GB2393178A - Water purifier - Google Patents

Abstract

A water purification system includes first and second canisters 10, 12 coupled together by a conduit 14. The first canister is provided with a heating means which may be an optical lens 18 or a mirror which includes a heat conductive element 15. Impure water can be placed in the first canister 10 and heated by the sun's energy focussed onto the heat conductive element by the lens or mirror. The water vapour is contained beneath a diaphragm 13 in the first chamber and is collected by the conduit 14 and then condensed into the second canister as purified water. The second canister may be formed of terracotta clay, with the internal surfaces being glazed. The second canister may be provided with a cooling device such as cooling fins 24 disposed circumferentially round the outside of the canister 12 and extending upwardly. The device may be used in circumstances where natural disasters have occurred leading to a breakdown in conventional supplies of clean water.

Description

WATER PURIFIER 239317 8

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 5 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 5 system including first and second closable canisters, a conduit coupling the first and second canisters together, wherein the first canister is divided by a diaphragm, and the first canister is provided with a heating element.

The diaphragm divides the first canister into separate upper and lower chambers, whereby 20 non-potable water is stored in the chamber below the diaphragm.

Preferably, the conduit is received beneath the diaphragm.

The heating element most advantageously uses natural resources, in particular sun energy.

25 In one embodiment, the heating element includes an optical lens. The lens is located in the upper chamber of the canister and is therefore separated from the water supply by the diaphragm that divides the canister. The lens may be provided in a closure member of the first canister.

30 Advantageously, the heating element includes a heat conductive element. The heat conductive element is placed in or extends into the first canister beneath the diaphragm and is located at the point of focus of the lens.

According to another 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 heating means s including a substantially spherical or parabolic mirror. A heat conductive element is located at the point of focus of the mirror.

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 lo 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.

5 Embodiments of the present invention are 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 20 by a conduit 14. The first canister 10 is provided with a diaphragm 13 which divides the first canister 10 into separate chambers.

Also provided in the first canister 10 is an aperture (not shown) for receiving the conduit 14 beneath the diaphragm 13. In the alternative, the conduit 14 may be formed integrally 25 with body of the canister 10.

Also provided in the first canister 10 is a lid 16 which has formed therein or coupled thereto an optical lens 18.

30 The diaphragm 13 is provided with a heat conductive element 15 which is positioned at a or the focus point of the lens 18. 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.

A gasket 20 is provided for sealing the lid 16 to the canister 10.

s 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.

The preferred embodiment is also provided with an opaque cover (not shown) which can lo 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 l 5 alternative form which insulates the water in the second canister 12. In the embodiment shown, the lid 20 is formed from polystyrene.

Again, the second canister 12 is provided with an aperture (not shown) for the conduit 14.

20 It will be apparent from the Figure that the conduit 14 extends to a substantial distance below the entry point into the second canister 12, in practice to just above the inner surface of the base of the canister 12.

As can be seen in the Figure, the second canister 12 is provided with a cooling device, in 25 this example cooling fins 24 disposed circumferentially round the outside of the canister 12 and extending upwardly from the canister.

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 30 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 canister 10 being formed with a vacuum between double walls and with the second canister

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.

s 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.

0 In use, impure water or other fluid is placed in the first canister 10 and the diaphragm 13, lid 16, with lens 18, conduit 14 and second canister 12 and lid 20 assembled as will be apparent, such that the water is below the diaphragm. The first canister 10 is then pointed to the sun such that the sun's rays are substantially aligned with the lens 18 so as to be focused by the lens 18 onto the heat conductive element 15 so as to heat the fluid in the 5 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.

20 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 contained beneath the diaphragm and 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.

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.

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

The first canister 10 is preferably marked with a cross (not shown) 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.

lo 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 substantially spherical or parabolic 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 5 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 20 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.

2s The system could also be used to purify sea water and can usefully be included in survival kits, for example on life-rafts.

Claims (10)

1. A water purification system including first and second closable canisters, a conduit 5 coupling the first and second canisters together, wherein the first canister is divided by a diaphragm, and the first canister is provided with a heating element.

2. A water purification system according to claim 1, wherein the conduit is received beneath the diaphragm.

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

4. A water purification system according to claim 3, wherein the lens is provided in a 5 closure member of the first canister.

5. A water purification system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the heating element includes a heat conductive element located beneath the diaphragm at the or a point of focus of the lens.

6. A water purification system including first and second closable canisters, a conduit coupling the first and second canisters together, wherein the heating element includes a substantially spherical or parabolic mirror.

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

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

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

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

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