SA-12-018 -- Development of High Efficiency Home Heating and Humidification Technology

A novel humidification technology has been developed,which can boost the efficiency of a mid-efficiency furnace fromaround 80% to more than 95%, and at the same time provideswhole house humidification without requiring an externalwater supply. The technology uses a nanoporous membranecapillary condensation separation mechanism to transportwater vapor only from furnace combustion flue gas to safelyhumidify the building air. The water transported through themembrane is clean and mineral free, avoiding maintenanceissues commonly seen with conventional humidifiers. Theadvanced technology has been developed and evaluated forlong term operation at a laboratory environment, to prove itsfeasibility for a wide range operating conditions. Additionally,it has been demonstrated in two occupied single family homesto capture real world performance for a whole heating season.The results showed both homes achieved comfortable wholehouse humidification and significant furnace efficiencyimprovement. We foresee this technology can be also appliedto commercial and industrial needs, with the benefit of no potablewater consumption and significant energy savings.