Dehumidifier

• US 9,676,492 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2014
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Tichborne, Franklin, Lam, Joseph K-W, Cipullo, Alessio, Burnell, Stephen E.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHUMATE, ANTHONY R
• Application Number:
  US14/529,372
• Publication Number:
  US 20150122814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/4575 in aeroplanes or space ships
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/268 by diffusion
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2041/005 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 37/32 Safety measures not otherwise provided for, e.g. preventing explosive conditions extinguishing or preventing fires in aircraft A62C
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/20 Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04164 by condensers, gas-liquid separators or filters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

A dehumidifier comprises: a first channel for transporting air at a first pressure; a second channel for transporting air at a second pressure lower than the first pressure; and a graphene oxide barrier separating the first channel and the second channel. The relatively lower pressure of air in the second channel causes water vapor to be drawn out of the air in the first channel.

Claims

1. A dehumidifier, comprising:

a first channel for transporting air at a first pressure;

a second channel for transporting air at a second pressure lower than the first pressure; and

a graphene oxide barrier separating the first channel and the second channel;

wherein the relatively lower pressure of air in the second channel causes water vapour to be drawn out of the air in the first channel, and wherein the first channel and the second channel are elongate and helical.

2. A system for supplying inert gas to a fuel tank, the system comprising:

a dehumidifier comprising;

a first channel for transporting air at a first pressure, a second channel for transporting air at a second pressure lower than the first pressure, and a graphene oxide barrier separating the first channel and the second channel, wherein the relatively lower pressure of air in the second channel causes water vapour to be drawn out of the air in the first channel;

a fuel cell configured to generate oxygen-depleted air to be fed into the first channel of the dehumidifier, for dehumidifying; and

a fuel tank for receiving and containing the dehumidified oxygen-depleted air.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the first channel and the second channel are elongate.

4. A system according to claim 2, wherein the second channel is formed concentrically around the first channel.

5. A system according to claim 2, wherein the graphene oxide barrier comprises a graphene oxide membrane.

6. A system according to claim 2, wherein the fuel cell is a hydrogen fuel cell.

7. A system according to claim 2, further comprising a vent between the dehumidifier and the fuel tank, the vent configured to vent the dehumidified oxygen-depleted air when the flow of dehumidified oxygen-depleted air into the fuel tank reaches a predefined level.

8. A system according to claim 2, further comprising an air inlet for allowing the ingress of vent air into the second channel of the dehumidifier, the vent air being relatively colder than the oxygen-depleted air.

9. A system according to claim 2, further comprising a water outlet formed at a first end of the dehumidifier, wherein the dehumidifier is inclined such that the water outlet is lower than a second end of the dehumidifier.

10. A system according to claim 2, further comprising a water tank for receiving and containing the water vapour drawn out of the air in the second channel.

11. A vehicle comprising the system of claim 2.

12. A vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the vehicle is an aircraft.

13. A vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the vehicle is an aircraft, wherein the system further comprises an air inlet allowing the ingress of vent air into the second channel of the dehumidifier, the vent air being relatively colder than the oxygen-depleted air, and wherein the air inlet is configured to allow the ingress of air from outside the aircraft.

14. A method of dehumidifying air, the method comprising:

providing a dehumidifier having a first channel, a second channel and a graphene oxide barrier separating the first channel and the second channel;

generating a flow of air at a first pressure in the first channel; and

generating a flow of air at a second pressure in the second channel, the second pressure being lower than the first pressure, such that water vapour is drawn out from the air in the first channel, through the graphene oxide barrier and into the second channel;

wherein the air flowing in the first channel is oxygen-depleted, and the method further comprises;

receiving, in a water tank, the water vapour drawn out from the oxygen-depleted air.

15. A method of dehumidifying air, the method comprising:

providing a dehumidifier having a first channel, a second channel and a graphene oxide barrier separating the first channel and the second channel;

generating a flow of air at a first pressure in the first channel; and

generating a flow of air at a second pressure in the second channel, the second pressure being lower than the first pressure, such that water vapour is drawn out from the air in the first channel, through the graphene oxide barrier and into the second channel;

wherein the temperature of air flowing in the second channel is lower relative to the temperature of air flowing in the first channel.

16. A method of supplying inert gas to a fuel tank, the method comprising:

generating, in a fuel cell, oxygen-depleted air;

dehumidifying the oxygen-depleted air, the method of dehumidifying the oxygen-depleted air comprising;

providing a dehumidifier having a first channel, a second channel and a graphene oxide barrier separating the first channel and the second channel, generating a flow of oxygen-depleted air at a first pressure in the first channel, and generating a flow of air at a second pressure in the second channel, the second pressure being lower than the first pressure, such that water vapour is drawn out from the oxygen-depleted air in the first channel, through the graphene oxide barrier and into the second channel; and

receiving, in a fuel tank, the dehumidified oxygen-depleted air.