Abstract: A method and device refrigerate a fluid by adding a volatile liquid mist to a flow of a gas to saturate the gas with vapor of the volatile liquid, to cause a large amount of misty minute liquid drops of the volatile liquid to float in the gas and to form a cooling gas. The cooling gas is directed through a first flow passage of a heat exchanger having first and second flow passages. The fluid to be refrigerated is directed through the second flow passage of the heat exchanger, so that heat from the fluid is transferred to the cooling gas, while the cooling gas passes through the first flow passage of the heat exchanger to elevate the temperature of the cooling gas. A portion of the minute liquid drops floating in the cooling gas are allowed to vaporize due to the elevated temperature of the cooling gas. The temperature of the cooling gas is continuously lowered by the heat of vaporization of the vaporizing minute liquid drops.

Abstract: In an adsorbing body for humidity and odorous gas exchange such as an adsorbing sheet for dehumidification, an adsorbing element for dehumidification or an adsorbing element for total heat energy exchange, a sheet or a honeycomb laminate is impregnated or coated with silica sol containing, as solid content, not more than 30% of the silica sol weight of minute silica particles not larger than 120 .ANG. in diameter which contain many stable silanol radicals on the surface and 0.01-1% of alkali metal ion Na.sub.2 O. It is then dried to rigidly fix silica gel. Other humidity adsorbing or absorbing agents such as zeolite, organic high-polymer electrolyte, etc. may be mixed in said silica sol. Silica gel with excellent humidity adsorbing ability can be strongly adhered to a sheet or a honeycomb laminate in an extremely simple method.

Abstract: An active silica gel honeycomb adsorbing body capable of adsorbing humidity and odorous components in a process air having 100% relative humidity. A single-faced corrugated sheet having a wave length of approximately 2.5-6.5 mm and a wave height of approximately 1.3-4.0 mm, a quantity of active silica gel approximately 0.5-3.0 times the weight of inorganic fiber papers and a thickness of approximately 0.1-0.3 mm is laminated to form a honeycomb structure laminated body. The honeycomb structure laminated body is impregnated with an aqueous water glass solution, and is then impregnated with acid and dried to form active silica gel having micropores and mesopores. The micropores and the mesopores have a diameter distributed in the range of not more than 200 .ANG. and a surface area of approximately 300-600 m.sup.2 /g. The active silica gel is adhered in fiber gaps and on the surface of the inorganic fiber paper.

Abstract: A resistor, such as a resistor wire, is contained in a sheet, preferably a low density sheet consisting mainly of inorganic fiber. Adsorbent or absorbent (hereinafter "sorbent" collectively) is fixed to the sheet to obtain sorbing characteristics, such that desorption and reactivation can be accomplished by applying an electric current to the resistor to heat the sheet. A sorbing laminate with many channels may be used by laminating the sorbing sheets. The sorbing sheet can therefore be heated directly from the inner side by the resistor contained in the sheet desorbing the sheets rapidly while the time for reactivating the sorbing sheet is reduced and the reactivation efficiency increased.

Abstract: An article to be dried is transferred and pressed and held between a wire endless conveyor and a flexible conveyor. The wire endless conveyor is placed between a nozzle, including a sucking-out nozzle and a blowing nozzle, and the cushion conveyor to press, hold and transfer the article to be dried. The nozzle dehydrates/dries the article to be dried. When an article to be dried is narrower than the width of the nozzle, the area where the article to be dried does not cover the sucking-out nozzle or the blowing nozzle is automatically shut by the flexible conveyor. The article to be dried is dehydrated/dried while it is pressed, held and transferred so that a high speed air jet stream and high speed negative pressure air stream do not flow out/in to outer air. While the article to be dried is transferred, pressed and held by the flexible conveyor, water adhering to it is formed into minute water drops by the high speed air jet stream and the high speed negative pressure air stream.

Abstract: Adsorbents are used whose equilibrium isotherms for adsorption show no rapid rise in relative humidity more than 40% and whose equilibrium isotherms for adsorption and desorption show no hysteresis phenomenon and in which adsorbed humidity does not cause capillary condensation, for example, A-type or RD-type silica gel or hydrophilic zeolite. Adhesive or binder is applied on the surface of a metallic sheet, a plastic sheet or a ceramic fiber paper, and particulates of the above-mentioned adsorbents are fixed on or in it to get a total heat energy exchanger material. The total heat energy exchanger material is corrugated and laminated to obtain a total heat energy exchanger element. When outer air or return air contains various odorous gases, these odorous gases can be mostly prevented from transferring into supply air through the total heat energy exchanger.

Abstract: A high speed negative pressure air stream from a sucking-out nozzle or a combination of a high speed negative pressure air stream from the sucking-out nozzle and a high speed air jet stream from a blowing nozzle are used for drying an article. Flanges can be installed at a tip end of the sucking-out nozzle and the blowing nozzle. The air jet stream can be injected obliquely to the surface of the article to be dried. Water adhered to an article to be dried, for example, a wet mat, is rapidly divided into minute water drops which are extracted. Vermin, lice and other contaminants are also removed. The article to be dried is rapidly dehydrated and dried in a low temperature. The sucking-out nozzle provided with a flange in a sucking-out pipe is placed so that it can slide on the surface of the article to be dried. A water drop separating vessel is installed between the sucking-out pipe and the inlet of a blower. A dehumidifier is installed between the outlet of the blower and the blowing pipe.

Abstract: A resistor, such as a resistor wire, is contained in a sheet, preferably a low density sheet consisting mainly of inorganic fiber. Adsorbent or absorbent (hereinafter "sorbent" collectively) is fixed to the sheet to obtain sorbing characteristics, such that desorption and reactivation can be accomplished by applying an electric current to the resistor to heat the sheet. A sorbing laminate with many channels may be used by laminating the sorbing sheets. The sorbing sheet can therefore be heated directly from the inner side by the resistor contained in the sheet desorbing the sheets rapidly while the time for reactivating the sorbing sheet is reduced and the reactivation efficiency increased.

Abstract: A gas adsorbing element is formed into a honeycomb-shaped laminate having many small channels penetrating from one end surface to the other and in which hydrophobic high silica zeolite powder is exposed on the walls of the small channels. The hydrophobic high silica zeolite is, for example, a zeolite which is produced by removing most of the aluminum component from an ordinary zeolite. In forming the honeycomb-shaped laminate, it is favorable that non-flammable sheets are laminated and the laminate is impregnated with a dispersion of high silica zeolite powder and with an inorganic binder, and that the high silica zeolite powder is fixed in fiber gaps and on the surface of the non-flammable paper. It is desirable that the non-flammable sheet is a low density inorganic fiber paper and is baked either before or after forming the honeycomb-shaped laminate.

Abstract: The present invention makes it possible to fix as much gas adsorbent or catalyst particles as possible to a gas adsorbing element or to a catalyst carrier having a honeycomb structure and also to improve the form-maintaining property of a honeycomb laminate after heat-treatment or during wet conditions so that operation becomes easy when impregnating the honeycomb laminate with a dispersion of gas adsorbent or catalyst particles. A honeycomb laminate is formed with paper including mostly ceramic fiber or glass fiber and mountain leather or with paper including mostly carbon fiber and mountain leather. The paper is then heat-treated, is impregnated with a dispersion of gas adsorbent or catalyst particles, is impregnated with a dispersion of inorganic binder such as silica sol or alumina sol, and is dried.

Abstract: A dehumidifier element is produced by alternately laminating corrugated paper and flat liner paper, both papers being of low density and composed of inorganic fiber such as ceramic fiber, to form a honeycomb matrix having many small channels penetrating through opposite surfaces. The formed matrix is fired with hot air to remove organic substances contained in the sheets, or the sheets may be fired before the lamination. The matrix is impregnated with water glass after the laminating process, or the sheets are impregnated before the laminating process. In either case, the formed matrix is soaked in an aqueous solution of aluminum sulphate or magnesium sulphate to form a silicate hydrogel on the papers and in the apertures between fibers of the papers. The shaped matrix and the metal silicate hydrogel are washed and dried to obtain a dehumidifying element having physical strength. The metal sulphate solution is cooled to precipitate and remove sodium sulphate from the solution.

Abstract: An element for adsorbing one or more active gases in an inert gas to obtain an inert gas such as air containing an inert gas such as air containing an ultra-low concentration active gas such as water vapor. The element is produced by laminating low density papers composed of inorganic fiber to form a matrix in the form of a gas adsorbing element having numerous small channels penetrating through opposite surfaces, impregnating the matrix with water glass in which synthesized zeolite powder is dispersed, and soaking the matrix in aqueous solution of aluminum salts, magnesium salts or calcium salts, and so on, to form metal silicate hydrogel on the paper and in the apertures between fibers of papers, and washing and drying the matrix and the metal silicate hydrogel to obtain the element. The main constituent of the element being synthesized zeolite and metal silicate aerogel deposited on the inorganic fiber matrix.

Abstract: The invention relates to a humidity exchanger element comprising of a matrix formed by laminating single-faced corrugated sheets and an active silica-alumina aerogel just synthesized and adhered on said sheets and on the gap between the fibers of said sheets; the main constituents of said sheet being an inorganic fiber selected from the group consisting of ceramic fiber, glass fiber, slag fiber, carbon fiber and mixtures of them, the thickness of said sheet being in the range of 0.18-0.25 mm, the wave length of said corrugated sheet being in the range of 2.5-4.2 mm, and the wave height of said corrugated sheet being in the range of 1.5-2.3 mm; and the composition of said aerogel being 97-85% of silicon dioxide and 3-15% of aluminum oxide.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus are presented for supporting and/or conveying a plate by means of flow of fluid without physical contact. By providing a flat surface extending perpendicularly from the opening of a fluid delivery pipe and providing a suction pipe around the flat surface, static pressure of fluid becomes negative at the gap between the flat surface and a plate near the flat surface, to support and/or convey the plate beneath the flat surface without physical contact. The fluid delivered into the gap between the flat surface and plate is inhaled into the suction pipe and recirculated, to prevent the disturbance of the surrounding atmosphere by the fluid, the attachment of dust onto the plate and the introduction of dust into the fluid. This method is effective for handling of plates, such as semi-conductor wafers and magnetic discs, which should not be marred or stained by physical contact with a hand or a gripper.

Abstract: A gas adsorbing element is formed into a honeycomb-shaped laminate having many small channels penetrating from one end surface to the other and in which hydrophobic high silica zeolite powder is exposed on the walls of the small channels. The hydrophobic high silica zeolite is, for example, a zeolite which is produced by removing most of the aluminum component from an ordinary zeolite. In forming the honeycomb-shaped laminate, it is favorable that non-flammable sheets are laminated and the laminate is impregnated with a dispersion of high silica zeolite powder and with an inorganic binder, and that the high silica zeolite powder is fixed in fiber gaps and on the surface of the non-flammable paper. It is desirable that the non-flammable sheet is a low density inorganic fiber paper and is baked either before or after forming the honeycomb-shaped laminate.