to the mist cooler, selects the heat storage tower that was the moisture absorption section in the previous cycle as a regeneration section, introduces the high-temperature air from the adsorbent regenerator into the regeneration section and discharges the regenerated air from the regeneration section, and selects at least one of the remaining heat storage towers that is neither the moisture absorption section nor the regeneration section as a cooling section, An air conditioning system comprising a controller that controls the selection and switching of the moisture absorption section, the regeneration section, and the cooling section by the flow path switching device.

2. The cooling device according to claim 1, further comprising cooling means for cooling the heat storage tower selected as the cooling unit.

3. The heat storage unit is further provided with an adsorbent cooler that supplies a cooling fluid for cooling the adsorbent, Each of the aforementioned heat storage towers has a cooling passage for exchanging heat between the adsorbent and the cooling fluid. The cooling device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a cooling path switching device that selects the cooling path of the heat storage tower, which is selected as the moisture absorption section and the cooling section of the heat storage tower, and circulates the cooling fluid from the adsorbent cooler.

4. A thermal storage unit comprising two or more thermal storage towers containing an adsorbent that generates heat by adsorbing water vapor, Each of the aforementioned heat storage towers is provided with a cooling passage for exchanging heat between the adsorbent and the cooling fluid, A blower for introducing air to be cooled into the heat storage unit, A mist cooler that sprays water onto the low-humidity air discharged from the heat storage unit to generate high-humidity, low-temperature air, The heat storage unit is provided with an adsorbent regenerator that supplies high-temperature air to remove water vapor from the adsorbent that has adsorbed water vapor, A flow path switching device selects at least one of the plurality of heat storage towers as a moisture absorption section, introduces the air to be cooled from the blower into the moisture absorption section and supplies the low-humidity air discharged from the moisture absorption section to the mist cooler, and selects the heat storage tower that was the moisture absorption section in the previous cycle as a regeneration section, introduces the high-temperature air from the adsorbent regeneration machine into the regeneration section and discharges the regenerated air from the regeneration section, An adsorbent cooler that supplies a cooling fluid to the heat storage unit for cooling the adsorbent, A cooling path switching device that selects the cooling path of the heat storage tower selected as the moisture absorption section and allows the cooling fluid from the adsorbent cooler to flow through it, An air conditioning system comprising a controller that controls the switching of the moisture absorption section and the regeneration section by the flow path switching device, and the selection of the cooling path by the cooling path switching device.

5. The cooling device according to any one of claims 1, 2, or 4, further comprising a heat exchanger for exchanging heat between low-humidity air discharged from the heat storage unit and a fluid supplied from the outside.

6. The cooling device according to claim 3, further comprising a heat exchanger for exchanging heat between low-humidity air discharged from the heat storage unit and a fluid supplied from the outside.

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