AU730981B2

AU730981B2 - Dehumidifier

Info

Publication number: AU730981B2
Application number: AU48294/97A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Yoshiyuki Kaneda; Masaya Sakaki; Yasuhiro Takakusaki; Daizo Yajima
Original assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corp
Current assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corp
Priority date: 1997-02-26
Filing date: 1997-12-11
Publication date: 2001-03-22
Anticipated expiration: 2017-12-11
Also published as: NZ329335A; AU4829497A; EP0862024A3; ES2230656T3; JPH10238809A; PT862024E; EP0862024B1; EP0862024A2

Description

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION NAME OF APPLICANT(S): Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Attorneys 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000.

INVENTION TITLE: Dehumidifier The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:la

DEHUMIDIFIER

The present invention relates to a dehumidifier for dehumidifying moisture in air.

'In Figure 8, there is shown a sectional view of a g* o: 5 conventional dehumidifier. In Figure 9, there are shown views of the shape of slits formed in fins of an evaporator of the conventional dehumidifier. In Figure there is shown an enlarged view of an essential *oo portion of a fin. In Figure there is shown a side o: 10 elevation of the essential portion. In these Figures, reference numeral 1 designates the evaporator which is arranged in an air path 15 downstream of an air inlet 2, and which has aluminum fins 16 formed with slits 19 to improve a heat exchange capacity. Reference numeral 3 designates a conventional condenser which is arranged downstream of the evaporator 1, and which has aluminum fins formed with slits 19 like the evaporator 1. Reference numeral 4 designates a supply air duct, reference numeral designates an air supply fan, and reference numeral 7 designates an air outlet which has an outlet air 2 direction controlling vane 6 arranged therein. Reference numeral 9 designates a drain plate which has a drain port 8 formed therein, and which is arranged to receive water deposited on the evaporator 1 due to vapor condensation.

Reference numeral 10 designates a tank which is arranged below the drain port 8. A refrigerant circuit is formed by connecting through a refrigerant pipe (not shown) the evaporator 1 and the condenser 3 to a compressor 12 mounted on a bottom plate 11. Reference numeral 13 designates suction air which is sucked through the air inlet. Reference numeral 14 designates a control circuit which is arranged above the supply air duct 4 to control the operation of the air supply fan 5 and the compressor 12.

The operation of the dehumidifier will be explained.

When the compressor 12 is energized by the control circuit 14, a refrigerant gas having a high temperature and a high pressure flows into the condenser 3, and the condenser 3 is kept at a high temperature. The air supply fan 5 is also energized by the control circuit 14 to suck the suction air 13 through the air inlet 2, and :the refrigerant gas in the condenser 3 is cooled and condensed by the suction air to become in a gas liquid mixing state having a high temperature and a high pressure. The refrigerant gas condensed in the condenser 3 passes through a capillary tube to become a liquid refrigerant having a low temperature and a low pressure, 3 and the liquid refrigerant enters the evaporator i.

The liquid refrigerant in the evaporator 1 is heated by the sucked air 13 to be evaporated into a refrigerant gas, and the refrigerant gas is inspired into the compressor 12. At that time, the suction air 13 is simultaneously cooled to cause vapor condensation in part of moisture in the suction air which exceeds the amount of the saturated water vapor at a temperature after cooling. The water thus produced is received in the drain plate 9 and drops into the tank 10 through the drain port 8 for storage.

The suction air 13 which has been cooled and has had absolute humidity therein lowered by passing through the -evaporator 1 passes through the condenser 3 to be heated.

15 The air thus heated passes through the supply air duct 4 oooo as dehumidified air having an ordinary temperature, and the dehumidified air is flowed out of the air outlet 7 by the air supply fan .Since the conventional dehumidifier is constructed as 20 stated earlier, when wet air is passing through the evaporator, the wet air contacts with the cooled aluminum fins to be dehumidified by vapor condensation. The water produced by the vapor condensation stays in the slits of the aluminum fins so as to prevent subsequent wet air from contacting with the fins, causing a problem that a dehumidifying capacity is lowered.

In addition, the provision of the slits in the P:%OPERUPN%48294-363.doc-28/12/00 -4aluminum fins decreases air volume because the provision of such slits introduces an increase in pressure loss. In order to increase the air volume for improving the dehumidifying capacity, the revolution of the air supply fan has to be increased.

The increased revolution of the air flow fan creates a problem in that noise enlarges.

The present invention seeks to solve, or at least alleviate these problems, and to provide a dehumidifier capable of improving a dehumidifying capacity and minimizing noise.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a dehumidifier including: an evaporator having a plurality of fins arranged vertically in a parallel array; aa condensevaporator having a plurality of fins arranged vertically in a parallel array; a condenser having a plurality of fins arranged vertically in a parallel array; the fins of the evaporator and the condenser having a refrigerant pipe press-fitted therein, the refrigerant pipe being connected to a compressor; and an air supply fan for supplying air to the fins of the evaporator and the condenser for dehumidifying; wherein the fins of the evaporator are constituted by fins without slits, and the fins of the condenser are constituted by slit fins with slits.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a dehumidifier including: an evaporator having a plurality of fins arranged vertically in a parallel array; a condenser having a plurality of fins arranged vertically in a parallel array; an air supply fan for supplying air to the fins of the evaporator; a refrigerant pipe mounted to the fins of the evaporator and the fins of the condenser; wherein the fins of the evaporator are constituted by fins without slits.

According to the second aspect, the fins of the condenser may be constituted by fins with slits or may have a plurality of irregularities, which modify the surface contour of the fins for increasing the surface area of the fins. The fins 0 of the evaporator may also be provided with a plurality of surface irregularities, which modify the surface contour of the fins for increasing the surface area of the P:)PER\JPN\48294-363.dc-28/I 2A fins.

In accordance with the present invention, the fins of the evaporator are constituted by fins without slits to provide ease with which water deposited on the fins can drop. As a result, the dehumidifying capacity can be improved, with minimal noise.

In addition, the provision of the irregularities on the fins of the condenser can provide ease with which the water deposited on the fins can drop. As a result, the dehumidifying capacity can be improved with minimal noise.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: .Figures l(a) and are respectively a front view and a side view of the *t oo evaporator according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Figures 2(a) and are respectively an enlarged view and a side view of an essential part of an aluminum fin shown in Figure 1; 15 Figures 3(a) and are respectively a front view and a side view of the condenser according to the first embodiment; Figures 4(a) and are respectively an enlarged view and a side view of an essential part of an aluminum fin shown in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a characteristic graph showing a relation between air volume 20 and a dehumidifying capacity according to the first embodiment; ll.• Figure 6 is a characteristic graph showing a relation between air flow and noise according to the first embodiment; Figures 7(a) and are respectively an enlarged 6 view and a side view of an essential part of the evaporator according to a second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 is a sectional view of a conventional dehumidifier; and Figures 9(a) and are respectively an enlarged view and a side view of an essential part of a fin of a conventional evaporator.

EMBODIMENT 1 In Figures 1 6, there are shown views of the dehumidifier according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In Figure there is shown a front view of an evaporator. In Figure there is shown a side view of the evaporator. In Figure 2(a), there is shown an enlarged view of an essential part of an aluminum fin shown in Figure In Figure 2(b), there is shown a side view of the essential part. In Figure there is shown a front view of a condenser.

In Figure there is shown a side view of the .°ooo* condenser. In Figure there is shown an enlarged view of an essential part of an aluminum fin shown in Figure In Figure there is shown a side view of the essential part shown in Figure In Figure there is shown a graph of a relationship between air volume and a dehumidifying capacity. In Figure 6, there is shown a graph of a relationship between air volume and noise. In these Figures, identical parts are indicated 7 by the same reference numerals as those of the conventional dehumidifier stated above, and explanation of these parts will be omitted. Reference numeral 16a designates aluminum fins of the evaporator i. Reference numeral 16b designates aluminum fins of the condenser.

Reference numeral 17 designates a refrigerant pipe.

Reference numeral 18 designates holes for passing the refrigerant pipe 17. Reference numeral 19 designates slits which are formed in the aluminum fins 16b.

The operation of the dehumidifier will be explained.

When a_ compressor (not shown) is energized, the operation starts, and a refrigerant gas having a high temperature and a high pressure flows into the condenser 3. The ge'" refrigerant gas is cooled and condensed in the condenser S. 15 3. On the other hand, a liquid refrigerant having a low pressure and a low temperature flows into the evaporator 1i, and the liquid refrigerant is heated in the evaporator .0.000 1 to be evaporated. When wet air flows through the evaporator i, the wet air contacts with the cooled oe oooo 20 aluminum fins 16a to form vapor condensation so as to be dehumidified. Water which has been produced by the vapor S"condensation smoothly drops downward because the aluminum fins 16a have no slits formed therein unlike the conventional evaporator fins. As a result, the aluminum fins 16a can contact with subsequent wet air to dehumidify the air.

In the conventional dehumidifier, the evaporator has aluminum fins formed with slits in order to increase 8 a heat exchange capacity. In accordance with the first embodiment, ease with which the water deposited on the aluminum fins of the evaporator can drop can contribute to an improvement in the dehumidifying capacity in comparison with an increase in the heat exchange amount in the conventional evaporator as shown in Figure 5. It has been proved that the aluminum fins according to the first embodiment can improve the dehumidifying capacity in comparison with the conventional aluminum fins with slits by about 7%.

The absence of the slits in the aluminum fins of evaporator can improve aerodynamic characteristics to increase air volume without substantially increasing the revolution of the air supply fan. As shown in Figure 6, 15 an enlargement in noise can be minimized, and an increase o in air volume can be obtained.

EMBODIMENT 2 In Figure 7, there are-shown views of an aluminum fin of the evaporator of the dehumidifier according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In Figure there is shown an enlarged view of an essential part of the aluminum fin. In Figure there is shown .ooo.i a side view of the essential part. In these Figures, reference numeral 16c designates aluminum fins which have 25 a plurality of irregularities 20 formed therein. Such arrangement can increase the heat exchange amount of the aluminum fins 16c and improve a dehumidifying capacity P:\OPER\PN\48294-363.doc-28/1200 -9without providing the aluminum fins 16c with slits.

Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that that prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia.

e C so So

Claims

1. A dehumidifier including: an evaporator having a plurality of fins arranged vertically in a parallel array; a condenser having a plurality of fins arranged vertically in a parallel array; the fins of the evaporator and the condenser having a refrigerant pipe press-fitted therein, the refrigerant pipe being connected to a compressor; and an air supply fan for supplying air to the fins of the evaporator and the condenser for dehumidifying; wherein the fins of the evaporator are constituted by fins without slits, and the fins of the condenser are constituted by slit fins with slits. o:ci

2. A dehumidifier according to Claim 1, wherein the fins of the condenser have a plurality of surface irregularities, which modify the surface contour of the fins for increasing the surface area of the fins.

3. A dehumidifier including: an evaporator having a plurality of fins arranged vertically in a S•parallel array; a condenser having a plurality of fins arranged vertically in a parallel S• array; an air supply fan for supplying air to the fins of the evaporator; a refrigerant pipe mounted to the fins of the evaporator and the fins of the condenser; wherein the fins of the evaporator are constituted by fins without slits.

4. A dehumidifier according to Claim 3, wherein the fins of the condenser have a plurality of surface irregularities which modify the surface contour of the 0fins for increasing the surface area of the fins.

P:\OPERPN\48294-363.doc-28/1200 -11 A dehumidifier according to Claim 3 or 4, wherein the fins of the evaporator are provided with a plurality of surface irregularities, which modify the surface contour of the fins for increasing the surface area of the fins.

6. A dehumidifier substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings and/or Examples. DATED this 28th day of December, 2000. 0 0 0.* 0 0 0000 0 *0 000. Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha 10 by DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Attorneys for the Applicant