Evaporative cooling system with liquid-to-air membrane energy exchanger

Abstract

An evaporative cooling system includes an evaporative cooler liquid-to-air membrane energy exchanger (LAMEE), a first liquid-to-air heat exchanger (LAHE), and a cooling fluid circuit. The evaporative cooler LAMEE is disposed within a scavenger air plenum that is configured to channel a scavenger air stream. The first LAHE is disposed within a process air plenum that is configured to channel a process air stream. The cooling fluid circuit is configured to circulate an evaporative cooling fluid between the evaporative cooler LAMEE and the first LAHE. The evaporative cooler LAMEE is configured to utilize the scavenger air stream to evaporatively cool the cooling fluid. The first LAHE is configured to receive the cooling fluid from the evaporative cooler LAMEE and to allow the cooling fluid to absorb heat from the process air stream to cool the process air stream.

1 .- 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . A conditioning system comprising:
 a dehumidification liquid-to-air membrane energy exchanger (dehumidification LAMEE) disposed in an air plenum that is configured to channel an air stream, the dehumidification LAMEE comprising one or more semi-permeable membranes and being configured to direct a liquid desiccant and the air stream through one or more separate channels divided by the one or more semi-permeable membranes;   an evaporative cooler liquid-to-air membrane energy exchanger (evaporative cooler LAMEE) disposed in the air plenum downstream of the dehumidification LAMEE, the evaporative cooler LAMEE comprising one or more semi-permeable membranes and being configured to direct an evaporative cooling liquid and the scavenger air stream through one or more separate channels divided by the one or more semi-permeable membranes,   wherein the dehumidification LAMEE is configured to utilize the desiccant to lower a humidity of the air stream, and   wherein the evaporative cooler LAMEE is configured to utilize the air stream to evaporatively cool the evaporative cooling liquid.   
     
     
         32 . The conditioning system of  claim 31 , wherein the plenum comprises a scavenger plenum and the air stream comprises a scavenger air stream, and further comprising:
 a first liquid-to-air heat exchanger (LAHE) disposed within a process air plenum that is configured to channel a process air stream; and   a cooling liquid circuit that is configured to circulate the cooling liquid between the evaporative cooler LAMEE and the first LAHE, the first LAHE being configured to receive the cooling liquid from the evaporative cooler LAMEE and to allow the cooling liquid to absorb heat from the process air stream to cool the process air stream.   
     
     
         33 . The conditioning system of  claim 32 , wherein the first LAHE is configured to discharge the process air stream as conditioned supply air that is directed to an enclosed space. 
     
     
         34 . The conditioning system of  claim 32 , wherein the first LAHE is a second LAMEE. 
     
     
         35 . The conditioning system of  claim 32 , further comprising a chiller disposed along the cooling fluid circuit between the evaporative cooler LAMEE and the first LAHE, the chiller selectively operable to provide additional cooling of the cooling fluid prior to entering the first LAHE when the chiller is operating. 
     
     
         36 . The conditioning system of  claim 35 , wherein the chiller is configured to discharge heat to the cooling fluid via a condenser that is disposed upstream of the evaporative cooler LAMEE in a direction of flow of the cooling fluid. 
     
     
         37 . The conditioning system of  claim 32 , further comprising an air-to-air heat exchanger (AAHE) disposed within the scavenger air plenum downstream of the evaporative cooler LAMEE in a direction of flow of the scavenger air stream and within the process air plenum upstream of the first LAHE in a direction of flow of the process air stream, the AAHE configured to receive both the scavenger air stream and the process air stream and to allow the scavenger air stream to absorb heat from the process air stream prior to the process air stream entering the first LAHE. 
     
     
         38 . The conditioning system of  claim 37 , wherein the AAHE is disposed within the scavenger air plenum and the process air plenum at a location upstream of the first LAHE in a direction of flow of the process air stream, the AAHE is configured to allow the scavenger air exhaust stream to absorb heat from the process air stream prior to the process air stream entering the first LAHE. 
     
     
         39 . The conditioning system of  claim 37 , wherein a downstream portion of the scavenger air plenum downstream of the evaporative cooler LAMEE in the direction of flow of the scavenger air is at least one of curved or angled to be at least proximate to an upstream portion of the scavenger air plenum upstream of the evaporative cooler LAMEE, the AAHE disposed within the downstream portion of the scavenger air plenum and the upstream portion of the scavenger air plenum to allow the scavenger air exhaust stream to absorb heat from the scavenger air supply stream prior to the scavenger air supply stream entering the evaporative cooler LAMEE. 
     
     
         40 . The conditioning system of  claim 37 , wherein the AAHE extends across the evaporative cooler LAMEE from a back of the evaporative cooler LAMEE to a front of the evaporative cooler LAMEE, the AAHE configured to absorb heat from the scavenger air supply stream prior to the scavenger air supply stream entering the evaporative cooler LAMEE through the air inlet. 
     
     
         41 . The conditioning system of  claim 37 , wherein the AAHE is at least one of a heat wheel, a heat pipe, a plate exchanger, or a run-around heat recovery system. 
     
     
         42 . The evaporative cooling system of  claim 31 , wherein the dehumidification LAMEE is configured to discharge the liquid desiccant to a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger (LLHE) that is coupled to the cooling fluid circuit, the LLHE configured to allow heat transfer from the liquid desiccant to the evaporative cooling liquid of the cooling fluid circuit prior to the evaporative cooling liquid entering the evaporative cooler LAMEE. 
     
     
         43 . The evaporative cooling system of  claim 42 , further comprising a regeneration system coupled to the dehumidification LAMEE via a desiccant line, the regeneration system configured to receive the liquid desiccant via the desiccant line and to remove moisture from the liquid desiccant by at least one of heating, filtering, membrane distillation, or a vacuum process to increase a concentration of the liquid desiccant. 
     
     
         44 . The evaporative cooling system of  claim 43 , wherein the regeneration system comprises a regeneration LAMEE. 
     
     
         45 . The evaporative cooling system of  claim 44 , wherein the regeneration LAMEE is disposed in the air plenum downstream of the evaporative cooler LAMEE. 
     
     
         46 . A method comprising:
 directing an air stream through a dehumidification liquid-to-air membrane energy exchanger (dehumidification LAMEE) disposed in an air plenum, the dehumidification LAMEE comprising one or more semi-permeable membranes and being configured to direct a liquid desiccant and the air stream through one or more separate channels divided by the one or more semi-permeable membranes;   directing the air stream through an evaporative cooler liquid-to-air membrane energy exchanger (evaporative cooler LAMEE) disposed in the plenum downstream of the dehumidification LAMEE, the evaporative cooler LAMEE comprising one or more semi-permeable membranes and being configured to direct an evaporative cooling liquid and the air stream through one or more separate channels divided by the one or more semi-permeable membranes;   recuding a humidity of the air stream directed through the dehumidification LAMEE using the liquid desiccant; and   evaporatively cooling the cooling liquid directed through the evaporative cooler LAMEE using the air stream.