Liquid panel assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional liquid-to-air membrane energy exchangers face issues with membrane bulge and pressure drop due to high pumping pressure, leading to inefficiencies and potential leaks, and the flow of desiccant through filler materials is uncontrolled, resulting in uneven distribution and reduced performance.
Innovation Solution
A liquid panel assembly with a support frame and counterflow passages that offset hydrostatic pressure with friction pressure loss, featuring a set of flow passages connected to inlet and outlet channels, which are configured to direct liquid flow uniformly and reduce pressure within the assembly, thereby minimizing membrane bulge and leaks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high pumping pressure is used to force desiccant flow through the solution panel, then the desiccant can overcome static head pressure and friction, but the membranes bulge outwardly and leaks occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional pumping approach by allowing desiccant to flow downward under gravity rather than pumping upward against gravity. This reverses the pressure dynamics: instead of high pumping pressure causing membrane bulge and leaks, the system uses gravity-driven flow where the desiccant naturally flows from the top reservoir through the solution panel to the bottom, eliminating the need for high-pressure pumps and preventing membrane damage
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the weight of the desiccant column itself as a counterbalancing mechanism. The static head pressure of the desiccant column flowing downward counteracts friction losses in the system, replacing the need for external pumping pressure. This gravitational counterweight approach eliminates excessive pressure that would otherwise cause membrane bulge and leaks while maintaining sufficient flow through the solution panel
2Shape
If support structures are added between membranes to limit membrane bulge, then membrane deformation is reduced, but the support structure blocks membrane transfer area and increases pressure drop
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the support structures from between the membranes, extracting the element that was causing the problem. By eliminating the support structures that blocked membrane transfer area and created excessive pressure drop, the system allows the membranes to maintain their natural shape through the gravity-driven low-pressure flow regime, preserving both membrane transfer area and avoiding the need for intrusive support elements
3Productivity
If desiccant is pumped upwardly through the solution panel against gravity, then the desiccant can be forced through the panel, but pumping pressure causes membrane bulge, leaks, and creep degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the flow direction to match gravity rather than opposing it. Desiccant flows downward from the top reservoir through the solution panel to the bottom, utilizing gravitational force to drive flow through the panel. This inversion eliminates the need for high-pressure pumping that causes membrane bulge, leaks, and creep degradation, thereby extending membrane service life while maintaining productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the desiccant's own weight and gravity to drive flow through the solution panel without requiring external pumping. The downward gravitational flow naturally pushes desiccant through the panel, eliminating the need for energy-consuming pumps and high-pressure systems that damage membranes over time, thus extending the operational life of the membrane components
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
The solution reduces total pressure within the liquid panel assembly, minimizing membrane bulge and leaks, and ensures uniform desiccant flow distribution, enhancing the energy exchange efficiency and reducing operational costs by maintaining low operating pressure.
Implementation Method 1
A liquid, such as a desiccant, is configured to flow through the fluid circuit(s) and contact interior surfaces of the membrane(s)
Implementation Method 2
a desiccant liquid flows between the LAMEEs in a run-around loop... LAMEE transfers heat and moisture between a liquid desiccant solution and air through a thin flexible membrane
Implementation Method 3
the fluid circuit(s) is configured to offset hydrostatic pressure gain with friction pressure loss of the liquid that flows within the one or more fluid circuits to reduce pressure within the liquid panel assembly
Implementation Method 4
the fluid circuit(s) is configured to offset hydrostatic pressure gain with friction pressure loss of the liquid that flows within the one or more fluid circuits
Implementation Method 5
the pressure of the liquid within a liquid channel between membranes is higher than that of the air pressure outside of the membranes. As such, the flexible membranes tend to outwardly bow or bulge into the air channel(s)
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid panel assembly configured to be used with an energy exchanger may include a support frame having one or more fluid circuits and at least one membrane secured to the support frame. Each of the fluid circuits may include an inlet channel connected to an outlet channel through one or more flow passages. A liquid is configured to flow through the fluid circuits and contact interior surfaces of the membrane(s). The fluid circuits are configured to at least partially offset liquid hydrostatic pressure with friction loss of the liquid flowing within the fluid circuits to minimize, eliminate, or otherwise reduce pressure within the liquid panel assembly.