# US 2014/0196488 A1 · Water harvesting device

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- Number: US 2014/0196488 A1
- Document ID: US20140196488A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/743,694
- Filed: 2013-01-17
- Published: 2014-07-17
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-17
- Assignees: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Philip Mark Shryane ROBERTS; Allan EVANS; Michael Charles TOMLIN; Harry Garth WALTON
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140196488A1

## CPC

- F24F 3/14: by humidification; by dehumidification
- B01D 53/265: {by refrigeration (condensation)}
- C02F 1/041: {by means of vapour compression}
- E03B 3/28: from humid air (condensing of vapours in general B01D5/00; dehumidification of air for air-conditioning F24F3/14)
- F24F 5/0085: {Systems using a compressed air circuit}
- B01D 2257/80: Water
- Y02A 20/00: Water conservation; Efficient water supply; Efficient water use
- 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)
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes)
- E03B: INSTALLATIONS OR METHODS FOR OBTAINING, COLLECTING, OR DISTRIBUTING WATER (drilling wells, obtaining fluids in general from wells E21B; pipe-line systems in general F17D)
- Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE

## Abstract

An apparatus extracts water from the air using a single circuit of gas containing a compressor, a cooling element, a heat exchanger and an ion source, where a single stream of air is used to provide water and to pre-cool the inlet air.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus for collecting water from air, comprising:
a compressor for compressing incoming ambient air;
a counter-flow heat exchanger having an inbound portion and an outbound portion, the heat exchanger receiving compressed air from the compressor in the inbound portion;
an adiabatic expansion cooling device to further cool the compressed air and to condense water therefrom;
an ion source for providing condensation nuclei to the adiabatic expansion cooling device; and
a water collector for collecting the condensed water from the cooling device;
wherein the outbound portion of the counter-flow heat exchanger is configured to receive the cooled dry air from the adiabatic expansion cooling device to pre-cool the compressed air in the inbound portion before the dry air exits the outbound portion.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein ion source comprises an electrostatic ion generator.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an air filter to filter the incoming ambient air.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a humidity sensor.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the counter-flow heat exchanger comprises an air-to-air heat exchanger.

### Claim 6

A method for collecting water from air, comprising:
flowing compressed air from a compressor to a counter-flow heat exchanger having an inbound portion and an outbound portion, the heat exchanger receiving the compressed air from the compressor in the inbound portion;
cooling the compressed air in an adiabatic expansion cooling device;
providing condensation nuclei to the adiabatic expansion cooling device from an ion source;
condensing water from the cooled compressed air; and
collecting the condensed water from the cooling device in a water collector;
wherein the outbound portion of the counter-flow heat exchanger is configured to receive the cooled dry air from the adiabatic expansion cooling device to pre-cool the compressed air in the inbound portion before the dry air exits the outbound portion.