Electrodialytic liquid desiccant dehumidifying system
AssigneeMojave Energy Systems, Inc.
InventorsMichael Benedict, Eugene S. Beh, Elif Karatay
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Air flows across an air-liquid interface such that liquid desiccant flowing through the interface absorbs water from the air and is thereby diluted to form an output stream. The output stream is circulated through an electrodialytic stack having a central ionic exchange membrane and first and second outer ionic exchange membranes. A redox shuttle loop circulates around the first and second outer ionic exchange membranes. A voltage is applied across the electrodialytic stack, which regenerates the liquid desiccant.
Claims17
An air conditioning system, comprising:
- an electrodialytic stack comprising:
- a pump-driven, liquid desiccant loop with a diluted stream and a concentrated stream of liquid desiccant separated by a central ionic exchange membrane;
- a redox shuttle loop flowing across first and second outer ionic exchange membranes of a different type than the central ionic exchange membrane, the redox shuttle loop separated from the diluted stream and the concentrated stream of the liquid desiccant loop by the first and second outer ionic exchange membranes;
- and
- electrodes that are operable to apply a voltage across the electrodialytic stack;
- an air-liquid interface in fluid communication with the concentrated stream, the concentrated stream being diluted via absorption of water from the air via the air-liquid interface to form an output stream of the liquid desiccant and a stream of dehumidified air, the output stream from the air-liquid interface being split into the diluted stream and the concentrated stream upon entry into the electrodialytic stack;
- and
- a sensible cooling element that receives and cools the dehumidified air.
A liquid desiccant system, comprising:
- an electrodialytic stack comprising:
- a liquid desiccant loop with a diluted stream and a concentrated stream of liquid desiccant separated by a central ionic exchange membrane;
- a redox shuttle loop comprising a positively charged ferrocene derivative and with first and second redox streams separated from the diluted stream and the concentrated stream of the liquid desiccant loop by respective first and second outer ionic exchange membranes of a different type than the central ionic exchange membrane;
- and
- first and second electrodes that are operable to apply a voltage across the electrodialytic stack;
- and
- an air-liquid interface in fluid communication with the concentrated stream of the liquid desiccant, the air-liquid interface exposing the concentrated stream of the liquid desiccant to air flowing across the air-liquid interface, the concentrated stream being diluted via absorption of water from the air to form an output stream, the output stream being circulated back into the liquid desiccant loop of the electrodialytic stack.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.