Modular dehumidification system

Abstract

Dehumidification system including a process blower configured produce a process airflow of the process air and a plurality of dehumidification modules. The plurality of dehumidification modules may be arranged in parallel with each other relative to a process airflow for a portion of a process air to flow over the desiccant in a sorption section of at least one of the dehumidification modules. The dehumidification system may include a plurality of isolation dampers located in the process airflow that is selectively operated to direct the process air through the plurality of dehumidification modules in a plurality of different configurations. The dehumidification system may include a plurality of base dehumidification modules and a plurality of variation dehumidification modules. An interface of the variation dehumidification module shares a common feature with an interface of the base dehumidification module to allow the variation dehumidification module to be interchanged with the base dehumidification module.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dehumidification system for dehumidifying process air, the dehumidification system comprising:
 a process blower configured produce a process airflow of the process air; and   a plurality of dehumidification modules, each dehumidification module including a sorption section, a desorption section, and a desiccant moveable between the sorption section and the desorption section, the plurality of dehumidification modules being arranged in parallel with each other relative to the process airflow for a portion of the process air to flow over the desiccant in the sorption section of at least one of the dehumidification modules.   
     
     
         2 . The dehumidification system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a reactivation blower configured to produce a reactivation airflow of reactivation air, the reactivation air being separate from the process air, the plurality of dehumidification modules being arranged in parallel with each other relative to the reactivation airflow for a portion of the reactivation air to flow over the desiccant in the desorption section of at least one of the dehumidification modules; and   a heater positioned upstream of the plurality of dehumidification modules and configured to heat the reactivation air.   
     
     
         3 . The dehumidification system of  claim 1 , wherein each dehumidification module further includes:
 a reactivation blower configured to produce a reactivation airflow of reactivation air to flow over the desiccant in the desorption section, the reactivation air being separate from the process air; and   a heater positioned upstream of the desorption section and configured to heat the reactivation air.   
     
     
         4 . The dehumidification system of  claim 1 , wherein each dehumidification module further includes a process booster blower positioned in the process airflow, the process booster blower being configured to produce an increase in pressure of the process air, and
 wherein the process booster blower is configured to produce an increase in pressure of the process air, the increase in pressure produced by the process booster blower in each dehumidification module being less than the increase in pressure produced by the process blower.   
     
     
         5 . The dehumidification system of  claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to selectively operate each dehumidification module. 
     
     
         6 . The dehumidification system of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of isolation dampers positioned in the process airflow, each isolation damper of the plurality of isolation dampers positioned upstream of a corresponding one of the plurality of dehumidification modules to isolate the corresponding dehumidification module from the process airflow. 
     
     
         7 . A dehumidification system for dehumidifying process air, the dehumidification system comprising:
 a process blower configured produce a process airflow of the process air;   a plurality of dehumidification modules, each dehumidification module including a sorption section, a desorption section, and a desiccant moveable between the sorption section and the desorption section; and   a plurality of isolation dampers located in the process airflow, the plurality of isolation dampers being selectively operated to direct the process air through the plurality of dehumidification modules in a plurality of different configurations.   
     
     
         8 . The dehumidification system of  claim 7 , further comprising a controller configured to control the position of the plurality of isolation dampers. 
     
     
         9 . The dehumidification system of  claim 7 , further comprising a controller configured to selectively operate each dehumidification module. 
     
     
         10 . The dehumidification system of  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of dehumidification modules includes a first set of dehumidification modules and a second set of dehumidification modules, each of the first set of dehumidification modules and the second set of dehumidification modules including a plurality of the dehumidification modules. 
     
     
         11 . The dehumidification system of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of isolation dampers is positioned to direct the process air through the plurality of the dehumidification modules in the first set of dehumidification modules in parallel with each other relative to the flow of the process air. 
     
     
         12 . The dehumidification system of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of isolation dampers is positioned to direct the process air through the plurality of the dehumidification modules in the second set of dehumidification modules in parallel with each other relative to the flow of the process air. 
     
     
         13 . The dehumidification system of  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of isolation dampers is positioned to direct the process air through the first set of dehumidification modules in series with the second set of dehumidification modules relative to the flow of the process air. 
     
     
         14 . A dehumidification system for dehumidifying process air, the dehumidification system comprising:
 a process blower configured produce a process airflow of the process air;   a plurality of base dehumidification modules, each base dehumidification module including at least one interface; and   a plurality of variation dehumidification modules, each variation dehumidification modules including at least one interface, each variation dehumidification module having at least one of an additional system not present in the base dehumidification modules or an alternative system from the base dehumidification modules,   wherein at least one interface of the variation dehumidification module shares a common feature with at least one interface of the base dehumidification module to allow the variation dehumidification module to be interchanged with the base dehumidification module.   
     
     
         15 . The dehumidification system of  claim 14 , wherein each base dehumidification module includes a process air inlet and a process air outlet, and
 wherein each variation dehumidification module includes a process air inlet and a process air outlet.   
     
     
         16 . The dehumidification system of  claim 15 , wherein the common feature shared by both the variation dehumidification module and the base dehumidification module is the position of the process air outlet relative to the process air inlet. 
     
     
         17 . The dehumidification system of  claim 16 , wherein at least one of the size and shape of the process air inlet of the variation dehumidification module is the same as the corresponding one of the size and shape of the process air inlet of base variation dehumidification module. 
     
     
         18 . The dehumidification system of  claim 16 , wherein at least one of the size and shape of the process air outlet of the variation dehumidification module is the same as the corresponding one of the size and shape of the process air outlet of base variation dehumidification module. 
     
     
         19 . The dehumidification system of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one interface of each of the variation dehumidification module and the base dehumidification module is the same and is one of an electrical interface and a communication interface. 
     
     
         20 . The dehumidification system of  claim 14 , wherein each variation dehumidification module includes an additional system not present in the base dehumidification modules, the additional system being an isolation air stream.