Air temperature control unit and process for controlling air temperature and producing purified water

Abstract

An air temperature control unit comprising a refrigeration circuit ( 10, 6, 7, 7 a , 12, 13, 14 ), a warm air chamber ( 4 ) housing a condenser ( 7 ) and a cool air chamber ( 5 ) housing an evaporator ( 10 ); wherein a water holding tank ( 24 ) is in fluid communication with the evaporator for collecting condensed water and a water pump ( 20 ) communicates the condensed water from the water holding tank ( 24 ) through a water purifying system ( 21, 22 ) to a water outlet device ( 23 ). A mixture of cooled air from the cool air chamber ( 5 ) and warm air from the warm air chamber ( 4 ) is used to maintain a predetermined inside temperature while excess cool air and warm air is exhausted to the outdoor environment. The system can therefore operate continuously to supply purified water without stopping the unit due to warm and cooled air being continually mixed to maintain the predetermined inside temperature, while excess warm and cooled air is exhausted to the outside environment.

1 . An air temperature control unit comprising:
 a housing defining a warm air chamber and a cool air chamber;   a refrigerant circuit for circulating a refrigerant, the refrigerant circuit comprising a refrigerant pump, a plurality of conduits, a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device and an evaporator comprising a plurality of evaporator coils, wherein the condenser is housed in the warm air chamber and the evaporator is housed in the cool air chamber, and the plurality of conduits fluidly connect the compressor, the condenser, the expansion device and the evaporator;   a drive motor coupled with the compressor for driving the compressor;   a fan in the cool air chamber for drawing ambient air from outside the housing across the plurality of evaporator coils to cool the ambient air and condense water vapor from the ambient air on an external surface of the evaporator coils;   a water holding tank in fluid communication with the evaporator for collecting the condensed water;   a water purifying system in fluid communication with the water holding tank for purifying the condensed water;   a water outlet device in fluid communication with the water purifying system for controllably dispensing the purified water;   a water pump for pumping the condensed water from the water holding tank through the water purifying system to the water outlet device;   a duct system comprising a cool air duct in fluid communication with the cool air chamber and a warm air duct in fluid communication with the warm air chamber for respectively receiving the cooled ambient air from the cool air chamber and warm air from the warm air chamber;   an indoor air outlet fluidly coupled with the duct system for exhausting air into an indoor environment surrounding the air temperature control unit;   thermostatic controls communicative with the duct system configured to control an amount of the warm air and an amount of the cooled ambient air exhausted into the indoor environment via the indoor air outlet to achieve an indoor air temperature within a predetermined temperature range; and   an outdoor air outlet fluidly coupled with the duct system for exhausting excess warm air and excess cooled ambient air into an outdoor environment external to the indoor environment, wherein the excess warm air and the excess cooled ambient air comprise the warm air and the cooled ambient air not exhausted into the indoor environment via the indoor air outlet.   
     
     
         2 . The unit of  claim 1 , wherein the duct system further comprises a blending duct fluidly coupled with the cool air duct, the warm air duct and the indoor air outlet, wherein the thermostatic controls are configured to control the amount of the cooled ambient air from the cool air duct flowing into the blending duct and the amount of the warm air from the warm air duct flowing into the blending duct to form a blended air and the blended air is exhausted into the indoor environment via the indoor air outlet to achieve the indoor air temperature within the predetermined temperature range. 
     
     
         3 . The unit of  claim 2 , wherein the thermostatic controls comprise:
 at least one temperature sensor positioned in the blending duct;   an adjustable warm air baffle in fluid communication with the warm air duct;   an adjustable cool air baffle in fluid communication with the cool air duct; and   a controller communicative with the temperature sensor, the warm air baffle and the cool air baffle and configured to receive temperature measurements from the temperature sensor and adjust the warm air baffle and the cool air baffle to control the amounts of the warm air and the cooled ambient air flowing into the blending duct to form the blended air.   
     
     
         4 . The unit of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one fan positioned in the warm air chamber for circulating the warm air around the warm air chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The unit of  claim 1 , wherein the water holding tank is positioned below the cool air chamber such that the condensed water drains under gravity into the water holding tank. 
     
     
         6 . The unit of  claim 1 , wherein the water purifying system is housed in the cool air chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The unit of  claim 1 , wherein the evaporator coils are coated with a ceramic. 
     
     
         8 . The unit of  claim 7 , wherein the ceramic comprises porcelain. 
     
     
         9 . The unit of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the compressor, the expansion device or the drive motor are housed in the warm air chamber. 
     
     
         10 . The unit of  claim 9 , wherein the compressor, the expansion device and the drive motor are housed in the warm air chamber. 
     
     
         11 . A method for maintaining air temperature in an indoor environment within a predetermined temperature range and producing purified drinking water, the method comprising:
 providing an air temperature control unit in the indoor environment, the air temperature control unit comprising:
 a housing defining a warm air chamber and a cool air chamber; 
 a refrigerant circuit comprising a refrigerant pump, a plurality of conduits, a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device and an evaporator comprising a plurality of evaporator coils, wherein the condenser is housed in the warm air chamber and the evaporator is housed in the cool air chamber, and the plurality of conduits fluidly connect the compressor, the condenser, the expansion device and the evaporator; 
 a drive motor coupled with the compressor; 
 a fan in the cool air chamber; 
 a water holding tank in fluid communication with the evaporator; 
 a water purifying system in fluid communication with the water holding tank; 
 a water outlet device in fluid communication with the water purifying system; 
 a water pump; 
 a duct system comprising a cool air duct in fluid communication with the cool air chamber and a warm air duct in fluid communication with the warm air chamber; 
 thermostatic controls communicative with the duct system; 
 an indoor air outlet fluidly coupled with the duct system; and 
 an outdoor air outlet fluidly coupled with the duct system; 
   actuating the refrigerant pump to continuously circulate refrigerant around the refrigerant circuit and actuating the fan to draw ambient air from outside the housing across the plurality of evaporator coils, wherein liquid refrigerant flows through the evaporator coils and evaporates to refrigerant gas thereby cooling the ambient air and condensing water vapor from the ambient air on an external surface of the evaporator coils; the refrigerant gas flows to the compressor and is compressed; the compressed refrigerant gas flows to the condenser and is condensed to form the liquid refrigerant thereby transferring the heat of condensation to air surrounding the condenser to produce warm air in the warm air chamber; and the liquid refrigerant is expanded in the expansion device before the liquid refrigerant enters the evaporator;   flowing the cooled ambient air from the cool air chamber into the cool air duct and flowing the warm air from the warm air chamber into the warm air duct;   actuating the thermostatic controls to control an amount of the warm air and an amount of the cooled ambient air exhausted into the indoor environment via the indoor air outlet to achieve an indoor air temperature within a predetermined temperature range;   exhausting excess warm air and excess cooled ambient air into an outdoor environment external to the indoor environment via the outdoor air outlet, wherein the excess warm air and the excess cooled ambient air comprise the warm air and the cooled ambient air not exhausted into the indoor environment via the indoor air outlet; and   actuating the water pump to pump the condensed water collected in the water holding tank through the water purifying system to the water outlet device, whereby purified drinking water can be controllable dispensed from the water outlet device on demand.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the duct system further comprises a blending duct fluidly coupled with the cool air duct, the warm air duct and the indoor air outlet, and the thermostatic controls are actuated to control the amount of the cooled ambient air from the cool air duct flowing into the blending duct and the amount of the warm air from the warm air duct flowing into the blending duct to form a blended air and the blended air is exhausted into the indoor environment via the indoor air outlet to achieve the indoor air temperature within the predetermined temperature range. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the thermostatic controls comprise:
 at least one temperature sensor positioned in the blending duct;   an adjustable warm air baffle in fluid communication with the warm air duct;   an adjustable cool air baffle in fluid communication with the cool air duct; and   a controller communicative with the temperature sensor, the warm air baffle and the cool air baffle   wherein the controller receives temperature measurements from the temperature sensor and adjusts the warm air baffle and the cool air baffle to control the amounts of the warm air and the cooled ambient air flowing into the blending duct to form the blended air.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the unit further comprising at least one fan positioned in the warm air chamber and the warm air is circulated around the warm air chamber by the fan. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the water holding tank is positioned below the cool air chamber and the condensed water drains under gravity into the water holding tank. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the water purifying system is housed in the cool air chamber. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the evaporator coils are coated with a ceramic. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the ceramic comprises porcelain. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the compressor, the expansion device or the drive motor are housed in the warm air chamber. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the compressor, the expansion device and the drive motor are housed in the warm air chamber.