A prototype air conditioner has been developed which can cut cooling costs by 50 percent to 75 percent and heating costs by about 50 percent claim its creators. Unlike a traditional air conditioner 7AC have created a system that uses flat, multi-layered plastic plates covered with a proprietary membrane licensed from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Water is then flowed inside each plate, as a solution of salt water is being sprayed over the surface of the plate to create the cooling effect as the salt solution rolls down the surface of the plates, attracting water vapor from humid air. The slat water is then passed between heated plates to expel the hot moist air and then the salt minus a little water is recycled back through the system to start the process again.
7AC explains:
The 7AC technology consists of an all-plastic conditioner, responsible for treating the outside air, and a regenerator, for re-concentrating the desiccant. The liquid desiccant design allows for the utilization of waste heat sources, paving the way for true net-zero energy retrofits. Our proprietary membrane design guarantees zero salt carryover into the building air by confining the salt to the plate surface while allowing the free transfer of water vapor.
For more information on the new prototype and the way it can save more energy jump over to the 7AC website.
Source: 7AC : CNET
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