A composite ion exchange membrane is made by combining ionomer with porous polyolefin, such as polyethylene or polypropylene. The composite ion exchange membrane may be used in the core of an energy recovery ventilator. The core of the energy recovery ventilator may comprise corrugated or pleated supports for supporting the composite ion exchange membrane. The air flow into the energy recovery ventilator may be modified to actively create non-laminar flow.

An energy exchanger is provided. The exchanger includes a housing having a front and a back. A plurality of panels forming desiccant channels extend from the front to the back of the housing. Air channels are formed between adjacent panels. The air channels are configured to direct an air stream in a direction from the front of the housing to the back of the housing. A desiccant inlet is provided in flow communication with the desiccant channels. A desiccant outlet is provided in flow communication with the desiccant channels. The desiccant channels are configured to channel desiccant from the desiccant inlet to the desiccant outlet in at least one of a counter-flow or cross-flow direction with respect to the direction of the air stream.

A heat exchanger (100) comprises: a first header tube (1) and two second header tubes (3); a first heat exchange tube (51) in fluid communication with one of the two second header tubes (3) and a second chamber (B) of the first header tube (1); a first runner tube (61) in fluid communication with the one of two second header tubes (3) and a first chamber (A) of the first header tube (1); a second heat exchange tube (52) in fluid communication with the other of the two second header tubes (3) and the first chamber (A) of the first header tube (1); and a second runner tube (62) in fluid communication with the other of the two second header tubes (3) and the second chamber (B) of the first header tube (1). The heat exchanger (100) bends at a first bending portion (71) between the other of the two second header tubes (3) and the first header tube (1), so as to enable the other of the two second header tubes (3) to be higher or lower than the first header tube (1).

A ventilator includes: a refrigerant circuit through which a refrigerant flows and that includes a compressor, first heat exchangers, and a second heat exchanger that are connected by a refrigerant pipe; air supply fans that supply air from an outdoor space to indoor spaces through the first heat exchangers; an exhaust fan that exhausts air from the indoor spaces to the outdoor space through the second heat exchanger; an exhaust-side casing that accommodates the exhaust fan; air supply-side casings that accommodate the air supply fans; and air supply units that accommodate the first heat exchangers and the air supply fans in the air supply-side casings. The exhaust-side casing is separated from the air supply-side casings. The exhaust fan and the exhaust-side casing are disposed in the outdoor space. The air supply units individually supply the air from the outdoor space to the indoor spaces.

An energy exchanger is provided. The exchanger includes a housing having a front and a back. A plurality of panels forming desiccant channels extend from the front to the back of the housing. Air channels are formed between adjacent panels. The air channels are configured to direct an air stream in a direction from the front of the housing to the back of the housing. A desiccant inlet is provided in flow communication with the desiccant channels. A desiccant outlet is provided in flow communication with the desiccant channels. The desiccant channels are configured to channel desiccant from the desiccant inlet to the desiccant outlet in at least one of a counter-flow or cross-flow direction with respect to the direction of the air stream.

A heat exchanger for exchanging heat between air streams in two horizontally spaced ducts of a ventilation system. The heat exchanger includes a plurality of single-loop heat pipes, each with top and bottom legs extending along a heat pipe axis. A frame permanently mounts the heat pipes in the ventilation system so that sections of the legs are received in each duct and the legs are inclined with respect to a horizontal axis. The frame can define a non-rectangular interior. Heat pipe mounting features spaced apart along a width of the frame that can be offset along the height of the frame. A top or bottom of the frame can have an inclined inner side. In use, the frame is arranged in the ducts so that the inclined heat pipes provide whole-year heat recovery in cooling and heating modes.

An air conditioning system including a condenser system and a closed-loop air-to-water system. The condenser system includes a compressor which pressurizes refrigerant and distributes the pressurized refrigerant to at least one condenser coil, which climatizes water; and a fan which exhausts heat from the pressurized refrigerant. The closed-loop air-to-water system includes a climatized liquid tank, which receives climatized water from the at least one condenser coil; and an air handler disposed within a building, the air handler having a climatized liquid coil. The air handler is disposed to receive air from inside the building; transfer thermal energy from the climatized liquid coil to ambient air, creating climatized air; and distribute the climatized air to at least a portion of the building. The climatized water may be distributed to a recycled liquid tank, which may redistribute the climatized water to the climatized liquid tank, forming a closed-loop air-to-water system.

Conditioning systems and methods for providing cooling to a heat load can include an evaporative cooler arranged in a scavenger plenum with a pre-cooler upstream and a recovery coil downstream of the evaporative cooler. Outdoor or scavenger air can be conditioned in the evaporative cooler such that the conditioned scavenger air can provide cooling to a cooling fluid circulating through the recovery coil. The reduced-temperature cooling fluid can provide liquid cooling or air cooling for an enclosed space (for example, a data center) or for one or more devices that are enclosed or open to the atmosphere. Given the design and arrangement of the pre-cooler, evaporative cooler and recovery coil in the plenum, the system can operate in multiple modes. The pre-cooler can be configured to circulate a cooling fluid to condition the scavenger air. The pre-cooler fluid circuit can be coupled or decoupled from a process cooling fluid circuit.

The present invention relates to a system and method of cooling by latent energy transfer and, in particular, to cool a fluid by discharging unwanted low temperature thermal energy to a surrounding ambient environment utilizing a fluid evaporation process involving permitted or forced ventilation of air across a surface area of a heat transfer fluid. The invention further relates to an air treatment system utilizing the cooled heat transfer fluid for cooling air and for supplying ventilation air to the evaporation process. A body of liquid is cooled close to the prevailing wet bulb temperature, discharging unwanted thermal energy to the surroundings, rendering the liquid suitable as a cooling medium for removing unwanted thermal energy from a location or in a process.

A heat exchanger and method which is able to perform in different seasons. The heat exchanger has an upper header and a lower header. Multiple heat pipes extend between the upper header and the lower header, with each of the multiple heat pipes having an evaporator section at one end and a condenser section at the opposite end. The direction of heat flow through the multiple heat pipes is variable depending on ambient air conditions applied to the heat exchanger. A pump is provided in fluid communication with the upper header and the lower header. The pump operates when the heat exchanger is operating in a second mode in which the evaporator section is located above the condenser section, and the pump is disabled when the heat exchanger is operating in a first mode in which the condenser section is located above the evaporator section.