Patent ID: 9273877
Filing Date: 2016-03-01
CPC Classification: B01D,F24F,F28D,F28F,H01L,H02S,Y02B,Y02E,Y10T

Claim Text:
1. A desiccant air conditioning system for cooling an air stream entering a building space, comprising: a conditioner including a plurality of structures arranged in a substantially vertical orientation, said structures being spaced apart from each other with an air stream gap between each pair of adjacent structures, each structure having at least one outer surface facing an air stream gap across which a liquid desiccant can flow, wherein the air stream flows through the air stream gaps between the structures such that the liquid desiccant dehumidifies the air stream, each structure further includes a separate desiccant collector at a lower end of the at least one outer surface for collecting liquid desiccant that has flowed across the at least one outer surface of the structure, said desiccant collectors being spaced apart from each other to permit airflow therebetween; a regenerator connected to the conditioner for receiving liquid desiccant from the desiccant collectors in the conditioner, the regenerator includes a plurality of structures arranged in a substantially vertical orientation, each structure having at least one surface across which the liquid desiccant can flow, wherein the air stream flows between the structures causing the liquid desiccant to desorb water, each structure further includes a separate desiccant collector at a lower end of the structure for collecting liquid desiccant that has flowed across the at least one surface of the structure, said desiccant collectors being spaced apart from each other to permit airflow therebetween, said regenerator further comprising a heat source for heating a heat transfer fluid used to heat the liquid desiccant in the regenerator; a heat exchanger connected between the conditioner and the regenerator for transferring heat from the liquid desiccant flowing from the regenerator to the conditioner to the liquid desiccant flowing from the conditioner to the regenerator; and an apparatus for circulating the liquid desiccant between the conditioner and regenerator.