Controlling humidity is a challenge in many parts of the country. Even houses with air conditioning systems frequently need additional dehumidification capacity.
The most popular method for providing additional dehumidification in homes is to use a traditional room dehumidifier that supercools the air and condenses moisture out of it, and then reheat the air. This method uses a lot of energy and needs a mechanical or electrical input.
In the past decade Heat Pipe Technology, Inc. (HPT) has developed a new method for dehumidification and energy conservation. Working with a grant from the Department of Energy (DOE), HPT began to research new uses for heat pipe technology in the residential building sector. HPT found that by applying the principle of heat pipes to air conditioning units they could increase the moisture removal level from 30 to 50%.
Heat pipes are traditionally hollow cylinders filled with a liquid that boils at or below room temperature. The lower section of the cylinder, known as the evaporator section, absorbs heat from the air and boils the liquid into the vapor state. Heat is given up to the air in the upper part of the cylinder called the condenser section, and the vapor condenses into liquid. Gravity pulls the liquid back to the evaporating section. In a residential application, the two parts of the heat pipe are put on either side of the air conditioning coil. With the evaporator side on the upstream side of the coil and the condenser on the downstream side, the air is precooled coming into the air conditioning coil, and reheated to a comfortable temperature by the heat pipe condenser. This system increases the dehumidification capacity of the air conditioner by 50% or more, according to manufacturer’s literature.
The HPT system can fit any air conditioning system whether it’s industrial, commercial, or residential. According to the DOE’s Inventions and Innovation Program, through 2000 the HPT system has saved 981 billion Btu and more than $8 million in energy costs.
The dehumidifier heat pipe technology is now recognized worldwide and HPT has plans to export to areas outside the U.S. with limited energy resources. For further project information contact Khanh Dinh at heatpipe@heatpipe.com.
This information is a summary from the Department of Energy’s Inventions and Innovation Program. IBACOS presents this information as news about an innovative product in the market, and does not endorse the use of any product in particular.
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