EP3333494A1 - Method, device and system for improving air in a building - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for improving the air quality in a building (10, 20), in which the building (10, 20) an oxygen-containing, gaseous fluid flow is supplied and distributed in the building (10, 20). It is contemplated that the oxygen-containing, gaseous fluid stream is formed, at least in part, using an oxygenated liquid air product stored in a container (101, 114) and removed from the container (101, 114). A corresponding system (100, 200) and a corresponding system (1, 2) are also the subject of the present invention.

Description

The invention relates to a method for air conditioning in a building, a corresponding system and a corresponding system according to the preambles of the independent claims.

State of the art

For air conditioning in buildings ventilation systems of various kinds are known. These are usually used to replace used air with ambient air. In the following, "air consumed" is understood to mean, in particular, air with an oxygen and increased carbon dioxide content reduced by human respiration or the activity of machines, in particular internal combustion engines, in relation to atmospheric air. By "ambient air" is meant air that is drawn in from the environment of the building. In conventional ventilation systems so that an exchange of air with the environment is made. This can be assisted by air circulation of the air in the building itself as well as suitable conditioning such as drying, humidification, heating, cooling or filtering.

Especially in heavily industrialized or motorized regions, the ambient air of a building may be so poorly contaminated that it is detrimental to human health or should not enter a building for other reasons such as odors people stay permanently. In such cases, treatment of the air, for example by means of suitable adsorbers or filters, in particular using activated charcoal, washes and the like, can be carried out while it is sucked in and / or before it is distributed in the building. However, this proves to be very expensive and expensive in practice. Also, by means of a suitable treatment, it is also possible, if appropriate, not to remove all unwanted components from the air. For example, a reduced level of oxygen or an increase in carbon dioxide can not be compensated in this way.

The present invention therefore has as its object to facilitate the air improvement in appropriate situations or only to enable.

Disclosure of the invention

This object is achieved by a method for air conditioning in a building, a corresponding system and a corresponding system according to the features of the independent claims. Embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims and the following description.

Before explaining the features and advantages of the present invention, its principles and the terms used will be explained.

The production of air products in the liquid or gaseous state by cryogenic separation of air in air separation plants is known and, for example at H.-W. Haring (ed.), Industrial Gases Processing, Wiley-VCH, 2006 , in particular Section 2.2.5, "Cryogenic Rectification" described.

Air separation plants have distillation column systems which can be designed, for example, as two-column systems, in particular as classic Linde double-column systems, but also as three-column or multi-column systems. In addition to the distillation columns for the production of nitrogen and / or oxygen in the liquid and / or gaseous state, ie the distillation columns for nitrogen-oxygen separation, distillation columns can be provided for obtaining further air components, in particular the noble gases krypton, xenon and / or argon.

The distillation columns of said distillation column systems are operated at different pressure levels. Known double column systems have a so-called high-pressure column (also referred to as a pressure column, medium-pressure column or lower column) and a so-called low-pressure column (also referred to as the upper column). The pressure level of the high pressure column is for example 4 to 6 bar, in particular about 5 bar. The low-pressure column is operated at a pressure level of, for example, 1.3 to 1.7 bar, in particular about 1.5 bar. At the here indicated pressures are in particular absolute pressures at the top of said columns.

The devices used in an air separation plant are described in the cited literature, for example in Haring in Section 2.2.5.6, "Apparatus". Insofar as the following definitions do not deviate from this, reference is expressly made to the cited technical literature for language use, which is used in the context of the present application.

As used herein, an "air product" is any product that can be produced, at least by compressing and cooling air, and particularly, but not necessarily, by subsequent cryogenic rectification. In particular, these may be liquid or gaseous oxygen (LOX, GOX), liquid or gaseous nitrogen (LIN, GAN), liquid or gaseous argon (LAR, GAR), liquid or gaseous xenon, liquid or gaseous krypton, liquid or gaseous neon , liquid or gaseous helium, etc. but also, for example, liquid air (LAIR). The present invention uses oxygen-containing liquid air products, such as, for example, pure liquid oxygen, oxygen-enriched liquid air, or merely liquefied air. Also, several air products, for example, liquid oxygen and liquid nitrogen, may be mixed as needed within the scope of the present invention and used accordingly.

Under a "cryogenic" liquid, or a corresponding fluid, air liquefaction product, electricity, etc. is here understood a liquid medium whose boiling point is well below the respective ambient temperature and, for example, 200 K or less, in particular 220 K or less. Examples of cryogenic media are liquid air, liquid oxygen, liquid nitrogen in the above sense, liquid propane, etc.

Advantages of the invention.

The present invention is based on a method for improving the air quality in a building, in which an oxygen-containing, gaseous fluid stream is supplied to the building and distributed in the building. In that regard, the method is similar to known Ventilation method in which appropriate air flows from ambient air are fed into buildings and distributed by means of suitable ventilation devices in these buildings, for example, in several rooms.

According to the invention, however, it is provided that the oxygen-containing, gaseous fluid stream is formed at least partially using an oxygen-containing, liquid air product stored in a container and taken from the container.

In this way, for the ventilation of the building no potentially unsuitable, for example because contaminated, ambient air is used. Instead, an oxygen-containing, liquid air product of defined purity and composition is used for the ventilation, and thus for improving the air quality. This can be kept in the form of suitable containers, for example gas cylinders or tanks. If the oxygen-containing, liquid air product is consumed, a suitable container can be replaced with suitable dimensioning and replaced by a new, full container. It is also possible to fill a corresponding container on site, for example using a tanker vehicle.

In the context of the present invention, for example, liquid air can be used as the liquefied, oxygen-containing air product. This can be generated in an air separation plant of the type described above, but also in a pure air liquefaction plant, which does not have a distillation column system, but only facilities for air liquefaction.

With particular advantage is used as the liquefied, oxygen-containing air product enriched against atmospheric air oxygen, liquid air product. In a special way, an oxygen-enriched liquid (English Enriched Liquid) from the (high) pressure column of an air separation plant is suitable for this purpose. Using an oxygen-enriched liquid air product, spent oxygen can be replaced more quickly and using fewer feeds so that smaller quantities of a corresponding liquid air product are needed. In this context, in particular oxygen sensors can be used and it can be a Supplementation with oxygen based on a corresponding value. In principle, it is also possible within the scope of the present invention to set an oxygen content in the building air to a value above that in atmospheric air.

Furthermore, in the context of the present invention, liquid oxygen can also be used. It is also possible to use several liquid air products. In particular, the oxygen-containing, gaseous fluid stream which is supplied to the building and distributed in the building, thereby using the stored in the container and the container extracted oxygen-containing, liquid air product and using a stored in another container and the other container removed further Air product, in particular a nitrogen-rich air product, for example, pure nitrogen, are formed. For example, it can be formed in the context of the present invention, a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen with desired oxygen or nitrogen content, by means of which a reduced oxygen content in the building can be compensated. Also in this context, the mentioned oxygen sensors can be used

In the context of the present invention, the oxygen-containing, liquid air product used to form the oxygen-containing, gaseous fluid stream, in particular in a heat exchanger, is heated and thereby vaporized or transferred from the liquid into the supercritical state at a correspondingly high pressure. The heat exchanger can be designed in any suitable form, for example as a fin tube heat exchanger for exchange with a gaseous environment or as a countercurrent heat exchanger. If an "evaporator" is mentioned below, all embodiments of heat exchangers which are suitable for evaporation are included here. This heat exchanger or evaporator can be operated at least partially using ambient heat, solar heat and / or electric heat. The effect of ambient heat and solar heat can be controlled for example by a suitable cover or shading of an evaporator. Other heat sources, such as burners, may be used in the present invention.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is also possible to operate a corresponding heat exchanger or evaporator at least partially using sensible heat from building air of the building. This building air can be removed from the building and then returned to the building. It undergoes cooling during the heat exchange, so that energy savings can be achieved in existing air conditioning systems.

In the context of the present invention can also be provided to form a corresponding heat exchanger or evaporator with heat exchange structures, which are integrated into a ventilation or air conditioning of the building. For example, fin tubes or other suitable heat exchange structures can be integrated into ventilation ducts of the ventilation or air conditioning system of the building, so that in this way causes cooling and, for example, an air conditioner can be supported.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, an amount of heating in the evaporator may be adjusted based on one or more temperatures in the building. This makes it possible to carry out a building temperature control, in particular cooling, using the vaporized, oxygen-containing air product. In addition, however, for example, existing air conditioners and heaters can be used.

Particularly in the case of a smaller building, air may be taken from the building in an amount corresponding to an amount of the oxygen-containing, gaseous fluid flow supplied to the building and blown off into the surroundings. In this way, a particularly simple mass balance can be made.

In particular, in a larger building, however, it may turn out to be more economical if the building air taken, processed and re-supplied to the building. The preparation of such "circulating air" can in particular include adsorption for drying and removal or reduction of undesired components, for example and in particular carbon dioxide. In this way, unwanted components can be removed and, especially when using an oxygen-enriched liquid air product, the consumed oxygen can be replenished. Will carbon dioxide through the adsorption removed or reduced, only the reduced oxygen content needs to be compensated. For this purpose, in particular the aforementioned oxygen-rich air products such as liquid oxygen-enriched air and liquid oxygen can be used. The removal or reduction of carbon dioxide makes it possible to manage with smaller feed quantities in the form of the oxygen-containing, liquid air product, so that, for example, supply and refill cycles for the corresponding containers can be reduced. The actual oxygen content in the building or the supplied fluid flow can be continuously monitored and adjusted accordingly. Also, the carbon dioxide content is preferably continuously monitored to ensure the functioning of the absorption system. If necessary, it can be shut down and the building can only be supplied with the air product (s) in the short term, or with ambient air in an emergency.

It is also possible to dissipate unwanted moisture as part of the adsorption. In this way too, it becomes possible to reduce the performance of an air conditioner in the building, as it is known that dry air requires less cooling than humid air. As Adsorber for the adsorption Molsiebadsorber can be used in particular, as they can be used from the field of air separation for the treatment of the feed air. Subsequent humidification allows the water content of the air in the building to be adjusted to an acceptable level.

Before adsorption, the air taken from the building is supplied in particular to one or more blowers and / or one or more compressors. The blower or blowers and / or the compressor (s) can thereby be driven using an electric motor and / or using a flattening machine, in which at least part of the oxygen-containing air product vaporized in the evaporator is expanded. In the latter case, in particular released relaxation work can be used in an energy-saving manner for a compression.

A "compressor" is understood to mean a device which is set up for compressing at least one gaseous stream from at least one inlet pressure at which it is fed to the compressor to at least one final pressure at which it is taken from the compressor. The compressor forms a structural unit, however, which may have a plurality of "compressor stages" in the form of known piston, screw and / or Schaufelrad- or turbine assemblies. In particular, these compressor stages are driven by means of a common drive, for example via a common shaft.

A "blower" is characterized in contrast to a compressor essentially by the fact that its main task is not the compression of a gas stream but primarily the conveying of a corresponding gas stream, for example by a heat exchanger or an adsorber. A certain pressure ratio between inlet pressure and final pressure, for example a pressure ratio of 1.3 to 3.0 (compared to a pressure ratio of more than 3.0 in a typical compressor), also arises on a fan. A "fan" is a fan that is typically characterized by an even lower pressure ratio, especially in the range of 1.0 to 1.3.

The inventive method can be used in particular in a small building or a large building. A small building is, in particular, a single or smaller apartment building or a small business enterprise. A large building is in particular an office building of appropriate size, a skyscraper, a factory, a train station, an airport, etc.

The present invention further relates to a facility for improving the air in a building, comprising means adapted to supply the building with an oxygen-containing gaseous fluid stream and distribute it in the building. According to the invention, the system is adapted to at least partially form the oxygen-containing, gaseous fluid stream using an oxygen-containing, liquid air product stored in a container and taken from the container.

A system for improving the air, which is also proposed according to the invention, comprises a building and the installation just described according to different embodiments.

A corresponding system and a corresponding system are according to a particularly preferred embodiment for carrying out a method set up as previously explained. The features and advantages explained above are therefore expressly referred to.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the attached drawing, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated schematically.

Brief description of the drawings

In FIG. 1 a system according to an embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the form of a schematic diagram.

In FIG. 2 For example, a system according to another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the form of a schematic diagram.

Detailed description of the drawings

In the following figures, air-freshening systems according to particularly preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrated and will be described based on the figures. Identical reference symbols are used for identical or identically acting elements and are not explained repeatedly for the sake of clarity.

If air-conditioning systems are described below, the corresponding explanations apply mutatis mutandis to corresponding devices and systems and methods for improving the air, wherein in each case method steps can be implemented by the illustrated components in corresponding methods, as they have been explained in detail above.

In FIG. 1 a system according to an embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the form of a schematic diagram and designated overall by 1. The system 1 is provided for the improvement of air in a small building 10, in particular a single or multiple dwelling, a smaller commercial enterprise and the like, and includes such a small building 10. Further, the system 1 comprises an air conditioning plant, which in FIG. 1 total is designated 100.

In the air freshening plant 100, a liquid, oxygen-containing air product, particularly under pressure and in a cryogenic condition, is provided in a container 101. The container 101 may in particular be a gas cylinder of conventional type. The use of thermally insulated containers 101 is possible. In particular, the container 101 has dimensions that allow it to be transported in the usual way. In particular, the container 101 is adapted to be replaced after consumption of the contained liquid oxygen-containing air product by a filled container 101, which may be delivered to the small building 10.

In the context of the present invention, a further air product stored in a further container 151 and taken from the further container 151, for example a nitrogen-rich air product, can furthermore be used. The following explanations regarding the container 101 and the corresponding oxygen-rich air product also apply correspondingly to the container 151. The connection of the container 151 is not shown in detail.

For example, via an optionally provided pressure reducer 102, the container 101 is connected to a line 103, which in turn is coupled to an evaporator 104. In the evaporator 104, as also explained below, the liquid, oxygen-containing air product can be evaporated from the container 101. It is then supplied to the small building 10 and distributed here via an existing or provided as part of the system 1 ventilation system (not shown), for example, in different rooms of the small building 10.

For discharging spent air and for mass balance to the air supplied via the line 105, a line 106 is provided, which may be coupled to a fan 107, for example one or more tube fans. Alternatively, it may also be provided a discharge of spent air and mass balance on one or more air vents, ventilation grille and the like. It can also be provided a plurality of corresponding lines 106 and blower 107. The exhausted air via the line (s) 106 and the blower or blowers 107 can be blown off via a line 108 into the environment.

As mentioned, the liquid, oxygen-containing air product is evaporated from the container 101 in the evaporator 104. In this case, at the same time the temperature of the vaporized, oxygen-containing air product can be adjusted, so that the air freshening system 1 can be set up in the small building 10 at the same time for setting a specific room temperature. For this purpose, a temperature controller 109 is provided, which can regulate an influence of heat sources on the evaporator 104 on the basis of one or more temperatures detected in the small building 10 via a control line 110.

As heat sources are in FIG. 1 ambient heat 111, solar heat 112, electrical heat 113 exemplified. These and other heat sources, such as a burner and the like, can be brought to act on the evaporator 104 alternatively to each other or in any combination together to varying degrees. As a further heat source, for example, sensible heat 152 of the building air of the small building 10 can be used, which can be led out for this purpose, for example, from the small building 10. However, as also mentioned, it is also possible to integrate suitable heat exchange structures of the evaporator 104 into a ventilation system of the small building 10. Although not shown in detail, the use of the sensible heat 152 of the building air of the small building 10 may be under the control of the temperature controller 109. For example, in a solar heater by variable shading or adjustment with respect to a direction of incidence of the sunlight, a variable heating can be effected, or by means of different heat settings of an electric heater, an adjustable heating can be achieved.

It is understood that additional control and regulating devices can be provided for a corresponding heating. For example, a temperature of the vaporized, oxygen-containing air product in or directly downstream of the evaporator 104 can be detected, so that, if appropriate, a faster control or regulation is possible.

In FIG. 2 a system according to another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the form of a schematic diagram and denoted overall by 2. Unlike the in FIG. 1 illustrated system 1 is the system 2 for supplying a large building 20, such as an office complex, a larger residential building or a larger business establishment. The air conditioning system is designated 200 for better distinctness.

To supply the large building 20 may be provided, in addition to or as an alternative to the relatively small container 101 to use a container 114 for the oxygen-containing, liquefied air product. This is in particular a thermally insulated large tank, for example, which can be periodically filled by a tanker with the oxygen-containing, liquefied air product. There may also be several corresponding large tanks. For redundancy reasons, smaller containers 101 may continue to be present and be used, for example, when the container 114 is refilled via a tanker as explained. The container 114 can be filled via a line 115. The oxygen-containing, liquefied air product can be taken from the container 114 via a line 116 and also fed to the evaporator 104.

How to FIG. 1 and the further smaller container 151, a further larger container 153 can be used, to which a further air product, for example a nitrogen-rich air product, can be removed. Again, the corresponding explanations concerning the containers 101, 151 and 114 apply mutatis mutandis. The connection of the container 152 is not shown in detail.

The temperature control already too FIG. 1 is explained with reference to the elements 109 to 113, may also be present in the air conditioning system 2 for the large building 20. As a further heat source, sensible heat 152 of the building air of the large building 20 can also be used here.

The vaporized, oxygen-rich air product in the line 105 is at least partially fed via a line 117 of a relaxation machine 118, such as a turboexpander, and relaxed there. An amount of vaporized, oxygen-rich air product carried in line 105 can be adjusted via a valve 119. For this purpose, a flow rate regulator 120 can be used, which can be connected via a control line 121 to a ventilation regulator 122. For example, the ventilation controller 122 may sense air quality or one or more air parameters of the air in the large building 20.

The vaporized, oxygen-containing air product expanded in the expansion machine 118 can be fed by a line 121 to a heat exchanger 122, heated therein, and combined via a line 123 with circulating air (see below) in a line 124. After an optional humidification in a humidifier 125, the air can be fed via a line 126 into the large building 20 and distributed there, for example, via a ventilation system in several rooms.

Exhausted air (hereinafter referred to as the "circulating air" already mentioned above because it is returned to the large building 20) can be discharged from the large building 20 via a duct 127. This is supplied to a compression in a mechanically coupled to the expansion machine 118 compressor 128. It is alternatively also possible to provide, for example, an electric drive for driving the compressor 128. In this case, the expansion machine 118 can be dispensed with and the vaporized, oxygen-containing air product from the line 117 can be fed directly to the heat exchanger 122.

Via a line 129, the compressed circulating air is supplied to the heat exchanger 122, where in particular the heat of compression can be dissipated. Subsequently, a portion of the circulating air is fed via a line 130 to an adsorber 131 and treated there in a suitable manner, for example, freed of water and carbon dioxide. The adsorber 131 has a pair of adsorbent containers which are filled with a suitable adsorbent material and operated in alternating operation.

For regeneration of the adsorber tank not used in each case to treat the circulating air from the line 130, a further part of the circulating air can be used, which is supplied via a line 132 to an electric heater 133, where it is heated and fed to the adsorber via a further line 134. For the function of a corresponding adsorber 131, reference should be made to the literature quoted with reference to air separation plants, for example Haring, FIG. 2 . 3A and related explanations.

The circulating air treated in the adsorber 131 is combined via the already mentioned line 124 with the vaporized, oxygen-containing air product in the line 123 and fed to the moistening in the moistener 125.

Via a bypass 135 and a valve 136, the vaporized, oxygen-containing air product can also be transferred in part directly from the line 105 into the line 132 and thus used for the regeneration of the adsorber 131.

Claims (15)

A method of improving the air in a building (10, 20), wherein the building (10, 20) supplied an oxygen-containing gaseous fluid stream and in the building (10, 20) is distributed, characterized in that the oxygen-containing, gaseous fluid stream at least partially is formed using an oxygen-containing, liquid air product stored in a container (101, 114) and taken from the container (101, 114). The method of claim 1, wherein liquid air, an atmospheric air oxygen-enriched liquid air product or liquid oxygen is used as the liquid oxygen-containing air product. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the oxygen-containing, gaseous fluid stream using the stored in the container (101, 114) and the container withdrawn oxygen-containing, liquid air product and using a stored in another container (151, 153) and the further container removed further air product is formed. A method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the oxygen-containing liquid air product used to form the oxygen-containing gaseous fluid stream is vaporized in a heat exchanger (104) or transferred from the liquid to the supercritical state. The method of claim 4, wherein the evaporator (104) is operated at least partially using ambient heat (111), solar heat (112), electrical heat (113) and / or sensible heat from building air of the building (10, 20). The method of claim 4 or 5, wherein an amount of heating in the evaporator (104) is adjusted based on one or more temperatures in the building (10, 20). A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein air is supplied to the building (10) in an amount equal to an amount of that supplied to the building (10) corresponds to oxygen-containing, gaseous fluid stream, is removed and blown into the environment. Method according to one of claims 1 to 6, in which the building (20) air taken, processed and the building (20) is fed again. The method of claim 8, wherein the treatment comprises an adsorptive drying, an adsorptive reduction of the content of carbon dioxide and / or a moistening. Method according to Claim 9, in which the air taken from the building is supplied to at least one compressor (128) and / or at least one blower as part of the treatment. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one compressor (128) and / or the at least one fan is driven using an electric motor and / or using a flash machine (118) which is powered by using at least a portion of the one in the evaporator (104 ) vaporized, oxygenated air product is driven. Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the building is a small building (10) or a large building. An air conditioning installation in a building (10, 20), comprising means adapted to supply to the building (10, 20) an oxygenous gaseous fluid stream and to distribute it in the building (10, 20), characterized in that Plant is adapted to at least partially form the oxygen-containing, gaseous fluid stream using an oxygen-containing, liquid air product stored in a container (101, 114) and taken from the container (101, 114). Installation according to Claim 13, which is set up to carry out a method according to one of Claims 1 to 12. Air conditioning system (1, 2) comprising a building (10, 20) characterized by a plant according to claim 13 or 14.

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