Desiccant dehumidifier
AssigneeArthur D. Little, Inc.
InventorDavid H. McFadden
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved air recirculation and conditioning system for recirculating and dehumidifying air within a living space is disclosed. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention the system diverts a portion of the air recirculated through a return and removes moisture from that portion of the air before mixing the drier air with the air in the return. In accordance with another aspect of the invention the system makes use of a standard water heater as a source of heat to heat a regenerative air stream to regenerate a desiccant wheel of the system. Finally, in accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the system externally draws all of the air for the regenerative air stream and exhausts the regenerative air stream to an air space external of the living space within which the air is being treated.
Claims18
In combination with a central air conditioning system including an evaporator coil for removing some of the moisture from air passing through said coil, an improved air recirculation and conditioning system for recirculating and dehumidifying air within a living space, said system comprising:
- conduit means for transmitting air derived entirely from said living space back to said living space;
- air recirculating means for drawing only air from said living space through said conduit means and said evaporator coil;
- and
- a dehumidification apparatus for removing latent heat and a portion of associated sensible heat only from air recirculated from and to said living space, said dehumidification apparatus comprising:
- (a) an enclosure defining (i) an air treatment passageway, coupled to said conduit means, for transmitting a treated air stream so that air passing through said air treatment passageway is derived entirely from a portion of the air transmitted through said conduit means, treated in said air treatment passageway so as to remove some of the moisture from the treated air stream, subsequently mixed with the remaining portion of air in said conduit means and then passed through said evaporator coil so as to remove additional moisture from said mixed air, and (ii) a regenerative air passageway for transmitting a regenerative air stream derived entirely from and exhausted externally with respect to said living space;
- (b) desiccant means for transferring moisture from the air treatment passageway to the regenerative air passageway;
- (c) means for creating said treated air stream through said air treatment passageway so that air derived entirely from said portion of the air transmitted through said conduit means passes through said desiccant means before being mixed with the remaining portion of air in said conduit means;
- and
- (d) means for creating said regenerative air stream through said regenerative air passageway so that air derived entirely externally with respect to said living space passes through said desiccant means before exhausting to a space external with respect to said living space.
In combination with an air recirculation and conditioning system for recirculating and dehumidifying air within a living space, said system being of the type comprising:
- an evaporator coil for removing some of the moisture from air transmitted through said coil;
- conduit means for recirculating air derived entirely from said living space, and transmitting the recirculated air through said evaporator coil and back to said living space;
- and air recirculating means for drawing air, derived entirely from said living space, through said conduit means and said evaporator coil;
- and a dehumidification apparatus for removing latent heat and a portion of associated sensible heat from a portion of recirculated air entirely derived from said conduit means, said dehumidification apparatus comprising:
- (a) an enclosure defining (i) an air treatment passageway, coupled to said conduit means, for transmitting a treated air stream so that air passing through said air treatment passageway is derived entirely from a portion of the air being transmitted through said conduit means, treated in said air treatment passageway so as to remove moisture from said air, subsequently mixed with the remaining air in said conduit and then passed through said evaporator coil so as to remove additional moisture from the mixed air, and (ii) a regenerative air passageway for transmitting a regenerative air stream derived entirely from and exhausted externally with respect to said living space;
- (b) desiccant means for transferring moisture from the air treatment passageway to the regenerative air passageway;
- (c) heat exchanger means for transferring sensible heat from said air treatment passageway to said regenerative air passageway;
- (d) heater means, disposed in said regenerative air passageway between said desiccant means and said heat exchanger means, for supplying heat to said regenerative air stream;
- (e) means for creating said treated air stream through said air treatment passageway so that said portion of air derived entirely from said conduit means passes through said desiccant means and then said heat exchanger means before being mixed with the remaining portion of air in said conduit means;
- and
- (f) means for creating said regenerative air stream through said regenerative air passageway so that air entirely derived externally with respect to said living space passes first through said heat exchanger means;
- then through said heater means and then through said desiccant means before exhausting to a space external with respect to said living space.
A method of recirculating, dehumidifying and cooling air within a living space, said method comprising the steps of:
- transmitting only air entirely derived from said living space through conduit means;
- drawing only a portion of said air from said conduit means and passing said air portion through an air treatment passageway wherein said air portion is passed through desiccant means for transferring moisture from the air treatment passageway to a regenerative air passageway so as to reduce the moisture content of said air portion, while simultaneously passing a regenerative air stream entirely derived externally of said living space through said regenerative air passageway so as to absorb moisture transferred from said air treatment passageway to said regenerative air passageway and entirely exhausted externally of said living space;
- mixing said air portion having a reduced moisture content with the air in said conduit means so as to provide a mixed air flow;
- and
- passing said mixed air flow through an air conditioning evaporator coil and into said living space.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.