US2007256433A1PendingUtilityA1
Portable air conditioner
Est. expiryMay 2, 2026(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
F24F 1/037F24F 1/035F24F 1/032F24F 2005/0064F24F 1/0007F28D 5/00F24F 6/043F24F 5/0035Y02B30/54
53
PatentIndex Score
0
Cited by
0
References
0
Claims
Abstract
A portable air conditioner comprises a tank for storing a liquid therein, a plurality of tubes, and at least one fin disposed between adjacent tubes. The tubes are spaced from one another defining an air passageway therebetween having an air inlet and a dry air outlet. Each tube has a first end extending into the tank in fluid communication with the liquid and a second end extending opposite the tank defining a wet air outlet and a wicking material disposed therein and in fluid communication with the liquid. A sheet valve sealingly engages the dry air outlet and the wet air outlet and is moveable for adjusting an amount of air flow exiting from the dry air outlet and the wet air outlet. At least one aperture is defined within each of the tubes between the ends to divert air flowing through the air passageway into the tubes.
Claims
exact text as granted — not AI-modified1 . A portable air conditioner comprising:
a tank for storing a liquid therein; a plurality of tubes spaced from one another defining an air passageway therebetween having an air inlet and a dry air outlet for dispensing dry air therefrom; each of said tubes having a first end extending into said tank in fluid communication with the liquid and a second end extending opposite said tank defining a wet air outlet for dispensing wet air therefrom; at least one fin disposed between adjacent tubes; a sheet valve sealingly engaging said dry air outlet and said wet air outlet and moveable for adjusting an amount of air flow exiting from said dry air outlet and said wet air outlet; and at least one aperture defined within each of said tubes between said ends for diverting air flowing through said air passageway into said tubes and exiting through said wet air outlet.
2 . A portable air conditioner as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a wicking material disposed within at least one of said tubes and in fluid communication with the liquid such that air flowing into said air inlet transmits energy to said fin and through said tube to evaporate the liquid in said wicking material and increase humidity of air exiting said wet air outlet and cool air exiting said dry air outlet.
3 . A portable air conditioner as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a fan module adjacent said air inlet for directing a flow of ambient air though said air passageway.
4 . A portable air conditioner as set forth in claim 3 wherein said fan module is further defined as an axial fan.
5 . A portable air conditioner as set forth in claim 3 further comprising a power supply for operating said fan module.
6 . A portable air conditioner as set forth in claim 5 wherein said power supply is further defined as a battery.
7 . A portable air conditioner as set forth in claim 5 wherein said power supply is further defined as a solar panel comprising a plurality of solar cells.
8 . A portable air conditioner as set forth in claim 1 further comprising an adjustment mechanism operatively connected to said sheet valve for moving said sheet valve.
9 . A portable air conditioner as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a cartridge disposed adjacent at least one of said dry air outlet and said wet air outlet.
10 . A portable air conditioner as set forth in claim 9 further comprising a cartridge slot for receiving said cartridge.
11 . A portable air conditioner as set forth in claim 9 wherein said cartridge is further defined as an aroma filter.
12 . A portable air conditioner as set forth in claim 1 wherein said fin is further defined as a louvered fin for allowing air to pass vertically through said air passageway.
13 . A portable air conditioner as set forth in claim 1 further comprising at least one first flow plate disposed between said tubes and adjacent said second ends for sealing said air passageway.
14 . A portable air conditioner as set forth in claim 13 further comprising at least one second flow plate disposed adjacent said dry air outlet for sealing said tubes.
15 . A portable air conditioner as set forth in claim 1 wherein said tank further comprises a liquid inlet for refilling said tank with the liquid.
16 . A portable air conditioner comprising:
a tank for storing a liquid therein; a plurality of tubes spaced from one another defining an air passageway therebetween having an air inlet and a dry air outlet for dispensing dry air therefrom each of said tubes having a first end extending into said tank in fluid communication with the liquid and a second end extending opposite said tank defining a wet air outlet for dispensing wet air therefrom; at least one fin disposed between adjacent tubes; at least one aperture defined within each of said tubes between said ends for diverting air flowing through said air passageway into said tubes and exiting through said wet air outlet; and a wicking material disposed within at least one of said tubes and in fluid communication with the liquid such that air flowing into said air inlet transmits energy to said fin and through said tube to evaporate the liquid in said wicking material and increase humidity of air exiting said wet air outlet and cool air exiting said dry air outlet.
17 . A portable air conditioner as set forth in claim 16 further comprising a sheet valve sealingly engaging said dry air outlet and said wet air outlet and moveable for adjusting an amount of air flow exiting from said dry air outlet and said wet air outlet.
18 . A portable air conditioner as set forth in claim 17 further comprising an adjustment mechanism operatively connected to said sheet valve for moving said sheet valve.
19 . A portable air conditioner as set forth in claim 17 further comprising a fan module adjacent said air inlet for directing a flow of air though said air passageway.
20 . A portable air conditioner as set forth in claim 16 wherein said wicking material is further defined as a fibrous material.
21 . A method of providing conditioned air from a portable air conditioner having a tank storing a liquid therein, a plurality of tubes defining an ambient air inlet and a dry air passageway between adjacent tubes and defining at least one aperture to allow air to enter inside of the tube defining a wet air passageway, and a sheet valve sealingly engaging a dry air outlet and a wet air outlet, said method comprising:
determining an absolute humidity, ω i , for ambient air having a initial temperature, T i , and a relative humidity, φ i , that enters the ambient air inlet; determining an absolute humidity, ω ∞ , for air exiting the wet air outlet based upon T i ; determining a lowest obtainable temperature, T dpi , for air exiting the dry air outlet based upon ω i ; and blocking a predetermined portion of the wet air outlet and the dry air outlet to divert the ambient air stream into the apertures to provide a desired temperature of the air exiting the dry air outlet based upon T dpi .
22 . A method as set forth in claim 21 further comprising determining a mass fraction, λ, of the ambient air stream to divert into the wet and dry passageways to achieve the desired temperature.
23 . A method as set forth in claim 22 further comprising adjusting a position of the sheet valve to block the predetermined portion of the wet air outlet and the dry air outlet to achieve λ and the desired temperature.
24 . A method as set forth in claim 22 wherein the step of determining λ is based upon the following equation:
λ
=
c
pa
(
T
i
-
T
dpi
)
(
ω
∞
-
ω
i
)
h
fg
wherein c pa is the isobaric specific heat of air, Btu/lb m ° R, and
h fg is the latent heat of evaporation of the liquid.
25 . A method as set forth in claim 24 wherein h fg is based upon the following equation:
h
fg
=
β
(
1
-
T
i
T
c
)
3
/
8
wherein β is a constant=1300.26 Btu/lb m , and
T c is the critical temperature of the liquid.
26 . A method as set forth in claim 22 further comprising adjusting a flow rate of the ambient air into the ambient air inlet to achieve the desired temperature.
27 . A method as set forth in claim 21 wherein the step of determining as is based upon the following equation:
ω
i
=
(
M
w
/
M
a
)
ϕ
i
(
P
amb
/
P
wt
)
exp
{
α
[
(
T
wt
/
T
i
)
4
/
3
-
1
]
}
-
ϕ
i
wherein T wt is the triple point temperature of the liquid,
P wt is the triple point pressure of the liquid,
P amb is the atmospheric pressure,
M a is the molecular weight of ambient air,
M w is the molecular weight of the liquid, and
α is a dimensionless constant=15.0197.
28 . A method as set forth in claim 21 wherein the step of determining ω ∞ is based upon the following equation:
ω
∞
=
M
w
/
M
a
(
P
amb
/
P
wt
)
exp
{
α
[
(
T
wt
/
T
i
)
4
/
3
-
1
]
}
-
1
wherein T wt is the triple point temperature of the liquid,
P wt is the triple point pressure of the liquid,
P amb is the atmospheric pressure,
M a is the molecular weight of ambient air,
M w is the molecular weight of the liquid, and
α is a dimensionless constant=15.0197.
29 . A method as set forth in claim 21 wherein the step of determining T dpi is based upon the following equation:
T
dpi
-
T
wt
{
1
-
1
α
1
n
[
ω
i
P
amb
/
P
wt
ω
i
+
M
w
/
M
a
]
}
-
3
/
4
wherein T wt is the triple point temperature of the liquid,
P wt is the triple point pressure of the liquid,
P amb is the atmospheric pressure,
M a is the molecular weight of ambient air,
M wt is the molecular weight of the liquid, and
α is a dimensionless constant=15.0197.Cited by (0)
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