Atmospheric water generator

Abstract

An atmospheric water generator includes a refrigeration system. The evaporators may be roll-bond evaporators. Fans cooperate with a radiator and the evaporators to induce an in-flow stream of air from ambient air into and through, firstly, the condenser, and secondly, the radiator. The in-flow stream of air is cooled by the evaporator as the in-flow stream passes through the evaporator. The cooled stream of air then passes through a heated dissipating section of the radiator. The airways between the evaporators in the array are sufficiently long so that the streams of air become turbulently mixed. The evaporators may be planar. Opposed facing surfaces of adjacent evaporators may include turbulent flow trippers to change laminar flow in the airways to turbulent flow. The turbulent flow trippers may include protrusions formed on the opposed facing surfaces or metallic mesh interleaved in the airways between the evaporators.

1 . An atmospheric water generator comprising:
 a refrigeration system including a motor, compressor, radiator, evaporator, and at least one fan,   wherein said radiator and said evaporator are adjacent one another and arranged in fluid communication therebetween, and wherein said at least one fan cooperates with said radiator and said evaporator to induce an in-flow stream of air from ambient air into and through, firstly, said condenser, and secondly, said radiator, wherein said in-flow stream of air is cooled by said evaporator as said in-flow stream passes through said evaporator as a cooled through-flow stream of air, and wherein said cooled through-flow stream of air then passes through a heated dissipating section of said radiator so as to optimize functioning of said radiator in said refrigeration system,   and wherein said evaporator is a spaced apart array of evaporators.   
     
     
         2 . The water generator of  claim 1  wherein the evaporators in said array of evaporators include roll-bond evaporators. 
     
     
         3 . The water generators of  claim 2  wherein said roll-bond evaporators are unitary aluminium sheet having refrigeration conduits formed therein. 
     
     
         4 . The water generator of  claim 3  wherein said roll-bond evaporators have a thickness of substantially 1.5 mm. 
     
     
         5 . The water generator of  claim 2  wherein all of said evaporators in said array of evaporators are roll-bond evaporators. 
     
     
         6 . The water generator of  claim 2  wherein said evaporators in said array are substantially planar. 
     
     
         7 . The water generator of  claim 6  wherein said array of evaporators are spaced apart by a through-flow spacing of substantially between one half inch and one inch. 
     
     
         8 . The water generator of  claim 6  wherein said array of evaporators are spaced apart by substantially constant through-flow spacing 
     
     
         9 . The water generator of  claim 1  wherein said array of evaporators are spaced apart by through-flow spacings, and wherein said through-flow spacing form airways extending the length of a first dimension of said array of evaporators corresponding to the direction of said through-flow stream of air, and wherein a second dimension of said array of evaporators corresponds to the width of the spacing of said through-flow spacings, orthogonal to said first dimension, and wherein said through-flow spacings also extend in a third dimension orthogonal to said first and second dimensions, and wherein said airways are sufficiently long along said first dimension so that said through-flow stream of air becomes turbulent. 
     
     
         10 . The water generator of  claim 9  wherein said airways are also sufficiently long so that airstream boundary layers of said through-flow stream of air forms turbulent boundary layers along said airway on opposed facing surfaces of adjacent evaporators in said spaced apart array of evaporators. 
     
     
         11 . The water generator of  claim 10  wherein said second dimension is sufficiently small so that said turbulent boundary layers on said opposed facing surfaces extend substantially fully across said second dimension. 
     
     
         12 . The water generator of  claim 11  wherein said evaporators are planar. 
     
     
         13 . The water generator of  claim 9  wherein said opposed facing surfaces of said adjacent evaporators further comprise turbulent flow trippers to trip laminar flow components and laminar boundary layer components of said through-flow stream of air into downstream turbulent flow and turbulent boundary layer components. 
     
     
         14 . The water generator of  claim 13  wherein said turbulent flow trippers include protrusions formed on said opposed facing surfaces. 
     
     
         15 . The water generator of  claim 14  wherein said evaporators are planar. 
     
     
         16 . The water generator of  claim 15  wherein said evaporators are mounted substantially vertically, wherein said second dimension is substantially horizontal. 
     
     
         17 . The water evaporator of  claim 16  wherein said first dimension is substantially horizontal. 
     
     
         18 . The water generator of  claim 17  wherein a third dimension is substantially vertical and extends substantially the full height of said evaporators, and wherein water droplets condensing on said surfaces of said evaporators descend downwardly along said third dimension by force of gravity. 
     
     
         19 . The water generator of  claim 11  further comprising a fluid source providing at least a film of said fluid onto said surfaces of said evaporators to urge said droplets into and along said descent. 
     
     
         20 . The water generator of  claim 19  wherein said fluid source includes at least one apertured sprayer mounted at an upper end of said array of evaporators. 
     
     
         21 . The water generator of  claim 20  wherein said fluid is water, and further comprising a water collector positioned under said array of condensers, and wherein water collected in said collector is recycled to said water source by a water re-cycler. 
     
     
         22 . The water generator of  claim 21  wherein said re-cycler is a pump. 
     
     
         23 . The water generator of  claim 20  wherein said fluid is air, and further comprising a motivator for urging a downward flow of air along said first dimension. 
     
     
         24 . The water generator of  claims 1 - 23  further comprising a fill of elongate strands positioned in-between adjacent evaporators in said array of evaporators. 
     
     
         25 . The water generator of  claim 24  wherein said fill is a mesh of sufficient volume to be in contact with, and interleavered between, opposed facing surfaces of said adjacent evaporators. 
     
     
         26 . The water generator of  claim 25  wherein said fill is an aluminium mesh.