Water removal from humidified air and other water-laden gases may be complicated due to the need for large and expensive capital equipment or use of powder-form desiccants that may lead to pressure drops, poor throughput and energy-intensive recovery of water. Reversible water-absorbing constructs may alleviate these difficulties and comprise: a phase change polymer exhibiting a reversible hydrophilic-hydrophobic phase transition, and at least one additional material in contact with the phase change polymer, such as a water-sorptive material. The phase change polymer and the at least one additional material are formed as a plurality of filaments. Filaments formed from the phase change polymer may be generated through an electrospinning process, which may be arranged in various higher level constructs, such as in fibers, fabrics and non-woven filament mats capable of absorbing water from humidified air or other water-laden gases.

An electrochemical heat transfer device for a hot water tank utilizes an electrochemical hydrogen compressor to pump hydrogen into and out of a tank having a metal hydride forming alloy therein. The absorption of hydrogen by the metal hydride forming alloy is exothermic, produces heat, and the desorption of the hydrogen from the metal hydride forming alloy is endothermic and draws heat in. An electrochemical hydrogen compressor may be configured between to tanks and pump hydrogen back and forth to form a heat transfer device, such as a hot water heater. A heat transfer device may be coupled with the tank or may comprise the outer surface of the tank to transfer heat to an object or to the surroundings. A closed loop may be configured having two tanks and one or two electrochemical hydrogen compressors to pump the hydrogen in a loop around the system.

The application pertains to, for example, novel processes and systems for heat transfer, refrigeration, energy storage, and various cooling and heating processes. Such processes may include cooling or mixing various liquid-liquid phase transition liquids to release and/or energy. Additionally or alternatively, such processes may include charging and/or discharging thermal storage reservoirs with layered liquids of various temperatures.

A liquid desiccant system including a high desorber, a low desorber, and an absorber that are in fluid communication with a working solution, where the high desorber provides rejected water vapor from the working fluid for condensation in a condenser of the low desorber that provides heat for rejection of additional water from the working solution in the low desorber effectively multiplying the heat provided for desorption. The low desorber provided the concentrated working solution to the absorber where water from ambient air is condensed into the concentrated working solution to provide a dilute working solution within a working solution conduit of the absorber that is thermally coupled to an internal cooler of the absorber. In some embodiments, the working solution can be an aqueous solution of at least one ionic liquid.

A liquid desiccant system including a high desorber, a low desorber, and an absorber that are in fluid communication with a working solution, where the high desorber provides rejected water vapor from the working fluid for condensation in a condenser of the low desorber that provides heat for rejection of additional water from the working solution in the low desorber effectively multiplying the heat provided for desorption. The low desorber provided the concentrated working solution to the absorber where water from ambient air is condensed into the concentrated working solution to provide a dilute working solution within a working solution conduit of the absorber that is thermally coupled to an internal cooler of the absorber. In some embodiments, the working solution can be an aqueous solution of at least one ionic liquid.

A three-way heat exchanger for a liquid desiccant air-conditioning system and method of manufacture. The heat exchanger includes a plurality of panel assemblies. Each panel assembly has a frame bordering a given space. The frame includes desiccant inlet and outlet ports and heat transfer fluid inlet and outlet ports. Two plates joined to the frame define a heat transfer fluid channel in the given space. The heat transfer fluid inlet and outlet ports are in fluid communication with the heat transfer fluid channel. Microporous sheets cover the outer surfaces of the plates and define a desiccant channel. The desiccant inlet and outlet ports are in fluid communication with the desiccant channel. The plurality of panel assemblies have a stacked arrangement such that a microporous sheet on one panel assembly faces a microporous sheet on an adjacent panel assembly and defines an airflow channel therebetween.

A cooling system includes an ingress port to receive refrigerant in a vapor form from an evaporator, an egress port to return refrigerant in a liquid form back to the evaporator, a condenser coupled to the ingress port and the egress port, and a compressor coupled to the ingress port and the condenser. When the cooling system operates in a first mode, the condenser is configured to receive and condense the refrigerant from the vapor form into the liquid form and to return the refrigerant in the liquid form to the regress port. When the cooling system operates in a second mode, the compressor is configured to compress the refrigerant in the vapor form and to supply the compressed refrigerant to the condenser to be condensed therein.

The invention relates to an air conditioning apparatus including a first absorptive heat exchanger having sorption channels in at least one flow direction, a method for conditioning fluids, in particular for cooling and/or drying a stream of air, an adsorptive air-air cross-flow heat exchanger, and an outer wall element including an integrated air conditioning apparatus.

Provided are an air conditioner capable of indoor cooling and humidity control with a simple structure. The air conditioner comprises: a first air flow channel; a second air flow channel; a dehumidifying rotor which comprises a first region provided on the first air flow channel, a second region provided on the second air flow channel, and an adsorbent which alternately passes through the first region and the second region and adsorbs moisture in the first region or the second region; a cooling unit configured to cool air from which moisture is removed while passing through the first region; and a control unit configured to control the dehumidifying rotor and the cooling unit such that air flowing in the first air flow path is dehumidified and cooled and a temperature or humidity of the indoor area is detected to be adjusted to a set value.

The innovation uses the disparity between dry and wet conditions of the air, by storing the dryness or wetness in a hygroscopic material. When the surrounding air is drier or wetter than the hygroscopic material, the potential energy difference between moisture in the air and that in the material can be used as a way of transporting heat from the material to the air and vice versa. A simple way this energy can be used is for heating and cooling of a building. For example, a large storage of adsorbing material can be dried in the hot summer, and allowed to re-adsorb water in the cold winter, thus gaining heat that can be used for domestic heating.