DE202019100600U1 - Water treatment plant - Google Patents

Abstract

Water treatment plant (1) for the treatment of seawater (5), comprising a hollow cylindrical evaporation body (2) and a hollow cone-shaped condensation cover (3), wherein the condensation cover (3) is fluidically connected to the evaporation body (2), characterized by a cooling device (19) for cooling the outside of the condensation lid (3).

Description

The invention relates to a water treatment plant for the treatment of seawater to drinking water or service water, comprising a hollow cylindrical evaporation body and a hollow conical condensation cover, which condensation cover is fluidly connected to the evaporation body.

Most of the earth's surface is covered by seawater. Nevertheless, there is a lack of drinking and service water in coastal desert regions. From a chemical point of view, seawater is an aqueous solution containing various salts. Due to the high salt concentration, seawater can not be used as drinking / industrial water.

To obtain drinking / industrial water from seawater, there are water treatment plants, which reduce the salt concentration of the seawater. Many different devices and methods of desalination are known in the art. In drinking water or low-consumption desert regions, in particular water treatment plants are necessary, which are as uncomplicated as possible to build.

Simple water treatment plants, so-called watercones are known from the prior art, which have an evaporation body in which seawater is poured manually. Due to the absorption of the sun's rays, the seawater warms up and evaporates until it precipitates on the fluidically connected condensation cover. The condensed water flows along the inside of the condensation lid and collects in a gutter. Due to the evaporation process, the water has only small amounts of salt and drinking water quality. The drinking water can be taken from the gutter directly by turning the cover. A watercone can produce up to 1.5 liters daily.

Such water treatment plants are particularly advantageous because of their simple construction, low material costs and ease of use. However, a disadvantage is the low yield that such a plant provides.

Furthermore, large plants such as distillation or reverse osmosis systems are known from the prior art. In the case of distillation plants, the water is in principle strongly heated so that it evaporates and condenses on a condenser arranged inside the plant. The condenser usually consists of a pipe filled with coolant.

Reverse osmosis systems concentrate substances dissolved in liquids by reversing the natural osmosis process with high pressure. Disadvantages are the high costs for providing the system, the maintenance work and the resulting costs and the energy consumption for the operation of the system.

Both water treatment plants are able to produce large quantities of drinking / industrial water in a short time. The problem is, however, the large energy needs that must be covered for commissioning of such systems. Especially in areas where the power grid is not or only poorly developed, distillation or reverse osmosis systems can not be operated easily. Furthermore, the costs of providing such facilities are very high, so that even poorer people in low-water coastal regions can not afford such facilities.

Based on the above-described prior art, it is the object of the invention to further develop a water treatment plant to increase efficiency with the lowest possible cost and operating costs.

To solve this problem, a water treatment plant with the features of claim 1 is proposed. Further advantages and features emerge from the subclaims.

A system according to the invention is characterized by a cooling device for cooling the condensation lid on the outside with seawater.

The water treatment plant according to the invention can be set up in the sea and can have dimensions of about 5 m in diameter and 10 to 15 m in height. Smaller sizes are also conceivable. The size of the water treatment plant depends on the one hand on water consumption and on the other hand on the conditions of the coast.

According to the invention, the water treatment plant has a hollow cylindrical evaporation body. The evaporation body serves as a receiving space of the seawater to be treated, in which the evaporation process takes place. The evaporation body can be open or closed at one end.

The hollow cylindrical shape is particularly advantageous because it causes a uniform distribution of water vapor on the one hand. On the other hand, the surface is more accessible for cleaning as opposed to bodies that have corners.

The evaporation body preferably has a translucent plastic. As plastic, a hard plastic such as acrylic glass (polymethyl methacrylate PMMA) or a flexible, tear-resistant film of, for example, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) can be used. Other translucent and opaque plastics are therefore not excluded. Furthermore, in addition to plastics, the use of other materials conceivable such as metals (steel) or light metals (aluminum). Particularly advantageous is the use of already existing devices that can be converted to a water treatment plant according to the invention in a simple manner. Prerequisite for the use of an existing device is a suitably trained hollow body, which is suitable for use as an evaporation body and / or as a condensation lid. An example of such a hollow body could be the tower of a wind turbine.

When using films, the film is stretched over a base body, which gives the film in the clamped state, a hollow cylindrical shape. The use of films is particularly advantageous because the production of translucent films on the one hand is inexpensive and storage is simplified due to the flexibility of the film. Furthermore, it is advantageous that the film can be easily mounted and replaced due to its light weight. This facilitates the replacement of the items in case of damage or contamination. Also, the transport of the individual components to the place of use of the water treatment plant is simplified because the film can be rolled up.

Alternatively, the evaporation body can also consist of a light-absorbing plastic. Preferably, the plastic is black. This has the advantage that the evaporation body absorbs the sunlight particularly strong and thus creates more heat within the evaporation body. This in turn has the further advantage that on the one hand, the water to be treated within the evaporation body is heated faster. On the other hand prevents evaporated water unintentionally already condenses on the evaporation body and simply flows back into the water to be treated before it condenses on a condensation lid and can be collected by a gutter.

According to a further feature of the evaporation body is connected to at least one support element, such as stilts, which are fastened in the seabed. The evaporation body is either so deep in the water that there is always sea water within the evaporation body. Advantageous with respect to this embodiment is that inside the evaporation body outside weather influences such as strong wind or a stronger waves have no influence. This prevents seawater from mixing with the water already condensed on the evaporation body and making it unusable. Alternatively, the evaporation body can be attached directly to the seabed. In this case, the evaporation body preferably consists of a hard plastic, such as, for example, Plexiglas, which can withstand the water pressure and the tidal force. So that water can flow into the evaporation body, the hollow body has a small opening. This design is particularly advantageous because on the one hand the water inflow into the evaporation body through the small opening can be kept as small as possible, so that heating of the water to be treated takes place faster. On the other hand, a lesser exchange of water takes place between the heated water inside and the cool seawater outside the evaporation body.

According to the above two alternatives, it is advantageous that only care must be taken that at low tide the water level is high enough to fill the evaporation body with water to be treated.

Another alternative is conceivable in that the evaporation body is constantly on support elements above the seawater surface, that even a higher swell can not reach the inner surface of the evaporation body. When constructing the system, it must be ensured that the system is so far away from the coast that due to the tides it is taken into account that there is still seawater below the evaporation body even at low tide and if the evaporation body is high enough at high tide that the evaporation body does not escape from the water Seawater is lapped.

The water treatment plant according to the invention has a hollow cone-shaped condensation lid, which is fluidically connected to the evaporation body. The conical shape provides the significant advantage that the evaporated water condenses through the bevelled surface of the cone in the ascent, so that a quasi-barrier is created. Subsequently, the condensed water, following gravity, can flow down the wall of the condensation lid.

Alternatively, the lid may also be shaped as a hollow hemisphere with an evaporation body side opening. This has the advantage that there is no tip where dirt accumulates more easily and difficult ones can be removed.

Furthermore, the condensation cover on the inside and / or outside water pipe elements. The water pipe elements are formed for example in the form of grooves or nubs. This causes the condensation water does not drip prematurely before the condensation water reaches the gutter drips. On the outside, the water pipe elements have the advantage that the cooling water is distributed evenly as thin as possible film on the condensation lid. As a result, the cooling of the lid is promoted and simultaneously increases the salt concentration during evaporation. However, the film must not be too thin, otherwise the salt crystallizes on the outside of the condensation lid.

In contrast to the generic state of the art described above, the water treatment plant has a cooling device for cooling the condensation lid on the outside with seawater. The cooling device serves to cool the condensation cover on the outside by evaporation cooling, so that the water vapor within the condensation cover merges into the liquid phase as quickly as possible.

The use of seawater for cooling the outside of the condensation lid has the advantage that during cooling seawater evaporates, so that automatically increases the salt concentration of the cooling water. If, according to the used cooling water collected, instead of returning it to the sea, it can be further used for salt production and processed. It is proposed to supply the concentrated cooling water to a directly adjacent saline in order to accelerate the salt extraction process. Other uses of concentrated saltwater are also conceivable. On the other hand, seawater is available in almost inexhaustible quantities on site. The cooling device of the water treatment plant in combination with the outside cooling of the condensation lid results in a combination device that makes it possible to win at the same time drinking / industrial water and salt.

The cooling device of the water treatment plant has according to the invention for conveying the water to a pump. The pump can be arranged reversibly on a floating body which is firmly anchored to the seabed. The pump is watertight so that splash water will not damage the electronics and mechanics of the pump. The advantage of a separate pump is that the pump can be easily replaced if damaged.

Alternatively, the pump can also be arranged directly on the evaporation body. This configuration is advantageous because it can be dispensed with an additional float.

According to a further feature, the water treatment plant is characterized in that the pump is fluidly connected to one end of a line, wherein the line has a water distribution on the other side, wherein the water distribution device has condensation opening side at least one opening. As an alternative to a standpipe, a simpler pipe or even a flexible hose for guiding the cooling water to the condensation lid is also conceivable. The tube is preferably formed from a hard plastic. Due to the corrosive nature of seawater, corrosive materials should be used in conjunction with corrosion protection. These include, for example, anti-corrosion paints, zinc coatings and other shielding substances. Particularly advantageous is the use of antifouling paints, which additionally prevent the growth of marine organisms on the line or at least slow down greatly.

The cooling water is guided via the line and on to a water distribution device, which is also arranged on the condensation cover side. The cooling water is distributed evenly on the condensation cover by means of the water distribution device, so that the surface of the condensation cover is cooled uniformly. It should be noted that the cooling water layer running down on the condensation cover is adjusted so that the maximum evaporation quantity and thus the maximum cooling is achieved, and enough so that the cooling water does not evaporate completely and the salt crystallizes immediately on the outside of the condensation cover. Because the cooling is due to the resulting evaporation energy, which is responsible for the heat transfer. The more water evaporates, the higher the evaporation energy and the more heat can be transported.

In the simplest case, the water distribution device consists of a simple tube. The water distribution device can also be designed as a nozzle, which is designed differently depending on requirements. Thus, the nozzle may have several small openings from which the cooling water is discharged, so that the amount of cooling water can be controlled and distributed evenly on the condensation lid.

Depending on the intensity of solar radiation, it is necessary to adjust the amount of cooling water that is distributed on the condensation cover. For this purpose, a controller is proposed, which regulates the amount of cooling water, for example, depending on the outside temperature and / or the sun's ray intensity. The stronger the sunlight and thus the heat buildup on the surface of the condensation cover is, the more cooling water must be distributed.

The combination of the water distribution device with the water pipe elements results in the synergistic effect that the water distribution and thus the cooling of the condensation cover is optimized.

The energy to operate the pump is generated according to the invention by a power generator. The power generator is a device that generates electrical energy from existing resources to be particularly independent of power grids. The power generating unit preferably has a drive unit and a generator, which converts kinetic energy of the drive into electrical energy. The drive unit and the generator together form a unit.

The drive unit has in the simplest case a turbine, which is driven for example by wind power or tidal forces. The use of tidal energy is particularly advantageous when the tidal current is particularly strong at the location and / or the coastal landscape drops steeply, so that even at low tide, the water level is high enough to drive the turbine. Solar energy can be directly converted into electricity instead of a turbine with the help of photovoltaic systems. Particularly preferred is the use of wind power for a power generator when in the coastal region in any case regularly blowing a strong wind.

Alternatively, the pump can also be operated without electric current by using the wind and / or tidal force driven a simple turbine and in this way the required pumping power is provided. The pump can according to either by means of electric current and / or by a simple turbine in the intended use, the cooling water, so the seawater, high on the condensation cover convey.

According to a further feature of the invention, the water treatment plant has both a gutter and a collecting trough. The collecting channel is used to collect the condensed in condensate lid drinking water. The collecting channel, on the other hand, serves to catch the cooling water used, in which the salt concentration is increased many times due to the evaporation process. As described above, the cooling water can be supplied directly to an adjacent saline.

It is provided according to a further feature of the invention that the evaporation body also has on the inside an additional gutter, so that in the case of condensation already on the evaporation body, the condensation can be collected and removed. This ensures that, especially at night, when the temperatures fall sharply, especially in desert regions, so that temperature differences of up to 30 degrees are achieved, the water condensed on the evaporation body is collected. The additional gutter can run in a spiral along the evaporation body and leads to an exit at which the water is then collected, for example, in a collecting container and / or guided directly to the place of use.

The water treatment plant has according to a further feature a collecting container. The collecting container is fluidically connected to a drain and serves to further receive the drinking water. There, the drinking water can be collected and stored in larger quantities. To remove the drinking water, a tap is proposed, which can be opened and closed as intended.

According to a further feature of the invention, the water treatment plant has a heating element. The heating element is located within the evaporation body in the seawater to heat the water to be treated and thus promote evaporation. The necessary power for generating the heat receives the heating element from the power generator, which is why the power generator and the heating element are electrically connected.

The combination of the individual components, such as power generator, turbine or heating element depends on the environment in which the water treatment plant is placed. If the tidal force or wind power is insufficient to operate the pump and the heating element at the same time, the heating element can be dispensed with in this case.

• 1 in schematischer Darstellung eine Wasseraufbereitungsanlage zur Aufbereitung von Meerwasser;
• 2 eine Schnittdarstellung des Verdunstungskörpers und des Kondensationsdeckels der Wasseraufbereitungsanlage gemäß 1;
• 3 in schematischer Darstellung eine Wasseraufbereitungsanlage auf Stelzen;
• 4 in schematischer Darstellung eine Wasseraufbereitungsanlage gemäß einer weiteren Ausführungsform,
• 5 in schematischer Darstellung eine Wasseraufbereitungsanlage gemäß einer weiteren Ausführungsform,
• 6 in schematischer Darstellung eine Wasseraufbereitungsanlage gemäß einer weiteren Ausführungsform
• 7 in schematischer Darstellung eine Wasseraufbereitungsanlage mit mehreren Verdunstungstürmen.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the figures. The figures show:

• 1 a schematic representation of a water treatment plant for the treatment of sea water;
• 2 a sectional view of the evaporation body and the condensation lid of the water treatment plant according to 1 ;
• 3 a schematic representation of a water treatment plant on stilts;
• 4 a schematic representation of a water treatment plant according to a further embodiment,
• 5 a schematic representation of a water treatment plant according to a further embodiment,
• 6 a schematic representation of a water treatment plant according to another embodiment
• 7 a schematic representation of a water treatment plant with multiple evaporation towers.

1 shows a water treatment plant 1 holding a hollow cylindrical evaporator body 2 and a condensation lid 3 having. The evaporation body 2 and the condensation lid 3 are fluidically interconnected and together form an evaporation tower 4 , The evaporation tower 4 is located in the seawater as intended 5 and reaches to the seabed 6 where he is so in the seabed 6 it is appropriate that it is fixed and can not be overturned by tidal power and / or wind power. Furthermore, the evaporation tower 4 be fastened by means of fasteners, not shown, such as anchors. In this embodiment, the seawater 5 exclusively via an opening 7 in the evaporation body 2 brought in. The water to be treated 8th is either by the sun 9 itself heated or over a heating element 10 , The heat is generated by the water to be treated 8th Steam 11 , as in 2 shown in more detail, which in the direction of arrow 12 rises. The water vapor 11 meets the condensation lid 3 , which permanently or only during the day with seawater 5 is cooled. By cooling the inner wall 13 cooler than the water vapor 11 so that it acts as a condensate on the Innwandung 13 along in flow directions 14 flows. The condensate then collects in a gutter 15 and is via an outlet opening 16 in a drain pipe 17 passed, which with a collecting container 18 connected is.

It is conceivable an additional gutter not shown in more detail in the figures within the evaporation body 2 , which serves, in addition already at the evaporation body 2 to be able to catch condensed water. In particular, at night an additional gutter is advantageous because the strong nightly drop in temperature in the desert regions, the entire evaporation tower 4 and not just the condensation lid 3 cooled by the low outside temperature. Accordingly, water condenses already in the evaporation body 2 , which is collected by means of the additional gutter. The water can then through a line to the collection container 18 and / or be forwarded directly to an area to be irrigated or to the destination.

The collection container 18 can be made in a simple manner from a cost-effective material such as polyethylene or polypropylene. An advantage of these materials is that the collecting container 18 robust and at the same time so light that it can be mounted as a kind of floating body in the sea.

For cooling the condensation lid according to the invention 3 , especially during the day, indicates the water treatment plant 1 a cooling device 19 on. The cooling device 19 consists of a pump 20 that serves seawater 5 over the line 21 to pump. This is how the seawater gets 5 not only used for treatment of drinking and service water but also as cooling water at the same time 22 , The cooling water 22 is via a water distribution device 23 as evenly as possible on the outer wall 24 of the condensation lid 3 spreads and flows in the direction of the arrow 25 in a collecting trough 26 , The collecting trough 26 serves to cool the cooling water 22 to catch it, then to feed it to a saline, not shown.

To operate the pump 20 is provided according to a first embodiment, a power generator 27 to use. The power generator 27 can use renewable energy sources such as solar energy, tidal energy, wind power or the like to generate electricity.

Preference is given to the use of tidal energy when the tidal current at the intended site is strong enough and stable. Particularly preferred is the use of tidal energy when the coastal landscape drops steeply, so that even at low tide the water level is high enough to drive the turbine. The use of wind power is particularly preferred when blowing a regular wind at the site.

According to another feature, the water treatment plant 1 in the evaporation body 2 a heating element 10 on. The heating element 10 serves the water to be treated 8th to heat, so that the evaporation promoted and thus more condensate is recovered. The heating element 10 is with the power generator 27 electrically connected and receives the operating current from him.

According to another embodiment of the water treatment plant 1 can the power generator 27 have a simple turbine with which the pump 20 is operated directly. In this case, the tidal power does not first Generated electricity and then converted into mechanical motion. Instead, the tidal force is converted directly into a mechanical movement, which in turn leads to the pumping movement. This is particularly advantageous since water on power lines can lead to short circuits and thus the entire power generation unit must be designed to be particularly secure in order to avoid such a short circuit.

3 shows an alternative embodiment of the water treatment plant 1 , In this embodiment, the evaporation tower is 4 on stilts 28 arranged. The stilts 28 are on the seabed 6 attached, leaving the evaporation tower 4 Stable even in heavy waves and / or wind. This embodiment has the advantage that the evaporation tower 4 can easily be dismantled and replaced with damage as it is not in the seabed 6 is attached. The evaporation body 2 is closed on the sea side, so that the water to be treated 8th just over the opening 7 is introduced.

4 shows a further embodiment. The individual components are those the 1 to 3 equal. The peculiarity of this embodiment is that the evaporation body 2 and the condensation lid 3 So the whole evaporation tower 4 , are arranged above the water surface. That has the advantage of being on the opening 7 in the evaporation body 2 can be waived. That leaves the water treatment plant 1 even easier to manufacture and maintenance-free.

The evaporation tower 4 can have more gutters 15 For example, spiraling within the evaporation tower 4 derogatory. In this case is also the drain opening 16 with the drain 17 in the lower part of the evaporation tower 4 arranged instead of the condensation lid 3 , It should be noted that the water treatment plant 1 is arranged far enough above the seawater surface, that the tides and waves do not mix sea water and condensation.

Furthermore, the treated water is discharged directly to the place of need, such as farmland, instead of in the catch tank 18 to be collected.

5 shows a further embodiment of the water treatment plant 1 , Unlike the embodiment according to 4 is the water treatment plant 1 designed funnel-free. This has the advantage that the water treatment plant 1 or the evaporation tower 4 can be cooled to a maximum. Furthermore, a collecting trough-free design of advantage in terms of easier maintenance of the entire water treatment plant 1 , Due to the absence of the outside on the evaporation tower 4 mounted collecting channel makes it easier to clean the surfaces.

6 shows a further embodiment in which the collecting trough 26 not on the condensation lid 3 but at the evaporation body 2 is arranged. The evaporation body 2 has a condensation lid side portion and a stilt side portion. According to 6 is the collection trough 26 arranged stilt-side, so that the distance to the cooling with the cooling water 22 is extended to a maximum and at the same time, however, the concentrated with salt cooling water is collectable. This has the advantage that a total of the largest possible surface is cooled, so that the condensation is made more effective and thus increases the amount of drinking water.

7 shows a possibility of multiple evaporation towers 4 to arrange as a battery. For this purpose, the evaporation towers 4 in a row, preferably placed as close to the shore. The placement in series has the advantage that the surface of the evaporation towers 4 can be cooled out of the country by the cool wind.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

Water treatment plant

2

evaporation body

3

condensation cover

4

evaporation storm

5

seawater

6

seabed

7

opening

8th

Water to be treated

9

Sun

10

heating element

11

Steam

12

Ascent direction of the water vapor

13

inner wall

14

Flow direction of the condensate

15

collecting channel

16

outlet

17

drainage

18

receptacle

19

cooler

20

pump

21

management

22

cooling water

23

Water distributor

24

outer wall

25

Flow direction of the cooling water

26

collecting channel

27

power generator

28

stalk

Claims (8)

Water treatment plant (1) for the treatment of seawater (5), comprising a hollow cylindrical evaporation body (2) and a hollow conical condensation cover (3), the condensation cover (3) being fluidically connected to the evaporation body (2), characterized by a cooling device (19) for cooling the outside of the condensation lid (3). Water treatment plant (1) after Claim 1 , characterized in that the condensation cover (3) water supply elements for the regular distribution of the cooling water (22). Water treatment plant (1) after Claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that the cooling device (19) comprises a pump (20). Water treatment plant (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 3 , characterized in that the pump (20) is fluidically connected to one end of a line (21), wherein the line (21) at the other end a water distribution device (23), wherein the water distribution device (23) on the condensation cover side at least one opening (7) , Water treatment plant (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 4 , characterized in that the cooling device (19) comprises a power generator (27). Water treatment plant (1) after Claim 1 to 5 characterized by a collecting channel (15) and a collecting channel (26). Water treatment plant (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 6 characterized by a collecting container (18). Water treatment plant (1) after Claim 1 , characterized in that the cooling device (19) comprises a pump (20) and a power generator (27), which are electrically interconnected, the pump (20) being fluidly connected to one end of a conduit (21), the conduit (21) at the other end a water distribution device (23), wherein the water distribution device (23) condensation cover side at least one opening (7), wherein the water treatment plant (1) a collecting channel (15), a collecting channel (26), a collecting container (18) and a drain (17), the drain (17) being fluidly connected to the gutter (15) and the sump (18).

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