Waterless humidifier for residential and commercial furnaces

摘要

A method and apparatus for humidifying residential and commercial buildings in which a flue gas generated by a residential of commercial furnace is provided to one side of a porous liquid water transport membrane and habitable space air is provided to an opposite side of the porous liquid water transport membrane in an amount sufficient to provide a habitable space air to flue gas volume flow rate ratio of at least 8.3:1. At least a portion of the water vapor in the flue gas is condensed, providing condensed liquid water which is passed through the porous liquid water transport membrane to the habitable space air side of the porous liquid water transport membrane. On the habitable space air side of the membrane, the condensed liquid water is evaporated into the habitable space air, producing humidified habitable space air which is provided to the rooms of the residential and commercial buildings. Beneficially, no supplemental water source is required for the humidification process.

主权项

1. An apparatus for habitable space conditioning comprising:
a furnace having a combustion air inlet, a flue gas outlet, a habitable space air inlet for receiving air to be conditioned from a habitable space, a conditioned air outlet for providing conditioned air to said habitable space, and heat exchange means for transferring heat from a flue gas generated by said furnace to said air to be conditioned; a flue gas exhaust conduit in fluid communication with said furnace flue gas outlet, said flue gas exhaust conduit having a flue gas exhaust gas outlet; a conditioned air conduit providing fluid communication between said furnace conditioned air outlet and said habitable space; a return air conduit providing fluid communication between said habitable space and said furnace habitable space air inlet; and air humidification system for humidifying said air to a level up to about 60% relative humidity without water from an external water supply.