Vehicle air comfort system and method
Vehicle air comfort systems and methods. The systems and methods may comprise: (1) a plurality of flow tunnels for passage of a heat-transfer fluid; (2) a thermoelectric cooler in thermal communication with the flow tunnels for thermally conditioning the heat-transfer fluid in the flow tunnels; (3) an air inlet for receiving unconditioned air; (4) a thermal exchange assembly for facilitating thermal exchange between the thermally conditioned heat-transfer fluid and the unconditioned air to result in conditioning of the air; and (5) an air outlet for outputting the conditioned air into the vehicle.
1. A method of conditioning air of a vehicle, the method comprising:
circulating a heat-transfer fluid through a plurality of flow tunnels;
thermally conditioning the heat-transfer fluid via thermal exposure to a thermoelectric element;
receiving unconditioned air into an air inlet;
thermally conditioning the unconditioned air via thermal exchange between the thermally conditioned heat-transfer fluid and the unconditioned air;
humidifying at least one of the unconditioned air and the conditioned air via a mist membrane; and
discharging thermally conditioned air into the vehicle.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thermally conditioning the unconditioned air comprises cooling the unconditioned air.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thermally conditioning the unconditioned air comprises heating the unconditioned air.
4. The method of claim 1 , comprising dissipating thermal energy from the thermal energy from the thermoelectric element via a plurality of fins associated with the thermoelectric element.
5. The method of claim 1 , where in the thermally conditioning the unconditioned air comprises:
receiving the thermally conditioned heat-transfer fluid into a fluid inlet;
facilitating, via a thermal-exchange body, thermal exchange between the thermally conditioned heat-transfer fluid and the unconditioned air; and
outputting the heat-transfer fluid via a fluid outlet.
6. The method of claim 1 , comprising moving the unconditioned air from the air inlet to a thermal exchange assembly via a fan.
7. The method of claim 1 , comprising pre-cooling the unconditioned air.
8. The method of claim 7 , comprising filtering the unconditioned air.
9. The method of claim 1 , comprising delivering water from a fluid reservoir to the mist membrane.
10. The method of claim 9 , comprising monitoring, via a sensor a humidity of at least one of the unconditioned air and the conditioned air.
11. A method of conditioning air of a vehicle, the method comprising:
circulating a heat-transfer fluid through a plurality of flow tunnels;
thermally conditioning the heat-transfer fluid via thermal exposure to a thermoelectric element;
receiving unconditioned air into an air inlet;
thermally conditioning the unconditioned air via thermal exchange between the thermally conditioned heat-transfer fluid and the unconditioned air;
dehumidifying at least one of the unconditioned air and the conditioned air; and
discharging thermally conditioned air into the vehicle.
12. The method of claim 11 , comprising dehumidifying at least one of the unconditioned air and the conditioned air via a dehumidification fin.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heat-transfer fluid is water.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heat-transfer fluid is glycol.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heat-transfer fluid is alcohol.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the circulating the heat-transfer fluid comprises circulating the heat-transfer fluid in a closed loop.