DEVICE AND METHOD FOR REDUCING AIR HUMIDITY IN A ROOM

Abstract

A device for reducing air humidity in a room, the device comprising: a housing including an air inlet cross section and an air outlet cross section; a fan unit configured to take air into the air inlet cross section; a refrigeration unit configured to cool the air below a dew point; a first temperature measuring device configured to measure an air temperature of the air taken into the air inlet cross section; a second temperature measuring device configured to measure an air humidity of the air taken into the air inlet cross section; a third temperature measuring device configured to measure a surface temperature of a room boundary surface of the room; and a control device configured to process measured values from the first temperature measuring device, the second temperature measuring device and the third temperature measuring device to control the device for reducing the air humidity in the room.

Claims

1. A device for reducing air humidity in a room, the device comprising: a housing including an air inlet cross section and an air outlet cross section; a fan unit configured to take air into the air inlet cross section; a refrigeration unit configured to cool the air below a dew point; and a condensate container, configured to collect a precipitated condensate; a first temperature measuring device configured to measure an air temperature of the air taken into the air inlet cross section; a second temperature measuring device configured to measure an air humidity of the air taken into the air inlet cross section; a third temperature measuring device configured to measure a surface temperature of a room boundary surface of the room; and a control device configured to process measured values from the first temperature measuring device, the second temperature measuring device and the third temperature measuring device to control the device for reducing the air humidity in the room.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the refrigeration unit includes a refrigerant cycle.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the refrigeration unit is formed by a Peltier element.

4. The device according to claim 1, the third temperature measuring device is an infrared temperature measuring device.

5. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a heating device by which dehumidified air is heatable before exiting from the air outlet cross section.

6. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a filter that is arranged in a portion of the air inlet cross section.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the air outlet cross section is formed by at least one nozzle which is configured to generate a turbulent flow of the air exiting from the housing.

8. A method for reducing air humidity in a room, the method comprising the steps: taking in air from the room by a fan unit through an air intake cross section into a housing of a device for reducing air humidity; cooling the air by a refrigeration unit in the housing below a dew point; pressing the air through an air outlet cross section from the housing; and collecting precipitating condensate in a condensate container; measuring an air temperature of the air taken in through the air intake cross section; measuring an air humidity of the air taken in through the air intake cross section; measuring a surface temperature of a room boundary surface of the room; and processing measured values for the air temperature, the air humidity and the surface temperature; and controlling the device for reducing the air humidity as a function of the measured values.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein cooling the air is performed by a refrigeration cycle.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein cooling the air is performed by a Peltier element.

11. The method according claim 8, wherein the air is run after precipitating the condensate so that the air is heated by waste heat generated by the refrigeration unit.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the air is run after precipitating the condensate so that the air is heated by a heating device.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the air is filtered after passing through the air intake cross section.

15. The method according to claim 8, wherein the air is flowed from the housing in a turbulent manner through at least one nozzle after precipitating the condensate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] The invention is subsequently described in more detail based on an embodiment with reference to drawing figures, wherein:

[0028] FIG. 1 illustrates a longitudinal sectional view through a device according to the invention; and

[0029] FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic view of the device according to FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] FIG. 1 illustrates a device 1 for reducing an air humidity in a room 2, wherein the device 1 is cut in the longitudinal direction (arrow 3). The device 1 includes a cuboid housing 4 which is assembled from individual sheet metal components 5. At a bottom side 6 of the housing 4 two or four rollers 7 are visible which facilitate moving the device 1. The device 1 is flowed through along its longitudinal direction (arrow 3), wherein an air volume flow flowing through the device 1 is indicated by arrows 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 in various positions. Room air (arrow 8) is suctioned into the housing 4 by a fan 13 which is arranged in flow direction 14 at a suction end of the housing 4, wherein the room air (arrow 8) passes an intake grid which defines an air inlet cross section 16 into the device 1 and passes an intake filter 17 arranged behind the intake grid. The filtered room air (arrow 9) then flows into an evaporator 18 where it is cooled at cooling surfaces of the evaporator so that the condensate precipitates. The condensate is captured in a condensate container 19 which is configured funnel shaped and which includes an outlet 20. The outlet 20 is adjoined by a tubular conduit 21 which is run along or through the housing 4 where an openable and closable condensate drain spout 22 is positioned.

[0031] From the evaporator 18 the dehumidified room air is moved into a chamber 23 where condensation heat of the refrigerant which is compressed by a compressor 24 arranged below the chamber 23 is transferred. Thus, the initially cooled and dehumidified room air is reheated and leaves the chamber 23 as dehumidified heated room air (arrow 10). The evaporator 18, the compressor 24, a non-illustrated expansion valve and heat exchanger surfaces of the chamber 23 form components of a refrigerant loop. Typically the condensation dehumidifier 25 is electrically operated.

[0032] After the dehumidified room air exits from the chamber 23 the dehumidified room air (arrow 10) is run through an electrically operated heating device 26 where it is heated further. Subsequently the cooled, dehumidified and reheated room air passes the fan 13 and exits the device 1 through nozzles 27 back into the room 2. FIG. 1 illustrates 2 or 4 or 6 nozzles 27. The sum of the air outlet cross sections 28 of the nozzles 27 forms the entire air outlet cross section of the device 1. The volume flow (arrow 12) exits the nozzles 27 as a turbulent volume flow that mixes with ambient untreated room air. This generates uniform air conditions and an air stratification is prevented.

[0033] The heating device 26 is optional wherein a safety temperature limiter 29 is advantageously used downstream of the heating device wherein the safety temperature limiter is configured to cut the heating device off when the dehumidified and heated room air exceeds an upper temperature threshold.

[0034] Shortly before the room air enters the nozzle 27 a flow monitor 30 can be arranged. When the flow monitor 30 does not detect any air flow the device 1 is also turned off.

[0035] In a portion between the air inlet cross section 16 into the device 1 and the evaporator 18 a device 31 for measuring the air temperature and a device 32 for measuring humidity is arranged so that temperature and humidity of room air 8 entering the device 1 are measured. Furthermore the device 1 according to the invention is provided with a device 33 for measuring a surface temperature which is configured as a temperature sensor which measures a temperature of a room wall surface through infrared wherein the room wall surface is not illustrated in the figure. All measured data is transmitted to a control device 34 for processing the detected values, wherein the control device 34 is furthermore used for controlling the device 1. When the measured values show that condensation water precipitates at the room wall surface the device 1 is turned on. When precipitation of condensation water does not occur at the room wall surface any more the device 1 remains turned off or is turned off. The control device 34 is arranged in FIG. 1 on the housing 4 and attached thereon.

[0036] FIG. 2 illustrates a flow diagram with respect to the function of the device 1 according to the invention of FIG. 1 wherein the room wall 35 is indicated. In FIG. 2 the device for measuring the temperature 31, for measuring the air humidity 32 and for measuring the surface temperature 33 are combined in a unit, wherein the captured data is forwarded to the control device 34. When an operation of the device 1 is useful based on the data processed in the control device 34 the control device 34 is automatically activated by the control device 34, this means that the fan 13 of the condensation dehumidifier 25 and the heating device 26 are turned on. The room air (arrow 8) is dehumidified and heated and leaves the device 1 through the nozzles 27.

REFERENCE NUMERALS AND DESIGNATIONS

[0037] 1 device [0038] 2 room [0039] 3 arrow [0040] 4 housing [0041] 5 sheet metal component [0042] 6 bottom side [0043] 7 roller [0044] 8-12 arrow [0045] 13 fan [0046] 14 flow direction [0047] 15 suction filter [0048] 16 air inlet cross section [0049] 17 suction filter [0050] 18 evaporator [0051] 19 condensate container [0052] 20 outlet [0053] 21 tubular conduit [0054] 22 condensate drain spout [0055] 23 chamber [0056] 24 compressor [0057] 25 condensation dehumidifier [0058] 26 heating device [0059] 27 nozzle [0060] 28 air outlet cross section nozzle [0061] 29 safety temperature limiter [0062] 30 flow monitor [0063] 31 temperature measuring device [0064] 32 humidity measuring device [0065] 33 temperature sensor [0066] 34 control device [0067] 35 room wall