SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR EFFICIENT AIR DEHUMIDIFICATION AND LIQUID RECOVERY WITH EVAPORATIVE COOLING

摘要

Systems and methods are provided for dehumidifying air by establishing humidity gradients in one or more dehumidification units. Water vapor from relatively humid atmospheric air entering the dehumidification units is extracted by the dehumidification units without substantial condensation into low pressure water vapor vacuum volumes. The water vapor may be extracted through water vapor permeable membranes of the dehumidification units into the low pressure water vapor vacuum volumes, thereby reducing humidity of the air. The low pressure water vapor extracted from the air is compressed to a slightly higher pressure, condensed, and removed from the system at ambient conditions. In addition, each dehumidification unit may be associated with one or more evaporative cooling units disposed upstream and/or downstream. In one embodiment, the dehumidification units function to reduce the humidity ratio and temperature to desired final conditions by iteratively approaching an ideal humidity ratio versus temperature curve.