Wicking condensate evaporator for an air conditioning system

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides an air conditioning (AC) system that evaporates its own condensate. This AC system includes a condenser coil and an evaporator coil that produces condensate. The AC system also includes a wicking-evaporative device that is configured to wick and evaporate the condensate in the vicinity of the condenser coil.

1 . An air conditioning (AC) system, comprising:
 a condenser coil;   an evaporator coil which produces condensate; and   a wicking-evaporative device configured to wick and evaporate the condensate in the vicinity of the condenser coil.   
   
   
       2 . The AC system of  claim 1 , wherein the AC system further includes a tray system configured to collect the condensate. 
   
   
       3 . The AC system of  claim 2 , wherein the tray system is positioned at the base of the condenser coil and distributes the condensate laterally along the width of the condenser coil. 
   
   
       4 . The AC system of  claim 2 , wherein the wicking-evaporative device includes a first material which wicks the condensate upward from the tray system. 
   
   
       5 . The AC system of  claim 4 , wherein the wicking-evaporative device is positioned in the tray system such that a lower portion of the first material is immersed in the condensate. 
   
   
       6 . The AC system of  claim 5 , wherein the wicking-evaporative device is positioned such that an upper portion of the first material is disposed upward above the surface of the condensate, and wherein the condensate is wicked from the lower portion of the first material to the upper portion of the first material. 
   
   
       7 . The AC system of  claim 6 , wherein the upper portion of the first material is positioned in front of the condenser coil. 
   
   
       8 . The AC system of  claim 6 , wherein the upper portion of the first material is positioned in the path of an airflow which is directed toward the condenser coil, and wherein the airflow facilitates evaporating the condensate which is wicked into the upper portion of the first material. 
   
   
       9 . The AC system of  claim 4 , wherein the first material is constructed into a set of spaced wicking sheets which are arranged laterally along the width of the condenser coil. 
   
   
       10 . The AC system of  claim 4 , wherein the first material is configured so that its dimension perpendicular to the condenser coil is greater than the height of the first material. 
   
   
       11 . The AC system of  claim 4 , wherein the first material is a wicking material. 
   
   
       12 . The AC system of  claim 11 , wherein the first material is a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based material. 
   
   
       13 . The AC system of  claim 11 , wherein the wicking material is made of wicking fibers. 
   
   
       14 . The AC system of  claim 13 , wherein the wicking fibers are oriented upward from the tray system. 
   
   
       15 . The AC system of  claim 14 , wherein pore sizes of the wicking fibers decrease with distance away from the tray system. 
   
   
       16 . The AC system of  claim 4 , wherein the first material is configured to wick the condensate at a rate substantially equal to a maximum expected condensation rate at the evaporator coil. 
   
   
       17 . The AC system of  claim 4 , wherein the first material is configured to reduce airflow resistance through the wicking-evaporative device. 
   
   
       18 . The AC system of  claim 4 , wherein the wicking-evaporative device includes a second material which distributes the condensate laterally along the width of the condenser coil. 
   
   
       19 . The AC system of  claim 18 , wherein the wicking-evaporative device is positioned in the tray system such that a lower portion of the second material is immersed in the condensate. 
   
   
       20 . The AC system of  claim 18 , wherein the wicking-evaporative device is positioned in the tray system such that the second material is located entirely above the surface of the condensate in the tray system. 
   
   
       21 . The AC system of  claim 18 , wherein the wicking-evaporative device is positioned such that an upper portion of the second material is disposed upward and positioned in front of the condenser coil. 
   
   
       22 . The AC system of  claim 21 , wherein the upper portion of the second material is positioned in the path of an airflow which is directed toward the condenser coil, and wherein the airflow facilitates evaporating the condensate which is spread into the upper portion of the second material. 
   
   
       23 . The AC system of  claim 18 , wherein the second material includes evaporative media. 
   
   
       24 . The AC system of  claim 18 , wherein the evaporative media include corrugated paper. 
   
   
       25 . The AC system of  claim 18 , wherein the second material is configured to distribute the condensate laterally at a rate substantially equal to a maximum expected condensation rate. 
   
   
       26 . The AC system of  claim 18 , wherein the second material is configured to reduce airflow resistance through the wicking-evaporative device. 
   
   
       27 . The AC system of  claim 18 , wherein the first material is distributed in a uniform pattern within the second material. 
   
   
       28 . The AC system of  claim 18 , wherein the wicking-evaporative device is constructed into alternating layers, wherein a pair of adjacent layers includes a first layer made of the first material and a second layer made of the second material, and wherein the first layer and the second layer are in contact with each other. 
   
   
       29 . The AC system of  claim 18 , wherein the first material is interspersed with the second material. 
   
   
       30 . The AC system of  claim 18 , wherein a combination of the first material and the second material is configured to minimize airflow resistance. 
   
   
       31 . The AC system of  claim 18 , wherein the first material and the second material are the same type of material. 
   
   
       34 . The AC system of  claim 2 , wherein the tray system has a capacity substantially equal to a maximum expected volume of surplus water accumulated when a condensation rate at the evaporator coil exceeds an evaporation rate at the wicking-evaporative device. 
   
   
       35 . The AC system of  claim 1 , wherein the wicking-evaporative device is configured to wick the condensate at an angle which is within a range from the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. 
   
   
       36 . The AC system of  claim 1 , wherein evaporating the condensate in the vicinity of the condenser coil facilitates cooling the condenser coil. 
   
   
       37 . The AC system of  claim 1 , wherein evaporating the condensate in the vicinity of the condenser coil eliminates a need for piping to drain the condensate away from the AC system. 
   
   
       38 . A method for removing condensate collected from an evaporator coil within an air conditioning (AC) system, comprising:
 wicking the condensate upward into evaporative media which is positioned in the path of an airflow directed toward a condenser coil of the AC system,   wherein the evaporative media and the airflow facilitate evaporating the condensate in the vicinity of the condenser coil, thereby eliminating a need for piping to drain the condensate away from the AC system.