Introduction:
Surface moisture or condensate is the enemy of
hearing-aids and cochlear implant processors. Moisture can corrode or degrade delicate electronic components inside these
precision hearing instruments. The effect is a slow but gradual degradation in
sound quality. An inexpensive
dehumidifier and normal maintenance can minimize this problem while maintaining
peak performance.
ReNew® is
a new type of dehumidifier that is greener, more compact, more efficient and
less costly to operate than other traditional products on the market
today. It gains these advantages because
it eliminates the need for a fan and the use of a desiccant. It is quiet and has no moving parts. It simply uses gentle, dry heat and powerful
air convection current to remove moisture and refresh hearing instruments.
Traditional dehumidifier:
Traditional hearing aid dehumidifiers house a fan,
heating element and a moisture absorbing desiccant (brick) inside a closed
chamber. During normal operation, the
fan circulates warm air over the hearing aids, evaporating any surface moisture
or condensate. Finally, the resultant
moisture in the warm air gets absorbed by the desiccant. Desiccant must be discarded and replaced on a
regular basis – a less than green approach in removing moisture. There are other disadvantages as well.
- First,
a mechanical fan could be noisy. A
partner who is not hard-of-hearing may find this objectionable when the
unit is placed bedside.
- Second,
a fan is a mechanical device with moving parts. It is inherently less reliable than
other electronic parts and renders the entire device more fragile. If the fan breaks down, a hot spot can
be created inside the closed chamber, since there is no moving air to
redistribute the heat.
- Third,
a desiccant has limited moisture absorbing capacity and must be replaced
on a regular basis. This increases
operating cost and creates unnecessary waste.
- Fourth,
the space required to house these major parts (fan, heating element, and
desiccant) is quite large. This makes the overall size unnecessary
big. Power requirement for both
the fan and the heater demands a large power adapter. Therefore, the overall package size is
not the most ideal for traveling.
The Science Behind ReNew™:
ReNew® is
a new type of dehumidifier that is greener, more compact, more efficient, and
less costly to operate. It gains these
advantages because it eliminates the need for a fan and the use of a
desiccant. It has no moving parts and is
extremely quiet. It only needs gentle,
dry heat to evaporate any surface moisture or condensate. The resultant moist, warm air is then driven
out of the chamber by a powerful air convection current due to temperature
gradient. This is the same dynamic
mechanism that drives the earth’s weather system where moist, warm air rises
upward while cooler and drier air returns to the ground.
Let’s
take a close look at ReNew® and see why it is better
and greener than the traditional dehumidifier. First, ReNew® uses an open chamber design
where small openings are incorporated into its cover so that resultant moist,
warm air in the chamber can be purged outside. The purged air will be carried away (dispersed) by normal air
circulation in the home. Since moisture
volume is so small in relationship to the size of the home, any dispersed
moisture or water molecule is totally unnoticeable.
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How it works
- Room air enters via bottom inlets of Renew™.
- Room air is warmed by aluminum heating plate and then rises in to chamber; warm air in chamber evaporates hearing aid moisture.
- Temperature gradient between chamber and outside creates a powerful convection current that drives resultant moist, warm air outside. Purged air is then dispersed by normal air circulation in the house.
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Traditional dehumidifier uses a small heating element and
a fan to distribute the heat into the chamber. In contrast, ReNew® uses a large aluminum
heater to generate gentle, dry heat. The
heating element is housed on a large piece of industrial grade aluminum plate
that measures approximately 59 mm (wide) x 113 mm (Long) x 3 mm (thick). Since aluminum is an excellent heat
conductor, it distributes heat evenly across its entire surface, without the
need for a fan.
This heated aluminum plate is placed slightly below the
chamber so warm air can rise into it. This ensures heating consistency and uniformity.>A precision electronic temperature controller maintains a constant 45F inside the chamber.This gentle, dry heat evaporates surface
moisture or condensate on the hearing aids.
The 20⁰C
temperature gradient (difference) between the chamber and outside (25⁰C) creates a powerful air
convection current that drives resultant moist, warm air outside via the small
openings on top. Simultaneously, cooler
and drier room air is being drawn back in via the bottom inlets and warmed by
the aluminum plate before entering the chamber. Computer-aided design and analysis techniques were used to optimize both
inlet and outlet openings for maximum air convection current.
This dynamic action is constantly repeating until the
selected timer setting is reached. It
shuts off automatically at the end of the timer setting. ReNew® offers three
timer settings (2, 4, or 8 hours) for optimal control and energy saving. The 4-hour setting is more than adequate
even for the most demanding location, such as a summer home in Florida or
Hawaii.
The amount of energy consumed by ReNew®
is extremely small; it only consumes 48 watt-hours of energy during the entire 4-hour period. This is less than that consumed
by a 60 watt bulb in 1-hour. At
an average electricity rate of 13 cents per KW-hour, ReNew®
costs less than a penny per usage! This
is much less costly than the use of a desiccant, which must be replaced on a
regular basis.
ReNew® is about 30%
smaller than other devices and is made of high-impact polycarbonate plastic
(bullet-proof window material). It is
extremely durable and can withstand numerous drops from a nightstand or table. It boasts a large heating chamber and can
accept two sets of hearing aids for fast, even drying. Its compact power adapter can be stored
inside the chamber when traveling. It is
compatible with all international electrical systems (Asia, Africa, Europe,
North and South America). All that’s
needed is the appropriate local plug adapter.
Built-in battery tester:
ReNew® is
the only de-humidifier with a built-in battery tester. It provides a simple and reliable method of
testing a battery before replacing. This
saves money by eliminating the waste of good batteries. A user simply presses a battery against the
two gold contacts on the tester to get a quick reading on the condition of the
battery. A four or five-bar indication
means the battery is good, while one or two bars means the battery is marginal
and should be changed before going out.
UV light:
Two UV lights are provided in the heating chamber. They sanitize hearing aids and provide
similar beneficial effect as UV light in sunlight. An independent ON / OFF control is provided
for its operation.
Magnetic latch cover:
ReNew®
uses a magnetic latch cover. It can be opened or closed using one hand. Very little hand dexterity is required to
open or close. It is a great relief for
someone who has arthritis.
Magnetic parking for batteries:
Another unique feature is its magnetic parking spot for
keeping the batteries at one place. Although we recommend leaving the battery in
the hearing aid while using ReNew® (with battery
cover open for air circulation). Some
users prefer to take the batteries out and place them on a nightstand
overnight. Unfortunately, batteries tend
to disappear from the nightstand the next morning. This magnetic parking spot is a simple
solution to a common problem.
Test Comparison between ReNew®
against a desiccant dryer:
We tested ReNew®
against a traditional hearing aid dryer using desiccant (a new desiccant was
used for this test). A water-bottle cap
with 1/2 teaspoon of water was placed inside each unit. (Note: A tiny amount of food color (blue) was
added to make the water more visible to the naked eye Both units were set
for an 8 hour drying cycle. At the end
of the 8 hour drying cycle, a 30 minute cool down period was allowed so each
device could return to ambient condition.
Post-test inspection indicated a small trace of
water remaining in each bottle cap, but there was no discernable difference in the amount of water. This
suggested they were equally effective in evaporating a large volume of water during
the simulation test.
Further inspection revealed
there was no condensation anywhere inside ReNew®,
indicating it is very effective in purging moisture outside via its lid cover
openings.
However, there was visible
condensation inside the desiccant dryer. A couple dozen water droplets were clinging onto the top corners of the
lid cover (not visible on this photo) and varied in size from 0.5 to 2 mm in
diameter. This indicated the desiccant
could not absorb all the moisture created within the 8 hour test interval. Unlike ReNew®, the desiccant
dryer uses a closed heating chamber design to keep moisture inside. Consequently, excessive moisture turned into
water droplets when the warm chamber cooled down.
Summary
Why ReNew®?
- Effective: Drying and
sanitizing using precision heating, powerful convection air current and UV
lights.
- Low
cost: Consumes very little energy and does not
need to use a monthly replaceable desiccant.
- Durable
and Compact: ReNew® only measures 5.8”L x
3.5”D x 2”H and is 30% smaller than other devices. It is made of
polycarbonate plastic (bullet-proof window material) and can withstand
numerous drops without damage. The power adapter can be stored inside the
chamber when traveling.
- Other
Convenient Features: Built-in
battery tester, magnetic parking spot for batteries, three drying timer
settings, universal power adaptor, and ergonomic design for users with arthritis.
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