Temperature-Based Adaptive Dehumidification System
Disclosed is a temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system for an air-conditioning environment, including: a temperature sensing device provided to sense temperature of the air-conditioning environment to obtain environmental temperature information; a humidity sensing device provided to sense humidity of the air-conditioning environment to obtain environmental humidity information; and a dehumidifying device which obtains a referenced humidity range which corresponds to the obtained environmental temperature information by means of a calculation in reference to a predetermined reference relationship of temperature-humidity. A controller performs a comparison between the obtained environmental humidity information and the referenced humidity range thereby, and when the obtained environmental humidity information is not within the referenced humidity range, enables the dehumidifying device to perform a dehumidifying process for the air-conditioning environment so as to automatically regulate humidity to the most appropriate degree for the user according to environment temperature.
This application claims priority to Taiwanese Patent Application No. 105128020 filed Aug. 31, 2016, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to a dehumidifier, and more particularly relates to a temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system that regulates humidity based on temperature.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe higher the temperature is, the greater amount of water vapor in the air will be. In medicine, respiration is closely related to humidity. A relative humidity in a range from 40 to 60% will help oxygen to be easier to enter the human blood through alveoli, and thus it makes people feel most comfortable. On the contrary, when temperature and humidity of the environment become higher, the perspiration system of human being, which regulates human's temperature, becomes affected to thus make people feel muggy and uncomfortable. Therefore, a dehumidifier is widely used by people to regulate the humidity.
A conventional dehumidifier is configured to perform a dehumidifying process according to a preset value of target humidity. The conventional dehumidifier stops the dehumidifying process when the relative humidity reaches the preset value of target humidity. However, since the preset value of target humidity in the conventional dehumidifier is always a constant value which can not be auto-adjusted corresponding to the current environment temperature, the conventional dehumidifier is not an ideal device to provide people with the most appropriate humidity.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccordingly, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system that automatically modifies the target humidity depending on environment's current temperature, thereby regulating humidity to the most appropriate degree for the user.
In order to overcome the technical problems in prior art, the present invention provides a temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system for an air-conditioning environment, comprising: a temperature sensing device provided to sense temperature of the air-conditioning environment to obtain environmental temperature information; a humidity sensing device provided to sense humidity of the air-conditioning environment to obtain environmental humidity information; and a dehumidifying device including a hygroscopic wheel, a heater and a controller, wherein the hygroscopic wheel is in air communication with the air-conditioning environment to absorb moisture therefrom, the heater is in thermal connection with the hygroscopic wheel to heat moisture absorbed by the hygroscopic wheel so as to evaporate moisture from the hygroscopic wheel, and the controller is electrically connected to the temperature sensing device, the humidity sensing device and the heater in such a manner that the controller obtains a referenced humidity range which corresponds to the obtained environmental temperature information by means of a calculation in reference to a predetermined reference relationship of temperature-humidity, and then the controller performs a comparison between the obtained environmental humidity information and the referenced humidity range thereby, when the obtained environmental humidity information is not within the referenced humidity range, enabling dehumidifying device to perform a dehumidifying process for the air-conditioning environment.
In a temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system according to one embodiment of the present invention, wherein when the temperature of the air-conditioning environment is in a range between 15.5° C. and 24° C., the predetermined reference relationship of temperature-humidity is a function of: Y≦(−20/8.5) X+(1640/17)±5, wherein X (° C.) is the temperature of the air-conditioning environment and Y (%) is the humidity of the air-conditioning environment, and wherein the controller is configured to: substitute the obtained environmental temperature information for the X and substitute the obtained environmental humidity information for the Y, and perform the dehumidifying process for the air-conditioning environment when the obtained environmental humidity information is not within the referenced humidity range.
In a temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system according to one embodiment of the present invention, the controller is configured to, when the obtained environmental humidity information is within the referenced humidity range, not perform the dehumidifying process.
In a temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system according to one embodiment of the present invention, in the predetermined reference relationship of temperature-humidity, the controller is configured to perform the dehumidifying process for the air-conditioning environment when the temperature of the air-conditioning environment is higher than 24° C., the referenced humidity range is less than or equal to 40%, and the obtained environmental humidity information is not within the referenced humidity range.
In a temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system according to one embodiment of the present invention, in the predetermined reference relationship of temperature-humidity, the controller is configured to perform the dehumidifying process for the air-conditioning environment when the temperature of the air-conditioning environment is lower than 15.5° C., the referenced humidity range is greater than or equal to 60%, and the obtained environmental humidity information is not within the referenced humidity range.
In a temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system according to one embodiment of the present invention, the controller is configured to, when the obtained environmental humidity information is within the referenced humidity range, not perform the dehumidifying process.
In a temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system according to one embodiment of the present invention, the controller is configured to activate the hygroscopic wheel when the heater is performing a heating operation.
In a temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system according to one embodiment of the present invention, the heater is disposed in a position corresponding to a wind outflow side of the hygroscopic wheel.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system further comprises a filtering device and an air velocity sensing device, wherein the filtering device is disposed in a position corresponding to a wind inflow side of the hygroscopic wheel and disposed between the hygroscopic wheel and the air-conditioning environment so as to filter airflow which flows from the air-conditioning environment to the hygroscopic wheel, and wherein the air velocity sensing device is disposed in a position between the filtering device and the hygroscopic wheel so as to sense an air velocity of the airflow which flows from the air-conditioning environment through the filtering device.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system further comprises a condensing device, wherein the condensing device and the heater are disposed at opposite sides of the hygroscopic wheel, and the condensing device is provided to condense the moisture which is evaporated by the heater and then flows through a condensation inlet of condensing device from the hygroscopic wheel to the condensing device.
In a temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system according to one embodiment of the present invention, the condensing device is provided with a cooling passage which is connected to an air inlet provided between the hygroscopic wheel and the air-conditioning environment.
In a temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system according to one embodiment of the present invention, the condensing device includes a steam guiding hood, a heat exchanger and a drainage member, wherein the steam guiding hood, connected to the hygroscopic wheel, forms a steam guiding passage in such a manner that an upper portion of the steam guiding passage is connected with the heat exchanger to guide the moisture evaporated by the heater to the heat exchanger, and a lower portion of the steam guiding passage is in air communication with the drainage member to drain condensation inside the steam guiding hood.
In a temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system according to one embodiment of the present invention, the condensing device includes a steam-water splitting member connected to a lower portion of the heat exchanger, the steam-water splitting member is provided with a water outlet and a reflux outlet located at a height level higher than that of the water outlet.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system further comprises a water tank connected to a drainage portion of the condensing device.
In a temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system according to one embodiment of the present invention, the steam-water splitting member further includes a reflux channel and a reflux fan, wherein the reflux channel is in air communication with the reflux outlet and is connected to the heater, and the reflux fan is disposed at the reflux channel to draw airflow from the reflux outlet into the heater.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system further comprises a water level detecting device including two electrodes and a determining unit, wherein the two electrodes are provided in the water tank and each electrode has a dielectric constant detecting surface in such a manner that the dielectric constant detecting surfaces of one electrode faces forward the dielectric constant detecting surfaces of another electrode, a water level detecting space is formed between the two dielectric constant detecting surfaces, and the determining unit is connected to the two electrodes to determine a water level of the water tank according to a dielectric constant detected in the water level detecting space.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system further comprises a pump, which is electrically connected to the determining unit to pump out water from the water tank when the water level of the water tank exceeds a predetermined water level threshold.
The temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system of the present invention has possessed with the following technical effects: the controller of the temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system of the present invention provides with a predetermined reference relationship of temperature-humidity on a basis of the most appropriate relative humidity degree for the user under a specific temperature, obtains a referenced humidity range which corresponds to the obtained environmental temperature information by means of a calculation in reference to a predetermined reference relationship of temperature-humidity, and performs the dehumidifying process when the environmental humidity information is not within the referenced humidity range, thereby regulating humidity to the most appropriate degree for the human body.
Furthermore, a replacement of filter in a prior art is usually determined by a visual inspection which inspects dirtiness degree of the filter. However, a result of visual inspection always different for users time to time without consistency criterion. Therefore, the temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system of the present invention is provided with an air velocity sensing device for sensing an air velocity of the airflow flowing through the filtering device, thereby measuring the dirtiness degree of the filtering device to facilitate determination of the timing for replacing a filter.
In a prior art, a conventional water level sensor includes a float attached to the water tank via a swing arm and a magnetic component mounted at an upper surface of the float. When the water level in the water tank is beyond a predetermined degree, the float is lifted up to change the position of the magnetic component. However, because there is a risk that the float of the conventional water level sensor may fail to change position in response to changes of the water level, the water level detecting device adopted by the temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system of the present invention is provided to determine a water level of the water tank according to a detected dielectric constant between the two electrodes, thereby removing the risk of failure detection of water level.
The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to
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The temperature sensing device 1 is provided to sense temperature of the air-conditioning environment to obtain environmental temperature information S1. The humidity sensing device 2 is provided to sense humidity of the air-conditioning environment to obtain environmental humidity information S2. The dehumidifying device 3 includes a hygroscopic wheel 31, a heater 32 and a controller 33. The hygroscopic wheel 31 is in air communication with the air-conditioning environment to absorb moisture therefrom. The heater 32 is in thermal connection with the hygroscopic wheel 31 to heat moisture absorbed by the hygroscopic wheel 31 so as to evaporate moisture from the hygroscopic wheel 31. The controller 33 is electrically connected to the temperature sensing device 1, the humidity sensing device 1 and the heater 32 in such a manner that the controller 33 obtains a referenced humidity range which corresponds to the obtained environmental temperature information S1 by means of a calculation in reference to a predetermined reference relationship of temperature-humidity (as shown in
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Alternatively, the temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system 100 further includes a operating state indicating device (not shown) including a detector, a transmitter and an indicator, wherein the detector is electrically connected to the motor 34, the intake fan 5, the reflux fan 844 and/or the pump 11 to detect an operating state of the motor 34, the intake fan 5, the reflux fan 844 and/or the pump 11 and generates an operating state signal accordingly. The transmitter is electrically connected to the detector and the indicator so as to receive the operating state signal generated from the detector and transmit to the indicator for indicating information according to the generated operating state signal. It is noted that the indicator is disposed in a remote controller and is network-connected to the transmitter so as to wirelessly receive the operating state signal. In addition, it should be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art that the temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system of the present invention can be paired with the remote controller in various conventional ways so as to control the temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system to perform the dehumidifying function or other function.
In this embodiment, the air inlet 41 and the air outlet 42 are provided at the same side of the housing 4, and the housing 4 is further provided with an air baffle 43 to guide the airflow which flows through the hygroscopic wheel 31 and the heat exchanger 82 to the air outlet 42.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system 100a is generally the same as the temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system 100 and the description of the corresponding parts will be omitted. The difference is that an air inlet 41a and an air outlet 42a of a housing 4a are disposed in different sides of the housing 4a. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and one having ordinary skill in the art can modify the position of the air inlet 41a and the air outlet 42a of the housing 4a for different configurations.
The above description is only an explanation of the preferred embodiments of the present invention. One having ordinary skill in the art can make various modifications according to the above description and the claims defined below. However, those modifications shall still fall within the scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system for an air-conditioning environment, comprising:
- a temperature sensing device provided to sense temperature of the air-conditioning environment to obtain environmental temperature information;
- a humidity sensing device provided to sense humidity of the air-conditioning environment to obtain environmental humidity information; and
- a dehumidifying device including a hygroscopic wheel, a heater and a controller, wherein the hygroscopic wheel is in air communication with the air-conditioning environment to absorb moisture therefrom, the heater is in thermal connection with the hygroscopic wheel to heat moisture absorbed by the hygroscopic wheel so as to evaporate moisture from the hygroscopic wheel, and the controller is electrically connected to the temperature sensing device, the humidity sensing device and the heater in such a manner that the controller obtains a referenced humidity range which corresponds to the obtained environmental temperature information by means of a calculation in reference to a predetermined reference relationship of temperature-humidity, and then the controller performs a comparison between the obtained environmental humidity information and the referenced humidity range thereby, when the obtained environmental humidity information is not within the referenced humidity range, enabling dehumidifying device to perform a dehumidifying process for the air-conditioning environment.
2. The temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the temperature of the air-conditioning environment is in a range between 15.5° C. and 24° C., the predetermined reference relationship of temperature-humidity is a function of:
- Y≦(−20/8.5) X+(1640/17)±5, wherein X (° C.) is the temperature of the air-conditioning environment and Y (%) is the humidity of the air-conditioning environment, and
- wherein the controller is configured to:
- substitute the obtained environmental temperature information for the X and substitute the obtained environmental humidity information for the Y, and
- perform the dehumidifying process for the air-conditioning environment when the obtained environmental humidity information is not within the referenced humidity range.
3. The temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to, when the obtained environmental humidity information is within the referenced humidity range, not perform the dehumidifying process.
4. The temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the predetermined reference relationship of temperature-humidity, the controller is configured to perform the dehumidifying process for the air-conditioning environment when the temperature of the air-conditioning environment is higher than 24° C., the referenced humidity range is less than or equal to 40%, and the obtained environmental humidity information is not within the referenced humidity range.
5. The temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the predetermined reference relationship of temperature-humidity, the controller is configured to perform the dehumidifying process for the air-conditioning environment when the temperature of the air-conditioning environment is lower than 15.5° C., the referenced humidity range is greater than or equal to 60%, and the obtained environmental humidity information is not within the referenced humidity range.
6. The temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to, when the obtained environmental humidity information is within the referenced humidity range, not perform the dehumidifying process.
7. The temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to activate the hygroscopic wheel when the heater is performing a heating operation.
8. The temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heater is disposed in a position corresponding to a wind outflow side of the hygroscopic wheel.
9. The temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a filtering device and an air velocity sensing device,
- wherein the filtering device is disposed in a position corresponding to a wind inflow side of the hygroscopic wheel and disposed between the hygroscopic wheel and the air-conditioning environment so as to filter airflow which flows from the air-conditioning environment to the hygroscopic wheel, and
- wherein the air velocity sensing device is disposed in a position between the filtering device and the hygroscopic wheel so as to sense an air velocity of the airflow which flows from the air-conditioning environment through the filtering device.
10. The temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a condensing device, wherein the condensing device and the heater are disposed at opposite sides of the hygroscopic wheel, and the condensing device is provided to condense the moisture which is evaporated by the heater and then flows through a condensation inlet of condensing device from the hygroscopic wheel to the condensing device.
11. The temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the condensing device is provided with a cooling passage which is connected to an air inlet provided between the hygroscopic wheel and the air-conditioning environment.
12. The temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the condensing device includes a steam guiding hood, a heat exchanger and a drainage member,
- wherein the steam guiding hood, connected to the hygroscopic wheel, forms a steam guiding passage in such a manner that an upper portion of the steam guiding passage is connected with the heat exchanger to guide the moisture evaporated by the heater to the heat exchanger, and a lower portion of the steam guiding passage is in air communication with the drainage member to drain condensation inside the steam guiding hood.
13. The temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the condensing device includes a steam-water splitting member connected to a lower portion of the heat exchanger, the steam-water splitting member is provided with a water outlet and a reflux outlet located at a height level higher than that of the water outlet.
14. The temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a water tank connected to a drainage portion of the condensing device.
15. The temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system as claimed in claim 13, the steam-water splitting member further including a reflux channel and a reflux fan, wherein the reflux channel is in air communication with the reflux outlet and is connected to the heater, and the reflux fan is disposed at the reflux channel to draw airflow from the reflux outlet into the heater.
16. The temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a water level detecting device including two electrodes and a determining unit, wherein the two electrodes are provided in the water tank and each electrode has a dielectric constant detecting surface in such a manner that the dielectric constant detecting surface of one electrode faces forward the dielectric constant detecting surface of another electrode, a water level detecting space is formed between the two dielectric constant detecting surfaces, and the determining unit is connected to the two electrodes to determine a water level of the water tank according to a dielectric constant detected in the water level detecting space.
17. The temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a pump, which is electrically connected to the determining unit to pump out water from the water tank when the water level of the water tank exceeds a predetermined water level threshold.
18. The temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to, when the obtained environmental humidity information is within the referenced humidity range, not perform the dehumidifying process.
19. The temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a water tank connected to a drainage portion of the condensing device.
20. The temperature-based adaptive dehumidification system as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a water tank connected to a drainage portion of the condensing device.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 17, 2016
Publication Date: Mar 1, 2018
Inventor: Po-Sheng Jan (Taipei City)
Application Number: 15/354,160