Systems and methods for generating liquid water from air

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10835861-B2
Application number	US-201515528366-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2015
Priority date	Nov 20, 2014
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

This disclosure includes systems and methods for extracting water vapor from atmospheric air and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, systems and methods for optimizing liquid water production from air, in some instances, taking into account diurnal variations. The systems comprise an adsorption zone an a desorption zone, an actuator to move a desiccant between the adsorption zone and the desorption zone. The liquid water production is optimized based, at least in part, on measurements of one or more of: an ambient air temperature, ambient air relative humidity, and a level of solar insolation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for generating liquid water from air, the system comprising:
a housing defining an adsorption zone and a desorption zone;
a desiccant selectively movable between:
the adsorption zone in which the desiccant is in fluid communication with a process airflow path such that the desiccant can capture water from air in the process airflow path; and
the desorption zone in which the desiccant is in fluid communication with a regeneration fluid path such that the desiccant can release water to regeneration fluid in the regeneration fluid path;

an actuator configured to move the desiccant between the adsorption zone and the desorption zone;
a first blower configured to adjust a flow rate of air through the process airflow path;
a circulator configured to adjust a flow rate of regeneration fluid through the regeneration fluid path;
a thermal unit comprising a casing in fluid communication with the regeneration fluid path and configured to provide thermal energy to regeneration fluid in the regeneration fluid path;
a condenser configured to receive regeneration fluid from the desorption zone via the regeneration fluid path and to produce liquid water from regeneration fluid received from the desorption zone;
a solar insolation sensor configured to capture data indicative of a level of solar insolation; and
a controller configured to control a liquid water production rate by controlling at least one of: a blower speed of the first blower, a movement of the desiccant through the actuator, or a speed of the circulator, based, at least in part, on a signal received from the solar insolation sensor.

2. The system of claim 1 , where the controller is configured to control the liquid water production rate over a diurnal cycle based, at least in part, on diurnal variations in the level of solar insolation.

3. The system of claim 1 , where the housing is configured such that dimensions of the adsorption zone and the desorption zone are adjustable.

4. The system of claim 1 , comprising a temperature sensor configured to capture data indicative of an ambient air temperature.

5. The system of claim 1 , comprising a humidity sensor configured to capture data indicative of an ambient air relative humidity.

6. The system of claim 1 , where the solar insolation sensor comprises a temperature sensor configured to capture data indicative of a temperature of regeneration fluid in the regeneration fluid path downstream of the thermal unit.

7. The system of claim 1 , comprising:
a temperature sensor configured to capture data indicative of a temperature of air in the process airflow path;
where the controller is configured to control the liquid water production rate based, at least in part, on the data captured by the temperature sensor.

8. The system of claim 1 , comprising:
a humidity sensor configured to capture data indicative of a relative humidity of air in the process airflow path;
where the controller is configured to control the liquid water production rate based, at least in part, on the data captured by the humidity sensor.

9. The system of claim 1 , comprising:
a humidity sensor configured to capture data indicative of a relative humidity of regeneration fluid in the regeneration fluid path;
where the controller is configured to control the liquid water production rate based, at least in part, on the data captured by the humidity sensor.

10. The system of claim 1 , comprising:
a flow sensor configured to capture data indicative of the flow rate of air through the process airflow path;
where the controller is configured to control the liquid water production rate based, at least in part, on the data captured by the flow sensor.

11. The system of claim 1 , comprising:
a flow sensor configured to capture data indicative of the flow rate of regeneration fluid through the regeneration fluid path;
where the controller is configured to control the liquid water production rate based, at least in part, on the data captured by the flow sensor.

12. The system of claim 1 , where the thermal unit is configured to absorb sunlight to provide at least a portion of the thermal energy to regeneration fluid in the regeneration fluid path.

13. The system of claim 12 , where the thermal unit comprises:
a transparent layer configured to allow sunlight to enter the casing of the thermal unit;
an absorber configured to absorb thermal energy from the sunlight and provide at least a portion of the thermal energy absorbed from the sunlight to regeneration fluid in the regeneration fluid path; and
an insulator configured to insulate at least a portion of the casing.

14. The system of claim 1 , where the condenser is configured to transfer thermal energy from regeneration fluid in the regeneration fluid path downstream of the desiccant to air in the process airflow path upstream of the desiccant.

15. The system of claim 1 , comprising a water collection unit configured to receive liquid water produced from the condenser.

16. The system of claim 15 , where the water collection unit comprises a filter.

17. The system of claim 15 , where the water collection unit comprises an ultraviolet (UV) light source.

18. The system of claim 15 , where the water collection unit comprises a receptacle configured to receive one or more additives for introduction to liquid water produced from the condenser.

19. The system of claim 15 , where the water collection unit has a footprint with a maximum transverse dimension less than or equal to 8 feet (ft).

20. The system of claim 19 , where an area of the footprint is less than or equal to 64 square feet (ft 2 ).

21. The system of claim 19 , where the water collection unit can be contained within a cubic volume less than or equal to 512 cubic feet (ft 3 ).

22. The system of claim 1 , comprising a solar power unit configured to provide electrical power to the system.

23. The system of claim 22 , where the solar power unit comprises a solar panel.

24. The system of claim 22 , where the system is configured to operate without an external source of electrical power.

25. The system of claim 1 , comprising a purge airflow path configured to transfer thermal energy from a portion of the adsorption zone to a portion of the desorption zone.

26. The system of claim 25 , where the controller is configured to control the liquid water production rate based, at least in part, on a temperature of air in the purge airflow path.

27. The system of claim 1 , comprising a recovery heat exchanger configured to transfer thermal energy from regeneration fluid in the regeneration fluid path downstream of the desiccant to regeneration fluid in the regeneration fluid path upstream of the desiccant.

28. The system of claim 1 , comprising a second desiccant configured to at least one of:
transfer water from regeneration fluid in the regeneration fluid path downstream of the condenser to regeneration fluid in the regeneration fluid path upstream the condenser; or
transfer heat from one regeneration fluid path to another.

29. The system of claim 1 , where the desiccant is disposed on a disk, the desiccant configured to move between the adsorption zone and the desorption zone as the disk is rotated.

30. The system of claim 1 , where the system is configured such that a first portion of the de

Assignees

• Univ Arizona State

Inventors

• Friesen Cody
• Switzer Elise
• Lorzel Heath

Classifications

• Y02A20/00

  Water conservation; Efficient water supply; Efficient water use · CPC title

• E03B3/28

  from humid air (condensing of vapours in general B01D5/00; dehumidification of air for air-conditioning F24F3/14) · CPC title

• B01D53/06

  with moving adsorbents, e.g. rotating beds {(B01D53/025 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• C02F1/325

  Irradiation devices or lamp constructions · CPC title

• B01D2259/4009

  using hot gas · CPC title