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US 7,601,206 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for generating water using an energy conversion device
AssigneeMesoSystems Technology, Inc.
InventorsCharles J. Call, Robert C. Beckius, Ezra L. Merrill, Seung-Ho Hong, Mike Powell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Potable water is produced by extraction of water vapor from air. Water absorbed inside a desiccant bed is forced into vapor phase by using input heat energy, for example, waste heat from the exhaust of an internal combustion engine. Pre-heating a portion of the desiccant material prior to desorption enhances efficiency. Energy for the pre-heating may be obtained by recovering heat from the desiccant material prior to adsorption.
Claims16
Apparatus for extracting water from ambient air, comprising:
- an adsorption fan disposed to force ambient air to contact a section of a desiccant rotor disposed within a main adsorption flow path;
- a desorption fan disposed to force a closed loop of desorping air to contact a section of the desiccant rotor disposed within a main desorption flow path;
- a condenser disposed to contact the desorping air so that water vapor in the desorping air is condensed as liquid water;
- a main heat exchanger disposed to contact the desorping air so that the temperature of the desorping air is raised by heat energy transferred via the main heat exchanger;
- a second heat exchanger having a hot side and a cold side;
- a pre-heating flow path for conveying preheating air into contact with the hot side of the second heat exchanger so that heat energy is transferred into the pre-heating air, and into contact with a preheating section of the desiccant rotor, so as to pre-heat a portion of the desiccant rotor before the portion is exposed to the desorping air;
- a pre-heating circulation fan disposed to force the pre-heating air along the pre-heating flow path;
- a heat recovery flow path for conveying heat recovery air that has been heated by contact with a heat recovery section of the desiccant rotor to contact the cold side of the second heat exchanger, so that the heat recovery air transfers heat energy through the second heat exchanger to the preheating air;
- and
- a heat recovery circulation fan disposed to force the heat recovery air to flow along the heat recovery flow path.
7 more elements
Apparatus for extracting water from ambient air, comprising:
- a desiccant rotor that is configured to rotate so that sections of the desiccant rotor are successively exposed to different airflows at the desiccant rotor rotates, including an adsorption airflow, a pre-heating airflow, a desorping airflow, and a heat recovery airflow;
- means for forcing ambient air comprising the adsorption airflow to flow in a main adsorption flow path and to contact a portion of the desiccant rotor currently rotating past the adsorption airflow, so that moisture is absorbed from the ambient air by said portion of the desiccant rotor;
- means for forcing a closed loop of the desorping airflow within a main desorption flow path to contact a portion of the desiccant rotor currently rotating past the desorping airflow, so that moisture previously adsorbed by the desiccant rotor is transferred to the desorping airflow;
- a condenser coupled in fluid communication with both the main absorption flow path and the main desorption flow path, to transfer heat energy from the desorping airflow to the adsorption airflow, after the moisture has been transferred to the desorping airflow from the desiccant rotor, whereby water vapor in the desorping airflow is condensed at the condenser to form liquid water when the desorping airflow is thus cooled by the heat energy transfer at the condenser;
- means for passing the desorping air over the condenser;
- a main heat exchanger that is coupled in fluid communication with the condenser to receive the desorping airflow after the water vapor has been condensed from the desorping airflow, and to receive a warm fluid from a heat source, the main heat exchanger transferring heat energy from the warm fluid to the desorping airflow before the desorping airflow again contacts the desiccant rotor;
- means for contacting the desorping airflow with the main heat exchanger;
- a second heat exchanger in fluid communication with the heat recovery airflow and the pre-heat airflow so as to transfer heat energy from the heat recovery airflow to the pre-heat airflow;
- means for forcing the pre-heating airflow to contact a portion of the desiccant rotor currently rotating past a pre-heating flow path after the pre-heating airflow has been heated at the second heat exchanger;
- and
- means for forcing the heat recovery airflow to contact a portion of the desiccant rotor currently rotating past a heat recovery flow path, and to be heated by the desiccant rotor before contacting the second heat exchanger.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.