An air handling unit, a method for controlling an air handling unit and a computer program for controlling an air handling unit
The air handling unit addresses energy waste by recycling treated air and regulating flow to enhance efficiency and quality, improving carbon dioxide capture and pressure stability.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- MUNTERS EURO AB
- Filing Date
- 2025-11-05
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-15
AI Technical Summary
Existing air handling units waste energy by blowing off excess air due to high humidity and carbon dioxide levels, which competes with carbon dioxide capture, and there is a need to improve energy efficiency and air quality regulation.
An air handling unit with a rotor containing desiccant and carbon dioxide capture materials, incorporating recycling and regeneration air circuits to reuse treated process air, and a control mechanism to regulate air flow based on carbon dioxide and demand levels.
Reduces energy expenditure by reusing treated air, improves air quality, and enhances carbon dioxide capture efficiency, stabilizing pressure and optimizing energy use.
Smart Images
Figure EP2025082030_15052026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] An air handling unit, a method for controlling an air handling unit and a computer program for controlling an air handling unit
[0002] Technical field
[0003] The present disclosure relates to an air handling unit, a method for controlling an air handling unit and a computer program for controlling an air handling unit. More specifically, the disclosure relates to an air handling unit, a method for controlling an air handling unit and a computer program for controlling an air handling unit as defined in the introductory parts of the independent claims.
[0004] Background art
[0005] Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a major greenhouse gas contributing to global warming and climate change and various ways of capturing the gas have been developed over the years. By capturing the carbon dioxide for example from industrial sources helps reducing the amount of this gas released to into the atmosphere, mitigating its impact on the environment. Different types of carbon dioxide capture material are known, for example covalent organic frameworks, metal-organic frameworks, activated carbon, zeolites and carbon nanotubes. Carbon dioxide capture materials are also good at adsorbing water vapor, which can compete with the capturing of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide catchers typically comprises one or more reactors with cassettes containing the carbon dioxide capture material. Other types of carbon dioxide catchers comprise a rotor comprising a carbon dioxide capture material.
[0006] Summary
[0007] In addition to conducting process air through the air handling unit, the air handling unit will typically also conduct regeneration air though both the dehumidifier and the carbon dioxide catcher, either as separate streams or via a combined regeneration air stream passing through the carbon dioxide catcher and then the dehumidifier downstream of the carbon dioxide catcher.
[0008] The air handling unit may further comprise a mechanism for purging process air downstream of the carbon dioxide catcher in order to regulate pressure in a connection to an air consumer or in case the carbon dioxide level of the process air exceeds a predetermined threshold. However, blowing off the excess air represents a waste of energy, since energy was spent to processes the blow-off air. It is an object of the present disclosure to mitigate, alleviate or eliminate one or more of the above-identified deficiencies and disadvantages in the prior art and solve at least the above mentioned problem.
[0009] According to a first aspect there is provided an air handling unit, AHU, comprising a rotor comprising a desiccant material; a carbon dioxide catcher comprising a carbon dioxide capture material; a process air circuit configured to conduct process air through a first process sector of the rotor and the carbon dioxide catcher downstream of the rotor; a first regeneration air circuit configured to conduct regeneration air through a second regeneration sector of the rotor; and a second regeneration air circuit configured to conduct regeneration air through the carbon dioxide catcher, wherein the air handling unit further comprises a recycling air circuit fluidly connected to the process air circuit downstream of the carbon dioxide catcher and configured to conduct process air back to the process air circuit upstream of the rotor
[0010] By conducting the treated process air back to the process air circuit upstream of the rotor, the process air coming in to the rotor will have a lower humidity and carbon dioxide level. The energy expenditure associated with dehumidification and carbon dioxide capture will thereby be reused.
[0011] According to some examples, the AHU comprises a valve arranged in fluid communication with the process air circuit downstream of the carbon dioxide catcher and a control unit, the control unit being configured to control the valve in order to regulate the amount of process air to be recycled via the recycling air circuit.
[0012] The valve allows control of the amount of process air that is being recycled, regulating the pressure downstream of the AHU and prevents process air from upstream of the rotor to be added to the process air downstream of the carbon dioxide catcher.
[0013] According to some examples, the control unit is configured to control the valve based on a carbon dioxide level of the process air downstream of the carbon dioxide catcher. This provides a mechanism to improve the quality of the process air downstream of the AHU by recycling at least some of the process air through the AHU a second time.
[0014] According to some examples, the control unit is configured to control the valve based on a demand of treated process air from the AHU. By controlling the valve the demand can be met by matching the amount of delivered treated process air to the demand and recycle any remaining capacity, thereby also stabilizing the air pressure between the AHU and the air consumer imposing the demand of treated process air.
[0015] According to some examples, the second regeneration air circuit upstream of the carbon dioxide catcher is fluidly connected to the process air circuit downstream of the carbon dioxide catcher. By using regeneration air having a low carbon dioxide level, the regeneration of adsorbed carbon dioxide is made more efficient.
[0016] According to some examples, the carbon dioxide catcher further comprises at least one reactor comprising one or more cassettes configured to store the carbon dioxide capture material, and wherein the second regeneration air circuit is configured to conduct regeneration air through the at least one reactor. The reactor may also be referred to as an adsorbent and / or absorbent unit. Thus, the reactor is a unit configured to adsorb and / or absorb carbon dioxide in process air conducted through the reactor.
[0017] According to some examples, the AHU comprises a heater arranged to heat the regeneration air of the first regeneration air circuit upstream of the rotor. The heater improves the regeneration by facilitating desorption of adsorbed water from the desiccant material.
[0018] According to a second aspect there is provided a method for controlling an air handling unit according to the first aspect, the method comprising: dehumidifying process air by conducting the process air through the first process sector of the rotor; adsorbing carbon dioxide from the dehumidified process air by conducting the process air through the carbon dioxide catcher; and recycling process air back to the process air circuit upstream of the rotor.
[0019] According to some examples, the step of recycling process air is performed based on a carbon dioxide level of the process air downstream of the carbon dioxide catcher.
[0020] According to some examples, the step of recycling process air is performed based on a demand of treated process air from the AHU.
[0021] According to a third aspect there is provided a computer program for controlling an air handling unit, AHU, according to the first aspect, the computer program comprising computer instructions which, when executed by a processor of a control unit of the AHU, causes the AHU to carry out the method according to the second aspect.
[0022] According to a fourth aspect there is provided a computer program product for controlling an air handling unit, AHU, according to the first aspect, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having thereon a computer program comprising program instructions, the computer program being loadable into a processor of a control unit of the AHU and configured to cause the processor to perform for method for controlling an air handling unit according to the first aspect according to the first aspect.
[0023] Effects and features of the second, third and fourth aspects are to a large extent analogous to those described above in connection with the first aspect. Examples mentioned in relation to the first aspect are largely compatible with the second, third and fourth aspects. In other words, the second, third and fourth aspects have all the technical effects and advantages of the first aspect.
[0024] The present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description given below. The detailed description and specific examples disclose preferred examples of the disclosure by way of illustration only. Those skilled in the art understand from guidance in the detailed description that changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the disclosure.
[0025] Hence, it is to be understood that the herein disclosed disclosure is not limited to the particular component parts of the device described or steps of the methods described since such device and method may vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for purpose of describing particular examples only, and is not intended to be limiting. It should be noted that, as used in the specification and the appended claim, the articles "a", "an", "the", and "said" are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements unless the context explicitly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to "a unit" or "the unit" may include several devices, and the like. Furthermore, the words "comprising", "including", "containing" and similar wordings does not exclude other elements or steps.
[0026] Brief of the
[0027] The above objects, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure, will be more fully appreciated by reference to the following illustrative and non-limiting detailed description of example examples of the present disclosure, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
[0028] Figure 1 shows a schematic illustration of an air handling unit; and Figure 2 shows the disclosed method for controlling an air handling unit according to the first aspect.
[0029] Detailed description
[0030] The present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred example examples of the disclosure are shown. The disclosure may, however, be embodied in other forms and should not be construed as limited to the herein disclosed examples. The disclosed examples are provided to fully convey the scope of the disclosure to the skilled person.
[0031] Figure 1 shows a schematic illustration of an air handling unit, AHU, 100 according to the first aspect of this disclosure. The air handling unit 100 comprises: a rotor 110 comprising a desiccant material; a carbon dioxide catcher 120 comprising a carbon dioxide capture material; a process air circuit SI configured to conduct process air through a first process sector zl of the rotor 110 and the carbon dioxide catcher 120 downstream of the rotor 110; a first regeneration air circuit S2 configured to conduct regeneration air through a second regeneration sector z2 of the rotor 110; and a second regeneration air circuit S3 configured to conduct regeneration air through the carbon dioxide catcher 120, wherein the air handling unit 100 further comprises a recycling air circuit S4 fluidly connected to the process air circuit SI downstream of the carbon dioxide catcher 120 and configured to conduct process air back to the process air circuit SI upstream of the rotor 110.
[0032] The AHU 100 thereby reuses treated process air, which reduces the energy expenditure required to process the air coming into the AHU, since the humidity and carbon dioxide levels will be lowered by the recycled process air.
[0033] In some examples the AHU comprises a valve 140 arranged in fluid communication with the process air circuit SI downstream of the carbon dioxide catcher 120 and a control unit 160, the control unit 160 being configured to control the valve 140 in order to regulate the amount of process air to be recycled via the recycling air circuit S4. According to some examples the control unit 160 is configured to control the valve 140 based on a carbon dioxide level of the process air downstream of the carbon dioxide catcher 120. In some examples the control unit 160 is configured to control the valve 140 based on a demand of treated process air from the AHU 100. The valve allows control of the amount of process air that is being recycled, regulating the pressure downstream of the AHU and prevents process air from upstream of the rotor to be added to the process air downstream of the carbon dioxide catcher. Controlling the valve based on the carbon dioxide level of the process air downstream of the carbon dioxide catcher improves the quality of the process air downstream of the AHU by recycling at least some of the process air through the AHU a second time, thereby also saving energy. Controlling the valve based on a demand of treated process air from the AHU allows the demand to be met by matching the amount of delivered treated process air to the demand and recycle any remaining capacity, thereby also stabilizing the air pressure between the AHU and the air consumer imposing the demand of treated process air.
[0034] According to some examples the second regeneration air circuit S3 upstream of the carbon dioxide catcher 120 is fluidly connected to the process air circuit SI downstream of the carbon dioxide catcher 120. By reusing some of the treated process air for regeneration, the regeneration process of desorbing and carrying away carbon dioxide from the carbon dioxide capture material can be made more energy efficient, thereby improving the total energy efficiency of the air handling unit 100.
[0035] The carbon dioxide capture material is typically comprised in a rotor that functions analogous to the rotor 110 comprising the desiccant material or in reactors 130a, 130b through which process air and regeneration air are conducted during different phases of normal operation. Thus, according to some examples, the carbon dioxide catcher 120 comprises a second rotor comprising the carbon dioxide capture material, and wherein the second regeneration air circuit S3 is configured to conduct regeneration air through the second rotor. In some other examples the carbon dioxide catcher 120 comprises at least one reactor 130a, 130b, each reactor comprising one or more cassettes configured to store the carbon dioxide capture material, and wherein the second regeneration air circuit S3 is configured to conduct regeneration air through the at least one reactor 130a, 130b. In some examples of the carbon dioxide catcher 120 comprising a second rotor, the regeneration air circuit S3 may be connected to the regeneration air circuit S2 passing ait through the rotor 110 comprising desiccant material. In some examples of the carbon dioxide catcher 120 comprising at least one reactor 130a, 130b, the regeneration air circuit S3 is configured to conduct the regeneration air downstream of the at least one reactor 130a, 130b out from the AHU 100, and the first regeneration air circuit S2 is configured to obtain the regeneration air from outside of the AHU 100. According to some examples the AHU comprises a heater 150 arranged to heat the regeneration air of the first regeneration air circuit S2 upstream of the rotor 110. The heater improves the regeneration by facilitating desorption of adsorbed water from the desiccant material.
[0036] Figure 2 shows the second aspect of the present disclosure, a method 200 for controlling an air handling unit, AHU, 100 according to the first aspect. The method 200 comprises: dehumidifying S100 process air by conducting the process air through the first process sector zl of the rotor 110; adsorbing S200 carbon dioxide from the dehumidified process air by conducting the process air through the carbon dioxide catcher 120; and recycling S300 process air back to the process air circuit SI upstream of the rotor 110.
[0037] According to some examples, the step of recycling S300 process air is performed based on a carbon dioxide level of the process air downstream of the carbon dioxide catcher 120.
[0038] In some examples, the step of recycling S300 process air is performed based on a demand of treated process air from the AHU 100.
[0039] The disclosed method 200 for controlling an air handling unit, AHU, 100 according to the first aspect implements the functionality of the disclosed AHU 100 according to the first aspect, and thereby has all the associated technical effects and advantages.
[0040] The person skilled in the art realizes that the present disclosure is not limited to the preferred examples described above. The person skilled in the art further realizes that modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims. Additionally, variations to the disclosed examples can be understood and effected by the skilled person in practicing the claimed disclosure, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims.
Claims
8CLAIMS1. An air handling unit, AHU, (100) comprising a rotor (110) comprising a desiccant material, a carbon dioxide catcher (120) comprising a carbon dioxide capture material, a process air circuit (SI) configured to conduct process air through a first process sector (zl) of the rotor (110) and the carbon dioxide catcher (120) downstream of the rotor (110), a first regeneration air circuit (S2) configured to conduct regeneration air through a second regeneration sector (z2) of the rotor (110), and a second regeneration air circuit (S3) configured to conduct regeneration air through the carbon dioxide catcher (120), wherein the air handling unit (100) further comprises a recycling air circuit (S4) fluidly connected to the process air circuit (SI) downstream of the carbon dioxide catcher (120) and configured to conduct process air back to the process air circuit (SI) upstream of the rotor (110)2. The AHU (100) according to claim 1, further comprising a valve (140) arranged in fluid communication with the process air circuit (SI) downstream of the carbon dioxide catcher (120) and a control unit (160), the control unit (160) being configured to control the valve (140) in order to regulate the amount of process air to be recycled via the recycling air circuit (S4).
3. The AHU (100) according to claim 2, wherein the control unit (160) is configured to control the valve (140) based on a carbon dioxide level of the process air downstream of the carbon dioxide catcher (120).
4. The AHU (100) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the control unit (160) is configured to control the valve (140) based on a demand of treated process air from the AHU (100).
95. The AHU (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second regeneration air circuit (S3) upstream of the carbon dioxide catcher (120) is fluidly connected to the process air circuit (SI) downstream of the carbon dioxide catcher (120).
6. The AHU (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the carbon dioxide catcher (120) further comprises at least one reactor (130a, 130b) comprising one or more cassettes configured to store the carbon dioxide capture material, and wherein the second regeneration air circuit (S3) is configured to conduct regeneration air through the at least one reactor (130a, 130b).
7. The AHU according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a heater (150) arranged to heat the regeneration air of the first regeneration air circuit (S2) upstream of the rotor (110).
8. A method (200) for controlling an air handling unit (100) according to any one of claims 1-7, the method comprising dehumidifying (S100) process air by conducting the process air through the first process sector (zl) of the rotor (110), adsorbing (S200) carbon dioxide from the dehumidified process air by conducting the process air through the carbon dioxide catcher (120), and recycling (S300) process air back to the process air circuit (SI) upstream of the rotor (110).
9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the step of recycling (S300) process air is performed based on a carbon dioxide level of the process air downstream of the carbon dioxide catcher (120).
10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the step of recycling (S300) process air is performed based on a demand of treated process air from the AHU (100).1011. A computer program for controlling an air handling unit (100), AHU, according to any one of claims 1-7, the computer program comprising computer instructions which, when executed by a processor (162) of a control unit (160) of the AHU, causes the AHU (100) to carry out the method according to claim 8-10.