Portable water-generating and filtering apparatus

Abstract

A portable water-generating device for obtaining water from ambient air including a thermoelectric cooling device having a cold side and a hot side, a thermally-conductive cold sink having multiple cold sink fins of a first size thermally coupled to the cold side and a thermally-conductive heat sink with multiple heat sink fins of a second size thermally coupled to the hot side. Air-movement devices move ambient air into the device and over the cold sink fins. The ambient air is cooled as it passes over the cold sink fins causing water to condense on the cold sink fins and to collect into a collecting tray. The water is then pumped through a multi-stage filtration and mineralization system and into a dispensing water reservoir for immediate or later use.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]This invention is related generally to apparatuses which generate water and, more specifically, to a portable modular apparatus for generating and filtering water from the atmosphere.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]There are many areas in the United States as well as worldwide, that experience a shortage of clean drinking water on a daily basis. This problem and many others can be solved by this invention, which utilizes the moisture in the air to create a viable, unlimited, potable drinking water supply.[0003]In the United States alone, roughly 75% of municipal water treatment plants add chlorine to water supplies in order to kill pollutants and bacteria. This is not preferable. If ingested in large enough quantities, chlorine can be harmful to humans and it also can damage plants and animals which live and grow around these water supplies.[0004]The State of Florida, for example, has a significant problem with clean drinking water from wells on both the...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention is about improving the efficiency of a thermoelectric cooling device by using a cold sink and a heat sink with angled fins and a thermally-conductive spacer block, which increases surface area and air velocity. Additionally, insulation material (such as foam, glass wool, or foam rubber) can be used between the cold sink and heat sink to maximize efficiency. The technical effects are improved cooling performance and reduced energy consumption.

Problems solved by technology

If ingested in large enough quantities, chlorine can be harmful to humans and it also can damage plants and animals which live and grow around these water supplies.

The State of Florida, for example, has a significant problem with clean drinking water from wells on both the east and west coast lines of the state.

Roughly ninety-seven percent of the Earth's water comes from the oceans and is considered undrinkable and unusable for most purposes.

Unfortunately, a lot of the ground surface fresh water, the major drinking supply for the human population, has been severely polluted and / or biologically contaminated partially through industrial / manufacturing applications, thereby even more greatly increasing the demand for clean drinking water.

Many countries throughout the world, including developed nations, have inadequate water treatment facilities or no facilities at all.

In many countries worldwide, individuals not only lack clean drinking water but they lack a close and convenient water source.

Many people are forced to travel far distances to transport water back to their homes and in many instances this water is polluted and results in illness and disease.

One such disadvantage is that portable water-generating apparatuses of the prior art oftentimes include cold sink fins and heat sink fins of the same size.

Such a configuration does not allow adequate cooling and does not maximize the efficiency of the cold sink fins.

This type of configuration renders the assembly inefficient because it allows the heat to rise in the heat fins causing the whole assembly to have poor cooling capabilities.

More specifically, in this type of configuration since the heat sink block is one assembly, as the heat rises to the top of the assembly in the block from one Thermo Electric Cooler (TEC) to the next, each TEC will lose efficiency, thus making the top TEC in the assembly warmer than all of the others in the block, thereby rendering the whole block inefficient.

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