Combined Water Extractor and Electricity Generator

Abstract

A water extraction system having a cooling system adapted to cool air to below the dew point, the cooling system including an absorption chiller ( 1.002 ) including a heat source ( 1.004 ), the system includes an air/heat transfer fluid heat exchanger ( 1.016 ), and a water collector ( 1.022 ) arranged to collect water from the air/heat transfer fluid heat exchanger. The air/heat transfer fluid heat exchanger ( 1.016 ) is adapted to cool the air below the dew point. The chiller can include a heat input in the form of exhaust gasses from a gas turbine. The gas turbine can also drive an electrical generator. The air outlet from the water generator can be used in an air conditioning system. The system can include one or more chillers powered by, for example, turbine exhaust. Additional heat source, such as natural gas can be provided to bring the chillers to the operating temperature. A controller controls the change-over between heat sources.

1 . A water extraction system having a cooling system adapted to cool air to below the dew point, the cooling system including an absorption chiller system including a heat source, the system including an air/heat transfer fluid heat exchanger, a water collector arranged to collect water from the air/heat transfer fluid heat exchanger, and an exothermal energy source, wherein the cooling system is an absorption chiller, and wherein waste heat from the energy source are used as the heat source to supply heat energy to the chiller. 
     
     
         2 . A water extraction system as claimed in  claim 1 , including an air conditioning system using discharge air from the water generator to control the temperature and/or humidity of the air in an air conditioned space. 
     
     
         3 . A water extraction system as claimed in  claim 1 , including an electrical generator driven by the gas turbine. 
     
     
         4 . A water extraction system as claimed in  claim 1 , including an air intake located to draw air from a source of humid air. 
     
     
         5 . A water extraction system as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the source of humid air is a cooling tower. 
     
     
         6 . A system as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein water from the water extractor is fed back to the source of humid air. 
     
     
         7 . A water extraction system as claimed in  claim 1 , including an air flow generator adapted to cause air to flow through the air/heat transfer fluid heat exchanger. 
     
     
         8 . A water extraction system as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the air flow generator is controllable to control the air flow through the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         9 . A water extraction system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger includes a coolant pipe and cooling fins thermally connected the coolant pipe, wherein the surface area of the fins is enlarged to increase the time the contact surface between the air flow and the fins. 
     
     
         10 . A water extraction system as claimed in  claim 1 , including a dew point sensor to determine the dew point of the air. 
     
     
         11 . A water extraction system as claimed in  claim 1 , including a controller controlling the air flow generator to maintain the temperature of the air from the heat exchanger below the dew point. 
     
     
         12 . A water extraction system as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein, in use, the controller is adapted to control the heat source to maintain the outlet temperature of the heat exchanger below the dew point. 
     
     
         13 . A water extraction system as claimed in  claim 1 , including an additional chipper power supply. 
     
     
         14 . A water extraction system as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the additional power source is an electrical power supply. 
     
     
         15 . A water extraction system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the chiller system includes two or more selectively switchable compressors. 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . An absorption chiller system including two or more absorption chillers, each chiller having at least a first and a second heat input, the system including a controller, wherein, on start-up of the chiller, the controller is adapted to turn the first heat source on to bring the chiller to a first predetermined temperature, and wherein controller is adapted to turn the second heat source on and to turn the first heat source off when the corresponding chiller reaches the predetermined temperature. 
     
     
         18 . A system as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the controller is adapted to bring each chiller to the predetermined temperature in sequence. 
     
     
         19 . A system as claimed in  claim 17 , including a working fluid reservoir connected to store cooled working fluid from the chillers and to provide a thermal buffer between the chillers and a thermal load. 
     
     
         20 . A method of extraction water from air, the method including delivering hot exhaust gasses from a gas turbine to an absorption chiller to cool an air/heat transfer fluid heat exchanger to a temperature below the dew point, and collecting water from the air/heat transfer fluid heat exchanger. 
     
     
         21 . A method as claimed in  claim 20 , including the steps of:
 using the gas turbine to drive an electrical generator; and   using the outlet air from the water generator to air condition a space.   
     
     
         22 . (canceled)