Thermoelectric dehumidifier

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11209176-B2
Application number	US-201815966566-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2018
Priority date	Apr 28, 2017
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

A high efficiency, low noise thermoelectric dehumidifier that includes a heat pipe array, a condensing heat sink, an air intake duct, and a thermoelectric cooler. A first air flow is directed over the condensing heat sink that is cooled by the thermoelectric cool such that the first air flow is dehumidified by the cooled condensing heat sink. Heat is removed from a hot side of the thermoelectric cooler via the heat pipe array. A second air flow is directed over the heat pipe array such that the heat extracted from the hot side of the thermoelectric cooler is extracted and circulated back into the ambient environment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A high efficiency, low noise thermoelectric dehumidifier, said dehumidifier comprising:
a housing;
at least one heat pipe array;
at least one condensing heat sink;
a condensation pan;
a condenser fan mounted to a wall of the housing at an intake duct opening in the wall of the housing;
an air intake duct that is a separate in independent structure from the housing and is connected to the condenser fan at an inlet of the air intake duct and extending into an interior of the housing from the wall of the housing to the at least one condensing heat sink, the condenser fan structured and operable to draw a first air flow from an ambient environment around the dehumidifier into the inlet of the air intake duct, the air intake duct structured and operable to guide the first air flow through the air intake duct to the at least one condensing heat sink such that the first air flow exits an outlet end of the air intake duct and passes at least one of over, through and across the at least one condensing heat sink;
at least one thermoelectric cooler, the thermoelectric cooler comprising:
a cooling side that is connected to and in thermally conductive contact with the at least one condensing heat sink that is structured and operable to cool and dehumidify the first air flow such that the first air flow is cooled and moisture in the first air flow will condense as the first air flow passes at least one of over, through and across the condensing heat sink and fall into the condensation pan, thereby dehumidifying the first air flow, whereafter the condenser fan will circulate the cooled and dehumidified first air flow back into the ambient environment; and
a hot side that is connected to and in thermally conductive contact with the at least one heat pipe array such that heat generated by the thermoelectric cooler is extracted from the thermoelectric cooler hot side by the at least one heat pipe array; and

an extractor fan structured and operable to draw a second air flow from the ambient environment at least one of over, through and across the at least one heat pipe array such that the heat extracted from the hot side of the thermoelectric cooler by the at least one heat pipe array is extracted from the at least one heat pipe array and circulated back into the ambient environment,
wherein the first air flow is not in contact with the second air flow within the housing.

2. The dehumidifier of claim 1 , wherein the air intake duct is a heat exchanging air intake conduit that is structured and operable to direct the first air flow therethrough in a first direction, and the heat exchanger air intake conduit comprises an air recovery chamber connected thereto and structured and operable to force the cooled and dehumidified air of the first air flow to pass through the heat exchanging air intake conduit in a second direction such that the first air flow being drawn into the air intake duct from the ambient environment will be pre-cooled prior to flowing at least one of over, through and across the condensing heat sink.

3. The dehumidifier of claim 2 , wherein the heat exchanging air intake conduit comprises an inlet collar and a plurality of spaced apart air flow tubes connected to the inlet collar and extending longitudinally along the length of the heat exchanging air intake conduit, wherein the inlet collar is structured and operable to direct the first air flow into the air flow tubes such that first air flow passes through an interior of the air flow tubes in a first direction and is guided to the at least one condensing heat sink, whereafter the dehumidified first air flow passes one of across, around and between and exterior of the air flow tubes in the second direction, thereby precooling the first air flow passing through the interior of the air flow tubes in the first direction.

4. The dehumidifier of claim 1 , wherein the at least one thermoelectric cooler is an ejector-thermoelectric cooler.

5. The dehumidifier of claim 1 , wherein the at least one thermoelectric cooler is an ejector-thermoelectric cooler.

6. A method for removing moisture from ambient air utilizing a high efficiency, low noise thermoelectric dehumidifier, said method comprising:
drawing, via condenser fan of the dehumidifier that is mounted to a wall of a housing of the dehumidifier at an intake duct opening in the wall of the housing, a first air flow from an ambient environment around the dehumidifier into an air intake duct of the dehumidifier that is a separate and independent structure from the housing and is connected to the condenser fan at an inlet of the air intake duct and extends into an interior of the housing from the wall of the housing to a condensing heat sink of the dehumidifier that is structured and operable to cool and dehumidify the first air flow, whereafter the air intake duct guides the first air flow to the condensing heat sink of the dehumidifier;
passing the first air flow exiting an outlet end of the air intake duct at least one of over, through and across the condensing heat sink;
cooling the condensing heat sink utilizing a thermoelectric cooler having a cooling side that is connected to and in thermally conductive contact with the condensing heat sink such that the first air flow is cooled and dehumidified and moisture in the first air flow will condense as the first air flow passes at least one of over, through and across the condensing heat sink, thereby dehumidifying the first air flow;
circulating, via the condenser fan, the cooled and dehumidified first air flow back into the ambient environment;
removing heat from a hot side of the thermoelectric cooler utilizing a heat pipe array that is connected to and in thermally conductive contact with the thermoelectric cooler hot side such that heat generated by the thermoelectric cooler is extracted from the thermoelectric cooler hot side by the heat pipe array; and
drawing, via an extractor fan, a second air flow from the ambient environment at least one of over, through and across the heat pipe array such that the heat extracted from the hot side of the thermoelectric cooler by the heat pipe array is extracted from the heat pipe array and circulated back into the ambient environment,
wherein the first air flow is not in contact with the second air flow within the housing.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising directing the cooled and dehumidified air across a flow path of the first air flow as the first air flow is being drawn into the air intake duct from the ambient environment utilizing an air recovery chamber that is connected to the intake duct such that the first air flow being drawn into the air intake duct from the ambient environment will be pre-cooled prior to passing the first air flow at least one of over, through and across the condensing heat sink.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the heat exchanging air intake conduit comprises an inlet collar and a plurality of spaced apart air flow tubes connected to the inlet collar and extending longitudinally along the length of the heat exchanging air intake conduit, wherein the inlet collar is structured and operable to direct the first air flow into the air flow tubes such that first air flow passes through an interior of the air flow tubes in a first direction and is guided to the at least one condensing heat sink, whereafter the dehumidified first air flow passes one of across, around and between and exterior of the air flow tubes in the second direction, thereby precooling the first air flow passing through the interior of the air flow tubes in the first direction.

9. The dehumidifier of claim 7 wherein the air intake duct is a heat exchanging air intake conduit comprising an inlet collar and a plurality

Assignees

• Ma Hongbin
• Hanson Willard
• Feng Zaichun
• Univ Missouri

Inventors

• Ma Hongbin
• Hanson Willard
• Feng Zaichun

Classifications

• F25B21/02 Primary

  using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect · CPC title

• F25B2321/0251

  by a gas · CPC title

• F24F2003/1446

  by condensing · CPC title

• F28D15/0275

  Arrangements for coupling heat-pipes together or with other structures, e.g. with base blocks; Heat pipe cores · CPC title

• F28D15/02

  in which the medium condenses and evaporates, e.g. heat pipes {(heat pipes used in solar heat collectors F24S10/95; in radiators F28D1/0226; in nuclear reactors G21C15/257)} · CPC title