Air conditioning system with distilled water production from air

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9784489-B2
Application number	US-201214003680-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2012
Priority date	Mar 16, 2011
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

An air conditioning and water producing system includes a heat pumping unit and a membrane contactor in thermal communication with the heat pumping unit. The membrane contactor is configured such that a first brine flow is cooled by the heat pumping unit and diluted at the membrane contactor. A distiller is in thermal communication with the heat pumping unit and the membrane contactor such that a second brine flow is heated by the heat pumping unit and conveyed through the distiller. Thermal interaction between the second brine flow and the first brine flow flowing through the distiller extracts water from the second brine flow.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air conditioning and water producing system comprising:
a heat pumping unit including a condenser and an evaporator;
a membrane contactor in thermal communication with the heat pumping unit configured such that a first brine flow is cooled by the evaporator of the heat pumping unit and diluted at the membrane contactor via absorption of moisture from a flow of process air;
a distiller in thermal communication with the heat pumping unit and the membrane contactor such that a second brine flow is flowed a first time through the distiller, heated by the condenser of the heat pumping unit and conveyed a second time through the distiller, thermal interaction between the second brine flow conveyed a second time through the distiller and the first time through the distiller extracts water from the second brine flow; and
a brine sump to which both the first brine flow and the second brine flow are conveyed.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a heat exchanger to reject heat from the second brine flow after distillation.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a brine pump to pump at least a portion of the first brine flow to the heat pumping unit.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the heat pumping unit is a vapor-compression heat pump or a sorption heat pump.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the membrane contactor is thermally connected to an evaporator of the heat pumping unit via the first brine flow.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the distiller is thermally connected to a condenser of the heat pumping unit via the second brine flow.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the distiller is a liquid gap membrane distiller.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the membrane contactor is configured to cool the flow of process air via the first brine flow.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a tank for storage of the distilled water.

Assignees

• Ma Zidu
• Carrier Corp

Inventors

• Ma Zidu

Classifications

• F25B43/00 Primary

  Arrangements for separating or purifying gases or liquids (in analysers or rectifiers F25B33/00); Arrangements for vaporising the residuum of liquid refrigerant, e.g. by heat (F25B40/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E03B3/28 Primary

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

• F24F3/1417

  with liquid hygroscopic desiccants · CPC title

• Y02A20/00

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