US5351497A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Low-flow internally-cooled liquid-desiccant absorber
Assignee: Gas Technology Institute
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Filing: 1992-12-17
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Granted: 1994-10-04
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Expires: 2012-12-17
Abstract
Abstract An air-conditioning process uses an internally-cooled, liquid-desiccant absorber through which the air to be conditioned, the coolant and the liquid desiccant are passed. The desiccant is passed into the absorber at a flooding rate not exceeding 1.0 gpm/ft 2 . Preferably cooling water (as coolant) is passed into the absorber at a flooding rate not exceeding 1.0 gpm/ft 2 and, in that case, cooling air is passed through the absorber in intimate contact with the cooling water to promote evaporative cooling of the cooling water.
Inventors
- 👤 Andrew I. Lowenstein
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 04:01
CPC Classifications
F; F24; F24F; F24F3/00; F24F3/12; F24F3/14; F24F3/1411; F24F3/1417; B; B01; B01D; B01D53/00; B01D53/26; B01D53/263; F24F2003/144
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
58 words
An air-conditioning process using an internally-cooled, liquid-desiccant absorber through which the air to be conditioned, the coolant and the liquid desiccant are passed, comprising the step of passing the desiccant into the absorber at a flooding rate of 0.03-1.0 gpm/ft while passing the air to be conditioned into the absorber at a flow rate not exceeding 800 fpm.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
58 words
An air-conditioning process using an internally-cooled, liquid-desiccant absorber through which the air to be conditioned, the coolant and the liquid desiccant are passed, comprising the step of passing the desiccant into the absorber at a flooding rate of 0.03-1.0 gpm/ft while passing the air to be conditioned into the absorber at a flow rate not exceeding 800 fpm.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
59 words
The process of claim 1, additionally including the steps of passing cooling water as the coolant into the absorber at a flooding rate of 0.1-1.0 gpm/ft 2 , and passing cooling air through the absorber in intimate contact with the cooling water and at a flow rate not exceeding 800 fpm to promote evaporative cooling of the cooling water.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of claim 2 wherein the air to be conditioned and the cooling water are passed in counterflow.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
13 words
The process of claim 3 wherein the air to be conditioned flows upwardly.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of claim 2 wherein the air to be conditioned and the cooling water are passed in cross-flow.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said desiccant flooding rate is 0.1-0.3 gpm/ft 2 .
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
The process of claim 2 wherein said cooling water flooding rate is 0.1-0.3 gpm/ft 2 .
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
110 words
An air-conditioning process using an internally-cooled, liquid-desiccant absorber through which the air to be conditioned, the cooling water, the cooling air and the liquid desiccant are passed, comprising the step of passing the desiccant into the absorber at a flooding rate of 0.03-1.0 gpm/ft 2 while passing the air to be conditioned into the absorber at a flow rate not exceeding 800 fpm, passing the cooling water into the absorber at a flooding rate of 0.1-1.0 gpm/ft 2 , and passing cooling air through the absorber in intimate contact with the cooling water and at a flow rate not exceeding 800 fpm to promote evaporative cooling of the cooling water.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
110 words
An air-conditioning process using an internally-cooled, liquid-desiccant absorber through which the air to be conditioned, the cooling water, the cooling air and the liquid desiccant are passed, comprising the step of passing the desiccant into the absorber at a flooding rate of 0.03-1.0 gpm/ft 2 while passing the air to be conditioned into the absorber at a flow rate not exceeding 800 fpm, passing the cooling water into the absorber at a flooding rate of 0.1-1.0 gpm/ft 2 , and passing cooling air through the absorber in intimate contact with the cooling water and at a flow rate not exceeding 800 fpm to promote evaporative cooling of the cooling water.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
53 words
An air-conditioning process using an internally-cooled, liquid-desiccant absorber through which the air to be conditioned, the coolant and the liquid desiccant are passed, comprising the step of passing the desiccant and the air to be conditioned into the absorber at a liquid-to-gas mass flow ratio (liquid desiccant-to-air to be conditioned) of about 0.005-0.17.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
53 words
An air-conditioning process using an internally-cooled, liquid-desiccant absorber through which the air to be conditioned, the coolant and the liquid desiccant are passed, comprising the step of passing the desiccant and the air to be conditioned into the absorber at a liquid-to-gas mass flow ratio (liquid desiccant-to-air to be conditioned) of about 0.005-0.17.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
The process of claim 9 wherein cooling water and cooling air are passed into the absorber at a liquid-to-gas mass flow ratio (cooling water-to-cooling air) of about 0.014-0.14.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1997-10-03 | 1998-04-04 | 1998-10-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2001-10-03 | 2002-04-04 | 2002-10-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2005-10-03 | 2006-04-04 | 2006-10-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |