Patent ID: 8685144

Claim:
A system, comprising: a dehumidification system for removing H 2 O vapor from an airstream, comprising: an air channel configured to receive an inlet airstream and discharge an outlet airstream; an H 2 O permeable material adjacent to the air channel, wherein the H 2 O permeable material is configured to selectively enable H 2 O from H 2 O vapor in the inlet airstream to pass through the H 2 O permeable material to a suction side of the H 2 O permeable material and substantially block other components in the inlet airstream from passing through the H 2 O permeable material to the suction side of the H 2 O permeable material; a pressure increasing device configured to create a lower partial pressure of H 2 O vapor on the suction side of the H 2 O permeable material than the partial pressure of the H 2 O vapor in the inlet airstream to drive passage of the H 2 O from the H 2 O vapor in the inlet airstream through the H 2 O permeable material, and to increase the pressure at an outlet of the pressure increasing device to a partial pressure of H 2 O vapor suitable for condensing H 2 O vapor into liquid H 2 O, wherein the pressure increasing device comprises a vacuum pump; a condensation device configured to receive the H 2 O vapor from the outlet of the pressure increasing device, and to condense the H 2 O vapor into liquid H 2 O; and a controller configured to periodically purge the suction side of the H 2 O permeable material.