SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING AND/OR DESALINATING WATER USING ABSORPTION REFRIGERATION
A system and method for producing water from ambient moisture using an absorption chiller is provided. A portion of the chilled water coil is exposed to the air and the system is configured to collect and/or store for later use, water formed from atmospheric moisture condensing on this portion of the chilled water coil.
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The present application claims priority to co-pending Provisional Patent Application No. 61/447,929, filed on Mar. 1, 2011, entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING WATER USING AN ABSORPTION CHILLER, that application being incorporated herein, by reference, in their entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The present application relates to the production of potable water, and more particularly, to a system and method for producing water drawn from the atmosphere using an absorption chiller.
2. Description of the Related Art
Absorption chillers are known. For example,
The use of a cooling tower 60, however, contributes to the loss of the cooling water, as it evaporates in the cooling tower 60 and is lost to the atmosphere. Additionally, although used for heating and air conditioning applications, the absorption cooler 10 of
A system and method for producing potable water from ambient moisture using an absorption chiller is provided.
In one particular embodiment of the invention, an absorption chiller is provided wherein the cooling water circulating through the condenser and absorber is, first, cooled to the ambient outside temperature. Subsequently, the ambient temperature cooling water is further cooled by cool air from a chilled water coil to further reduce the temperature of the cooling water. Further, the chilled water coil, instead of being exposed to an interior insulated space, is merely open to the atmosphere, causing moisture from the atmosphere to condense thereon and produce water.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a system and method for producing and/or desalinating water using an absorption chiller, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of the specific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
For a fuller understanding of the nature of the present invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
Like reference tags and/or numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTReferring now to
However, it can be clearly seen that certain elements of the system 100 are not present in, nor contemplated by, the absorption chiller for air conditioning applications described hereinabove in connection with
Thus, in the system 100, the heat medium is provided to the generator section of the absorption chiller 10 from the heat medium sources 110a and/or 110b.
The system 100 of the invention has been further modified such that the cooling tower of
As further shown in
Additionally, as the chilled water coil 130 of system, 100 is not used in an air conditioning application, but is, instead, placed in an outdoor environment, atmospheric moisture around the chilled water coil 130 condenses on the chilled water coil 130 and is collected as water in a water collection tray 135 located beneath the chilled water coil 130. If desired, a portion 137 of a subcooling device can optionally be provided in the water collection tray 135 to further cool the water within the cooling water circuit. For example, as shown more particularly in
Referring now to
More particularly, as shown in
Referring now to
The evaporative medium 220 is located proximal to, and/or, within the air flow in front of (i.e., upstream of) the chilled water coil 130 of
Thus, the system 100 uses absorption chiller principles to produce water from atmospheric moisture surrounding the chiller. The absorption chiller 10 operates efficiently by cooling water for the system without using a conventional water cooling tower. More particularly, water that has absorbed heat in the evaporator and/or condenser sections is first brought to ambient temperature in an air-cooled water coil and, subsequently, brought to a lower cooling water temperature (75° in the preferred embodiment) by passage through a cooling water coil placed downstream of the air blowing over the chilled water coil, thereby, cooling it. The chilled water coil, while not in use for air conditioning applications, serves both to cool the cooling water coil to provide cooled water to the system 100 and to condense atmospheric water thereon. This condensed atmospheric water can be stored and used to provide water for drinking and other uses.
The present disclosure is provided to allow practice of the invention, after the expiration of any patent granted hereon, by those skilled in the art without undue experimentation, and includes the best mode presently contemplated and the presently preferred embodiment. Nothing in this disclosure is to be taken to limit the scope of the invention, which is susceptible to numerous alterations, equivalents and substitutions without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.
Claims
1. A system for cooling water, comprising:
- an absorption chiller including a condenser section and an evaporator section;
- a chilled water coil including a first section of chilled water coil within said evaporator section and a second section of chilled water coil, in fluid communication with said first section, located outside of said absorption chiller;
- a first section of cooling water coil passing through at least said condenser section to remove latent heat from said condenser section;
- a second section of cooling water coil, in fluid communication with said first section of cooling water coil, said second section of cooling water coil being disposed adjacent to said second section of said chilled water coil so as to be cooled by said second section of said chilled water coil, such that water exiting said second section of cooling water coil is provided to said first section of cooling water coil at a temperature below ambient air temperature.
2. The system of claim 1, additionally comprising a further section of cooling water coil in fluid communication with said first section of cooling water coil, said further section of cooling water coil being exposed to ambient temperature air, to cool the water in further section to ambient air temperature.
3. The system of claim 1, further including an auxiliary cooler, a portion of said auxiliary cooler being located in said condenser section.
4. The system of claim 1, further including an auxiliary cooler, a portion of said auxiliary cooler being placed in thermal communication with refrigerant that is about to enter said evaporator section.
5. A method of producing water, comprising the steps of:
- providing the system according to claim 1;
- collecting water produced by moisture condensing on said chilled water coil.
6. A system for producing water, comprising:
- an absorption chiller including a condenser section and an evaporator section;
- a chilled water coil including a first section of chilled water coil within said evaporator section and a second section of chilled water coil, in fluid communication with said first section, located outside of said absorption chiller;
- said second section of chilled water coil being exposed to atmospheric moisture to produce condensation in the form of water, said second section of chilled water coil being configured to permit said water to form and accumulate on said second section of chilled water coil;
- a first section of cooling water coil passing through at least said condenser section to remove latent heat from said condenser section; and
- a second section of cooling water coil, in fluid communication with said first section of cooling water coil, said second section of cooling water coil being disposed adjacent to said second section of said chilled water coil so as to be cooled by said second section of said chilled water coil, such that water exiting said second section of cooling water coil is provided to said first section of cooling water coil at a temperature below ambient air temperature.
7. The system of claim 6, further including a collector for collecting and storing the water formed on said second section of chilled water coil.
8. The system of claim 6, further including an auxiliary cooler, a portion of said auxiliary cooler being located in said condenser section.
9. The system of claim 6, further including an auxiliary cooler, a portion of said auxiliary cooler being placed in thermal communication with refrigerant that is about to enter said evaporator section.
10. The system of claim 9, additionally including a further section of cooling water coil in fluid communication with said first section of cooling water coil, said further section of cooling water coil being exposed to ambient temperature air, to cool the water exiting from said further section to ambient air temperature.
11. The system of claim 6, further including a desalination system producing a humid air stream proximal to said chilled water coil.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein said desalination system includes an evaporative medium for evaporating salt water circulated between a source of salt water and the evaporative medium.
13. The system of claim 12, further including a heating device disposed between said source of salt water and said evaporative medium.
14. A method for producing water, comprising the steps of:
- providing the system of claim 6; and
- collecting water condensing on said second section of chilled water coil in said collector.
15. The method of claim 14, further including the step of:
- providing a desalination system to produce a humid air stream proximal to said chilled water coil.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein said desalination system includes an evaporative medium, a source of salt water and a pump for pumping salt water into the evaporative medium, thus producing the humid air stream.
17. The method of claim 16, further including the step of warming the salt water before it enters the evaporative medium.
18. A system for producing water, comprising:
- an absorption chiller including a generator section, a condenser section, an absorber section and an evaporator section;
- a hot water coil passing between a hot water source and said generator section;
- a cooling water coil, at least a first portion of said cooling water coil passing through said condenser section;
- a chilled water coil including a first section of chilled water coil within said evaporator section and a second section of chilled water coil, in fluid communication with said first section, located outside of said absorption chiller; and
- said second section of chilled water coil being exposed to atmospheric moisture to produce condensation in the form of water, said second section of chilled water coil being configured to permit said water to form and accumulate on said second section of chilled water coil.
19. The system of claim 18, wherein the hot water source includes at least one of a solar hot water heater, a gas hot water heater and an electric hot water heater.
20. The system of claim 18, wherein another portion of said cooling water coil is provided in contact with, or immersion in, water produced by said chilled water coil.
21. The system of claim 18, wherein water in another portion of said cooling water coil is disposed adjacent to said second section of said chilled water coil so as to be cooled by said second section of said chilled water coil, such that water exiting said second section is provided to said first section at a temperature below ambient air temperature.
22. The system of claim 18, additionally comprising a further section of cooling water coil in fluid communication with said first portion of cooling water coil, said further section of cooling water coil being exposed to ambient temperature air, to cool the water in said further section to ambient air temperature.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 1, 2012
Publication Date: Sep 6, 2012
Applicant: PET PROJECTS, INC. (MIAMI, FL)
Inventor: THOMAS D. MERRITT (HOLLYWOOD, FL)
Application Number: 13/409,782
International Classification: F25B 15/00 (20060101);