GB2496156A

GB2496156A - Atmospheric water sourceing

Info

Publication number: GB2496156A
Application number: GB1118938.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Joshua Leven Mcneil
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-11-02
Filing date: 2011-11-02
Publication date: 2013-05-08
Also published as: GB201118938D0

Abstract

Obtaining water from atmospheric air comprises cooling atmospheric air to produce water and separating the water from residual air by centrifugal force wherein microscopic particles are provided to interact with the atmospheric air to enhance the formation of water. Preferably ground level atmospheric moist air containing a mixture of gases and water vapour is forced into a super-cooled condensing chamber 1 by high pressure air vacuum pumps (2,3,4 Fig 1) to instantly condense the water vapour into ice crystals or water droplets. The ice crystals or water droplets may be forced under high pressure into a centrifugal separation chamber 7 where ice crystals and water droplets are separated from the air and extracted from the separation chamber by a series of vacuum pumps 10. Advantageously the extracted ice crystals and water droplets are collected in water storage tanks, to be used for domestic, industrial and agricultural consumption and the remaining dry air is released 11 back into the atmosphere where it again becomes saturated with moisture.

Description

SOURCING OF WATER FROM THE ATMOSPHERE

This invention relates to a process for sourcing and extracting fresh clean water from ground level atmospheric air.

It is expected that by the year 2050 the worlds population will need to consume at least one third more fresh clean water than we use today, but even at the present rate of global water consumption, there are water shortages now affecting many parts of the worlds population who experience the lack of clean water for drinking and basic sanitation on a day-to-day level. Therefore there is a need to find or procure new and sustainable sources of fresh clean water now and for the future population of the world, which is predicted to continue to rise this centenary, thereby putting more pressure on the earths eco-system to sustain an evel-increasing population with all the needs for economic and social development together with the demands for industrial and agricultural consumption of the worlds scarce water resources. This will eventually lead to what has been termed as the global crisis in water and food security.

To overcome this immediate and impending crisis of global water scarcity and is described in GB2477293, the present invention proposes a viable and sustainable industrial process to source and extract fresh clean water from atmospheric moist air.

Atmospheric Water Sourcing or AWS is a technical process whereby water is sourced and extracted from ground level atmospheric air. This process is called Rapid Condensing and Extraction.

Contained within moist atmospheric air at ground or sea level are tiny molecules of water known as water vapour' which is invisible when in gaseous form. This is where water vapour molecules in the atmosphere are in an inert state and have equilibrium of density with the surrounding atmosphere. This vapour floats or suspends in the warm air without attaching to other water vapour molecules, thus these molecules at this temperature do not accumulate or merge with one another and so do not increase in size or weight so long as they remain vapour and above the critical temperature where water vapour would condense back into liquid water. The amount or volume of water vapour contained in the moist atmosphere may vary -this is called Relative Humidity' or Local Humidity' and is spread throughout the entire planet and may differ in density or volume.

This relative humidity is the relationship between the air's temperature and the amount of water vapour it contains -that is to say the measurement of the water content by volume contained in every cubic tonne or cubic kilometre of air varies according to the time of day, place, or season of the year, therefore it is this ratio that is calculated between the air to moisture density and is referred to in relative terms. The process by which water is sourced from moist air known as Rapid Condensing and Extraction is to mimic the last two phases that occur within the natural cycle of the four phases found within global weather patterns. These are known as evaporation, convection, condensation and precipitation.

The first two phases known as evaporation and convection make this process possible and globally accessible by the natural cycle of the earth's weather systems distributing humidity or moist air over the entire planet. This is know as the Hydrologic Cycle' and needs no human intervention or separate endeavour.

The last two phases known as condensation and precipitation make this technology applicable by using AWS technology to mimic these last two phases within a controlled environment and so procure an abundant and readily accessible constant water supply.

The invention will now be described solely by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a cross-section of the front elevation of the low temperature condensing chamber; Figure 2 shows a cross-section of the side elevation of the low temperature condensing chamber; Figure 3 shows a cross-section of the front elevation of the centrifugal separation and extraction chamber; Figure 4 shows a cross-section of the side elevation of the centrifugal separation and extraction chamber; Figure 5 shows a cross-section of the side elevation of the combined low temperature condensing chamber together with the centrifugal separation and extraction chamber forming one complete operating unit.

In figure 1, a low temperature condensing chamber 1 where mass volumes of ground level atmospheric moist air (referred to in measurements as cubic tonnes or cubic kilometres) containing a mixture of gases and water vapour, is forced into this low temperature condensing chamber by a series of high-pressure air vacuum pumps 2, 3, 4.

Together with this moist air microscopic particles such as microscopic dust particles are added into this low temperature chamber to enrich the contained atmosphere and so enhance the process of the formation of ice crystals. The particles are preferably added continuously. This low temperature chamber, cooled by liquid nitrogen or a similar source of powered refrigeration, causes an interaction between the particles and the water vapour, condensing the water vapour into tiny ice crystals or minute water droplets 5.

In figure 2, a low temperature condensing chamber 1 where this air, now a mixture of gases, ice crystals, and water droplets is forced under high pressure into the next chamber known as the centrifugal separation and extraction chamber of SPEX chamber 6.

In figure 3, a centrifugal separation and extraction chamber 7, where this SPEX chamber spinning at very high speed, produces an effect known as centrifugal force 8 in which heavier than gas objects like ice crystals and water droplets are forced outwards through a perforated spinning drum into an outer chamber, thus separating them from the gaseous air, now known as dry air (air minus its water content) 9.

In figure 4, a centrifugal separation and extraction chamber 7, where these ice crystals and water droplets now separated from the air are extracted from the SPEX chamber by a series of powerful vacuum pumps 10 and the contents collected into water storage tanks to be used for domestic, industrial and agricultural use. The remaining dry air is released back into the atmosphere through an air lock valve system 11, where it again becomes saturated with moisture and becomes a part of the earth's weather system.

In figure 5, a low temperature condensing chamber 1 is combined with a centrifugal separation and extraction chamber 7 to make a complete operating unit of the process known as rapid condensing and extraction.

The low temperature condensing chamber has one function, to freeze or liquefy water vapour and this process is made possible by introducing microscopic particles such as dust particles, with the water vapour and subjecting them to a very low temperature causing the water vapour to interact with the particles and develop into ice crystals. This process of changing the structure of water vapour molecules, makes it possible for the water molecules to join together and increase in mass or volume so that when the water vapour is cooled or frozen to such a temperature and mixed with the particles at that time, the water molecules change their elemental structure from gaseous to ice crystals or liquid form and when forced into motion or agitated, they collide and attach to each other and form into ice crystals or water droplets. This process of rapid condensing is replicating the third phase of the hydrologic cycle, namely condensation within a controlled environment, that is to say that the three elements essential for the formation of global cloud cover and thus natural rainfall are, moist atmospheric air, microscopic particles drawn up into the atmosphere and very low temperatures. These elements when brought together through this device then cause countless billions of ice crystals to be formed.

These ice crystals or water droplets, if kept in a state of motion, as will be achieved in the spinning of the SPEX chamber, will continue to accumulate and expand in size and weight to develop into ice clusters similar to snow, hail, sleet or larger water droplets like raindrops, which have now become heavier than the surrounding atmospheric pressure and due to the force of gravity, sink or fall to the lowest point and the centrifugal process of the SPEX chamber forces the separation of the water outwards into a secondary outer chamber through a perforated spinning drum, which allows the water to escape from the inner chamber -therefore the SPEX chamber has a twofold purpose 1) to agitate or force into motion; 2) to separate and extract.

This continuous process of drawing on mass volumes of moist air, containing vast quantities of water vapour and forcing it into a chamber of very low temperature, and introducing artificial manufactured supplies of dust particles, instantly reacts with each other, changing the water vapour into ice crystals and so drawing out or soaking up all of the moisture content, thus producing a constant and sustainable supply of water independent of natural rainfall.

This process of rapid condensing and extraction, although use a two chamber system namely the condensing and SPEX chambers to procure water, there maybe circumstances where it is necessary to change the design and combine the process into one complete chamber doing away with the double chamber system, although the principal process of rapid condensing and extraction would still be the same whether in a single or double chamber system, where Atmospheric Water Sourcing Technology is applied.

Claims

<claim-text>CLAIMS1. A process for obtaining water from atmospheric air comprising cooling atmospheric air to produce water droplets and/or ice and separating the water droplets and/or ice from the residual air by centrifugal force wherein microscopic particles are provided to interact with the atmospheric air to enhance the formation of the water droplets and/or ice.</claim-text> <claim-text>2. A process according to Claim 1 in which the microscopic particles are dust particles.</claim-text> <claim-text>3. A process according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the atmospheric air is cooled in a super -cooled condensing chamber into which it is forced by high pressure pumps.</claim-text> <claim-text>4. A process according to any of the preceding claims wherein the mixture of air and water droplets and/or ice formed in super cooled condensing chamber is forced under pressure into a centrifugal separation chamber.</claim-text> <claim-text>5. A process according to any of the preceding claims in which the centrifugal separation chamber comprises a perforated spinning drum whereby the water droplets and/or ice pass through the perforations to effect separation from the residual air.</claim-text> <claim-text>6. A process according to any of the preceding claims wherein the residual air is recycled to the atmosphere.</claim-text> <claim-text>7. An apparatus for obtaining water from atmospheric air comprising a condensation chamber wherein the water in atmospheric air is converted to a mixture of residual air and water droplets and/or ice and a centrifugal separation chamber to which the mixture is fed and wherein the water droplets and/or ice are separated from the residual air by centrifugal force comprising means for the introduction of microscopic particles to interact with the atmospheric air to enhance the formation of water droplets and/or ice.</claim-text> <claim-text>8. An apparatus according to Claim 7 wherein the centrifugal separation chamber comprises a perforated drum whereby the water droplets and/or ice are forced through the perforations under centrifugal force to effect separation from the residual air.</claim-text> <claim-text>9. An apparatus according to Claim 7 or Claim B comprising one or more vacuum pumps for feeding the atmospheric air to the condensation chamber.</claim-text> <claim-text>10. An apparatus according to any of Claims 7 to 9 wherein the condensation chamber is super cooled.</claim-text> <claim-text>11. An apparatus according to any of Claims 7 to 10 wherein the mixture is forced under pressure directly from the condensing chamber to the centrifugal separation chamber.</claim-text> <claim-text>12. An apparatus according to any of Claims 7 to 11 comprising a single chamber comprising the condensation chamber and the centrifugal separation chamber.</claim-text>