Patent ID: 7601206
Filing Date: 2009-10-13
Classification: F24F

Abstract:
1. 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.