Desiccant dehumidifier

Claim 2

In combination with a central air conditioning system including an evaporator coil for removing some of the moisture from air passing through said coil, an improved air recirculation and conditioning system for recirculating and dehumidifying air within a living space, said system comprising: conduit means for transmitting air derived entirely from said living space back to said living space; air recirculating means for drawing only air from said living space through said conduit means and said evaporator coil; and a dehumidification apparatus for removing latent heat and a portion of associated sensible heat only from air recirculated from and to said living space, said dehumidification apparatus comprising: (a) an enclosure defining (i) an air treatment passageway, coupled to said conduit means, for transmitting a treated air stream so that air passing through said air treatment passageway is derived entirely from a portion of the air transmitted through said conduit means, treated in said air treatment passageway so as to remove some of the moisture from the treated air stream, subsequently mixed with the remaining portion of air in said conduit means and then passed through said evaporator coil so as to remove additional moisture from said mixed air, and (ii) a regenerative air passageway for transmitting a regenerative air stream derived entirely from and exhausted externally with respect to said living space; (b) desiccant means for transferring moisture from the air treatment passageway to the regenerative air passageway; (c) means for creating said treated air stream through said air treatment passageway so that air derived entirely from said portion of the air transmitted through said conduit means passes through said desiccant means before being mixed with the remaining portion of air in said conduit means; and (d) means for creating said regenerative air stream through said regenerative air passageway so that air derived entirely externally with respect to said living space passes through said desiccant means before exhausting to a space external with respect to said living space.

Claim 3

A system according to claim 1, wherein said means for creating said treated air stream through said air treatment passageway draws air so that the air drawn through said air treatment passageway is at a relatively lower flow rate than air drawn through said conduit by said air recirculating means.

Claim 4

A system according to claim 2, wherein said means for creating said treated air stream draws air so that the treated air stream is at a flow rate of between about 10% to 20% of the flow rate of air drawn through said conduit by said air recirculating means.

Claim 5

A system according to claim 1, wherein said desiccant means includes a desiccant wheel assembly comprising (1) a wheel including a desiccant material and means for mounting said wheel so that at any one moment (a) a portion of said wheel is positioned in said air treatment passageway so that said treated air stream passes through said portion of said wheel and (b) a different portion of said wheel is positioned in said regenerative air passageway so that said regenerative air stream passes through said different portion of said wheel, and (2) means for rotating the wheel about its axis so that said wheel rotates relative to said passageways.

Claim 6

A system according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus further includes heater means disposed in said regenerative air passageway for supplying heat to said regenerative air stream, wherein said means for creating said regenerative air stream through said regenerative air passageway draws air derived externally with respect to said living space through said heater means and said desiccant means before exhausting the air to a space external with respect to said living space.

Claim 7

A system according to claim 5, wherein said heater means includes heat radiating means, adapted to circulate hot water within said regenerative air passageway, for using hot water to heat said air.

Claim 8

A system according to claim 6, further including means for connecting said heat radiating means to a water heater.

Claim 9

A system according to claim 7, wherein said heat radiating means includes a tube, disposed in said regenerative air passageway, for circulating said hot water within said regenerative air passageway.

Claim 10

A system according to claim 1, further including heat exchanger means for transferring heat from said air treatment passageway to said regenerative air passageway, wherein said means for creating said treated air stream through said air treatment passageway passes air derived from said living space through said desiccant means and said heat exchanger means before being mixed with air in said conduit, and said means for creating said regenerative air stream through said regenerative air passageway draws air derived externally with respect to said living space through said heat exchanger means and said desiccant means before exhausting said regenerative air stream to a space external with respect to said living space.

Claim 11

A system according to claim 9, wherein said heat exchanger means includes a heat exchanger assembly for cooling air transmitted through said air treatment passageway after moisture is removed from the air by said desiccant means and heating air transmitted through said second passageway prior to regenerating said desiccant material.

Claim 12

A system according to claim 10, wherein said heat exchanger assembly includes (1) a heat wheel including a heat absorptive material, (2) means for mounting said wheel so that at any one moment (a) a portion of said heat wheel is positioned in said air treatment passageway so that air of said treated air stream passes through said portion of said heat wheel and (b) a different portion of said heat wheel is positioned in said regenerative air passageway so that air of said regenerative air stream passes through said different portion of said heat wheel, and (3) means for rotating the wheel about its axis so that said wheel rotates relative to said passageways.

Claim 13

A system according to claim 1, further including an air conditioning unit including an evaporation coil disposed in said conduit for cooling the mixture of said air passing through said conduit and said treated air stream, wherein said air recirculating means includes an air conditioning circulation blower.

Claim 14

A system according to claim 12, wherein said air conditioning unit further includes a thermostat for controlling the temperature of air in said living space, and said apparatus further includes a humidistat, independent of said thermostat, for controlling the humidity of air in said living space.

Claim 15

The combination of claim 1, wherein said enclosure defines said air treatment passageway so that air passing through said air treatment passageway is approximately between about 10% and 20% of the air transmitted through said conduit means.

Claim 16

In combination with an air recirculation and conditioning system for recirculating and dehumidifying air within a living space, said system being of the type comprising: an evaporator coil for removing some of the moisture from air transmitted through said coil; conduit means for recirculating air derived entirely from said living space, and transmitting the recirculated air through said evaporator coil and back to said living space; and air recirculating means for drawing air, derived entirely from said living space, through said conduit means and said evaporator coil; and a dehumidification apparatus for removing latent heat and a portion of associated sensible heat from a portion of recirculated air entirely derived from said conduit means, said dehumidification apparatus comprising: (a) an enclosure defining (i) an air treatment passageway, coupled to said conduit means, for transmitting a treated air stream so that air passing through said air treatment passageway is derived entirely from a portion of the air being transmitted through said conduit means, treated in said air treatment passageway so as to remove moisture from said air, subsequently mixed with the remaining air in said conduit and then passed through said evaporator coil so as to remove additional moisture from the mixed air, and (ii) a regenerative air passageway for transmitting a regenerative air stream derived entirely from and exhausted externally with respect to said living space; (b) desiccant means for transferring moisture from the air treatment passageway to the regenerative air passageway; (c) heat exchanger means for transferring sensible heat from said air treatment passageway to said regenerative air passageway; (d) heater means, disposed in said regenerative air passageway between said desiccant means and said heat exchanger means, for supplying heat to said regenerative air stream; (e) means for creating said treated air stream through said air treatment passageway so that said portion of air derived entirely from said conduit means passes through said desiccant means and then said heat exchanger means before being mixed with the remaining portion of air in said conduit means; and (f) means for creating said regenerative air stream through said regenerative air passageway so that air entirely derived externally with respect to said living space passes first through said heat exchanger means; then through said heater means and then through said desiccant means before exhausting to a space external with respect to said living space.

Claim 17

In combination with an air recirculation and conditioning system for recirculating and dehumidifying air within a living space, said system being of the type comprising: an evaporator coil for removing some of the moisture from air transmitted through said coil; conduit means for recirculating air derived entirely from said living space, and transmitting the recirculated air through said evaporator coil and back to said living space; and air recirculating means for drawing air, derived entirely from said living space, through said conduit means and said evaporator coil; and a dehumidification apparatus for removing latent heat and a portion of associated sensible heat from a portion of recirculated air entirely derived from said conduit means, said dehumidification apparatus comprising: (a) an enclosure defining (i) an air treatment passageway, coupled to said conduit means, for transmitting a treated air stream so that air passing through said air treatment passageway is derived entirely from a portion of the air being transmitted through said conduit means, treated in said air treatment passageway so as to remove moisture from said air, subsequently mixed with the remaining air in said conduit and then passed through said evaporator coil so as to remove additional moisture from the mixed air, and (ii) a regenerative air passageway for transmitting a regenerative air stream derived entirely from and exhausted externally with respect to said living space; (b) desiccant means for transferring moisture from the air treatment passageway to the regenerative air passageway; (c) heat exchanger means for transferring sensible heat from said air treatment passageway to said regenerative air passageway; (d) heater means, disposed in said regenerative air passageway between said desiccant means and said heat exchanger means, for supplying heat to said regenerative air stream; (e) means for creating said treated air stream through said air treatment passageway so that said portion of air derived entirely from said conduit means passes through said desiccant means and then said heat exchanger means before being mixed with the remaining portion of air in said conduit means; and (f) means for creating said regenerative air stream through said regenerative air passageway so that air entirely derived externally with respect to said living space passes first through said heat exchanger means; then through said heater means and then through said desiccant means before exhausting to a space external with respect to said living space.

Claim 18

The combination of claim 15, wherein said enclosure defines said air treatment passageway so that air passing through said air treatment passageway is approximately between about 10% and about 20% of the air transmitted through said conduit means.

Claim 21

The method according to claim 17, wherein said step of drawing only a portion of said air from said conduit means and passing said air portion through an air treatment passageway includes the step of drawing between about 10% and about 20% of the air from said conduit means.