Heat modulation dehumidification system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current dehumidifiers are inefficient in reducing humidity levels, particularly in applications like fire and flood restoration, where rapid water removal is necessary, and they often require additional components like sub-cooling coils to enhance efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A dehumidification system with a secondary evaporator and condenser that causes part of the refrigerant to evaporate and condense twice in a single refrigeration cycle, increasing compressor capacity without additional power, and includes a modulating valve to direct refrigerant flow based on temperature setpoints, using a water-cooled heat exchanger for enhanced cooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a conventional single evaporator and condenser system is used, then the device complexity is low, but the dehumidification efficiency and productivity are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the refrigeration cycle into two separate loops: a primary loop with a first evaporator and first condenser, and a secondary loop with a second evaporator and second condenser. This segmentation allows each evaporator to independently process airflow, doubling the dehumidification capacity without requiring a single oversized component, thus improving productivity while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The refrigerant serves multiple functions by circulating through both primary and secondary evaporators and condensers. The same refrigerant system provides cooling and dehumidification across two separate airflow paths, enabling the system to handle larger volumes of air and achieve higher dehumidification efficiency without proportionally increasing system complexity.
2Productivity
If additional components like sub-cooling coils are added to enhance efficiency, then the dehumidification performance improves, but the device complexity and initial cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adding sub-cooling coils to a single evaporator system, the invention segments the refrigeration cycle into two independent evaporator-condenser pairs. Each evaporator operates at optimal conditions for its specific airflow path, achieving enhanced dehumidification performance without the need for additional sub-cooling components, thus improving productivity without increasing device complexity.
3Productivity
If the refrigerant flow is increased to improve cooling capacity, then the dehumidification rate increases, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the refrigerant flow into two separate loops, allowing each evaporator to operate with optimized refrigerant flow rates. This segmentation enables the system to achieve higher total dehumidification rates without proportionally increasing energy consumption, as each loop can be independently optimized for energy efficiency while contributing to the overall productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The dual evaporator system applies partial action by having two smaller evaporators work in parallel rather than one large evaporator. This approach achieves excessive dehumidification capacity relative to single-system configurations while maintaining energy efficiency through distributed, optimized refrigerant flow in each partial loop.
4Temperature
If a single condenser is used, then the system is simpler, but the ability to maintain lower airflow temperatures and improve drying effectiveness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The condensing function is segmented into a first condenser and a second condenser, each serving a specific evaporator loop. This segmentation allows for better heat rejection efficiency and enables the system to maintain lower airflow temperatures through enhanced cooling capacity, while the modular condenser configuration keeps device complexity manageable through distributed architecture.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration increases dehumidification efficiency per kilowatt of power used, allowing for more effective drying in applications like fire and flood restoration by maintaining lower dehumidified airflow temperatures and reducing the need for sub-cooling coils.
Implementation Method 1
the first airflow generated by transferring heat from the inlet airflow to the flow of refrigerant as the inlet airflow passes through the secondary evaporator
Implementation Method 2
the second airflow generated by transferring heat from the first airflow to the flow of refrigerant as the first airflow passes through the primary evaporator
Implementation Method 3
the third airflow generated by transferring heat from the flow of refrigerant to the third airflow as the second airflow passes through the secondary condenser
Implementation Method 4
the dehumidified airflow generated by transferring heat from the refrigerant to the fourth airflow as the fourth airflow contacts the primary condenser
Implementation Method 5
the flow of refrigerant provided to the modulating valve comprising a higher pressure than the flow of refrigerant received at the compressor
Data Source
AI summary
A dehumidification system includes a compressor, a primary evaporator, a primary condenser, a secondary evaporator, a secondary condenser, a modulating valve, and a liquid-cooled alternate condenser. The secondary evaporator receives an inlet airflow and outputs a first airflow to the primary evaporator. The primary evaporator receives the first airflow and outputs a second airflow to the secondary condenser. The secondary condenser receives the second airflow and outputs a third airflow to the primary condenser. The primary condenser receives the third airflow and outputs a dehumidified airflow. The compressor receives a flow of refrigerant from the primary evaporator and provides the flow of refrigerant to the modulating valve. The modulating valve directs the flow of refrigerant to the primary condenser and to the alternate condenser. The alternate condenser receives a portion of the flow of refrigerant and transfers heat from the refrigerant to a flow of fluid.