# US 12,222,133 B2 · Desiccant coated fan blade > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,222,133 B2 - Document ID: US12222133B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/336,900 - Filed: 2021-06-02 - Published: 2022-12-08 - Granted: 2025-02-11 - Earliest claimed: 2021-06-02 - Assignees: Xerox Corporation - Applicants: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated - Inventors: Ravi Neelakantan; Michael Benedict; Kathryn F. Murphy; Mahati Chintapalli; Stephen Meckler - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12222133B2 ## CPC - F24F 3/1423: {with a moving bed of solid desiccants, e.g. a rotary wheel supporting solid desiccants} - F24F 3/147: with both heat and humidity transfer between supplied and exhausted air - F24F 3/153: with subsequent heating, i.e. with the air, given the required humidity in the central station, passing a heating element to achieve the required temperature - F24F 5/0021: {using phase change material [PCM] for storage} - F24F 7/08: with separate ducts for supplied and exhausted air {with provisions for reversal of the input and output systems} - F24F 2003/1464: {using rotating regenerators} - F24F 2005/0067: {with photovoltaic panels} - F24F: AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING (removing dirt or fumes from areas where they are produced B08B15/00; vertical ducts for carrying away waste gases from buildings E04F17/02; tops for chimneys or ventilating shafts, terminals for flues F23L17/02) ## Abstract A system and method utilize one or more fans each having fan blades. The fan blades have a desiccant material on an outer surface. The desiccant material is operable to adsorb airborne moisture in an ambient airflow and desorb moisture in a heated airflow. The fan blades are operable to drive one or both of the ambient airflow and heated airflow via rotation of the fan. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: one or more fans each comprising fan blades, the fan blades comprising a desiccant material on an outer surface of the fan blades; an ambient airflow that flows across the fan blades to adsorb airborne moisture in from the ambient airflow to the desiccant material; and a heated airflow that flows across the fan blades to desorb moisture from the desiccant material via the heated airflow, the fan blades being operated to drive one or both of the ambient airflow and heated airflow via rotation of the fan. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the desiccant material comprises at least one of a phase changing polymer, silica gel or zeolite adsorbent, metal-organic framework, ionic liquid, and halogen-doped nanoparticles. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the desiccant material comprises a hierarchical porosity wherein portions of lower porosity material are embedded with a higher porosity material. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising heat conductive fibers, nano-wires, or vias embedded within the desiccant material. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: a desorbing chamber comprising: a heater that emits heat into the desorbing chamber; a first fan of the one or more fans that drives the heated airflow within the desorbing chamber, first fan blades of the first fan desorbing moisture in the heated airflow; an entrance path providing ambient makeup air to the heated airflow; and an exit path through which humid heated air from the heated airflow exits the desorbing chamber; a cooling partition having a second surface onto which the humid heated air is directed; a second fan of the one or more fans that drives ambient air to a first surface of the cooling partition, second fan blades of the second fan adsorbing the moisture in the ambient airflow; and a water collector that collects condensate resulting from the humid heated air being directed onto the second surface of the cooling partition. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, further comprising a counter-flow heat exchanger that couples heat from the humid heated air into the ambient makeup air. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the desiccant material comprises at least one of a phase changing polymer, silica gel or zeolite adsorbent, metal-organic framework, ionic liquid, halogen-doped nanoparticles, and a quaternary salt polymer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the desiccant material comprises a hierarchical porosity wherein portions of lower porosity material are embedded with a higher porosity material. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the system is a heating, ventilation, and air-condition (HVAC) system. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein a dehumidified airflow resulting from the adsorption of the airborne moisture in the ambient airflow is circulated in the HVAC system. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the heated airflow is heated by waste heat from building utilities. ### Claim 12 A system comprising: one or more fans each comprising fan blades, the fan blades comprising a desiccant material on an outer surface of the fan blades, wherein the desiccant material comprises a quaternary salt polymer, the desiccant material being operable to adsorb airborne moisture in an ambient airflow and desorb moisture in a heated airflow, the fan blades being operable to drive one or both of the ambient airflow and the heated airflow via rotation of the one or more fans. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the desiccant material comprises a phase change polymer in combination with the quaternary salt polymer. ### Claim 14 A system comprising: a first fan and a second fan each comprising fan blades, the fan blades comprising a desiccant material on an outer surface of the fan blades, the desiccant material being operable to adsorb airborne moisture in an ambient airflow and desorb moisture in a heated airflow, the fan blades being operable to drive one or both of the ambient airflow and the heated airflow via rotation of the one or more fans, the system further comprising a chamber housing the first fan, the second fan being located outside of the chamber. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, further comprising: a cooling partition having a first surface that is cooled by ambient air driven by the second fan; and a flow path that feeds the heated airflow from the chamber to a second surface of the cooling partition opposite the first surface, wherein the moisture in the heated airflow is condensed and collected at the second surface. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein at least one surface of the chamber is heated by a heater. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the heater comprises a photovoltaic heater. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein an outer surface of the heater is insulated by a transparent aerogel. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the heater comprises a heat exchanger driven by waste heat. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the heater comprises an internal heater integrated into the fan blades.