Membrane-contactor-based air conditioner
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional evaporative coolers face issues with large size, water carryover, mineral deposits, inefficient power consumption, and limited control over air temperature and humidity due to their design constraints, which affect their performance and maintenance requirements.
Innovation Solution
The integration of membrane-contactor technology using microporous hollow fibers that allow vapor transfer while minimizing liquid water carryover, enabling customizable panel orientations, selective activation, and precise control over cooling capacity, reducing the need for mist eliminators and improving efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional evaporative coolers use evaporative media oriented perpendicular to air flow, then water carryover is reduced, but the device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The evaporative media is oriented at an oblique angle (non-perpendicular) to the air flow direction, creating an asymmetric configuration that simultaneously reduces water carryover and minimizes device footprint. This angular orientation allows the media to interact with air flow in a way that prevents excessive water droplet formation while maintaining compact dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new spatial dimension by orienting the evaporative media at an angle rather than strictly perpendicular to air flow. This dimensional change in media orientation enables the system to achieve both reduced water carryover and compact size by exploiting the angular relationship between air flow and water distribution.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional evaporative coolers include containment device and mist eliminator, then water carryover is controlled, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the mist eliminator component from the traditional evaporative cooler system. By using evaporative media oriented at an oblique angle to air flow, the system inherently controls water carryover without requiring additional mist elimination devices, thereby reducing power consumption and simplifying the overall system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The obliquely oriented evaporative media serves as an intermediary that naturally manages water carryover control. Instead of using separate containment devices and mist eliminators, the media itself acts as the controlling element through its angular orientation, eliminating the need for additional energy-consuming components.
3Temperature
If traditional evaporative coolers use wet evaporative media, then cooling capacity is increased, but control latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control of water delivery to the evaporative media, allowing the system to adjust media wetness in real-time based on cooling demands. This dynamic water distribution system enables rapid response to changing conditions, reducing control latency while maintaining adequate cooling capacity through optimized water supply timing and quantity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of water delivery control from binary (on/off) to continuous and dynamic adjustment. By modulating water supply rates and timing based on real-time conditions, the evaporative media maintains optimal wetness levels for cooling while enabling faster system response and reduced control latency.
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 system achieves compact size, reduced water usage, minimized power consumption, and enhanced control over cooling and humidity levels, with improved maintenance efficiency and reduced latency in response to changing conditions.
Implementation Method 1
each microporous fiber is configured to receive liquid in a fluid flow path of the microporous fiber such that the air flow over the microporous fiber generates a vapor
Implementation Method 2
release the vapor into the air flow via pores of the microporous fiber
Implementation Method 3
When air passes through this wetted media, water evaporates into the airstream, and it is this process which adiabatically cools the air
Data Source
AI summary
An air conditioner includes an air flow path configured to direct an air flow in a direction. The air conditioner also includes an evaporative cooling membrane panel disposed within the air flow path and including a face disposed at an oblique angle relative to the direction. The face is defined by microporous fibers of the evaporative cooling membrane panel. Each microporous fiber is configured to receive liquid in a fluid flow path of the microporous fiber such that the air flow over the microporous fiber generates a vapor. Each microporous fiber is also configured to release the vapor into the air flow via pores of the microporous fiber.