Method and apparatus for generating water using an energy conversion device
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
B01D-053/06
출원번호
UP-0507711
(2006-08-22)
등록번호
US-7601206
(2009-10-28)
발명자
/ 주소
Call, Charles J.
Beckius, Robert C.
Merrill, Ezra L.
Hong, Seung Ho
Powell, Mike
출원인 / 주소
MesoSystems Technology, Inc.
대리인 / 주소
Anderson, Ronald M.
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
3인용 특허 :
31
초록▼
Potable water is produced by extraction of water vapor from air. Water absorbed inside a desiccant bed is forced into vapor phase by using input heat energy, for example, waste heat from the exhaust of an internal combustion engine. Pre-heating a portion of the desiccant material prior to desorptio
Potable water is produced by extraction of water vapor from air. Water absorbed inside a desiccant bed is forced into vapor phase by using input heat energy, for example, waste heat from the exhaust of an internal combustion engine. Pre-heating a portion of the desiccant material prior to desorption enhances efficiency. Energy for the pre-heating may be obtained by recovering heat from the desiccant material prior to adsorption.
대표청구항▼
What is claimed is: 1. Apparatus for extracting water from ambient air, comprising: an adsorption fan disposed to force ambient air to contact a section of a desiccant rotor disposed within a main adsorption flow path; a desorption fan disposed to force a closed loop of desorping air to contact a s
What is claimed is: 1. Apparatus for extracting water from ambient air, comprising: an adsorption fan disposed to force ambient air to contact a section of a desiccant rotor disposed within a main adsorption flow path; a desorption fan disposed to force a closed loop of desorping air to contact a section of the desiccant rotor disposed within a main desorption flow path; a condenser disposed to contact the desorping air so that water vapor in the desorping air is condensed as liquid water; a main heat exchanger disposed to contact the desorping air so that the temperature of the desorping air is raised by heat energy transferred via the main heat exchanger; a second heat exchanger having a hot side and a cold side; a pre-heating flow path for conveying preheating air into contact with the hot side of the second heat exchanger so that heat energy is transferred into the pre-heating air, and into contact with a preheating section of the desiccant rotor, so as to pre-heat a portion of the desiccant rotor before the portion is exposed to the desorping air; a pre-heating circulation fan disposed to force the pre-heating air along the pre-heating flow path; a heat recovery flow path for conveying heat recovery air that has been heated by contact with a heat recovery section of the desiccant rotor to contact the cold side of the second heat exchanger, so that the heat recovery air transfers heat energy through the second heat exchanger to the preheating air; and a heat recovery circulation fan disposed to force the heat recovery air to flow along the heat recovery flow path. 2. The apparatus for extracting water from ambient air of claim 1, wherein the desiccant rotor rotates, and wherein the pre-heating flow path is disposed between the main adsorption flow path and the main desorption flow path where the desiccant rotor moves from the main adsorption flow path into the main desorption flow path. 3. The apparatus for extracting water from ambient air of claim 1, wherein the desiccant rotor rotates, and wherein the heat recovery flow path is disposed between the main adsorption flow path and the main desorption flow path where the desiccant rotor moves from the main desorption flow path into the main adsorption flow path. 4. The apparatus for extracting water from ambient air of claim 1, wherein the heat energy transferred via the main heat exchanger is provided from an energy conversion device. 5. The apparatus for extracting water from ambient air of claim 4, wherein the energy conversion device comprises an internal combustion engine. 6. The apparatus for extracting water from ambient air of claim 5, wherein the heat energy transferred via the main heat exchanger is provided from exhaust of the internal combustion engine. 7. The apparatus for extracting water from ambient air of claim 5, wherein the heat energy transferred via the main heat exchanger is provided from coolant of the internal combustion engine. 8. The apparatus for extracting water from ambient air of claim 5, wherein the internal combustion engine comprises a diesel engine. 9. The apparatus for extracting water from ambient air of claim 5, further comprising: an electrical generator driven by the internal combustion engine, wherein electricity produced by the electrical generator provides power to drive the adsorption fan, the desorption fan, the pre-heating circulation fan, and the heat recovery circulation fan. 10. The apparatus for extracting water from ambient air of claim 9, wherein a generating capacity of the electrical generator is substantially matched to a mechanical peak-efficiency operating condition of the internal combustion engine. 11. The apparatus for extracting water from ambient air of claim 4, wherein the energy conversion device comprises an external fuel burner. 12. The apparatus for extracting water from ambient air of claim 4, wherein the energy conversion device comprises a solar collector. 13. The apparatus for extracting water from ambient air of claim 4, wherein the energy conversion device comprises an ohmic heater. 14. The apparatus for extracting water from ambient air of claim 1, wherein water is extracted at a rate of at least about four liters per hour when the ambient air temperature is 120° F. and ambient air relative humidity is 3.2%. 15. The apparatus for extracting water from ambient air of claim 1, wherein the adsorption fan comprises two or more fans operating together. 16. Apparatus for extracting water from ambient air, comprising: a desiccant rotor that is configured to rotate so that sections of the desiccant rotor are successively exposed to different airflows at the desiccant rotor rotates, including an adsorption airflow, a pre-heating airflow, a desorping airflow, and a heat recovery airflow; means for forcing ambient air comprising the adsorption airflow to flow in a main adsorption flow path and to contact a portion of the desiccant rotor currently rotating past the adsorption airflow, so that moisture is absorbed from the ambient air by said portion of the desiccant rotor; means for forcing a closed loop of the desorping airflow within a main desorption flow path to contact a portion of the desiccant rotor currently rotating past the desorping airflow, so that moisture previously adsorbed by the desiccant rotor is transferred to the desorping airflow; a condenser coupled in fluid communication with both the main absorption flow path and the main desorption flow path, to transfer heat energy from the desorping airflow to the adsorption airflow, after the moisture has been transferred to the desorping airflow from the desiccant rotor, whereby water vapor in the desorping airflow is condensed at the condenser to form liquid water when the desorping airflow is thus cooled by the heat energy transfer at the condenser; means for passing the desorping air over the condenser; a main heat exchanger that is coupled in fluid communication with the condenser to receive the desorping airflow after the water vapor has been condensed from the desorping airflow, and to receive a warm fluid from a heat source, the main heat exchanger transferring heat energy from the warm fluid to the desorping airflow before the desorping airflow again contacts the desiccant rotor; means for contacting the desorping airflow with the main heat exchanger; a second heat exchanger in fluid communication with the heat recovery airflow and the pre-heat airflow so as to transfer heat energy from the heat recovery airflow to the pre-heat airflow; means for forcing the pre-heating airflow to contact a portion of the desiccant rotor currently rotating past a pre-heating flow path after the pre-heating airflow has been heated at the second heat exchanger; and means for forcing the heat recovery airflow to contact a portion of the desiccant rotor currently rotating past a heat recovery flow path, and to be heated by the desiccant rotor before contacting the second heat exchanger.
연구과제 타임라인
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
이 특허에 인용된 특허 (31)
Macriss Robert A. (Deerfield IL) Rush William F. (Arlington Heights IL) Weil Sanford A. (Chicago IL), Air cleaning adsorption process.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.