ES2201916A1 - Combined plant is for production of electricity, desalinated water, brine and salt from hydrocarbons from any source of salt water, preferably from the sea, in which electricity is produced by generator coupled to internal combustion engine - Google Patents

Abstract

The combined plant is for the production of electricity, desalinated water, brine and salt from salt water hydrocarbons from any source of salt water in which electricity is produced by a generator coupled to an internal combustion engine which consumes the hydrocarbons. The desalinated water is produced by evaporation of salt water, using a system which employs the residual heat generated in the combustion. The combined plant is for the production of electricity, desalinated water, brine and salt from salt water hydrocarbons from any source of salt water, preferably from the sea, in which electricity is produced by a generator coupled to an internal combustion engine which consumes the hydrocarbons. The desalinated water is produced by evaporation of salt water, using a system which employs the residual heat generated in the combustion. The brine, in terms of the function for which it is intended and in degrees of concentration which are different, is obtained from evaporation of salt water.

Description

Combined electricity production plant, desalinated water, brine and salt.

Object of the invention

The present invention relates to a Plant Industrial for the production of electricity, desalinated water, brine and salt; which essentially brings novelty features and notable advantages over known media and used for the same purposes in the current state of the Technique.

More particularly, the invention proposes the Development of an Industrial Plant that uses raw material hydrocarbons and salt water from any source of water saline, preferably from the sea. Electricity is produced by a generator coupled to an internal combustion machine, that consumes hydrocarbons. Desalinated water is produced by evaporation of saline water, through a system that takes advantage of the waste heat that is generated in combustion, the production of electricity and heat input added by a source of renewable energy, preferably solar energy. The brine, with different degree of concentration depending on the application to the that is destined, is obtained from the water evaporation process saline. Salt is produced as waste from the industrial process described

The scope of the invention is is included within the industrial sector dedicated to the electric power production, drinking water, brine Different concentrations and salt.

Background of the invention

The fact that the lack of water resources and electrical energy limits the development of the regions. The growing demand for electricity and water is consequence of an increase in population, due to growth stable or temporary demographic by seasonality in certain areas, to an improvement in the standard of living of said population and / or to the increase of industrial activity in general.

So far the water supply for use domestic, industrial, agricultural or any other, is strongly conditioned to the weather, being remarkable that periodically there are times of drought, sometimes extremely severe, causing water restrictions in any of the mentioned uses, even reaching the water supply potable to the population by tank trucks. As for the electricity supply, it should be noted that there are certain areas in which due to specific and massive increases in population, for example due to tourism during the holiday season, produce failures of continuous electricity supply because of the increase in demand. For this same cause it usually occurs also a sharp increase in the demand for difficult drinking water solution due to the exposed weather dependence previously.

The current technique raises solutions independent for each one of the exposed problems, specifically in the absence or lack of water are built reservoirs and transvases, which involve large-scale works and that They are still conditioned to the weather. On the other hand, in Desalination plants are built coastal areas that consume large amount of electricity, and therefore an increase in the demand for the same, producing as brine residue with additives that make costly its subsequent use and to be poured into the sea they cause a considerable environmental impact on the ecosystem of place. In the absence of electricity they are usually built large thermal and nuclear power plants with major problems environmental and moderate energy yields, or electricity generation systems through renewable energy  who need large areas of land or are not suitable For large productions.

On the other hand, the current production technique of  salt by salt is based on the natural evaporation of water from sea. It requires, therefore, large areas of land and Long exposure periods for salt concentration Increase progressively until total evaporation.

Description of the invention

Taking into account the difficulties and drawbacks set forth above, the present invention it has been proposed as a fundamental objective the fact of providing a simple and effective solution by which such can be overcome inconvenience This objective has been fully achieved with the Combined Electricity Production Plant, Desalinated Water, Brine and Salt that will be described in the following, and that in its preferred embodiment consists of a generator coupled to an internal combustion machine, which consumes natural gas; a Multiple Effect Evaporation (MED) system that takes advantage of the residual heat that is generated in combustion, in the electricity production and with the contribution of heat added by low or medium temperature solar energy collectors. The High concentration brine is intended for salt production in a nearby saline or in the Combined Plant itself. With this system achieves a very high energy efficiency, and the simultaneous production of electricity and water in areas or regions that  They may have supply problems.

Although the above description has cited the invention as fundamentally applicable to the generation of electricity by combustion of natural gas, the production of water desalinated by a multi-effect evaporation system and to the installation of the plant in a coastal area next to some salinas, it will be understood that this quotation cannot be understood as limiting, since, as it has been conceived, it allows applied to any type of fuel, for the generation of electricity, any evaporation desalination system and installed in any area where the plant can be fed with saline water at any concentration.

Brief description of the drawings

These and other features and advantages of the invention, will become more clearly apparent from the detailed description that follows in a preferred way of embodiment, given by way of illustration only and not limiting, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in the what:

Figure 1 shows a schematic view of the Combined plant made according to the invention.

Description of a practical embodiment of the invention

In the unique figure of the drawings, based on the which will be the detailed description of the form of preferred embodiment of the invention, a Schematic representation of the Combined Production Plant of Electricity, Desalinated Water, Brine and Salt. For this purpose, it is going to assume, as a practical example (and in no way limiting), the electricity generation through natural gas combustion, the desalinated water production by an evaporation system of Multiple effect and installation of the plant in a coastal area to desalinate seawater (13) and next to some salt flats where Process the brine. For this, the Combined Plant consists of a internal combustion machine (2), powered by natural gas (1), coupled to an electricity generator (3). The surplus of electricity produced is sent to the Red Eléctrica for distribution to consumption points. To produce water (12) Desalted, a Multiple Effect Evaporation system is used (8) that uses as heat source the heat that is generated in the combustion process (4), in the generation of electricity (5) and the contribution of added heat (7) by solar energy collectors low or medium temperature (6). In addition to electricity and the desalinated water, are obtained as products of the Combined Plant salt (9), directly from the MED system, and brine (11) high concentration that is sent to salinas (10) for processing. The environmental impact is extremely reduced since the only waste that the plant produces is circumscribed Natural Gas combustion, which basically generates CO_2, H_2O and NOx (which can be reduced in a catalyst).

It should be noted that the Combined Plant described  It has very high energy efficiency, since it takes advantage of the primary fuel energy not only for the production of electricity but also for the water desalination process of sea. The efficiency is even greater if you consider the extra contribution of heat from solar thermal energy.

It is not considered necessary to make the content of this description for a subject matter expert can understand its scope and the advantages derived from the invention, as well as develop and implement the object of the same.

However, it should be understood that the invention has been described according to a preferred embodiment thereof, so which may be subject to change without implying any alteration of the basis of said invention, being able to affect such modifications, especially the production system of electricity, to the evaporation system of saline water and disposal of equipment in the plant.

Claims (4)

1. Combined Plant for the Production of Electricity, Desalinated Water, Brine and Salt from hydrocarbons and salt water from any source of saline water, preferably from the sea; characterized in that the electricity is produced by a generator (3) coupled to an internal combustion machine (2), which consumes the hydrocarbons (1); desalinated water is produced by evaporation (8) of saline water, by means of a system that takes advantage of the residual heat that is generated in combustion (4); The brine, with a different degree of concentration depending on the application to which it is intended, is obtained from the evaporation process of saline water. 2. Combined Plant for the Production of Electricity, Desalinated Water, Brine and Salt according to claim 1, characterized in that it also includes the use of residual heat from the production of electricity (5) for the evaporation of water, thus improving the energy efficiency of the whole. 3. Combined Plant for the Production of Electricity, Desalinated Water, Brine and Salt according to claim 1, characterized in that it also includes the contribution of heat added by a renewable energy source (7), preferably solar energy (6), for the evaporation of water, thus improving the energy efficiency of the whole. 4. Combined Plant for the Production of Electricity, Desalinated Water, Brine and Salt according to claim 1, characterized in that it also comprises obtaining salt (9) directly as waste from the evaporation process.