US 7,942,387 B2Granted

System and method for managing water content in a fluid

AssigneeDucool Ltd.

InventorDan Forkosh

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Abstract

A system and method for managing water content in a fluid include a collection chamber for collecting water from the fluid with a desiccant, and a regeneration chamber for collecting water from the desiccant and transferring it to a second fluid. An evaporator cools the desiccant entering the collection chamber, and a condenser heats the desiccant entering the regeneration chamber. Diluted desiccant from the collection chamber is exchanged with concentrated desiccant from the regeneration chamber in such a way as to efficiently control the transfer of both mass and heat between the chambers. In one embodiment, mass is not exchanged until one or both of the desiccant levels in the chambers exceeds a predetermined level. Heat is transferred between the two desiccant flows as they are transferred between the chambers. This increases efficiency and reduces the energy input required for the evaporator and the condenser.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A system for managing water content in a fluid, comprising:

a first chamber including an inlet and an outlet for facilitating movement of a first fluid into and out of the first chamber;
a desiccant capable of being introduced into the first chamber for removing water from the first fluid moving through the first chamber;
a second chamber including an inlet and an outlet for facilitating movement of a second fluid into and out of the second chamber, thereby facilitating evaporation of water from the desiccant in the second chamber into the second fluid, one chamber of the first and second chambers including a bottom and a wall having an aperture therein disposed at a predetermined height from the bottom such that desiccant overflows from the one chamber and automatically enters the other chamber of the first and second chambers through the aperture when the desiccant in the one chamber reaches a level at least as high as the aperture;
a valve configured to receive desiccant from the other chamber and having an open position for facilitating a flow of desiccant from the other chamber to the one chamber, and a closed position for inhibiting the flow of desiccant from the other chamber to the one chamber;
a level sensor at least partially disposed within the other chamber and configured to open the valve when the level of the desiccant in the other chamber reaches at least a first predetermined level, and to close the valve when the level of the desiccant in the other chamber drops below a second predetermined level;
and
a pump configured to pump the desiccant from the other chamber to the one chamber when the valve is open.

4 more elements

A method for managing water content in a fluid using a system including a first chamber including an inlet and an outlet to facilitate movement of a first fluid into and out of the first chamber, a liquid desiccant capable of being introduced into the first chamber for removing water from the first fluid moving through the first chamber, and a second chamber including an inlet and an outlet for facilitating movement of a second fluid into and out of the second chamber to facilitate evaporation of water from the desiccant in the second chamber into the second fluid, one chamber of the first and second chambers including a wall and a bottom, the method comprising:

removing water from the first fluid using a process that includes exposing at least some of the first fluid to the desiccant, thereby increasing the water content of at least some of the desiccant;
introducing at least some of the desiccant having increased water content into a second fluid, thereby facilitating evaporation of water from the desiccant into the second fluid and increasing water content of the second fluid;
providing an aperture in the wall of the one chamber at a predetermined height from the bottom such that desiccant overflows from the one chamber and automatically enters the other chamber of the first and second chambers through the aperture when the desiccant in the one chamber reaches a level at least as high as the aperture;
automatically transferring desiccant from the other chamber of the first and second chambers to the one chamber when the when the level of the desiccant in the other chamber reaches at least a first predetermined level;
and
automatically stopping the transfer of the desiccant from the other chamber to the one chamber when the level of the desiccant in the other chamber drops below a second predetermined level.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/438,617Filed 27 Aug 2007 · us provisional application
Priority: 25 Aug 2006
Published: US 2010/0013112 A121 Jan 2010
Granted: 17 May 2011
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification3 codes

F24F 3/1417
By absorbing or adsorbing water, e.g. using an hygroscopic desiccant: with liquid hygroscopic desiccants
F24F 2003/1458
By humidification; by dehumidification: using regenerators
F24F
Air-conditioning