WO2025009168A1 - Total heat exchange element and method for manufacturing total heat exchange element - Google Patents

Abstract

A total heat exchange element (100) comprises a plurality of partition members (1) arranged in parallel at intervals, and waveform-shaped interval-retaining members (2) disposed between the adjacent partition members (1). A plurality of the partition members (1) and the interval-retaining members (2) are alternately laminated, and an air supply flow path (3) and an exhaust flow path (4) are formed by the partition members (1) and the interval-retaining members (2). The partition members (1) are made of a water-retentive material to which a water-soluble moisture absorbent is added. The interval-retaining member (2) has a waterproof layer (20) formed on some or all of the apexes of the waveform by using a waterproof agent, and an adhesive part (21) formed by bonding the waterproof layer (20) and the partition members (1) using an adhesive.

Description

Total heat exchange element and method for manufacturing the same

This disclosure relates to a total heat exchange element and a method for manufacturing a total heat exchange element.

Conventionally, total heat exchange elements have been known as components of total heat exchangers that can simultaneously exchange temperature and humidity between an intake air flow and an exhaust air flow. Such total heat exchange elements, for example, include a number of partition members arranged in parallel at intervals, and a corrugated spacing member arranged between adjacent partition members, with the partition members and spacing members stacked alternately in multiple layers, forming an intake air flow path and an exhaust air flow path.

　A water-soluble moisture absorbent is added to the material of the partition member in advance to efficiently exchange latent heat. However, when a total heat exchange element is used for a long period of time in a high humidity environment, the moisture absorbent continues to absorb large amounts of water vapor from the air. When the amount of absorbed moisture exceeds the moisture retention capacity of the partition member, the moisture absorbent flows out of the partition member together with the water and migrates to the spacing member, which may reduce the humidity exchange performance.

In the total heat exchange element disclosed in Patent Document 1, therefore, a moisture absorbent is contained in the liner sheet, which is the partition member, and the corrugated sheet, which is the spacing member, so that the humidity exchange efficiency is maintained over time.

International Publication No. 2015/098592

However, in the total heat exchange element disclosed in Patent Document 1, the spacing member also contains a moisture absorbent, which increases the material cost of the moisture absorbent and increases the labor required to manufacture the spacing member, which may increase manufacturing costs.

The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to obtain a total heat exchange element that can suppress the phenomenon of the moisture absorbent contained in the partition member migrating to the spacing member without applying a moisture absorbent to the spacing member.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objectives, the total heat exchange element disclosed herein comprises a plurality of partition members arranged in parallel with a gap therebetween, and a corrugated spacing member arranged between adjacent partition members, and is a total heat exchange element in which the partition members and spacing members are alternately stacked in a plurality of layers, and an air intake flow path and an exhaust flow path are formed by the partition members and spacing members, and the partition members are made of a water-retentive material to which a water-soluble moisture absorbent has been added, and the spacing member has a waterproof layer formed on some or all of the peaks of the corrugations using a waterproofing agent, and an adhesive portion formed by bonding the waterproof layer and the partition members with an adhesive.

The total heat exchange element disclosed herein has the advantage of being able to prevent the moisture absorbent contained in the partition member from migrating to the spacing member without applying a moisture absorbent to the spacing member.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing a total heat exchange element according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a partially enlarged view of a total heat exchange element according to a first embodiment, showing one spacing member and two partition members above and below the spacing member; FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a first step of a manufacturing process of a total heat exchange element according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a second step of the manufacturing process of the total heat exchange element according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a lamination process in a method for producing a total heat exchange element according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged view of a total heat exchange element according to a second embodiment, showing one spacing member and two partition members above and below the spacing member;

Below, the total heat exchange element and the manufacturing method of the total heat exchange element according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1.
Fig. 1 is a schematic external perspective view of a total heat exchange element according to embodiment 1. Fig. 2 is a partial enlarged view of the total heat exchange element according to embodiment 1, showing one spacing member and two partition members above and below it. In this embodiment, the stacking direction of the partition member 1 and the spacing member 2 is defined as the Z direction, and two mutually perpendicular directions in a plane perpendicular to the Z direction are defined as the X direction and the Y direction.

As shown in FIG. 1, the total heat exchange element 100 according to the first embodiment includes a plurality of flat partition members 1 arranged in parallel with a gap therebetween, and a corrugated spacing member 2 arranged between adjacent partition members 1. The total heat exchange element 100 has a plurality of alternately stacked partition members 1 and spacing members 2, and the partition members 1 and spacing members 2 form alternate air supply flow paths 3 and exhaust flow paths 4 arranged in layers.

The partition member 1 is made of a water-retentive material to which a water-soluble moisture absorbent has been added. Specifically, the material used for the partition member 1 is paper, a material made of a mixture of pulp and resin, resin, or metal foil. A water-soluble moisture absorbent is added to the material of the partition member 1 in advance so that latent heat can be exchanged efficiently. Examples of water-soluble moisture absorbents that can be used include alkali metal salts such as lithium chloride, and alkaline earth metal salts such as calcium chloride. Note that other substances can also be used as moisture absorbents as long as they are water-soluble and hygroscopic.

The spacing member 2 is a corrugated member that maintains the distance between adjacent partition members 1. The corrugated shape is a wave-shaped shape composed of peaks and valleys. The material used for the spacing member 2 is paper, a material made of pulp and resin, resin, or metal foil, etc. The spacing members 2 adjacent in the stacking direction are arranged so that the directions in which the peaks and valleys of the corrugation extend are perpendicular to each other. Note that perpendicular does not only mean strictly perpendicular, but also includes cases where the directions are roughly perpendicular. In other words, spacing members 2 whose corrugated peaks and valleys extend in the X direction and spacing members 2 whose corrugated peaks and valleys extend in the Y direction are stacked alternately in the Z direction. The spacing members 2 whose corrugated peaks and valleys extend in the X direction and the partition members 1 form an air intake flow path 3 through which the air intake flow 5 flows. The spacing member 2, whose corrugated peaks and valleys extend in the Y direction, and the partition member 1 form an exhaust flow path 4 through which an exhaust flow 6 flows. The air supply flow path 3 and the exhaust flow path 4 are independent of each other and intersect with each other in a plan view. The air supply flow 5 flowing through the air supply flow path 3 is, for example, an air flow taken in from the outdoors to the inside of the room. The exhaust flow 6 flowing through the exhaust flow path 4 is, for example, an air flow discharged from the inside of the room to the outdoors. Latent heat and sensible heat are exchanged between the air supply flow 5 flowing through the air supply flow path 3 and the exhaust flow 6 flowing through the exhaust flow path 4, using the partition member 1 as a medium.

The tops of the peaks and bottoms of the corrugated edges of the spacing member 2 form adhesion points where they are bonded to the partition member 1. The spacing member 2 has a waterproof layer 20 formed at the adhesion points with a waterproofing agent, and an adhesive portion 21 formed by bonding the waterproof layer 20 to the partition member 1 with an adhesive. The material of the spacing member 2 is not in direct contact with the partition member 1 because the waterproof layer 20 is formed.

The waterproofing agent that forms the waterproof layer 20 may, for example, be a water repellent agent whose main component is a fluororesin or silicone resin, or a solvent-based coating agent that contains nitrocellulose, vinyl chloride, polyamide, alkyd, acrylic or urethane resin, or an ultraviolet (UltraViolet: UV) curing coating agent that contains epoxy acrylate, urethane acrylate, polyester acrylate, polyether acrylate, polyacrylic acrylate or unsaturated polyester resin.

The adhesive portion 21 is formed from an adhesive containing a moisture absorbent at a concentration equal to or higher than the moisture absorbent content in the partition member 1, which allows the moisture absorbent contained in the adhesive to migrate to the partition member 1. This increases the concentration of moisture absorbent in the partition member 1, and is expected to improve heat exchange performance. Meanwhile, since a waterproof layer 20 exists between the adhesive portion 21 and the spacing member 2, the moisture absorbent contained in the adhesive does not migrate to the spacing member 2.

Also, the adhesive portion 21 may be formed from a water-solvent adhesive impregnated with a chemical agent that contains a water-soluble moisture absorbent. Water-solvent adhesives have no effect on the human body, and are easy to control the work environment against fire, the heating process before bonding, and the drying process after bonding, and are expected to be effective in terms of workability, productivity, and manufacturing costs.

The spacing member 2 is not limited to the corrugated shape shown in the figure, but may be any member capable of maintaining a predetermined distance between adjacent partition members 1. Specifically, the spacing member 2 may be a sheet folded into a rectangular wave or triangular wave shape, or multiple plate pieces, etc.

The importance of total heat exchangers is increasing as a means of efficiently ventilating while maintaining a comfortable indoor air environment. A total heat exchanger can simultaneously exchange temperature and humidity between an intake air flow 5 that supplies fresh outside air and an exhaust air flow 6 that exhausts dirty indoor air. A total heat exchanger is equipped with a total heat exchange element 100 as a heat exchanging component. The total heat exchange element 100 performs ventilation while performing total heat exchange between the intake air flow 5 flowing through the intake air flow path 3 and the exhaust air flow 6 flowing through the exhaust air flow path 4, thereby reducing loss in the cooling and heating efficiency of indoor air conditioning.

The total heat exchanger may be installed in an environment where the temperature difference between the intake air flow 5 and the exhaust air flow 6 is large and condensation is likely to occur, such as in cold regions, bathrooms, or heated swimming pools. In such an environment, for example, when the total heat exchanger starts operating without air conditioning on the indoor side, the humidity of both the intake air flow 5 and the exhaust air flow 6 may become high, and the total heat exchange element 100 may be temporarily exposed to a very humid environment. In addition, depending on the outdoor weather conditions, the condition of the outside air intake, and the condition of the intake air piping to the total heat exchanger, mist or rainwater may be taken in together with the intake air and supplied to the total heat exchange element 100.

When the total heat exchange element 100 is used for a long period of time in a high humidity environment, the moisture absorbent added to the partition member 1 continues to absorb large amounts of water vapor from the air, and when the amount of absorbed moisture exceeds the water retention capacity of the partition member 1, the moisture absorbent may flow out of the partition member 1 together with the water and migrate to the spacing member 2. The outflow of the moisture absorbent from the partition member 1 is thought to be caused by the movement of the moisture absorbent due to the concentration diffusion of moisture, or by movement due to the concentration diffusion of the moisture absorbent itself. Concentration diffusion is caused by differences in the spatial distribution of the concentration of moisture or the moisture absorbent itself. When the moisture absorbent flows out of the partition member 1 and migrates to the spacing member 2, the humidity exchange performance of the total heat exchange element 100 may decrease.

In the total heat exchange element 100 according to the first embodiment, the spacing member 2 is characterized by having a waterproof layer 20 formed at the top of the corrugations using a waterproofing agent, and an adhesive portion 21 formed by bonding the waterproof layer 20 and the partition member 1 with an adhesive. As a result, even if the moisture absorbent tries to flow out of the partition member 1 together with water, the waterproof layer 20 acts as a barrier, preventing the moisture absorbent from migrating to the spacing member 2 and diffusing in concentration, so that the total heat exchange element 100 can suppress a decrease in humidity exchange performance.

In the total heat exchange element 100 according to the first embodiment, it is desirable to form the waterproof layer 20 on all the apexes of the peaks and valleys of the corrugation of the spacing member 2, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the waterproof layer 20 may be formed on every other peak and valley along the corrugation, or a configuration in which the waterproof layer 20 is formed only on some of the apexes of the peaks and valleys. In this case, the apexes of the spacing member 2 on which the waterproof layer 20 is not formed are directly bonded to the partition member 1 by an adhesive. This adhesive may be the same as the adhesive used to form the adhesive portion 21, or it may be a different adhesive.

Next, a method for manufacturing the total heat exchange element 100 according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a first step in the manufacturing process of the total heat exchange element according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a second step in the manufacturing process of the total heat exchange element according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a lamination process in the manufacturing method of the total heat exchange element according to the first embodiment.

As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the manufacturing method of the total heat exchange element 100 includes a manufacturing process in which one partition member 1 and one spacing member 2 are bonded together with an adhesive to produce multiple single-sided corrugated materials 10a, and a stacking process in which the partition member 1 of one single-sided corrugated material 10a and the spacing member 2 of the other single-sided corrugated material 10a are bonded together with an adhesive and stacked together so that multiple partition members 1 and spacing members 2 are stacked alternately.

The manufacturing process of the single-sided corrugated material 10a includes a first step of manufacturing a long single-sided corrugated material 10, and a second step of cutting the long single-sided corrugated material 10 manufactured in the first step to a predetermined size. In the first step, a long material is first formed into a corrugated plate shape to manufacture a long spacing member 2. The long material is, for example, paper, a material made of a mixture of pulp and resin, resin, or metal foil. Next, a waterproofing agent is applied to the top of the peaks of the manufactured spacing member 2 to form a waterproof layer 20, and an uncured adhesive is applied on the waterproof layer 20. Then, as shown in FIG. 3, a partition member 1 to which a water-soluble moisture absorbent has been added is abutted against the spacing member 2. After that, the uncured adhesive is cured to form an adhesive portion 21, and the partition member 1 and the spacing member 2 are bonded to manufacture a long single-sided corrugated material 10. As shown in FIG. 4, in the second step, the long single-sided corrugated material 10 produced in the first step is cut to a predetermined size to produce multiple units of single-sided corrugated material 10a.

In the lamination process of the single-sided corrugated material 10a, a waterproofing agent is applied to the tops of the valleys of the spacing members 2 that constitute the single-sided corrugated material 10a to form a waterproof layer 20, and uncured adhesive is applied on top of the waterproof layer 20. Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the single-sided corrugated material 10a is sequentially laminated while checking the orientation of the single-sided corrugated material 10a so that the corrugations of the spacing members 2 of adjacent single-sided corrugated materials 10a in the lamination direction are perpendicular to each other, and the uncured adhesive is cured to form the adhesive part 21, thereby producing the total heat exchange element 100. Note that perpendicular does not only mean strictly perpendicular, but also includes cases where it is roughly perpendicular.

In the lamination process of the single-sided corrugated material 10a, the work of forming the waterproof layer 20 on the top of the valley of the spacing member 2 may be performed during the manufacturing process of the single-sided corrugated material 10a. In this case, the work of forming the waterproof layer 20 on the spacing member 2 is omitted during the lamination process.

As described above, in the manufacturing method of the total heat exchange element 100 according to the first embodiment, the waterproof layer 20 is formed on the spacing member 2 so that the moisture absorbent does not migrate from the partition member 1 to the spacing member 2. Therefore, in the process of manufacturing the total heat exchange element 100, the spacing member 2 does not soften due to moisture absorption. In addition, it is possible to suppress deformation of the single-sided corrugated material 10a caused by the partition member 1 and the spacing member 2 each expanding and contracting due to moisture absorption, or changes in strength. In other words, the workability when manufacturing the single-sided corrugated material 10a and the handleability of the single-sided corrugated material 10a are improved, and as a result, the workability and productivity when manufacturing the total heat exchange element 100 are improved.

Embodiment 2.
Next, a description will be given of the total heat exchange element 101 according to the present embodiment 2. Fig. 6 is a partial enlarged view of the total heat exchange element according to the embodiment 2, showing one spacing member and two partition members above and below the spacing member.

As shown in FIG. 6, the total heat exchange element 101 according to the second embodiment is characterized in that the waterproof layer 20 and the adhesive portion 21 are formed only on the tops of the valleys of the spacing member 2. The waterproof layer 20 is not formed on the tops of the peaks of the spacing member 2, and the adhesive portion 22 is formed by directly bonding the spacing member 2 to the partition member 1 with an adhesive. The adhesive for forming the adhesive portion 22 may be the same as the adhesive used for forming the adhesive portion 21, or may be a different adhesive. Although not shown in the figure, it is also possible to form the waterproof layer 20 only on the tops of the peaks of the spacing member 2. In this case, the waterproof layer 20 is not formed on the tops of the valleys of the spacing member 2, and the adhesive portion 22 is formed by directly bonding the spacing member 2 to the partition member 1 with an adhesive. In the total heat exchange element 101 according to the second embodiment, the process of applying a waterproof agent to the spacing member 2 in the manufacturing process of the one-sided corrugated material 10 or the process of applying a waterproof agent to the spacing member 2 in the lamination process can be omitted, so that the material cost and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

Furthermore, in the total heat exchange element 101 according to the second embodiment, even if the moisture absorbent attempts to flow out of the partition member 1 together with the water, the waterproof layer 20 formed in the valley portion of the spacing member 2 acts as a barrier and prevents the moisture absorbent from migrating into the spacing member 2, thereby preventing a decrease in humidity exchange performance.

In the total heat exchange element 101 according to the second embodiment, it is desirable to form a waterproof layer 20 on all the apexes of the peaks or valleys of the spacing member 2, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the waterproof layer 20 may be formed on every other peak or valley along the waveform, or the waterproof layer 20 may be formed only on some of the apexes of the peaks or valleys.

The configurations shown in the above embodiments are merely examples, and may be combined with other known technologies, or the embodiments may be combined with each other. In addition, parts of the configurations may be omitted or modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

1 Partition member, 2 Spacing member, 3 Air intake flow path, 4 Exhaust flow path, 5 Air intake flow, 6 Exhaust flow, 10, 10a Single-sided corrugated material, 20 Waterproof layer, 21, 22 Adhesive part, 100, 101 Total heat exchange element.

Claims (7)

A total heat exchange element comprising a plurality of partition members arranged in parallel with a gap therebetween, and a corrugated spacing member arranged between adjacent partition members, the partition members and the spacing members being alternately stacked in a plurality of layers, and an air intake flow path and an exhaust flow path being formed by the partition members and the spacing members,
The partition member is made of a water-retentive material to which a water-soluble moisture absorbent is added,
A total heat exchange element characterized in that the spacing member has a waterproof layer formed on part or all of the top of the corrugations using a waterproofing agent, and an adhesive portion formed by bonding the waterproof layer and the partition member with an adhesive. The total heat exchange element according to claim 1, characterized in that the waterproofing agent includes a water repellent agent mainly composed of a fluororesin or a silicone resin, a solvent-based coating agent containing nitrocellulose, vinyl chloride, polyamide, alkyd, acrylic or urethane resin, or an ultraviolet-curing coating agent containing epoxy acrylate, urethane acrylate, polyester acrylate, polyether acrylate, polyacrylic acrylate or unsaturated polyester resin. 3. The total heat exchange element according to claim 1, wherein the waterproof layer is formed on either the tops of the peaks or the bottoms of the corrugations of the spacing member. The total heat exchange element according to claim 1 , wherein the adhesive portion is formed from a water-solvent adhesive impregnated with a chemical agent including a water-soluble moisture absorbent. A method for producing the total heat exchange element according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising the steps of:
a manufacturing process of manufacturing a plurality of single-sided corrugated materials by bonding one partition member and one spacing member with an adhesive;
a lamination process for laminating the spacing member of one of the single-sided corrugated materials and the partition member of the other single-sided corrugated material by bonding them with the adhesive so that the partition members and the spacing members are alternately stacked multiple times. In the manufacturing process, a waterproof layer is formed on either one of the apexes of the peaks and valleys of the corrugations of the spacing member, and the waterproof layer and the partition member are bonded together with an adhesive;
The method for manufacturing a total heat exchange element as described in claim 5, characterized in that in the lamination process, a waterproof layer is formed on the other of the apexes of the corrugated peaks and valleys of the spacing member, and the waterproof layer is bonded to the partition member of the other single-sided corrugated material with an adhesive. The method for manufacturing a total heat exchange element according to claim 5, wherein in the manufacturing step, a waterproof layer is formed on tops of peaks and valleys of the corrugations of the spacing member.

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