Chiller systems and methods

Abstract

The disclosure relates to chiller systems and, more particularly, to chiller systems that employ electrically driven desiccant regenerators. In some examples, a chiller system includes a heat and mass exchanger and an electrically driven desiccant regenerator in fluid communication with the heat and mass exchanger. The heat and mass exchanger is configured to dehumidify a flow of air, and provide the dehumidified flow of air to a cooling tower. Further, the electrically driven desiccant regenerator is configured to provide concentrated liquid desiccant to the heat and mass exchanger for dehumidifying the flow of air.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A chiller system, comprising:
 a heat and mass exchanger configured to:
 dehumidify a flow of air; and 
 provide the dehumidified flow of air to a cooling tower; and 
   an electrically driven desiccant regenerator in fluid communication with the heat and mass exchanger, the electrically driven desiccant regenerator configured to provide concentrated liquid desiccant to the heat and mass exchanger for dehumidifying the flow of air.   
     
     
         2 . The chiller system of  claim 1  comprising a liquid desiccant reservoir, wherein:
 the liquid desiccant reservoir is in fluid communication with the electrically driven desiccant regenerator and the heat and mass exchanger; 
 the electrically driven desiccant regenerator is configured to provide the concentrated liquid desiccant to the liquid desiccant reservoir; and 
 the heat and mass exchanger is configured to receive the concentrated liquid desiccant from the liquid desiccant reservoir. 
 
     
     
         3 . The chiller system of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the liquid desiccant reservoir is configured to receive diluted liquid desiccant from the heat and mass exchanger; and   the electrically driven desiccant regenerator is configured to receive the diluted liquid desiccant from the liquid desiccant reservoir.   
     
     
         4 . The chiller system of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling tower is configured to release hot water to fall down through a cavity of the cooling tower, and wherein the dehumidified air cools the hot water as the hot water falls down through the cavity to provide cooled water. 
     
     
         5 . The chiller system of  claim 4  comprising a condenser in fluid communication with the cooling tower, wherein the cooling tower is configured to receive the hot water from the condenser. 
     
     
         6 . The chiller system of  claim 5 , wherein the cooling tower is configured to collect the cooled water and provide the cooled water to the condenser for condensing refrigerant. 
     
     
         7 . The chiller system of  claim 5 , wherein the chiller system comprises an expansion valve, and wherein the condenser is configured to:
 receive refrigerant from a compressor;   condense the refrigerant to generate condensed refrigerant; and   provide the condensed refrigerant to the expansion valve.   
     
     
         8 . The chiller system of  claim 7 , wherein the chiller system comprises an evaporator, and wherein the expansion valve is configured to:
 depressurize the condensed refrigerant to generate depressurized refrigerant; and   provide the depressurized refrigerant to the evaporator.   
     
     
         9 . The chiller system of  claim 8 , wherein the evaporator is configured to:
 receive warm water from a structure;   use the depressurized refrigerant to cool the warm water to provide cold water; and   provide the cold water to the structure.   
     
     
         10 . The chiller system of  claim 9 , wherein the structure is a data center. 
     
     
         11 . The chiller system of  claim 1 , wherein the electrically driven desiccant regenerator is configured to:
 receive warm water from a structure, and   pre-heat scavenging air entering the electrically driven desiccant regenerator.   
     
     
         12 . The chiller system of  claim 1  comprising an indirect evaporative cooler in fluid communication with the heat and mass exchanger and the cooling tower, wherein the indirect evaporative cooler is configured to:
 receive the dehumidified flow of air from the heat and mass exchanger; 
 cool the dehumidified flow of air; and 
 provide the cooled and dehumidified flow of air to the cooling tower. 
 
     
     
         13 . A method comprising:
 providing, by an electrically driven desiccant regenerator, concentrated liquid desiccant to a heat and mass exchanger for dehumidifying a flow of air;   dehumidifying, by the heat and mass exchanger, the flow of air; and   providing, by the heat and mass exchanger, the dehumidified flow of air to a cooling tower.   
     
     
         14 . A method performed by a chiller system comprising:
 providing, by an electrically driven desiccant regenerator, concentrated liquid desiccant to a liquid desiccant reservoir;   receiving, by a heat and mass exchanger, the concentrated liquid desiccant from the liquid desiccant reservoir;   receiving, by a channel of the heat and mass exchanger, outside air to be dehumidified by the concentrated liquid desiccant;   providing, by the heat and mass exchanger, the dehumidified air to an interior of a cooling tower for cooling water;   providing, by the heat and mass exchanger, diluted liquid desiccant to the liquid desiccant reservoir; and   receiving, by the electrically driven desiccant regenerator, the diluted liquid desiccant from the liquid desiccant reservoir for liquid desiccant regeneration, wherein said water cooled by the cooling tower is provided to a condenser of the chiller system.