GB2360515A

GB2360515A - Water purification apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2360515A
Application number: GB0107096A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Croston
Original assignee: Alpa Industries Ltd
Current assignee: Alpa Industries Ltd
Priority date: 2000-03-24
Filing date: 2001-03-21
Publication date: 2001-09-26
Anticipated expiration: 2021-03-21
Also published as: GB0007228D0; GB0107096D0; GB2360515B

Abstract

A water purification system includes first and second canisters (10,12) coupled together by a conduit (14). The first canister (10) is provided with heating means which may be an optical lens (18) or a mirror. Impure fluid or water can be placed in the first canister (10) and heated by the sun's energy focused by the lens or mirror. On heating, pure water vapour passes to the second canister (12) where it cools.

Description

2360515 WATER PURIFIER The present invention relates to a system for

purifying water.

Many water purifying systems are known using many different methods. However, in circumstances where natural disasters have occurred leading to a breakdown in conventional supplies of clean water, other facilities normally required for water purifiers are also not available to the survivors of the disaster. This may be as a result of a lack of power, a lack of ability to travel to obtain water and so on. The loss of clean water can lead to the generation and spread of numerous diseases, adding to the plight of the survivors.

The present invention seeks to provide an improved water purification system which can be used, for example, in the circumstances described above.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a water purification system including first and second closable canisters, a conduit coupling the first and second canisters together, wherein the first canister is provided with a heating element.

The heating element most advantageously uses natural resources, in particular sun energy. In one embodiment, the heating element is an optical lens. The lens may be provided in a closure member of the first canister.

In another embodiment the heating element includes a mirror. Preferably, the mirror is concave and a heat conductive element is located at the point of focus of the mirror. The heat conductive element is placed in or extends into the first canister.

The preferred heating elements are designed to make use of sun's energy to heat impure fluid in the first canister to cause evaporation of water vapour. In the preferred embodiment, the conduit and the secondary canister act as a condenser.

Advantageously, the second canister is provided with cooling means, such as cooling fins, for cooling water condensate received therein.

2 Embodiments of the present invention is described below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which the sole Figure is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of water purification assembly.

The assembly includes first and second canisters 10 and 12, respectively, coupled together by a conduit 14. The first canister 10 is provided with a lid 16 which has formed therein or coupled thereto an optical lens 18. A gasket 20 is provided for sealing the lid 16 to the canister 10.

The lid 16 is preferably a screw fitting on the canister 10 but may also be fitted in any other suitable manner, such as by a bayonet fitting, an interference fit and so on.

Also provided in the lid 16 is an aperture (not shown) for receiving the conduit 14. In the alternative, the conduit 14 may be formed integrally with body of the canister 10.

The preferred embodiment is also provided with an opaque cover (not shown) which can be placed over the lid 16 to stop the heating process. A safety valve (not shown) may be provided in the first canister 10 to release excess pressure in the canister 10, for example should the conduit 14 become blocked.

The second canister 12 is provided with its own lid 20, which may be opaque or of any alternative form which insulates the water in the second canister 12. In the embodiment shown, the lid 20 is formed from polystyrene.

Again, the lid 20 is provided with an aperture 22 for the conduit 14.

As can be seen in the Figure, the second canister 12 is provided with a cooling device, in this example cooling fins 24 disposed circumferentially round the outside of the canister 12 and extending upwardly from the canister.

3 It will be apparent from the Figure that the conduit 14 extends to just below the lid 16 of the first canister 10 and extends to a substantial distance below the lid 20 of the second canister, in practice to just above the inner surface of the base of the canister 12.

The assembly could be made of any suitable materials. For example, the canisters could both be made of a metal or ceramic, the lens could be made of glass or a plastics material and the conduit of a metal, a rubber material or any other suitable material. In the preferred embodiment, both canisters 10, 12 are made from stainless steel, with the first cani ster 10 being formed with a vacuum between doubl e wall s and with the second cani ster 12 being formed of single thickness walls to which a terracotta clay skin with fins 24 is attached. As an alternative, the entirety of the second canister 12 could be formed of terracotta clay, with the internal surfaces being glazed. It will be apparent that at least the first canister 10 must be steam proof and capable of taking pressure.

Another embodiment provides for both canisters 10 and 12 to be made of a cheap material, including metal and glass, and as simple units, with the canister 10 being heat insulated, for example by a polystyrene sleeve.

In use, impure water or other fluid is placed in the first canister 10 and the lid 16, with lens 18, conduit 14 and second canister 12 and lid 20 assembled as will be apparent. The first canister 10 is then pointed to the sun such that the sun's rays are substantially aligned with the lens so as to heat the fluid in the first canister 10. In practice, it may be possible simply to leave the canisters 10, 12 in an upstanding position and rely of the sun reaching the correct position during the day. The size of the lens is chosen in dependence upon the size and shape of the canister 10 to ensure that the impure fluid can normally be heated to boiling point.

Upon heating sufficiently the fluid in the canister 10, the fluid in the canister 10 rises towards boiling point, causing water particles in the fluid to evaporate. The water vapour is collected by the conduit 14 and then condensed into the second canister 12 as purified water. The heating of the fluid in the first canister 10 to boiling point kills any bacteria.

4 The terracotta, if moistened, will cool the canister 12 as the moisture evaporates (either in wind or in the sun) so as to cool the air inside. This will cause the vapour to condense and water to form in the canister 12.

Once the level of water in the second canister 12 rises above the end of the conduit 14 therein, this assists in the condensation process.

As can be seen from the Figure, the first canister 10 is preferably marked with a cross to indicate that this canister does not contain potable water, while the second canister 12 is preferably marked with a tick to indicate that this canister does contain potable water. The cross is advantageously red while the tick is advantageously green.

Although the lens in the preferred embodiment is provided in the lid of the first canister, in alternative embodiments it could be provided elsewhere, for example integral with the main body portion of the canister 10.

As mentioned above, an alternative embodiment provides for a mirror instead of the lens 16. In this alternative, the mirror could be formed solely of a metal, for example the same metal as the canisters. It has a concave shape to concentrate the sun's rays to a point of focus at which is located a heat conductive element. In practice, the mirror will be located above the top of the first canister 10 and the heat conductive element will also extend above the top of the first canister 10 to the focus point of the mirror. If desired, an insulating cover can be provided for exposed parts of the heat conductive element to reduce the chances of a user burning him/herself The heat conductive element can simply be in the form of a rod which extends into the first canister 10 such that when it is heated it heats the fluid in the first canister 10. Of course, the first canister 10 will still be insulated as in the first described embodiment.

It will thus be apparent that this system can provide water purification without the need for any other facility, such as electricity, oil or other combustible material. It is therefore suitable for emergency and crisis situations of the type mentioned above.

The system could also be used to purify sea water and can usefully be included in survival kits, for example on life-rafts.

6

Claims

1. A water purification system including first and second closable canisters, a conduit coupling the first and second canisters together, wherein the first canister is provided with a heating element.

2. A water purification system according to claim 1, wherein the heating element includes an optical lens.

3. A water purification system according to claim 2, wherein the lens is provided in a closure member of the first canister.

4. A water purification system according to claim 1, wherein the heating element includes a mirror.

5. A water purification system according to claim 4, wherein the mirror is concave.

6. A water purification system according to claim 4 or 5, wherein a heat conductive element is located at the or a point of focus of the mirror.

7. A water purification system according to any preceding claim, wherein the conduit and the secondary canister act as a condenser.

8. A water purification system according to any preceding claim, wherein the second canister is provided with cooling means for cooling water condensate received therein.

9. A water purification system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.