WATER RECOVERY USING THERMALLY LINKED SORBENT BEDS

摘要

A water recovery system (10) includes a sorbing bed (22A; 22B; 22A), a desorbing bed (22B; 22A; 22B), a heat pump (14) and a controller (16). The sorbing bed (22A; 22B; 22A) receives a first fluid stream and absorbs and/or adsorbs water from the first fluid stream. The desorbing (22B; 22A; 22B) bed is aligned with and thermally connected to the sorbing bed (22A; 22B; 22A), and receives a second fluid stream and desorbs water to the second fluid stream. The heat pump (14) is positioned between the sorbing bed (22A; 22B; 22A) and the desorbing bed (22B; 22A; 22B) and transfers heat from the sorbing bed (22A; 22B; 22A) to the desorbing bed (22B; 22A; 22B). The controller (16) distributes power to the heat pump (14) to maintain an area near the outlet of the desorbing bed (22B; 22A; 22B) at a temperature greater than an area of the sorbing bed (22A; 22B; 22A) aligned with the area near the outlet of the desorbing bed (22B; 22A; 22B). A method for recovering water from a fluid stream includes directing fluid streams through the described water recovery system (10).