An air handling system is disclosed that includes an integral chilled water refrigeration system. The air handling system additionally includes a first coil section that provides cooling and a second coil section that provides heating. The second coil section and associated terminal units are in fluid communication with the first refrigeration system.

An improved HVAC system and method for simultaneously controlling the temperature and humidity of an indoor space while providing high quantities of outdoor air is described herein. The HVAC system of the present invention utilizes a heating source positioned in the supply passageway between an energy recovery wheel and a dehumidification wheel in order to control the temperature and humidity of air supplied to the indoor space while preventing frost build-up on the energy recover wheel. By positioning a heating source between the energy recovery wheel and a dehumidification wheel, the system is able to prevent frost accumulation on the energy recovery wheel during winter operation while also increasing the relative humidity of the supply air.

A dedicated outdoor air system and method that is capable of operating over a broader spectrum of conditions. The HVAC system of the present invention utilizes a heating means positioned within the return air passageway in order to optimize the regeneration of the desiccant wheel and energy recovery device. By positioning a heating means upstream of the regeneration side of the desiccant wheel, the system is capable of providing supply air having low dew points to the enclosed space while still providing improved energy efficiency over conventional HVAC systems.

A process gas treatment device for a process gas for treating a process material in a process apparatus and a method for treating process gas for the treatment of a process material in a process apparatus during a drying phase and a cooling phase.

Disclosed is a humidity control apparatus which ensures a sufficient dehumidification amount without increasing an area of a gas-liquid contact portion in a dehumidification unit, regardless of the type of liquid absorbent used. The humidity control apparatus includes an absorbent circuit connecting a liquid-based dehumidification module, a recovery module, and a liquid-cooling heat exchanger which cools, with a refrigerant, a liquid absorbent before being used in the liquid-based dehumidification module. A refrigerant-cooling-based dehumidification module is positioned upstream of the liquid-based dehumidification module in a flow direction of target air, and cools and dehumidifies, with the refrigerant, the target air before being dehumidified in the module. The liquid-cooling heat exchanger and the refrigerant-cooling-based dehumidification module are connected to a single refrigerant circuit together with a liquid-heating heat exchanger.

A novel cooling system is disclosed. It includes one or more thermoelectric (TE) modules, each TE module having at least one semiconductor element located between two ceramic plates. The ceramic plates also include one or more electrodes. The cooling system further includes one or more heat exchangers, where the heat exchangers are in contact with at least one ceramic plate. In addition, the system includes one or more solid desiccant-based dehumidification compartments. Further, the cooling system is configured to direct air over both the TE modules and the desiccant dehumidifier.

A controlled and closed agricultural system includes a growing space and an air handling system having an enthalpy wheel and cooling coil. The enthalpy wheel is capable of transferring sensible and latent heat and is positioned in and rotatable through a recirculating air duct and an outside air duct. The recirculating air duct is in fluid connection with the growing space and one or more recirculation fans, while the outside air duct is in fluid connection with one or more outside air fans positioned to cause outside air to flow countercurrent to recirculating air. A cooling coil is positioned within the recirculating air duct, downstream of and in series with the enthalpy wheel. The cooling coil circulates a heat transfer fluid to remove additional heat from the recirculating air.

In a method and apparatus for conditioning air for an enclosure, a first ambient airstream is cooled by a cooling coil of a refrigerant cooling system to reduce temperature and humidity, passed through a segment of a rotating desiccant wheel to reduce moisture content and increase temperature, and then supplied to the enclosure. The desiccant wheel is regenerated by a second ambient airstream heated with a condenser coil of the refrigerant system and then passed through a regeneration segment of the desiccant wheel. A bypass plenum allows a third ambient airstream to be selectively heated and cooled independent of the evaporator coil and desiccant wheel in the first plenum. Heated air bypassed from the second ambient airstream or an independent heater can perform the selective heating in the bypass plenum. The airstream in the bypass plenum is then supplied with the air treated in the first plenum to the enclosure.

Water harvesting systems and methods of making and using such water harvesting systems, for capturing water from surrounding air using configurations that reduce overall energy costs and improves water harvesting cycle efficiency in the water harvesting system. In particular embodiments, the water harvesting system can be configured for dehumidification-humidification of air, and a method in the water harvesting system for dehumidification-humidification to control moisture level in the air conditioned by the water harvesting system. The systems and methods use sorbent materials, such as metal-organic frameworks, to adsorb water from the air. The systems and methods desorb this water in the form of water vapor, and the water vapor can be condensed into liquid water and collected to dehumidify air conditioned by the water harvesting system. The collected liquid water can be sprayed to humidify air conditioned by the water harvesting system.

An apparatus for dehumidifying ambient atmospheric air includes a first air path and a second air path. A heat exchanger system transfers at least a portion of radiated thermal energy to air drawn along the first air path to heat the air in the first air path and transfers at least a portion of the thermal energy from exhaust gas to air drawn along the first air path to heat the air in the first air path. The first air path connects the ambient atmosphere to a reactivation air outlet through the heat exchanger system and a desiccant in a second moisturized state, and the second air path connects the ambient atmosphere to a dried air outlet through the desiccant in a first dried state.