Patent ID: 6887303

Claim:
An apparatus for continuously humidifying and dehumidifying feed air for a manufacturing process or a ventilation and air conditioning installation, the apparatus comprising: a membrane contactor including a membrane configured to have the feed air passed along one side of the membrane and a hygroscopic liquid passed along another side of the membrane; a regenerator configured to lower a water content of the hygroscopic liquid; a metering device configured to add water so as to increase the water content of the hygroscopic liquid; a control device connected to the metering device and to the regenerator, the control device being configured to control the water content of the hygroscopic liquid so as to enable a switching between humidification and dehumidification of the feed air as a function of a water vapor partial pressure difference between the feed air and the hygroscopic liquid; and a heat exchanger configured to cool the hygroscopic liquid as the hygroscopic liquid moves from the regenerator to the membrane contactor and at the same time to heat the hygroscopic liquid as the hygroscopic liquid moves from the membrane contactor to the regenerator, the membrane contactor, the metering device, the regenerator and the heat exchanger being connected in a circuit for the hygroscopic liquid.