DEVICE FOR CONTROL OF AIR MOISTURE CONTENT Russian patent published in 1998 - IPC

FIELD: air moisture control in habitable compartment of orbital stations; control of air moisture content of Earth. SUBSTANCE: device has casing 1 with inlet and outlet branch pipes, condenser 5, fan 13 and wick. Device is also provided with thermoelectric cooler 9 whose operation is based on thermoelectric effect (Peltier effect) which consists in absorption or liberation of heat at junctions depending on direction of current flowing through circuit made from different conducting materials. Base 6 of finned condenser 5 adjoins surface of cold junctions of thermoelectric cooler 9 at thermal contact; ends of fins 7 of condenser adjoin wick. When fan 13 forces air through passages formed between fins 7 of condenser 5, cold junctions absorb heat from air and excessive moisture from cooled air is formed on fins 7 of condenser 5; this moisture is absorber by wick and is directed to moisture receiver 18 due to capillary forces. Dehumidified air is discharged to compartment through outlet branch pipes 17. Heat from hot junctions is removed by means of heat-transfer agent pumped through cavities of heat exchangers 11 of base of shorter corrugations whose bodies are welded to surface of hot junctions of thermocooler. EFFECT: enhanced efficiency of moisture-content control; ecological safety; reduced mass and overall dimensions due to use of highly-effective heat exchangers at high degree of compactness. 2 dwg