ES2281240B1 - DESALINATION PLANT. - Google Patents

Abstract

Desalination plant. Allows the desalination of seawater through the boiling and condensation process, through the use of a marine energy generator (3), which provides total energy autonomy. The plant (1) incorporates a pumping group (10) that sends seawater to a first storage tank (9), associated with a purification equipment (13), which communicates with a volume leveling tank (15) of water present the desalination chambers (16), in which the aforementioned seawater boiling process is carried out thanks to the use of a series of electrical resistors (25), as well as the condensation of steam by means of cooling devices (27) , storing the precipitated water in a reservoir (30) for later shipment to a distribution channel (39). The chambers (16) incorporate means for recovering the precipitated salt as well as the saline solution.

Description

Desalination plant.

Object of the invention

The present invention relates to a plant desalination plant, of those used to purify the water of the sea.

The object of the invention is to provide a installation capable of carrying out said water purification of the sea, through the use of renewable energy, specifically thanks to the use of kinetic energy due to sea waves, recovering the salt present in the process to be able to be taken advantage of later.

It is therefore an object of the invention that said installation is completely autonomous, allowing the supply of the energy left over to the distribution grid.

Background of the invention

Fresh water is a good that is scarce every time more, so it is necessary on many occasions to have to desalinate seawater for agricultural, industrial or even use domestic.

For this, the simplest process consists of evaporation of salt water by means of heat supply, of so that said water changes from liquid to gaseous state, precipitating the salt dissolved in it, and conducting said steam to a region where it is condensed, providing a water free of dissolved salt.

Due to the large volume of water it is demanding, this process is not viable, since the energy needed to evaporating water is very high, with the great economic cost that It entails.

Therefore, the methods used usually to desalinate seawater rely on osmosis inverse, a process that involves the diffusion of a liquid, (in this case salt water), through a semipermeable membrane that separates two solutions of said liquid to different concentration.

Through the use of several membranes, manages to reach a final concentration of water suitable for domestic use.

While these types of facilities provide drinking water, their performance is not very high, because said diffusion of salt water occurs at about relatively slow speeds, so the size of the facilities should be as large as possible, with the consequent economic repercussions that entails.

Also, these types of facilities do not allow recover the salt for later use.

Description of the invention

The desalination plant that the invention proposes to solve the problem fully satisfactorily previously exposed in the different aspects commented, providing a fully autonomous facility, stocked electrically thanks to the use of kinetic energy due to sea waves, which performs desalination of seawater through an evaporation process, which allows the salt to be recovered initially dissolved in the water for later exploitation.

To do this, and more specifically, the plant desalination, previously located in the coastal area next to the immediate vicinity of the sea, incorporates an energy generator marine, which takes advantage of the upward and downward movement of the water surface, due to the movement of the waves, to provide sufficient electrical power to supply a industrial drinking water estate with a transformation center to allow such supply, as well as to supply the energy left over to the distribution grid.

The plant, by means of a pumping system with its corresponding filter, sends seawater to a first large capacity storage tank, which supplies the water stored to a water purification unit, in which eliminate microorganisms present in salt water, as well as the other elements absorbed by the pump are filtered different of seawater that could have exceeded the first filter.

Once purified, the seawater leads to the upper area of a deposit, which is communicated in turn by its lower zone with desalination chambers, by conduits through which the supplied seawater circulates, of so that said deposit incorporates a buoy associated with a valve, which controls the entry of seawater into it, regulating in turn the level existing in the cameras of desalination.

Desalination chambers have a interior structure with two isolated regions, communicated with each other by a narrow driving. The lower region of each chamber incorporates a seawater inlet, with its corresponding shut-off valve, as well as a series of electrical resistors of great power, fed by the transformation center of the plant, which is responsible for supplying heat to seawater up to raise it to its boiling temperature.

Water vapor rises by convection, accessing the upper region of the desalination chamber at through the narrow conduction that unites them, in which said steam condenses thanks to the action of a device refrigerator, which by means of a compressor cools the steam of water, so that it precipitates in the form of rain through a deposit coinciding with the upper region of the chamber, the which is connected inferiorly with a pipe that conducts the desalinated water to a water storage tank potable.

Desalination chambers incorporate in the bottom of its lower region, a gate and a conduit for the emptying them, so that when you reach levels high salt inside, which slows down the evaporation of seawater, the supply is temporarily cut off of marine water, to proceed to the emptying of said chambers.

The emptying of the cameras is done in two phases, a first phase in which the water present, with a high salt concentration is conducted after the opening of the corresponding valve through a conduit to a tank Saline solution.

Once the high saline solution has been emptied concentration, the second emptying phase is carried out, in which precipitated salt is discharged through the opening of the aforementioned gates arranged on the lower zone of the cameras, so that it falls by gravity on a series of conveyor belts that move it to an area where it is screened and stored for later use.

Finally, the installation has a system of pumping that communicates the drinking water tank with a channel of distribution of it.

Description of the drawings

To complement the description that is being performing and in order to help a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, according to a preferred example of practical realization of it, is accompanied as part member of that description, a set of drawings where with illustrative and non-limiting nature, what has been represented next:

Figure 1.- Shows an elevation view side of a desalination plant carried out in accordance with the object of the present invention.

Figure 2.- Shows an elevation view front of the installation of the previous figure.

Figure 3.- Shows a plan view of the installation of the previous figure.

Preferred Embodiment of the Invention

In view of the figures outlined you can be observed as the desalination plant (1) that is recommended located next to a breakwater (2), and has a generator marine energy (3) that takes advantage of the vertical displacement that the waves (4) are able to supply a buoy (5), so that such alternative movement of said buoy (5) is in turn used to move one or more electric power generators (6),  associated to a transformation center (7) through a line of supply (8).

The desalination plant (1) has a large capacity tank (9), in which water is stored Marine driven through a pumping equipment (10), which takes the sea water through a conduit (11) submerged in it, which has a filter (12) at its free end.

The seawater storage tank (9) supplies said water to a water purification equipment (13), in which eliminates the microbes and microorganisms present in the themselves, as well as the small particles that are filtered exceeded the first filter (12).

Once this debugging equipment has been exceeded, seawater is conducted through a pipe (14) to a leveling tank (15), deposit accessed by the party top of it, which is connected to one of the cameras desalination (16) through a duct (17), the cited cameras (16) communicated with each other by conduits (18) arranged at the same height as the conduit (17), so that the seawater level in desalination chambers (16) will be same as the level present in the deposit (15).

The level of water present in the tank (15) It is regulated by a buoy (19) associated with a rod (20) whose vertical upward displacement causes the closure of a valve (21) that prevents the access of water from the pipeline (14).

Desalination chambers (16) have a structure bounded by two regions partially isolated by a wall (22). A lower region (23) in which the water is housed marine from the leveling tank (15), and a region upper (24) steam condensation.

The lower region (23), has a series of electrical resistors (25) that heat the water to its point of boiling, in which the salt precipitates towards the bottom of the chamber and steam rises by convection towards the upper area of the chamber, so that the separation wall (22), by means of a inclined section, conducts the steam through a narrow access (26) that communicates both regions (23) and (24) of the camera.

The upper region of each chamber has a cooling system (27), which using a compressor (28) it expels cold air inside that causes the steam to condense, rushing over the upper tank delimited by wall (22), which through its inclined surface conducts desalinated water through a circuit of pipes (29) to a water tank Potable (30) large capacity.

The conduit (17) that communicates the deposit of leveling with one of the desalination chambers (16), it has of a shut-off valve, which allows periodic emptying of cited chambers (16), when the salt concentration in the region lower (23) thereof is excessive, so that for said emptying, one of said chambers (16) has a conduction of discharge (31) with its corresponding opening valve, which allows, as all cameras (16) are communicated with each other through ducts (18), evacuate water with a high concentration of exit from them to an accumulation tank (32) of the Saline solution.

Once the saline solution is evacuated, the salt precipitated at the bottom of the lower region (23) of the chamber of desalination (16) is expelled through the opening of a series of gates (33) incorporating said chamber on its background.

Below these gates are arranged two conveyor belts (34), arranged in parallel, whose ends lead the salt to a tape (35) arranged transversely, which collects the salt from each of the desalination chambers (16), to deposit on tape elevator (36) that stores it in piles (37) for later screening and selection.

The drinking water tank (30) incorporates a pumping group (38) to transfer said water to a water channel distribution (39).

Also, the saline tank (32) incorporates a vacuum group (40) to allow filling of tank trucks (41) of the same, for later treatment.

Finally, plant (1) incorporates a series of temperature probes and seawater level control in the desalination chambers (16), which by means of an electrical circuit emit an alarm signal in the event that some are exceeded preset security values for them.

Claims (4)

1. Desalination plant, of the type located in the immediate vicinity of the sea, which is supplied with seawater for subsequent desalination, characterized in that it incorporates a marine energy generator (3), which supplies the plant with electrical energy (1), which has a pumping group (10) that sends seawater to a first accumulator tank (9), associated with a purification equipment (13), which communicates with a water volume leveling tank (15) present in one or more desalination chambers (16), each of which incorporates two isolated regions, connected to each other by a narrow conduit (26); a lower region (23) in which marine water is housed, a region equipped with one or more high-power electrical resistors (25), which raise the temperature of the water to its boiling point, and an upper region (24), equipped with means for the condensation of water vapor on it, and communicated with an external reservoir for the accumulation of drinking water (30), said desalination chambers (16) being equipped with means for emptying and recovering the precipitated salt and the high concentration saline solution present in the lower region (23). 2. Desalination plant, according to claim 1, characterized in that said leveling tank (15) and desalination chambers (16) communicate with each other through pipes (17-18) arranged horizontally between them on its lower area, incorporating said tank ( 15) a buoy (19) associated with a rod (20) whose upward vertical displacement causes the closing of a valve (21) that prevents the access of water from the purification equipment (9). 3. Desalination plant, according to claim 1, characterized in that said means for vapor condensation materialize in refrigeration systems (27), which by means of a compressor (28) expel cold air over the upper area of the desalination chambers (16 ). 4. Desalination plant, according to claim 1, characterized in that said means for emptying and recovering the precipitated salt and the high concentration saline solution materialize in a discharge duct (31) with its corresponding opening valve, associated with a reservoir (32) of saline solution, as well as gates (33) arranged on the bottom of said chambers, under which conveyor belts (34-36) are arranged for the storage and screening of the precipitated salt.