System and method of water recovery including automated monitoring and control

摘要

A device recovers water from an ambient airstream. The device includes a chamber having a group of trays that hold respective amounts of liquid desiccant. A foam media element in each tray absorbs the desiccant to increase an exposed surface of the desiccant to the airstream. Fans and valves are used to control airflow through the device. A charge cycle circulates air through the device to remove water vapor from the airstream. A subsequent extraction cycle removes water collected in the liquid desiccant by a condenser communicating with the chamber. An integral heat exchanger adds heat to the chamber during the extraction cycle. A controller is used to integrate and control device operation. The desiccant trays may be selectively configurable in an array to best suit the intended installation. The trays may be arranged in column and row configurations, along with adjustable airflow patterns between each of the trays. User interfaces are provided to monitor and control operation of the device.

主权项

1. A method of monitoring and control of a water recovery device comprising:
providing (i) a desiccant stack including a chamber defining an airflow path therein, the desiccant stack including a plurality of desiccant trays, each desiccant tray including a desiccant media cartridge and an amount of liquid desiccant placed within the desiccant tray and being absorbed by a media material of the media cartridge; (ii) a condenser communicating with the desiccant stack; (iii) a heat exchanger communicating with the desiccant stack for providing heat to the desiccant stack; (v) a controller incorporated in the water recovery device for controlling functioning of the water recovery device to include a charge cycle and an extraction cycle, the water recovery device further including a plurality of sensors as inputs to the controller, and a plurality of valves and fans, a source of energy for operating the water recovery device, and a heating element of said heat exchanger as outputs of the controller, operating the water recovery device in a charge cycle for circulating ambient air through the chamber to remove water vapor by the liquid desiccant and retaining water vapor in the chamber, the water recovery device being further operated in an extraction cycle to remove the retained water vapor within the chamber, the condenser providing a cooling source to condense the water vapor and thereby producing an amount of water condensate; and providing a plurality of user interfaces generated by programming instructions associated with a software implementation communicating with said controller, said user interfaces providing visual displays for a user to conduct monitoring and control of the water recovery device.