Continuously operating water recovery apparatus for a motor vehicle

Abstract

A water recovery apparatus for a motor vehicle, for recovering water from ambient air, encompasses: a conveying conduit; a condenser device that is embodied to modify the absolute value of at least one dew-relevant state variable of a working gas delivered through the conveying conduit to the condenser device; a water discharge device that is embodied to discharge from the condenser device water condensed out of the working gas by the condenser device,
the conveying conduit being embodied to convey ambient air as the working gas to the condenser device, the water recovery apparatus is embodied to deliver working gas continuously to the condenser device.

Claims

1. A water recovery apparatus for a motor vehicle for recovering water from ambient air, encompassing: a conveying conduit; a condenser device that is embodied to modify the absolute value of at least one dew-relevant state variable of a working gas delivered through the conveying conduit to the condenser device; a water discharge device that is embodied to discharge from the condenser device water condensed out of the working gas by the condenser device, the conveying conduit being embodied to convey ambient air as the working gas to the condenser device, wherein the water recovery apparatus is embodied to deliver working gas continuously to the condenser device, wherein a continuously operating water handling device, which extracts water from a first flow of ambient air and releases extracted water to a second flow of ambient air to form the working gas, is arranged in the conveying conduit, wherein the continuously operating water handling device comprises a water reception zone in which the water handling device extracts water from the first flow of ambient air, the continuously operating water handling device further comprises a water release zone in which the continuously operating water handling device releases extracted water to the second flow of ambient air, the continuously operating water handling device comprising a regeneratable water reception medium that is displaceable between the water reception zone and the water release zone.

2. The water recovery apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the condenser device is embodied to decrease the temperature of the working gas.

3. The water recovery apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the condenser device comprises at least one of a Peltier element and a heat exchanger.

4. The water recovery apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the condenser device is embodied to modify the pressure of the working gas.

5. The water recovery apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the condenser device is embodied to raise isothermally the pressure of the working gas.

6. The water recovery apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the condenser device comprises a compressor.

7. The water recovery apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the compressor is a continuously operating rotating compressor.

8. The water recovery apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a media body comprising the water reception medium is continuously rotationally displaceable between the water reception zone and the water release zone, the water reception medium including at least one of a water adsorption medium and a water absorption medium.

9. The water recovery apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the continuously operating water handling device comprises a heating device, in particular in order to raise the water release zone to a higher temperature level than the water reception zone.

10. The water recovery apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveying conduit connects the water release zone to the condenser device.

11. The water recovery apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the water discharge device comprises a valve with which a water line of the water discharge device is openable for the passage of water or closable to prevent the passage of water.

12. The water recovery apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the water discharge device is at least one of disconnectable and disconnectable upstream from the valve in a flow direction away from the condenser device.

13. The water recovery apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a water tank, the water discharge device connecting the condenser device to the water tank.

14. A motor vehicle having an internal combustion engine, having a water recovery apparatus according to claim 1, and having a water injection device for injecting water into a fresh mixture delivered to the internal combustion engine, wherein the water injection device is coupled to the water recovery apparatus in such a way that it injects the water recovered by the water recovery apparatus into the fresh mixture.

15. The motor vehicle according to claim 14, further comprising a water tank, the water discharge device connecting the condenser device to the water tank, wherein the water tank is a shared water tank of the water recovery apparatus and of the water injection device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangement of parts, a preferred embodiment of which will be described in detail and illustrated in the accompanying drawing which form a part hereof and wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic depiction of a water recovery apparatus in accordance with the present invention, incorporated into a motor vehicle.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(3) Referring now to the drawing wherein the showings are for the purpose of illustrating preferred and alternative embodiments of the invention only and not for the purpose of limiting the same, FIG. 1 is a schematic depiction of a passenger car, labeled with the reference character 10. Said car comprises an internal combustion engine 12 that is operated using fossil fuel and supplies the propulsive energy of motor vehicle 10.

(4) Motor vehicle 10 comprises a water recovery apparatus 14, explained in detail below, which serves to recover water for a water injection device 16 from ambient air.

(5) Water recovery apparatus 14 comprises a conveying conduit 18 having two conveying paths 20 and 22 separated from one another. Apparatus 14 further comprises a water handling device 24 and a condenser device 26. A water discharge device 28 leads from condenser device 26 to a water tank 30.

(6) In the example depicted, the inlet of conveying path 20 of conveying conduit 18 is located behind an air flap apparatus 32 that can be opened or closed during operation of vehicle 10 for ambient air to flow through. Air flap apparatus 32 does not need to be present. Conveying path 20 can be provided in such a way that a flow of air blast onto it always occurs as vehicle 10 is traveling forward, or it can be equipped with a fan that conveys ambient air in the desired flowthrough direction D.

(7) Ambient air therefore flows through conveying path 20 in flowthrough direction D and reaches water handling device 24. More precisely, it reaches a water reception zone 34, provided in stationary fashion on water handling device 24, through which ambient air can flow in flowthrough direction D. Located in water handling device 24 is a media body 36 encompassing a water-adsorbing material, for example a silica gel or silicic-acid gel. Media body 36 is constructed, for example, in honeycomb fashion, and air can flow through it in and oppositely to flowthrough direction D.

(8) While ambient air is flowing through, the silicic-acid gel, which is hygroscopic as an inherent property of its material, extracts water from the ambient air and stores it in its material structure.

(9) Media body 36 is rotatable around rotation axis R by a drive motor 38. As a result, a region of media body 36 that is firstly located in water reception zone 34 is displaceable into a water release zone 40 that is different from water reception zone 34 and is likewise provided in stationary fashion on water handling device 24. The displacement of regions of media body 36 between water reception zone 34 and water release zone 40 occurs continuously in time and in space.

(10) Second conveying path 22 of conveying conduit 18 comprises a fan 42 that conveys ambient air along second conveying path 22 oppositely to flowthrough direction D of first conveying path 20. From its inlet located to the right in FIG. 1, the ambient air conveyed by fan 42 firstly reaches a heating device 44 of water handling device 24, where the ambient air flowing through it becomes heated.

(11) The ambient air that is thereby heated heats media body 36 in the region of water release zone 40, with the result that media body 36 releases the water, previously received in water reception zone 34, to the ambient air flow that is flowing through it. Upstream from water handling device 24, the ambient air flowing in the respective conveying paths 20 and 22 possesses its respective meteorologically existing absolute humidity. The ambient air flowing in conveying path 20 has a lower absolute humidity downstream from water handling device 24 than upstream from device 24, due to the release of water in water reception zone 34. The ambient air flowing in conveying path 22 has a higher absolute humidity downstream from water handling device 24 than upstream from device 24, due to the reception of water in water release zone 40.

(12) Flow thus occurs through water reception zone 34 and water release zone 40 of water handling device 24 parallel to rotation axis R but in opposite directions. This is merely an example, however.

(13) The modified ambient air that emerges with elevated absolute humidity from water release zone 40 is conveyed as a working gas to condenser device 26 by conveying path 22. In the example depicted, condenser device 26 encompasses a pressure modification device 46 and a cooling device 48. Pressure modification device 46 can be a rotating, continuously operating compressor or a pressure reducer. Cooling device 48 encompasses, for example, a Peltier element and/or a heat exchanger for releasing heat to a cooling medium flowing through the heat exchanger.

(14) Pressure modification device 46 modifies the pressure of the working gas and brings it closer to its saturation limit, i.e. to a point at which the working gas has a relative humidity of between 95% and 100%. This occurs preferably as isothermal compression. The pressure modification apparatus can have a cooling apparatus for this purpose in order to compensate for the temperature elevation produced by the compression of the working gas.

(15) Directly adjacently to pressure modification device 46, the working gas is cooled by cooling device 48. The result is that water precipitates in droplet form out of the working gas, condenses on the preferably hygrophobically coated walls of condenser device 26, in particular a Peltier element, and flows off from there in response to gravity and is conveyed by water discharge device 28 to water tank 30. The water precipitated in condenser device 26 is collected in water tank 30.

(16) A water line 49 of water discharge device 28 can be shut off by means of a valve 50. Water line 49 of water discharge device 28 is preferably disconnectable in the region of valve 50, so that water tank 30 can be removed from vehicle 10. Water discharge device 28 can be disconnectable on one or both sides of valve 50. Preferably valve 50 remains on that part of water discharge device 28 which is continuous with water tank 30, so that water tank 30 can be removed in sealed fashion from vehicle 10.

(17) Water tank 30 is not only a collection container of water recovery apparatus 14, but also a water reservoir of water injection device 16.

(18) Water injection device 16 can comprise a conveying pump 52 with which water can be conveyed in a conveying line 54 from water tank 30 to an injection valve 56, where it is injected into an intake manifold 58 in which ignitable fresh mixture is delivered to internal combustion engine 12.

(19) The refilling cycles of water tank 30 are lengthened as a result of water recovery apparatus 14. As a result of the continuous operation of water recovery apparatus 14 which is possible with the present invention, said apparatus can be operated using optimum steady-state operating parameters.

(20) While considerable emphasis has been placed on the preferred embodiments of the invention illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated that other embodiments, and equivalences thereof, can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the invention. Furthermore, the embodiments described above can be combined to form yet other embodiments of the invention of this application. Accordingly, it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the invention and not as a limitation.