Patent ID: 7954335
Filing Date: 2011-06-07
Classification: E03B,F28F,Y02A

Abstract:
1. A selectively variable pre-cooling atmospheric water harvester (AWH), comprising: a housing having a first inlet and one or more outlets; a first airflow passageway extending through the housing from said first inlet to said one or more outlets; a cooling member disposed within the first airflow passageway for condensing atmospheric moisture; a heat exchanger that is configured so as to be able to transfer heat from air flowing through one portion of the first airflow passageway to air flowing through another portion of the first airflow passageway; and one or more fans or impellers arranged to propel air through the atmospheric water harvester; wherein the atmospheric water harvester has at least a first, maximum pre-cooling operational configuration and a second, minimum pre-cooling operational configuration and is selectively reconfigurable therebetween; wherein in the first, maximum pre-cooling operational configuration of the AWH, the heat exchanger transfers heat from air flowing through a portion of the first airflow passageway that is located upstream of the cooling member (an upstream portion of the first airflow passageway) to air flowing through a portion of the first airflow passageway that is located downstream of the cooling member (a downstream portion of the first airflow passageway), whereby the net airflow flowing through the first airflow passageway is pre-cooled to a maximum extent before traversing the cooling member; and wherein in the second, minimum pre-cooling operational configuration of the AWH, the net airflow flowing through the first airflow passageway is pre-cooled to a minimum extent before traversing the cooling member.