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.

Methods and systems are provided for air conditioning, capturing combustion contaminants, desalination, and other processes using liquid desiccants.

A dehumidification mechanism for an appliance includes a blower that delivers humid process air along an airflow path. A drum is positioned along the airflow path. A condensing apparatus dehumidifies the humid air to define dehumidified air. A membrane has a plurality of nanopores that define a portion of the airflow path within the condensing apparatus. The humid air is delivered along the membrane having the plurality of nanopores and the nanopores operate through capillary condensation to dehumidify the humid air and separate condensate away from the humid air to define the dehumidified air. The condensate removed by the nanopore membrane is delivered away from the airflow path and to a condensate collection area within the appliance.

The invention relates to a counter flow enthalpy exchanger (1) having a parallelogram-shaped central part (11), whose ends in the flow direction through the exchanger it is joined by end parts (12, 13), which become narrower in the direction from the central part (11), whereby in order to separate the flow of the heat-transfer medium in the direction from the inner space to the outer space are arranged contour identical and with respect to the flowing medium sealed vapour-permeable lamellae (10) with shaping means for generating turbulent flow, whereby every two adjacent lamellae (10) form one interplate flow channel in the central part (11) one interplate flow channel. The lamella (10) is made as a one-piece self-supporting moulding common to the central part (11) and the end parts (12, 13), whereby it does not have a reinforcing support grid. Two adjacent lamellae (10) form one interplate flow channel in the end part (12, 13), in the walls of which are formed straight protrusions (121, 131) situated in the direction of the heat-transfer medium flow between the central part (11) and corresponding inlet or outlet of this medium.

An evaporative cooling system includes a porous ceramic body with a plurality of dry channels and a plurality of wet channels. The plurality of dry channels are configured to inhibit transfer of water vapor into the dry channels and include a barrier layer that includes a roughened layer with a features size less than 1000 nm and a hydrophobic chemical modification disposed on the roughened layer. The plurality of wet channels are configured to allow transfer of water vapor.

Disclosed are various turbulent, corrosion-resistant heat exchangers used in desiccant air conditioning systems.

A total heat exchange element includes a plurality of partition plates arranged at intervals. Each of the partition plates includes a base having a first principal surface and a second principal surface, and a moisture permeable membrane provided on or close to the first principal surface of the base. First flow paths through which air flows and second flow paths through which air having a higher water vapor pressure than the air in the first flow paths flows are alternately arranged with an associated one of the partition plates sandwiched between adjacent ones of the first flow paths and the second flow paths. In each of the plurality of partition plates, the first principal surface of the base faces a corresponding one of the first flow paths, and the second principal surface of the base faces a corresponding one of the second flow paths.

A method uses a sheet shaped member to separate two spaces from each other. The sheet shaped member includes a base having a first principal surface and a second principal surface, and a moisture permeable membrane provided on or close to the first principal surface of the base. The first principal surface of the base is arranged in one of the two spaces having a lower water vapor pressure when the two spaces separated from each other by the sheet-like member have different water vapor pressures.

A dehumidification system for removing water vapors from an air is disclosed. The system includes a dehumidification core defining an air channel and at least one vapor channel separated from the air channel by a membrane to facilitate a removal of moisture from the air flowing through the air channel and is selectively permeable to water and water vapor and impermeable to air. The dehumidification system further includes a water ejector having a throat portion fluidly coupled to the vapor channels and adapted to create a relatively lower pressure of water vapor within the vapor channels than in the air channel The water ejector also includes an outlet portion disposed downstream of the throat portion and configured to increase the pressure of water to facilitate a condensation of the water vapors received from the vapor channels.

Integrated systems comprising both i) heat and mass exchange systems and ii) electrolysis stacks are disclosed, together with related methods of use. The disclosed systems cool and/or dehumidify air using two streams of salt solutions as liquid desiccants.