Enhanced HVAC system and method
View Patent ↗Particular embodiments disclosed herein relate to methods, compositions, and systems relating generally to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, and more specifically, to HVAC systems that transfer sensible and/or latent energy between air streams, humidify and/or dehumidify air streams. In certain embodiments, a polymeric membrane is utilized for fluid exchange, with or without an additional support. Certain embodiments allow for individual regulation of air temperature and humidity.
1. A system comprising:
a mass exchanger having a first surface and a second surface and including a selective transport membrane comprising an ionomeric polymer;
a gas flow structure configured to direct a flow of a gas mixture to pass by in contact with the first surface of the mass exchanger; and
a liquid flow structure configured to direct a flow of a liquid mixture to pass by in contact with the second surface of the mass exchanger, the mass exchanger configured to receive a first gas out of the gas mixture including at least the first gas and a second gas and to transfer the first gas therethrough to the second surface to be accepted by the liquid mixture without transferring the second gas therethrough when the gas mixture is in contact with the first surface, when the liquid mixture is in contact with the second surface, and when the gas mixture and the liquid mixture have first predetermined conditions, the mass exchanger configured to receive the first gas from the liquid mixture and to transfer the first gas therethrough from the second surface to the first surface to be accepted by the gas mixture when the liquid mixture is in contact with the second surface, when the gas mixture is in contact with the first surface, and when the gas mixture and the liquid mixture have second predetermined conditions.
2. The system of claim 1 further including a heat exchanger having an intake and an exit, the heat exchanger coupled to receive flow of the liquid mixture into the intake of the heat exchanger and output flow of the liquid from the exit of the heat exchanger.
3. The system of claim 2 wherein the liquid flow structure has an intake and an exit, the liquid flow structure configured to direct the flow of the liquid mixture from the intake to the exit.
4. The system of claim 3 wherein the liquid flow structure is coupled to the heat exchanger for the intake of the liquid flow structure to receive flow of the liquid mixture from the exit of the heat exchanger.
5. The system of claim 3 wherein the liquid flow structure is coupled to the heat exchanger for the intake of the heat exchanger to receive flow of the liquid mixture from the exit for the liquid flow structure.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein the selective transport membrane has a first surface and a second surface, the first surface of the mass exchanger being the first surface of the selective transport membrane and the second surface of the mass exchanger being the second surface of the selective transport membrane.
7. The system of claim 1 wherein the selective transport membrane has a first surface and a second surface, and the mass exchanger further comprises a porous support having a first surface and a second surface, the second surface of the selective transport membrane being positioned adjacent to the first surface of the porous support, the first surface of the mass exchanger being the first surface of the selective transport membrane and the second surface of the mass exchanger being the second surface of the porous support.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the ionomeric polymer has a base resin and the base resin before ionomerization of the ionomeric polymer is selected from the group consisting of: polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene oxide (PEO), polystyrene (PS), polyesters, polycarbonate (PC), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), nylon, halogenated polymers or copolymers, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyimide (PA), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polylactic acid (PLA), polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), styrene -ethylene/butylenes-styrene (SEBS); styrene-ethylene/propylene-styrene (SEPS), ethylene-styrene interpolymer (ESI), styrene acrylate, polyetherether ketone (PEEK), polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE), polybenzimidazole (PBI), phosphoric acid based membranes, sulfonated tetrafluorethylene copolymer, and any combination thereof.
9. The system of claim 7 wherein the porous support structure includes a porosity of at least about 30%.
10. A system comprising:
a mass exchanger having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the mass exchanger includes a selective transport membrane having a first surface and a second surface and a porous support having a first surface and a second surface, the second surface of the selective transport membrane being positioned adjacent to the first surface of the porous support, the first surface of the mass exchanger being the first surface of the selective transport membrane and the second surface of the mass exchanger being the second surface of the porous support, wherein the porous support includes polethylene silica and has a porosity of at least about 30%;
a gas flow structure configured to direct a flow of a gas mixture to pass by in contact with the first surface of the mass exchanger; and
a liquid flow structure configured to direct a flow of a liquid mixture to pass by in contact with the second surface of the mass exchanger, the mass exchanger configured to receive a first gas out of the gas mixture including at least the first gas and a second gas and to transfer the first gas therethrough to the second surface to be accepted by the liquid mixture without transferring the second-gas therethrough when the gas mixture is in contact with the first surface, when the liquid mixture is in contact with the second surface, and when the gas mixture and the liquid mixture have first predetermined conditions, the mass exchanger configured to receive the first gas from the liquid mixture and to transfer the first gas therethrough from the second surface to the first surface to be accepted by the gas mixture when the liquid mixture is in contact with the second surface, when the gas mixture is in contact with the first surface, and when the gas mixture and the liquid mixture have second predetermined conditions.
11. The system of claim 1 wherein the mass exchanger includes a selective transport membrane having a first surface and a second surface and a porous support having a first surface and a second surface, the second surface of the porous support being positioned adjacent to the first surface of the selective transport membrane, the first surface of the mass exchanger being the first surface of the porous support and the second surface of the mass exchanger being the second surface of the selective transport membrane.
12. The system of claim 11 wherein the porous support structure includes a porosity of at least about 30%.
13. A system comprising:
a mass exchanger having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the mass exchanger includes a selective transport membrane having a first surface and a second surface and a porous support having a first surface and a second surface, the second surface of the porous support being positioned adjacent to the first surface of the selective transport membrane, the first surface of the mass exchanger being the first surface of the porous support and the second surface of the mass exchanger being the second surface of the selective transport membrane, wherein the porous support includes polethylene silica and has a porosity of at least about 30%;
a gas flow structure configured to direct a flow of a gas mixture to pass by in contact with the first surface of the mass exchanger; and
a liquid flow structure configured to direct a flow of a liquid mixture to pass by in contact with the second surface of the mass exchanger, the mass exchanger configured to receive a first gas out of the gas mixture including at least the first gas and a second gas and to transfer the first gas therethrough to the second surface to be accepted by the liquid mixture without transferring the second gas therethrough when the gas mixture is in contact with the first surface, when the liquid mixture is in contact with the second surface, and when the gas mixture and the liquid mixture have first predetermined conditions, the mass exchanger configured to receive the first gas from the liquid mixture and to transfer the first gas therethrough from the second surface to the first surface to be accepted by the gas mixture when the liquid mixture is in contact with the second surface, when the gas mixture is in contact with the first surface, and when the gas mixture and the liquid mixture have second predetermined conditions.
14. A method comprising:
providing a system according to claim 7 ;
exposing the first surface of the selective transport membrane to a gas mixture including at least a first gas and a second gas;
transferring a portion of the first gas through the selective transport membrane without substantially transferring the second gas;
transferring the portion of the first gas through the porous support without substantially transferring the second gas;
exposing the second surface of the porous support to a first liquid; and
accepting the portion of the first gas into the first liquid as a second liquid.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein providing the porous support includes providing the porous support with at least some surface portions that are substantially hydrophobic.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein exposing the porous support to a first liquid includes exposing as a flow of the first liquid.
17. The method of claim 15 wherein exposing the selective transport membrane to a gas mixture includes exposing as a flow of the gas mixture.
18. The method of claim 15 wherein the first gas is substantially polar and the second gas is substantially non-polar.
19. The method of claim 15 wherein the first gas is water vapor and the second gas is oxygen.
20. The method of claim 15 wherein the first liquid is water.
21. The method of claim 15 wherein the second liquid is water.
22. A method comprising:
providing a system according to claim 11 ;
exposing the first surface of the porous support to a gas mixture including at least a first gas and a second gas;
transferring a portion of the first gas and the second gas through the porous support;
transferring the portion of the first gas through the selective transport membrane without substantially transferring the second gas;
exposing the second surface of the selective transport membrane to a first liquid; and
accepting the portion of the first gas into the first liquid as a second liquid.
23. A method comprising:
providing a system according to claim 7 ;
exposing the first surface of the selective transport membrane to a liquid;
transferring a portion of the liquid through the selective transport membrane as a first gas;
transferring the first gas through the porous support;
exposing the second surface of the porous support to a second gas; and
accepting the first gas into the second gas.
24. The method of claim 23 wherein the portion of the liquid has a chemical composition different than at least some other portions of the liquid.
25. The method of claim 23 wherein the first gas is water vapor and the second gas is air.
26. A method comprising:
providing a system according to claim 11 ;
exposing the first surface of the porous support to a liquid;
transferring a portion of the liquid through the porous support as a first gas;
transferring the first gas through the selective transport membrane;
exposing the second surface of the selective transport membrane to a second gas; and
accepting the first gas into the second gas.
27. The method of claim 26 wherein providing the porous support includes providing the porous support with at least some surface portions that are substantially hydrophobic.
28. The method of claim 27 wherein the liquid is water.
29. A system comprising:
a plurality of units coupled together to each receive a flow of a liquid mixture and a flow of a gas mixture, each unit including:
a mass exchanger having a first surface and a second surface and including a selective transport membrane comprising an ionomeric polymer;
a gas flow structure configured to direct at least a portion of the flow of a gas mixture to pass by in contact with the first surface of the mass exchanger; and
a liquid flow structure configured to direct at least a portion of the flow of the liquid mixture to pass by in contact with the second surface of the mass exchanger, the mass exchanger configured to receive a first gas out of the gas mixture including at least the first gas and a second gas and to transfer the first gas therethrough to the second surface to be accepted by the liquid mixture without transferring the second gas therethrough when the gas mixture is in contact with the first surface, when the liquid mixture is in contact with the second surface, and when the gas mixture and the liquid mixture have first predetermined conditions, the mass exchanger configured to receive the first gas from the liquid mixture and to transfer the first gas therethrough from the second surface to the first surface to be accepted by the gas mixture when the liquid mixture is in contact with the second surface, when the gas mixture is in contact with the first surface, and when the gas mixture and the liquid mixture have second predetermined conditions.