Gas-liquid separator and humidity control module

Abstract

This disclosure aims to provide a gas-liquid separator and a humidity control module that suppress the adhesion of large droplets to the collection material while controlling the horizontal size of the droplets, for use in gas-liquid separators that collect droplets contained in a gas. [Solution] The gas-liquid separator 140 has multiple collection structures 160 arranged vertically, each comprising a collection material 162 that extends horizontally and collects small liquid droplets SD contained in the gas when gas is passed through it, and a guide 170 located below the collection material 162 that guides the gas flowing horizontally toward the collection material 162.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a gas-liquid separator and a humidity conditioning module.

Background Art

[0002] For example, in Patent Document 1, a chamber for storing a sample, a first collection tube provided with a filter, and a decompression section are connected in this order via a flow path, and a heating / cooling section and a second collection tube connected to the first collection tube via a flow path are provided. The heating / cooling section collects the gas released from the sample by cooling the first collection tube, releases the gas collected in the first collection tube by heating the first collection tube in the heating / cooling section, and a gas collection device that collects the gas by the second collection tube is disclosed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, regarding a gas-liquid separator that collects droplets contained in a horizontally flowing gas, when a collection material for collecting droplets is arranged horizontally, the horizontal size of the gas-liquid separator increases. Further, when the downstream side of the collection material is inclined upward or downward with respect to the horizontal direction with respect to the direction of gas flow, if the gas contains large droplets, the large droplets adhere to the collection material, resulting in problems such as a decrease in the collection ability of the collection material.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a gas-liquid separator and a humidity conditioning module that suppress the horizontal size while suppressing the adhesion of large droplets to a collection material for a gas-liquid separator that collects droplets contained in a gas.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The first embodiment of the gas-liquid separator has a collection structure that extends horizontally and collects liquid droplets contained in the gas when gas is passed through it, and a guide located below the collection structure that guides the gas flowing horizontally toward the collection structure, with multiple collection structures arranged vertically.

[0007] According to this embodiment of the gas-liquid separator, the gas-liquid separator that collects liquid droplets contained in a gas can suppress the horizontal size while preventing large liquid droplets from adhering to the collection material.

[0008] In the second embodiment of the gas-liquid separator, the guide is inclined upward from the upstream side to the downstream side in the direction of gas flow, as described in the first embodiment.

[0009] According to this embodiment of the gas-liquid separator, the guide smoothly changes the direction of gas flow, making it difficult for gas vortices to form. As a result, pressure loss can be reduced compared to the case where the guide is horizontal from the upstream to the downstream side in the direction of gas flow.

[0010] The third embodiment of the humidity control module comprises a gas-liquid contact module in which air and humidity control liquid come into contact, and a gas-liquid separator according to the first or second embodiment for collecting the humidity control liquid, which is a droplet contained in the gas flowing out from the gas-liquid contact module.

[0011] According to this embodiment of the gas-liquid separator, it is possible to suppress the horizontal size of the humidity control module that collects the humidity control liquid, which is a droplet contained in the gas flowing out of the gas-liquid contact module, while also suppressing the adhesion of large droplets to the collection material. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to this disclosure, a gas-liquid separator for collecting droplets contained in a gas is provided, which suppresses the horizontal size of the droplets while preventing large droplets from adhering to the collection material, and a humidity control module is also provided. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a diagram illustrating an air handling unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] A perspective view illustrating a humidity control module according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of a humidity control module according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] This is an enlarged view of Figure 3, and is a cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of the gas-liquid separator in the humidity control module according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or equivalent components and parts are given the same reference numerals. Also, the dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for illustrative purposes and may differ from the actual ratios.

[0015] In each drawing, the X-direction of the arrow is horizontal and indicates the width direction of the air handling unit 100; the Y-direction of the arrow is horizontal and indicates the depth direction (airflow direction) of the air handling unit 100; and the Z-direction of the arrow is vertical and indicates the height direction of the air handling unit 100.

[0016] [Embodiment] (composition) (Air handling unit 100) Figure 1 shows an air handling unit 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the air handling unit 100 according to this embodiment has a structure in which the inside of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing 102 is divided into multiple compartments by partition walls 102S. In this embodiment, the air handling unit 100 is configured, as an example, in the order of a filter section 104, a temperature control section 106, a humidity control section 108, and a fan section 110, in the direction of gas flow. Although hidden by other components in Figure 1, connection ports are provided in the partition walls 102S to connect to adjacent compartments.

[0017] As shown in Figure 1, the filter section 104 is the part that takes in air into the air handling unit 100 and removes dust. In one example, the filter section 104 has a filter attached to the air intake port 102I formed in the housing 102. However, the filter section 104 is not limited to the example shown in Figure 1, and may be provided with other configurations for removing dust.

[0018] As shown in Figure 1, the temperature control section 106 is primarily responsible for adjusting the temperature of the air taken into the air handling unit 100. As an example, the temperature control section 106 has coiled piping through which cooling water or heating water flows. Therefore, the air flowing from the filter section 104 into the temperature control section 106 is heated or cooled by the cooling water or heating water. Note that the example shown in Figure 1 is not the only possible configuration for changing the air temperature in the temperature control section 106; other methods may also be used.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the humidity adjustment section 108 is a part that mainly adjusts the humidity of the air taken into the air handling unit 100. The humidity adjustment section 108 has, as an example, a humidity control module 120 according to the present disclosure arranged therein. For this reason, the air flowing from the temperature adjustment section 106 into the humidity adjustment section 108 is adjusted in humidity by the humidity control module 120. The specific configuration and operation of the humidity control module 120 will be described later.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, the fan section 110 is a part for flowing air inside the air handling unit 100. As an example, the fan section 110 causes the air from the filter section 104 to the humidity adjustment section 108 to flow out by a fan provided on the partition wall 102S. Further, the fan of the fan section 110 exhausts the air inside the housing 102 to the outside from the exhaust port 102O.

[0021] Next, the specific configuration and operation of the humidity control module 120 in the present embodiment will be described while referring to FIGS. 2 to 4.

[0022] (Humidity control module 120) FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the humidity control module 120 in the present disclosure. Further, FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the humidity control module 120 in the present disclosure. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the humidity control module 120 includes a gas-liquid contact module 130 and a gas-liquid separator 140. In the example shown in FIG. 3, air flows from the left side to the right side of the drawing.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 3, the gas-liquid contact module 130 includes a humidity control liquid introduction section 132 for introducing a humidity control liquid, a gas-liquid contact section 134 through which the humidity control liquid flows, a tank 136, and a humidity control liquid discharge section 138.

[0024] As shown in Figure 3, the humidity control liquid introduction section 132 is located at the top of the gas-liquid contact module 130 and is the part into which the humidity control liquid is introduced from the outside. The humidity control liquid introduced from the humidity control liquid introduction section 132 flows to the gas-liquid contact section 134 by gravity.

[0025] The gas-liquid contact section 134 is located below the humidity control liquid introduction section 132 and is the part through which the humidity control liquid flows downward due to gravity. The gas-liquid contact section 134 can have any configuration as long as it allows the humidity control liquid to flow down, but as an example, a resin component is configured such as a honeycomb structure to increase the contact area between the gas-liquid contact section 134 and the air. As shown in Figure 3, the air introduced into the temperature control section 106 is flowed from the air supply port 132I to the exhaust port 132O of the gas-liquid contact module 130, thereby coming into contact with the humidity control liquid flowing along the gas-liquid contact section 134.

[0026] As shown in Figure 3, the tank 136 is a component located below the gas-liquid contact section 134, and is the part where the humidifying liquid that flows down from the gas-liquid contact section 134 accumulates. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the tank 136 is the part of the housing of the gas-liquid contact module 130 that is below the gas-liquid contact section 134, the air inlet 132I, and the exhaust port 132O, and is the part where the humidifying liquid that adheres to the inner surface of the housing of the gas-liquid contact module 130 flows down. As shown in Figure 3, the tank 136 is provided with a humidifying liquid discharge section 138. The humidifying liquid accumulated in the tank 136 is discharged to the outside of the gas-liquid contact module 130 by the humidifying liquid discharge section 138.

[0027] As shown in Figure 3, the tank 136 is located below the exhaust port 132O. Therefore, droplets adhering to the inside of the exhaust port 132O, i.e., the inner surface of the housing of the gas-liquid contact module 130, flow down into the tank 136 due to gravity.

[0028] As an example, the humidity control liquid used in this embodiment includes lithium chloride and water. Lithium chloride is used as a humidity control agent because it is hygroscopic. One type of humidity control agent may be used, or two or more types may be used.

[0029] A humidity control solution containing a humidity control agent and water controls the vapor pressure of the vapor-liquid equilibrium by controlling its concentration, thereby controlling the humidity of the air. For example, if the humidity of the air is high, the concentration of the humidity control agent in the solution is increased by heating the solution to evaporate the water, and the concentrated humidity control agent absorbs moisture from the air, lowering the humidity. On the other hand, if the humidity of the air is low, the concentration of the humidity control agent in the solution is decreased by supplying water to the solution, and the humidity is increased by adding moisture to the air with the reduced concentration of the solution.

[0030] Therefore, at the gas-liquid contact section 134, the air introduced into the temperature control section 106 has its humidity adjusted by contact between the air and the humidity control liquid. More specifically, when dehumidifying the air, the gas-liquid contact module 130 brings the air into contact with the humidity control liquid, which has a gas-liquid equilibrium vapor pressure lower than that of the air, thereby dehumidifying the air. When humidifying the air, the gas-liquid contact module 130 brings the air into contact with the humidity control liquid, which has a gas-liquid equilibrium vapor pressure higher than that of the air, thereby humidifying the air.

[0031] Although not shown in Figures 1 to 4, the humidity control liquid discharged from the humidity control liquid discharge section 138 is subjected to moisture adjustment by a regenerator (not shown). The humidity control liquid, with its temperature and concentration adjusted, is then supplied again to the humidity control liquid inlet section 132.

[0032] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the gas-liquid separator 140 is attached to the exhaust port 132O of the gas-liquid contact module 130. In other words, the gas-liquid separator 140 blocks the exhaust port 132O of the gas-liquid contact module 130. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2 to 4, the gas-liquid separator 140 is composed of multiple collection structures 160 arranged vertically. Each collection structure 160 comprises a collection material 162 and a guide 170.

[0033] The collection material 162 is a component that collects the humidity control liquid that has turned into droplets in the air when air is passed through it. In this embodiment, the collection material 162 is a general term for what are called mist eliminators, mist separators, demisters, etc. The collection material 162 can be made of thread-like material woven into a mesh, and is not limited in material or structure as long as it is capable of collecting droplets in the air (specifically, droplets that float with the airflow AD). In addition, the collection material 162 can be made of various metals and resins, and can be freely selected according to the physical properties, corrosiveness, and temperature of the droplets to be collected.

[0034] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2 to 4, the collecting material 162 is arranged to extend horizontally. The collecting material 162 may be fixed in any way, but as an example, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, it is fixed by being sandwiched at the top and bottom by the frame 164.

[0035] The guide 170 is positioned below the collecting material 162 and is a component that guides horizontally flowing air toward the collecting material 162. More specifically, the guide 170 guides the horizontally flowing air that flows out from the exhaust port 132O of the gas-liquid contact module 130 toward the collecting material 162, which is positioned above the guide 170. In other words, in the collection structure 160, the air flows upward along the guide 170. The guide 170 can be made of any material that can guide the air toward the collecting material 162, but as an example, it is made of a hard material that does not easily deform, such as metal or acrylic resin.

[0036] Furthermore, the guide 170 is tilted upward on the downstream side of the airflow AD, i.e., the right side in Figures 3 and 4, compared to the upstream side of the airflow AD, i.e., the left side in Figures 3 and 4.

[0037] In the gas-liquid separator 140, the liquid droplets contained in the air collected by the collecting material 162 flow downward due to gravity. In this embodiment, the liquid droplets contained in the air collected by the collecting material 162 of the gas-liquid separator 140 are transferred from the collecting material 162 to the guide 170, and then flow down from the guide 170 through the exhaust port 132O to the tank 136.

[0038] More specifically, when droplets are collected by the collecting material 162, they flow down the frame 164 to the guide 170. Also, as shown in Figure 4, the upstream side of the airflow AD is positioned downwards in the guide 170, so droplets are collected at the lower end of the guide 170 (the left end in Figure 4). As the droplets are collected at the lower end of the guide 170, they drip down onto the collection structure 160 one level below the one stacked vertically. In this order, the droplets collected in the guide 170 flow from the exhaust port 132O along the inner surface of the housing of the gas-liquid contact module 130 to the tank 136.

[0039] (Humidity control and airflow AD) Incidentally, in the humidity control module 120 of this embodiment, as described above, air whose humidity has been adjusted by contact with the humidity control liquid at the gas-liquid contact section 134 flows through it. As shown in Figure 3, the air whose humidity has been adjusted by the gas-liquid contact section 134 may flow while containing the humidity control liquid that it has come into contact with at the gas-liquid contact section 134. More specifically, the humidity-adjusted air may contain droplets that float with the airflow AD (hereinafter referred to as "small droplets SD") and droplets that are blown away by the airflow AD and fall due to gravity (hereinafter referred to as "large droplets LD").

[0040] As described above, the small droplets SD move with the airflow AD and are therefore collected by each of the collecting materials 162 of the collection structure 160. The small droplets SD collected by the collecting materials 162 then flow down the guide 170 into the tank 136, as described above.

[0041] On the other hand, the large liquid droplets LD are blown away from the gas-liquid contact area 134 by the airflow AD, and therefore collide with the upper surface of the guide 170 in the gas-liquid separation mechanism, rather than following the air guidance provided by the guide 170. The large liquid droplets LD that adhere to the guide 170 then flow down the guide 170 into the tank 136, as described above.

[0042] As shown in Figure 3, the air guided upward by the guide 170 and passing through the collecting material 162 is guided horizontally by the lower surface of the guide 170 on the collecting structure 160 above the collecting structure 160 that contains the collecting material 162. In other words, the guide 170 on the collecting structure 160 guides the air toward the collecting material 162 of the collecting structure 160, and also guides the air flowing from the collecting material 162 located one level below the collecting structure 160.

[0043] Next, we will explain the problems solved by the gas-liquid separator 140 and humidity control module 120 in this embodiment, as well as the operation and effects of the gas-liquid separator 140 and humidity control module 120.

[0044] (Problems to be solved, operation and effects of the gas-liquid separator 140 and humidity control module 120) In a gas-liquid separator 140 that collects small liquid droplets SD contained in horizontally flowing air, if a single collecting material 162 for collecting the small liquid droplets SD is arranged horizontally, the horizontal size of the gas-liquid separator 140 becomes larger. This is because the optimal face velocity of the air passing through the collecting material 162 is determined by the type and particle size of the small liquid droplets SD contained in the air. In other words, the area of ​​the collecting material 162 relative to the face velocity of the air passing through the collecting material 162, i.e., the airflow rate, must correspond to the airflow rate, so it is not possible to reduce only the area of ​​the collecting material 162 relative to the airflow rate. For this reason, if only one collecting material 162 for collecting small liquid droplets SD contained in the air is arranged horizontally, the horizontal size of the gas-liquid separator 140 becomes larger.

[0045] Furthermore, if the gas-liquid separator 140 is tilted in a direction other than horizontal and positioned close to the exhaust port 132O of the gas-liquid contact module 130 in order to reduce its horizontal size, problems may arise such as a decrease in the collection capacity of the collection material 162 if the air contains large liquid droplets LD, as these large droplets LD may adhere to the collection material 162. Specifically, if large liquid droplets LD adhere to the collection material 162, the collection material 162 may become clogged, making it difficult for air to pass through the collection material 162 (increasing the pressure loss when air passes through the collection material 162). In addition, depending on the type of liquid droplets, bacteria may proliferate inside the droplets while they are attached to the collection material 162, and large liquid droplets LD attached to the collection material 162 may be scattered outside the humidity control module 120 by the airflow AD.

[0046] Furthermore, if one of the collecting materials 162 is moved horizontally away from the exhaust port 132O of the gas-liquid contact module 130 to prevent such large liquid droplets LD from adhering to the collecting material 162, the horizontal size of the humidity control module 120 will increase.

[0047] In this embodiment, the gas-liquid separator 140 has a collection structure 160 composed of a horizontally extending collection material 162 and a guide 170 located below the collection material 162 that guides the gas flowing horizontally toward the collection material 162. Multiple collection structures 160 are arranged in the vertical direction. As a result, large liquid droplets LD contained in the gas adhere to the guide 170, making it difficult for them to adhere to the collection material 162. Therefore, the gas-liquid separator 140, which collects liquid droplets contained in gas, can suppress the horizontal size while preventing large liquid droplets LD from adhering to the collection material 162.

[0048] Furthermore, from another perspective, the gas-liquid separator 140 in this embodiment makes it easier to secure the surface air velocity of the air passing through the collecting material 162, even if there are limitations on the horizontal size, due to the multiple collection structures 160 arranged in the vertical direction. In other words, the gas-liquid separator 140 in this embodiment offers greater design flexibility compared to the case where only one collecting material 162 is arranged horizontally.

[0049] As explained above, the guide 170 guides the airflow AD in the collection structure 160 toward the collecting material 162 (i.e., upward), and also guides the airflow AD that has passed through the collecting material 162 of the collection structure 160 located one level below it in the horizontal direction. In other words, the guide 170 determines the airflow path toward the collecting material 162 in the collection structure 160 having the guide 170, and the airflow path that has passed through the collecting material 162 of the collection structure 160 located one level below it.

[0050] In this configuration, the guides 170 constituting each collection structure 160 of the gas-liquid separator 140 are inclined upward from the upstream to the downstream side of the airflow AD. Therefore, this configuration of the gas-liquid separator 140 makes it easier to balance the resistance of the airflow toward the collection material 162 with the resistance of the airflow passing through the collection material 162. Furthermore, this configuration of the gas-liquid separator 140 makes it difficult to create air vortices because the guides 170 smoothly change the direction of the airflow. Therefore, pressure loss can be reduced compared to the case where the guides 170 are horizontal from the upstream to the downstream side of the airflow AD.

[0051] Furthermore, the humidity control module 120 includes a gas-liquid contact module 130 in which air and humidity control liquid come into contact, and a gas-liquid separator 140 that collects the humidity control liquid, which is the liquid droplets contained in the gas flowing out of the gas-liquid contact module 130. Therefore, the gas-liquid separator 140 can suppress the horizontal size of the humidity control module 120 that collects the liquid droplets contained in the gas flowing out of the gas-liquid contact module 130, while also suppressing the adhesion of large liquid droplets LD to the collection material 162.

[0052] [Other embodiments] In the above description, a humidity control module 120 having a gas-liquid separator 140 was described, but the technology of this disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the technology of this disclosure may include a configuration in which a gas-liquid separator 140 is provided for a three-fluid heat exchanger in which heat exchange takes place between three fluids: a heat transfer fluid, air, and a humidity control liquid, and the humidity control liquid flowing out of the three-fluid heat exchanger is collected. In other words, the three-fluid heat exchanger is an example of a "gas-liquid contact section" in this disclosure. Furthermore, a liquid desiccant unit having a three-fluid heat exchanger and a regenerator for recovering the humidity control liquid discharged from the three-fluid heat exchanger is another embodiment of the "humidity control module" in this disclosure.

[0053] Furthermore, in the above description, the guide 170 was inclined from the upstream side to the downstream side of the airflow AD. In this disclosure, the guide 170 may be arranged horizontally in the collection structure 160. In this case as well, with respect to the gas-liquid separator 140 that collects droplets contained in the gas, it is possible to suppress the horizontal size while preventing large droplets LD from adhering to the collection material 162.

[0054] Furthermore, in the above description, the multiple collection structures 160 all had the same configuration. In this disclosure, the collection structures 160 are not particularly limited in number or shape, as long as they are provided with a collection material 162 and a guide 170 and have the functions described above. In other words, the gas-liquid separator 140 in this disclosure may have multiple collection structures 160 arranged vertically, each having a different shape.

[0055] For example, in the above description, the guides 170 of the multiple collection structures 160 were all the same shape. However, the guide 170 of the collection structure 160 located at the bottom of the multiple collection structures 160 may be shaped to bulge toward the back side (i.e., the side opposite to the side from which the air collides), thereby smoothly guiding the direction of the airflow AD. In this case, the pressure loss of the air passing through the collection structure 160 located at the bottom can be reduced.

[0056] Furthermore, in the above description, the gas-liquid separator 140 was provided in the gas-liquid contact module 130. The gas-liquid separator 140 can also be used to separate liquid droplets contained in a gas in locations other than the gas-liquid contact module 130.

[0057] While embodiments of this disclosure have been described above with reference to the attached drawings, it is clear that any person with ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs could conceive of various modifications or applications within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims, and these too are naturally understood to fall within the technical scope of this disclosure. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0058] 100 Air Handling Units 102 cabinets 102I Air supply port 102O Exhaust port 102S Partition Wall 104 Filter Section 106 Temperature Control Section 108 Humidity Control Section 110 Fan Section 120 humidity control modules 130 Gas-Liquid Contact Module 132I Air supply port 132O Exhaust port 132 Humidity control liquid introduction section 134 Gas-liquid contact area 136 tanks 138 Dehumidifying liquid discharge section 140 Gas-liquid separator 160 Collection structure 162 Collection material 164 Frame 170 Guide

Claims

1. A gas-liquid contact module in which air and a humidity control liquid come into contact, A gas-liquid separator for collecting a dehumidifying liquid, which is a droplet contained in the gas flowing out of the gas-liquid contact module, wherein a plurality of collection structures are arranged vertically, each comprising: a collecting material extending horizontally and collecting droplets contained in the gas when gas passes through it; a guide located below the collecting material and guiding the gas flowing horizontally toward the collecting material; and side walls that close both sides of the other horizontal direction intersecting the horizontal direction between the collecting material and the guide, A tank for collecting the humidity control liquid that has been separated from the gas and flowed down the guide, A humidity control module equipped with this feature.

2. The aforementioned guide is inclined upward from the upstream side to the downstream side in the direction of gas flow. A humidity control module according to claim 1.

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