Recovery of atmospheric moisture - by passing cooled night air through silica adsorbent and desorbing water with hot day time air

摘要

Process of recovering water from air involves alternate utilisation of the cool night air for cooling and dehumidifying the air by adsorption, and of the warm day-time air for desorption with condensation of the water removed by adsorption from the night air. The improvement comprises passing the night air first through a layer of a substantially non-absorbing material so as to cool the non-adsorbing material, and thereafter through a layer of coarsely grained, shaped slica gel so as to adsorb the moisture content of the night air, conducting the hot day-time air in reverse direction first through the layer of silica gel so as to remove the water adsorbed in the layer of silica gel, and thereafter through the layer of non-absorbing material cooled by the cooler night air so as to condense the water removed from the layer of silica gel on the cooled non-adsorbent material and draining off the condensed water from the non-adsorbent material. The silica gel permits water adsorption within the temp. range of 0-40 degrees C and water desorption within the temp. 30-70 degrees C.