JPS6340127B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a water generation device that obtains water from moisture in gas.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, as a water production device, a device that uses seawater as a raw material to produce fresh water is well known as a seawater desalination device. In addition, wastewater such as sewage is treated in a highly advanced manner,
There is a water reuse treatment device that obtains highly clear water that can be reused, but this can also be seen as a water production device in the same category as a seawater desalination device. That is, in all of these methods, a solution containing liquid water as a main component is used as a raw material to obtain water. For this reason, since these water generation devices use liquid water as a raw material, they cannot naturally generate water in places such as deserts where liquid water cannot be obtained at all.

Therefore, there is a need for a water generation device that can easily obtain water even in areas such as deserts where liquid water cannot be obtained, and such new water generation devices are being developed.

In other words, this new water production device is a device that obtains water from moisture present in the atmosphere, and can produce water anywhere as long as the atmosphere exists. Of course, it is impossible to create water if there is no moisture in the atmosphere, but statistical data on climate and the inventors' research show that even in the atmosphere of the huge desert in the central Arabian Peninsula, water is produced in 1 ^m3 of air. 3~
4g of water exists and water production is possible. Therefore, human activities can be carried out by obtaining water in barren land, and by using this water as irrigation, it is also possible to cultivate plants. In other words, this water production device contributes to expanding the living area of humans, and its significance is extremely large.

The basic principle of this water generation device is that the first step is to adsorb moisture in the atmosphere onto an adsorbent, and the second step is to heat the adsorbent that has adsorbed this moisture to remove the adsorbed moisture. is desorbed as water vapor, which is then led to a condenser and converted into water. At this time, the adsorbent simultaneously loses water and regains its adsorption capacity, so that the adsorbent is repeatedly used to adsorb moisture from the atmosphere. In this way,
Liquid phase water can be obtained continuously from the atmosphere.

Fig. 1 is a plan view schematically showing an example of a configuration according to the prior art that simplifies the piping of a fresh water generator based on the above basic principle, Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the - line in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 The figure is a sectional view taken along the line -- in FIG.

In the figure, 1A and 1B are tubular bodies each having a square cross-sectional shape, and the adsorbent packed layer 1
The first and second accommodating portions 2a, which accommodate the adsorbent packed layer 1b and the adsorbent packed layer 1a, are provided on the upper side plates of both opening edges of the first accommodating portion 1A, respectively, with the adsorbent packed layer 1a sandwiched therebetween. Gas communication ports 2b are provided in the upper side plates of both opening edges of the second storage section 1B with the adsorbent packed layer 1b in between, and 3a is a gas communication port of the first storage section 1A. A heating chamber 3b is provided on the upper side plate and heats the gas introduced through the communication port 2a; Heating chambers 4a and 4b are heaters that heat the gas in the heating chambers 3a and 3b, respectively; 5 is an opening on the air discharge side of the first housing section 1A and the second housing section 1B; An air exhaust chamber 6 is provided in common so as to communicate with an opening on the air exhaust side of the exhaust chamber 5, and 6 is installed near an air exhaust port opened in the upper part of the exhaust chamber 5. Or, the adsorbent packed layer 1a can be passed through the second storage part 1B.
Alternatively, it is a suction type adsorption blower that sucks in and discharges air that causes the adsorbent packed bed 1b to adsorb moisture.

7 is a condenser provided in the exhaust chamber 5 and configured to be cooled by the air discharged by the adsorption blower 6; A suction port side door 9a is attached to the opening ends of the left and right side plates on the suction port side, into which the suction port is sucked, and opens and closes the suction port like a double door. Exhaust side doors 8b and 9 are attached to the opening ends of the left and right side plates of the exhaust outlet from which air is discharged, respectively, and open and close the outlet like a double door.
b is the suction port side door 8 of the first storage section 1A, respectively.
a and a second storage section 1 similar to the discharge port side door 9a.
These are the suction port side door and the discharge port side door of B. 10
A is provided close to the flow port 2a, and when the suction port side door 8a and the discharge port side door 9a are closed, the first storage portion 1A and the heating chamber 3 are connected through the flow port 2a.
a circulation blower 10b that circulates air heated in the heating chamber 3a through the circulation path formed by a and raises the temperature of the adsorbent packed bed 1a to desorb moisture adsorbed on the adsorbent packed bed 1a; Similar to the circulation blower 10a, it is provided close to the circulation port 2b, and by closing the suction port side door 8b and the discharge port side door 9b, the second housing part 1B and the heating chamber 3b are connected through the circulation port 2b. Air heated in the heating chamber 3b is circulated through the circulation path formed by the adsorbent packed bed 1b to raise the temperature of the adsorbent packed bed 1b.
This is a circulation blower that desorbs moisture that has been adsorbed on the air. 11a and 11b were connected at one end to communicate with a circulation path formed by the first storage section 1A and the heating chamber 3a and a circulation path formed by the second storage section 1B and the heating chamber 3b. The gas flow path 12 is a switching valve that can mutually switch the connection between the other end of the flow path 11a and the condenser 7, and the connection between the other end of the flow path 11b and the condenser 7. Reference numeral 13, whose function is indicated by a dashed line, is an air-open water tank for storing water obtained in the condenser 7, and reference numeral 14, which is indicated by a dashed line, is produced water.

Next, the operation will be explained.

In this prior art freshwater generating device, there are two storage parts.
Since the base is provided, when one storage part is performing the adsorption process (first process), the other storage part is performing the desorption process (second process), and after these processes are completed, By alternating and repeating these processes, water generation can be performed continuously. In the following description, the first accommodating section 1A
The following description will be made assuming that the second housing section 1B is in the adsorption process and the second storage part 1B is in the desorption process.

In the suction process in the first storage section 1A, first, the suction port side door 8a of the first storage section 1A is
and open the discharge port side door 9a, and open the second storage section 1B.
The suction port side door 8b and the discharge port side door 9b are closed, and the switching valve 12 is switched so that the flow path 11b and the condenser 7 are connected. Next, the adsorption blower 6 is operated to draw adsorption air into the first storage section 1A from the suction port, and the adsorption air is brought into contact with the adsorbent packed bed 1a accommodated therein to perform an adsorption process. At this time, the dry air with moisture adsorbed by the adsorbent packed layer 1a is exhausted to the outside through the exhaust chamber 5. On the other hand, when the first accommodating part 1A is in the adsorption process, it is desirable that the desorption process in the second accommodating part 1B is performed. In this process of attaching and detaching the second accommodating part 1B, the second accommodating part 1B
With the suction port side door 8b and the discharge port side door 9b closed, the circulation blower 10b is operated, and the air in the heating chamber 3b is heated by the heater 4b while passing through the second air circulation port 2b. A circulation path formed by the housing portion 1B and the heating chamber 3b is circulated. Then, by the air heated in the heating chamber 3b,
The purpose is to heat the adsorbent-filled layer 1b in the second housing portion 1B to convert moisture previously adsorbed into the adsorbent-filled layer 1b into water vapor and desorb it. As described above, when water vapor is desorbed from the adsorbent packed bed 1b, the volume of gas in the circulation path increases due to the generation of water vapor due to desorption and the high temperature. The gas whose volume has increased is discharged into the atmosphere along with the desorbed water vapor through the flow path 11b, the switching valve 12, and the condenser 7. At this time, the water vapor in the gas flowing out from the circulation path is condensed in the condenser 7, and
However, the water vapor corresponding to the saturated vapor pressure determined by the temperature of the condenser 7 is released into the atmosphere together with the air, resulting in a loss.

However, the air that initially entered the second storage section 1B and the heating chamber 3b is small compared to the amount of water vapor that is desorbed, and of course the amount is limited. Therefore, all of the water vapor is discharged, and substantially only water vapor circulates in the circulation path. In this state where there is only water vapor, the pressure in the circulation path is always about 1 atmosphere because it is open to the atmosphere via the condenser 7.
In addition, the gas circulating in the circulation path is only water vapor, and the amount of water vapor equivalent to the desorbed water vapor is pushed out to the condenser 7, where it becomes water.
It is stored in the water receiving tank 13. In this way,
The desorption process is completed when the moisture in the adsorbent packed bed 1b is sufficiently desorbed.

The adsorption process and desorption process explained above are explained as follows:
By making the second accommodating parts 1A and 1B perform this process alternately, water can be continuously obtained from the moisture in the air.

Such water generating apparatuses based on the prior art do not perform any heat recovery, which is a problem from the viewpoint of energy saving, which is a modern requirement.

This invention was made in view of the above problems, and when switching between the desorption process and the adsorption process, one storage section that is still at high temperature immediately after the desorption process is switched from the adsorption process to the desorption process. The object of the present invention is to provide an energy-saving water generating device that recovers heat by transferring heat to the other storage section immediately after switching using a heat pipe type heat exchanger.

To explain in more detail, when water is produced using the above-mentioned prior art, even if the desorption process is switched to the adsorption process, adsorption does not start immediately in the storage section, but desorption continues until the temperature of the adsorbent falls to a certain degree. progresses. Figure 4 shows the situation during this period. That is, in the figure, curve I represents the temperature change of the adsorbent, and the curve represents the weight change of the adsorbent,
At the time of switching from the landing process to the adsorption process (i.e.,
Desorption continues from point A to point B (when the heater and circulation blower are turned off and the suction side door and discharge side door are opened), and the weight of the adsorbent decreases. After this, the weight starts to increase, but it usually takes 10 minutes to 1 hour to recover to the weight at the time of switching (reaching point C in the figure), although it varies depending on the operating conditions. The purpose of the present invention is to recover heat between ACs.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show an embodiment of the present invention, and are sectional views corresponding to FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively. In this embodiment, a heat pipe type heat exchanger 101 is provided in the lower part of the exhaust chamber 5 to connect the first housing part 1A and the second housing part 1B.

As described above, the gist of the present invention is that when switching between the adsorption process and the desorption process, from one storage part that is still at high temperature immediately after the desorption process ends, to the other part that is still hot after the adsorption process has been switched from the adsorption process to the desorption process. The aim is to recover heat by transferring heat to the storage section of the container. During the adsorption and desorption process,
Transferring heat (from the storage part in the desorption process to the storage part in the adsorption process) not only causes heat loss, but also prevents sufficient desorption because the temperature of the adsorbent in the desorption process does not rise. Further, since the temperature of the adsorbent during the adsorption process increases, the amount of water adsorbed decreases, and the amount of water produced ultimately decreases, which is contrary to the purpose of the present invention.

Therefore, the heat pipe type heat exchanger 101 is provided with a heat cutoff device (not shown) such as a valve for cutting off heat when there is no need to transfer heat.

Next, an example of the operating method will be explained. It is assumed that the first accommodating section 1A is at the timing of switching from the adsorption process to the desorption process, and the second accommodating section 1B is at the timing of switching from the desorption process to the adsorption process. The operating procedure is as follows.

(A) First, the suction port side door 8a and the discharge port side door 9a of the first storage section are closed, and the circulation blower 10a is operated.

(b) Turn off the heater 4b in the second storage section.

(c) Stop the suction blower 6.

(d) Open the heat cutoff device of the heat pipe type heat exchanger 101 to start transferring heat from the second housing part 1B to the first housing part 1A.

(e) Leave it in this state for a specified period of time to recover heat.

(F) After completing heat recovery, heat pipe type heat exchanger 1
Close the heat cutoff device 01.

(G) Turn on the heater 4a of the first storage section 1A.

(H) Connect the switching valve 12 to the flow path 11a and the condenser 7.
Switch so that it is connected.

(li) Stop the circulation blower 10b of the second storage section 1B, and open the suction port side door 8b and the discharge port side door 9b.

(J) Operate the adsorption blower 6.

In this way, the desorption process begins in earnest in the first housing part 1A, and the adsorption process begins in earnest in the second housing part 1B. Note that the above-described operating method is merely an example, and it goes without saying that the operating method is not limited thereto.

Further, in the above embodiment, the heat pipe type heat exchanger 101 is provided at the lower part of the discharge chamber 5, but the heat pipe type heat exchanger 101 is not necessarily limited to this position. If the heat pipe type heat exchanger is equipped with a heat cutoff device,
It can be of any type or shape.

Various modifications can be made in other respects without departing from the spirit of the invention. for example,
(a) Heating chamber, 3a and 3b are the first and second housing parts 1
To be installed on a side plate other than the upper side plate of A and 1B, (b)
(c) making the suction side doors 8a, 8b and the discharge side doors 9a, 9b like sliding doors; (d) making the adsorption blower 6 and the condenser 7 Reversing the positional relationship and (e) making the adsorbent packed beds 1a and 1b cylindrical can be carried out without any problem.

In addition, the adsorbent packed layer 1a used in this example,
The adsorbent for 1b is Molecular Sieve 3A, Molecular Sieve 4
Zeolites such as A, 5A, 10X, 13X, silica gel, alumina gel, silica alumina, activated alumina, activated carbon, activated bauxite,
Any material that is generally used as a solid adsorbent such as activated clay may be used. Further, absorbents that are generally used as aqueous solutions such as lithium bromide and lithium chloride can be supported on a suitable carrier such as alumina or asbestos. These adsorbents can be used in the form of particles, spheres, pellets, tablets, etc. without any problem. Furthermore, it is also possible to form a so-called parallel passage type packed bed using a honeycomb-like adsorbent or the like. The selection of these adsorbents is
Adsorption and desorption operation conditions for these adsorbents are appropriately selected depending on the adsorbent used, and there are no particular restrictions.

In this embodiment, the case where the water receiving tank 13 is open has been described, but the case where the water receiving tank 13 is closed is closed, or it is opened initially and the air in the circulation path is substantially expelled and replaced with desorbed water vapor, and then the tank is closed. The present invention can be applied to any of the following. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, 2
Although the case where the first and second accommodating parts 1A and 1B are provided has been described, it is not necessarily limited to two accommodating parts, and the present invention can also be applied when two or more accommodating parts are provided. Needless to say, it can be applied.

In the above description, the present invention has been described with respect to the case where water is obtained using moisture in the atmosphere as a raw material, but it is not necessarily limited to the atmosphere.

As described above in detail, the water generation apparatus of the present invention is an energy-saving type that can efficiently recover heat and improve the efficiency of water generation per unit of input energy.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing an example of a water generation device according to the prior art, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line - in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line - in FIG.
FIG. 4 shows the changes in adsorbent temperature and adsorbent weight over time observed when operating a fresh water generation apparatus according to the prior art. Further, FIGS. 5 and 6 show one embodiment of the present invention, and are sectional views corresponding to FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively. In the figure, 1A and 1B are the first and second
1a and 1b are respectively adsorbent packed beds, 3a and 3b are heating chambers, 5 are exhaust chambers, 6 is an adsorption blower (gas supply device), 7 is a condenser, and 8a and 8b are suction chambers, respectively. 10a and 10b are circulation blowers (circulation devices), and 101 is a heat pump type heat exchanger. Note that the same reference numerals in the figures indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. At least two containers each containing an adsorbent packed bed for moisture adsorption inside and having a gas inlet and a gas outlet on both sides of the adsorbent packed bed, respectively.
a first housing section, an opening/closing means for opening and closing the suction ports and discharge ports of these housing sections, and suction ports (or discharge ports) for each of the two housing sections;
A common supply (or exhaust) air chamber connected to the
A gas supply device for supplying moisture-containing gas through the supply (or exhaust) air chamber to the storage section in the adsorption process when the opening/closing means is opened, and the storage section and the adsorption packed bed are sandwiched between the gas supply device and the storage section. A heating chamber is provided so as to communicate with the suction port side and the discharge port side, and heats the gas inside when the storage section is in the desorption process, and by closing the opening/closing means, the heating chamber is connected to the suction port side and the discharge port side. A circulation system in which gas heated in the heating chamber is circulated through a circulation path formed by a part and the heating chamber to raise the temperature of the adsorbent packed bed and desorb moisture adsorbed by the adsorbent packed bed. a device, and a pipe opening provided adjacent to the gas supply device and cooled by the gas supplied by the gas supply device through the supply (or exhaust) air chamber and communicating with the circulation path. a condenser for condensing the desorbed water introduced from the container, and alternately, when one of the accommodating sections is in the adsorption process, the other accommodating section is in the desorption process;
When switching between the desorption process and the adsorption process, the heat in the other housing part, which is still at a high temperature after the desorption process has been completed, is transferred from the adsorption process to the desorption process. The heat pipe type heat exchanger has a heat pipe type heat exchanger that transfers heat to the other housing part, and the heat pipe type heat exchanger transfers heat when heat is no longer transferred from the one housing part to the other housing part. A water generating device characterized by being provided with a heat cutoff device for blocking the migration of water.