Liquid desiccant air conditioner

Abstract

A liquid desiccant air conditioner includes an absorption air conditioner and a liquid desiccant dehumidifier. The dehumidifier includes a liquid desiccant absorber for absorbing moisture contained in ambient air entering the dehumidifier, a boiler for boiling partially preheated dilute liquid desiccant to evaporate moisture to reconstitute the liquid desiccant into concentrated liquid desiccant, a first heat exchanger operable to transfer heat from the concentrated liquid desiccant to dilute liquid desiccant received from the desiccant absorber so as to raise the temperature of the dilute liquid desiccant to a first temperature, a condenser operative to receive partially heated dilute liquid desiccant from the first heat exchanger and receive steam generated by the boiler so as to sensibly heat the dilute liquid desiccant to a second temperature, and a second heat exchanger operable to transfer heat from concentrated liquid desiccant to the dilute liquid desiccant received from the condenser so as raise the temperature of the dilute liquid desiccant to a third temperature. The dilute liquid desiccant at the third temperature is directed to the boiler and the concentrated liquid desiccant from the second heat exchanger is directed to the first heat exchanger. A pump draws concentrated liquid desiccant from the boiler into the absorber. Steam from the boiler is also used to regenerate the refrigerant in the absorption air conditioner.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A boiler for heating dilute liquid desiccant and evaporating moisture so as to reconstitute the liquid desiccant into concentrated liquid desiccant, said boiler comprising a vessel defining an elongated flow channel having adjacent one end an inlet adapted to receive dilute liquid desiccant therein and having adjacent an opposite end an outlet enabling discharge of liquid desiccant, a heating element disposed within said flow channel operative to effect progressively increase temperature heating of the liquid desiccant passing from said inlet end to said outlet, and at least one steam port operatively associated with said vessel so as to release steam generated by heating said liquid desiccant.  
     
     
         2 . A boiler as defined in    claim 1    wherein said vessel is generally U-shape in plan configuration, said inlet and outlet ends of said flow channel being disposed at opposite ends, respectively, of said U-shape.  
     
     
         3 . A boiler as defined in    claim 1    in combination with an interchange heat exchanger having a pair of coaxial tubes defining at least two flow passages disposed in concentric relation, one of said flow passages being in flow communication with said inlet end of said flow channel, and the other of said flow passages being in flow communication with said outlet end of said flow channel.  
     
     
         4 . The combination as defined in    claim 3    wherein said coaxial tubes have at least a portion of their length disposed in a helically coiled relation disposed in generally coplanar relation with said vessel.  
     
     
         5 . The combination as defined in    claim 4    wherein said vessel is generally U-shaped in plan configuration, said helically coiled portion of said heat exchanger being positioned between leg portions of said U-shaped vessel.  
     
     
         6 . An absorber for removing moisture from a gas passed through the absorber, said absorber comprising at least two stacks of microglass fiber plates, each of said stacks including a plurality of generally planar microglass fiber plates disposed in generally vertical horizontally spaced relation, said stacks being disposed in mutually opposed parallel spaced relation so as to define a gap therebetween, a dispensing plate supported in generally overlying relation to said stacks and operative to receive a concentrated liquid desiccant and dispense said desiccant onto said vertically disposed plates so as to wet said plates, and a drain pan disposed below said plates to receive moisture removed by said wetted plates from said gas passed through said absorber in a path to effect contact with said plates, said gap effecting mixing of said gas as it passes through said gap between said stacks.  
     
     
         7 . A condenser for sensibly heating a dilute liquid desiccant by steam said condenser comprising at least two concentric generally vertical walls defining a flow passage therebetween, at least one of said walls having at least one inlet communicating with said flow passage to enable steam to be introduced into said flow passage, and a flow tube disposed within said flow passage and having opposite inlet and outlet ends intersecting at least one of said walls to enable entry of liquid desiccant into said flow tube so as to effect heating of said liquid desiccant by said steam.