Patent ID: 8171746

Claim:
A humidity control device comprising: a processor for dehumidifying air in a target space by cooling a hygroscopic liquid and passing air through the cooled hygroscopic liquid; a regenerator for regenerating the hygroscopic liquid by heating the hygroscopic liquid used by the processor for the dehumidification process and passing air through the heated hygroscopic liquid; a first hygroscopic-liquid pipe path for transferring the hygroscopic liquid from the processor to the regenerator; a second hygroscopic-liquid pipe path for transferring the hygroscopic liquid from the regenerator to the processor; and a heat pump having an evaporator for cooling the hygroscopic liquid to be used by the processor and a condenser for heating the hygroscopic liquid flowing through the first hygroscopic-liquid pipe path, wherein the regenerator has: a first regeneration processing unit and a second regeneration processing unit for performing a regeneration process on the hygroscopic liquid by passing air therethrough; a first tank and a second tank for containing the hygroscopic liquid; and a heat source for heating the hygroscopic liquid to be supplied to the second regeneration processing unit, wherein the first regeneration processing unit performs a regeneration process on the hygroscopic liquid supplied through the first hygroscopic-liquid pipe path and puts the regeneration-processed hygroscopic liquid into the first tank, wherein the hygroscopic liquid in the first tank is supplied to the first hygroscopic-liquid pipe path to be supplied through the condenser to the first regeneration processing unit again and is also supplied to the second tank, wherein the second regeneration processing unit performs a regeneration process on the hygroscopic liquid supplied from the second tank and puts the regeneration-processed hygroscopic liquid into the second tank, and wherein the hygroscopic liquid in the second tank is returned through the second hygroscopic-liquid pipe path to the processor.