Drying occupied buildings

Abstract

A portable heat exchanger unit comprises a fan operative to create an air stream. A first temperature adjusting element is located in the air stream, and a second temperature adjusting element is located in the air stream downstream from the first temperature adjusting element. The temperature of the air stream can be changed by either of the first and second temperature adjusting elements. To remove moisture from an occupied building interior air is drawn from an intake outside the building and discharged into the building interior. The first temperature adjusting element is operative to cool the air stream to a temperature below the dew point and condense water out of the air stream. The second temperature adjusting element is operative to heat the air stream to a desired temperature, and the air stream is circulated through and then vented from the building.

1 . A portable heat exchanger unit comprising: 
 at least one fan operative to create an air stream by drawing air from an intake and discharging the air stream through an outlet;    a first temperature adjusting element located in the air stream;    a second temperature adjusting element located in the air stream downstream from the first temperature adjusting element;    wherein the portable heat exchanger unit is configured such that a temperature of the air stream can be changed by at least one of the first and second temperature adjusting elements.    
     
     
         2 . The portable heat exchanger unit of  claim 1  comprising a first fan operative to create an air stream by drawing air from the intake through the first temperature adjusting element, and a second fan operative to draw the air stream from the first temperature adjusting element through the second temperature adjusting element and discharge the air stream through the outlet.  
     
     
         3 . The portable heat exchanger unit of  claim 1  comprising a container positioned under the first temperature adjusting element to collect water dripping from the first temperature adjusting element.  
     
     
         4 . The portable heat exchanger unit of  claim 3  further comprising a disposal conduit connected to the container and configured to carry water from the container for disposal.  
     
     
         5 . The portable heat exchanger unit of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the first and second temperature adjusting elements comprises one of a refrigerant coil and an electric heating element.  
     
     
         6 . The portable heat exchanger unit of  claim 1  wherein the first temperature adjusting element comprises a first fluid coil adapted for connection to a source of pressurized fluid.  
     
     
         7 . The portable heat exchanger unit of  claim 6  wherein the second temperature adjusting element comprises a second fluid coil adapted for connection to a source of pressurized fluid.  
     
     
         8 . A system for removing moisture from an occupied building interior, the system comprising: 
 a portable heat exchanger unit according to  claim 1;     wherein the first temperature adjusting element is operative to reduce the temperature of the air stream and the second temperature adjusting element is operative to increase the temperature of the air stream; and    wherein the intake is oriented such that the fan draws ambient air from outside the building and the outlet is oriented to direct the air stream into the building interior.    
     
     
         9 . A system for removing moisture from an occupied building interior, the system comprising: 
 a portable heat exchanger unit according to  claim 7 , a fluid cooler operatively connected to the first fluid coil and operative to circulate pressurized cooled fluid through the first fluid coil;    a fluid heater operatively connected to the second fluid coil and operative to circulate pressurized heated fluid through the second fluid coil;    wherein the intake is oriented such that the fan draws ambient air from outside the building and the outlet is oriented to direct the air stream into the building interior.    
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9  comprising a valve and conduit arrangement connected to the fluid cooler, fluid heater, and fluid coils and configured such that the fluid cooler can be selectively connected to the first and second fluid coils and such that the fluid heater can be selectively connected to the first and second fluid coils.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9  comprising a temperature control operative to control the temperature of fluid flowing through at least one of the first and second fluid coils.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9  comprising a flow control operative to control the volume of fluid flowing through at least one of the first and second fluid coils.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the fluid heater comprises a liquid heater.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the fluid cooler comprises an absorption chiller.  
     
     
         15 . A method for removing moisture from an occupied building interior, the method comprising: 
 with at least one fan, creating an air stream by drawing air from an intake located outside the building and discharging the air stream through an outlet located in the building interior;    with a first temperature adjusting element, cooling the air stream to a temperature below a dew point and condensing water out of the air stream; and    directing the air stream leaving the first temperature adjusting element to pass through a second temperature adjusting element, and with the second temperature adjusting element, heating the air stream to a desired temperature;    providing a vent in the building such that the air stream can flow from the outlet through the building interior and out through the vent.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising increasing the rate of removing moisture when the building interior is temporarily unoccupied by ceasing to cool the air stream with the first temperature adjusting element.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising ceasing to cool the air stream with the first temperature adjusting element at a beginning of an unoccupied period, and starting to cool the air stream with the first temperature adjusting element prior to an end of the unoccupied period such that a temperature of the building interior at the end of the unoccupied period is reduced from a maximum temperature of the building interior during the unoccupied period.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising further increasing the rate of drying by using the first temperature adjusting element to heat the air stream during at leas a portion of the unoccupied period.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15  comprising locating the first temperature adjusting element outside the building, such that water condensed out of the air stream falls outside the building.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15  comprising positioning a container under the first temperature adjusting element to collect water condensed out of the air stream and directing the collected water to a disposal site.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising: 
 with at least one fan, creating an air stream by drawing air from an intake located in the building interior and discharging the air strewn through an outlet located in the building interior;    with a first temperature adjusting element, cooling the air stream to a temperature below the dew point and condensing water out of the air stream;    directing the air stream leaving the first temperature adjusting element to pass through a second temperature adjusting element, and with the second temperature adjusting element, heating the air stream to a desired temperature.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 15  wherein: 
 the first temperature adjusting element comprises a first fluid coil connected to a fluid cooler operative to circulate cooled fluid through the first fluid coil to cool the air stream;    the second temperature adjusting element comprises a second fluid coil connected to a fluid heater operative to circulate heated fluid through the second fluid coil to heat the air stream.    
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  further comprising increasing the rate of removing moisture when the building interior is temporarily unoccupied by ceasing to circulate the cooled fluid through the first fluid coil.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising ceasing to circulate the cooled fluid through the first fluid coil at a beginning of an unoccupied period, and starting to circulate the cooled fluid through the first fluid coil prior to an end of the unoccupied period such that a temperature of the building interior at the end of the unoccupied period is reduced from a maximum temperature of the building interior during the unoccupied period.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising further increasing the rate of drying by connecting the first fluid coil to the fluid heater and circulating heated fluid through the second fluid coil.