Fluidized bed desiccant cooling system

Claim 1

An air conditioning unit, comprising: a first blower received in the unit for driving supply air along a path through the unit and into a space that is to receive conditioned air; a first fluidized bed desiccator received in the unit, the desiccator being sized and shaped for holding particles of a desiccant material, the first desiccator having a surface for supporting the desiccant material particles, the supporting surface being arranged relative to the supply air path and structurally adapted so that supply air may be selectively driven by the blower upwardly through the supporting surface and into the desiccant material particles, thereby creating a fluidized bed of desiccant material particles for removing moisture from the supply air; a second fluidized bed desiccator received in the unit, the second desiccator being arranged parallel to the first desiccator for selectively receiving supply air, and further, the second desiccator being sized and shaped for holding particles of a desiccant material, the second desiccator also having a surface for supporting the desiccant material particles held by the second desiccator, the supporting surface of the second desiccator being arranged relative to the supply air path and structurally adapted so that supply air may be selectively driven by the blower upwardly through the supporting surface of the second desiccator and into the desiccant material particles held by the second desiccator, and further including a first transfer plenum arranged in the supply air path upstream of the first and second desiccators, the first transfer plenum being adapted to selectively direct supply air through only one of the first and second desiccators at a time; a second transfer plenum arranged in the supply air path downstream of the first and second desiccators, the second transfer plenum being adapted to selectively direct supply air downstream from one of the first and second desiccators. a first sensible heat exchanger in the supply air path, downstream of the first and second desiccators, the sensible heat exchanger reducing the temperature of the supply air after it exits one of the selected desiccators; and a first evaporative cooler in the supply air path, downstream of the sensible heat exchanger, for at least partially humidifying the supply air and further reducing its temperature prior to entering the conditioned air space.