Abstract
This work proposes a new device for air treatment with dehumidification and water recovery/storage, with possible mitigation of indoor environmental conditions. The system is based on Peltier cells coupled with a horizontal earth-to-air heat exchanger, it is proposed as an easy-to-implement alternative to the heat pumps and air handling units currently used on the market, in terms of cost, ease of installation, and maintenance. The process provides the water collection from the cooling of warm-humid air through a process that leads to condensation and water vapor separation. The airflow generated by a fan splits into two dual flows that lap the two surfaces of the Peltier cells, one flow laps the cold surfaces undergoing sensible, latent cooling with dehumidification; the other flow laps the hot surfaces and heats up. The airflow undergoes thermal pre-treatment through the underground horizontal geothermal pipe that precedes the Peltier cells. In the water storage tank, which also works as a mixing chamber, the two air streams are mixed to regulate the outlet temperature. The system can be stand-alone if equipped with a photovoltaic panel and a micro wind turbine, able to be used in places where electricity is absent. The system, with different configurations, is modeled in the African city Kigali, in Rwanda.
Highlights
Climate change has led to multiple effects on natural and human systems on all continents, worsening living conditions [1]
The new water collection system is based on the condensation process achieved by coupling Peltier cells to a horizontal earth-to-air heat exchanger (EAHX)
Given the thermo-hygrometric conditions exiting the geothermal pipe and the thermal powers exchanged on the hot and cold sides of the Peltier cell, it was possible to use the Ashrae diagram to calculate the final conditions of the air passing through the series of Peltier cells
Summary
Climate change has led to multiple effects on natural and human systems on all continents, worsening living conditions [1]. Water is a vital resource for human life, but over time this resource is gradually decreasing and has become one of the main challenges to sustainable development in the framework of climate change [2]. This phenomenon is causing many social and environmental problems, including the scarcity of potable water [3], the reduction of agricultural productivity [4], and the degradation of water quality [5], leading to inevitable serious consequences to socioeconomic development as well [6]. The water is stored in underground reservoirs, and a water pump enables the water to be pumped up to the surface for agricultural and irrigation purposes [23,24]
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