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US 12,680,279 B2Granted
Water harvester adsorption enthalpy removal system
AssigneeWater Harvesting, Inc.
InventorsIevgen Kapustin, David S. Kuo, Kent D. Penning
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Generally, a water harvester useful in harvesting water from supply air. Specifically, a water harvester configured to remove the heat gained during adsorption of water by the water capture material contained in the water capture modules of the water harvester. Removal of the enthalpy associated with the adsorption of water by the water capture material can lower the equilibrium temperature of the water capture material and increase the driving potential of adsorption by the water capture material and correspondingly increase the difference in absolute humidity between the supply air passing into a water capture module and the discharge air passing out of a water capture module.
Claims9
A method of making an apparatus, comprising:
- containing a water capture material in a water capture module having a supply airflow inlet and a discharge airflow outlet and a desorption airflow inlet and a desorption airflow outlet;
- coupling a discharge heat exchanger to said water capture module, said discharge heat exchanger having a discharge heat exchanger hot side inlet and a discharge heat exchanger hot side outlet and a discharge heat exchanger cold side inlet and a discharge heat exchanger cold side outlet,
- wherein said discharge airflow outlet coupled to said discharge heat exchanger hot side inlet,
- wherein said discharge heat exchanger cold side fluidically coupled to an outdoor air source or to a cooling unit;
- fluidically coupling a first chamber to said desorption airflow inlet and said desorption airflow outlet of said water capture module;
- thermally coupling a heat source to said first chamber;
- and
- recirculating a heated airflow between said first chamber and said water capture module to desorb water vapor from said water capture material.
5 more elements
A method of making an apparatus, comprising:
- containing a water capture material in a water capture module,
- wherein said water capture module includes an adsorption airflow inlet and an adsorption airflow outlet,
- wherein an airflow passes through said water capture material between said adsorption airflow inlet and said adsorption airflow outlet in an adsorption mode of said water capture module,
- wherein said water capture material module includes a desorption airflow inlet and a desorption airflow outlet,
- wherein an airflow passes through said water capture material between said desorption airflow inlet and said desorption airflow outlet and water capture material in a desorption mode, a preheat mode, or a precool mode of said water capture module,
- adapting a heat source to couple to said desorption airflow inlet and said desorption airflow outlet in said desorption mode of said water capture module, said heat source operable to heat said water capture material to desorb water vapor into said airflow passing through said water capture material between said desorption airflow inlet and said desorption airflow outlet;
- and
- adapting an external heat exchanger to couple to said desorption airflow inlet and said desorption airflow outlet, said external heat exchanger having a heat exchanger hot side inlet and a heat exchanger hot side outlet and having a heat exchanger cold side inlet and heat exchanger cold side outlet,
- wherein in said preheat mode of said water capture module,
- said desorption airflow inlet fluidically coupled to said heat exchanger hot side outlet,
- said desorption airflow outlet fluidically coupled to said heat exchanger cold side inlet,
- wherein in said post cool mode of said water capture module,
- said desorption airflow inlet fluidically coupled to said heat exchanger cold side outlet,
- said desorption airflow outlet fluidically coupled to said heat exchanger hot side inlet.
11 more elements
A method of making an apparatus, comprising:
- obtaining a first water capture module containing a first water capture material having a first water capture module airflow inlet and a first water capture module outlet;
- obtaining a second water capture module containing a second water capture material having a second water capture module airflow inlet and a second water capture module airflow outlet;
- obtaining an external heat exchanger having a heat exchanger hot side inlet and a heat exchanger hot side outlet and having a heat exchanger cold side inlet and heat exchanger cold side outlet;
- fluidically coupling said first water capture module airflow inlet to said external heat exchanger cold side outlet;
- fluidically coupling said first water capture module airflow outlet fluidically to said external heat exchanger hot side inlet;
- fluidically coupling said second water capture module airflow inlet to said external heat exchanger hot side outlet;
- and
- fluidically coupling said second water capture module airflow outlet fluidically to said external heat exchanger cold side inlet.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.