Dehumidification device and dehumidification method
Solution Overview
Problem
Dehumidifiers using polymeric moisture absorbing materials with stimuli-responsive polymers face challenges in efficiently extracting absorbed water due to the difficulty in reducing the affinity of these materials with water, making it hard to effectively collect the extracted moisture.
Innovation Solution
A dehumidifying device and method that incorporate a polymeric moisture absorbing material with a stimuli-responsive polymer, a stimulus providing section to decrease the material's water affinity, and a transfer section that contacts the material to collect and transfer the released water, allowing for efficient water extraction and collection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a polymeric moisture absorbing material containing a stimuli-responsive polymer is used to absorb atmospheric water, then moisture absorption capability is improved, but water extraction efficiency deteriorates due to difficulty in reducing material-water affinity
Solution Approach 1:
A transfer section is introduced as an intermediary component between the moisture absorbing material and the collection system. This transfer section receives water that has been released from the polymeric material and facilitates its movement to the collection point, thereby improving water extraction efficiency without altering the absorption properties of the polymer itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the affinity parameter of the polymeric material with water through external stimuli (such as temperature changes or other environmental factors). By controlling these parameter changes, the material can transition between high-absorption and low-affinity states, enabling efficient water release and extraction while maintaining high absorption capability.
2Reliability
If conventional dehumidification methods using refrigeration cycles or high-temperature regeneration are used, then dehumidification performance is achieved, but energy consumption increases due to requirement of high-temperature regenerative heat or compressor operation
Solution Approach 1:
The polymeric moisture absorbing material utilizes external stimuli from the environment (such as temperature fluctuations, humidity changes, or other ambient conditions) to automatically release absorbed water. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for high-temperature regenerative heat or compressor operation, significantly reducing energy consumption while maintaining effective dehumidification performance.
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 configuration enables efficient collection of water released by the polymeric moisture absorbing material, improving dehumidification efficiency without the need for supercooling or large heat quantities, making it suitable for humidity control devices.
Implementation Method 1
a polymeric moisture absorbing material containing a stimuli-responsive polymer
Implementation Method 2
a stimulus providing section configured to provide an external stimulus to the polymeric moisture absorbing material
Implementation Method 3
a transfer section configured to come into contact with the polymeric moisture absorbing material
Data Source
AI summary
To provide a dehumidifying device and dehumidifying method each of which allows absorbed water to be efficiently extracted from a stimuli-responsive polymeric moisture absorbing material or a polymeric moisture absorbing material containing a stimuli-responsive polymeric moisture absorbing material, a dehumidifying device of an embodiment of the present invention includes (i) a stimulus providing section configured to provide an external stimulus to a stimuli-responsive polymeric moisture absorbing material or a polymeric moisture absorbing material containing a stimuli-responsive polymeric moisture absorbing material and (ii) a transfer section configured to transfer water released by the polymeric moisture absorbing material.