Method and apparatus for recovering water from atmospheric air

A method of separating water from air comprising the steps of:

• (a) contacting air having water vapour with an hygroscopic liquid mixture to produce a water rich hygroscopic liquid mixture;
• (b) heating at least a portion of the water rich hygroscopic liquid mixture to produce a gaseous mixture having water vapour;
• (c) condensing at least a portion of the water vapour in the gaseous mixture to produce liquid water and heat energy;
• and
• (d) transferring an effective amount of the heat energy to a working fluid including a liquid to effect vapourization of at least a portion of the liquid to produce a working fluid gaseous mixture.

A method of recovering water from air comprising the steps of:

• (a) contacting air having water vapour with an hygroscopic liquid mixture to produce a water rich hygroscopic liquid mixture;
• (b) sin a first pressure envelope, heating the water rich hygroscopic liquid mixture to produce a gaseous mixture having water vapour, condensing at least a portion of the water vapour in the gaseous mixture to produce liquid water and a depleted gaseous mixture, and separating the liquid water from the depleted gaseous mixture so as to provide collected liquid water and a depleted gaseous mixture at subatmospheric pressure disposed in a vapour space above the collected liquid water;
• (c) effecting fluid pressure communication between a second pressure envelope and the vapour space;
• and
• (d) flowing the collected liquid from the first pressure envelope and into the second pressure envelope.

An absorption system for effecting removal of water from atmospheric air by an hygroscopic liquid mixture comprising:

• an absorber vessel defining a space for facilitating contact between air having water vapour and an hygroscopic liquid mixture, including:
• an input air flow inlet, configured for introducing an input air flow having water vapour into the space;
• a depleted air flow outlet, configured for discharging a depleted air flow;
• and
• means for introducing a hygroscopic liquid mixture into the space for effecting contact between the hygroscopic liquid mixture and the input air flow;
• a base;
• wherein the absorber vessel is rotatably mounted to the base about an axis for effecting positioning of the input air flow inlet at a desired position relative to the axis.

A method of recovering water from air comprising:

• (a) providing an absorption system for effecting removal of water from atmospheric air flow by an hygroscopic liquid mixture comprising:
• an absorber vessel defining a space for facilitating contact between air having water vapour and an hygroscopic liquid mixture, including an input air flow inlet, configured for introducing an input air flow having water vapour into the space, a depleted air flow outlet, configured for discharging a depleted air flow, and means for introducing a hygroscopic liquid mixture into the space for effecting contact between the hygroscopic liquid mixture and the input air flow;
• and
• a base;
• wherein the absorber vessel rotatably mounted to the base about an axis for effecting positioning of the input air flow inlet at a desired position relative to the axis;
• (b) measuring the direction of atmospheric air flow;
• and
• (c) rotating the absorber vessel about the axis so as to effect desired positioning of the input air flow inlet relative to the atmospheric air flow direction in response to the measured atmospheric air flow direction.

An absorber vessel defining a space for facilitating contact between air having water vapour and an hygroscopic liquid mixture, including:

• an input air flow inlet, configured for introducing an input air flow having water vapour into the space;
• a depleted air flow outlet, configured for discharging a depleted air flow;
• at least one first liquid inlet spray nozzle, configured for introducing a largest diameter fine size droplet into the space at a first position;
• a second liquid inlet spray nozzle, configured for introducing a largest diameter coarse size droplet into the space at a second position disposed in closer proximity to the outlet relative to the introduced largest diameter fine size droplet;
• wherein the largest diameter coarse size droplet has a greater diameter than the largest diameter fine size droplet when the same liquid is flowed through each of the first and second liquid inlet spray nozzles under the same operating conditions.

A method of separating water from air comprising the steps of:

• providing an absorber vessel defining a space for facilitating contact between air having water vapour and an hygroscopic liquid mixture;
• introducing an air flow into the space;
• spraying first hygroscopic liquid mixture droplets into the space for effecting contact between the first hygroscopic liquid mixture and the air flow, wherein at least one of the first hygroscopic liquid mixture droplets is a largest diameter fine size droplet;
• and
• spraying second hygroscopic liquid mixture droplets into the space downstream of the first hygroscopic liquid mixture droplets for effecting contact between the second hygroscopic liquid mixture and the air flow containing an entrained portion of the first hydroscopic liquid mixture droplets, wherein at least one of the second hygroscopic liquid mixture droplets is a largest diameter coarse size droplet;
• wherein the largest diameter coarse size droplet has a greater diameter than the largest diameter fine size droplet.