KR20230035364A - A system for decontaminating water and generating steam - Google Patents

Abstract

A system and method for decontaminating fluids and recovered vapors, in particular for treating and recycling contaminated water, using a vaporizer-desalination unit to separate a contaminated water flow into a contaminated waste stream and a clean steam stream. The contaminated waste stream can be dried using heat from the clean steam stream to dry the contaminated waste stream and separated into recovered minerals.

Description

A system for decontaminating water and generating steam

The present invention relates to a system for decontaminating water and generating water vapor. More specifically, the present invention utilizes a series of sensors and control systems to vaporize water, remove dissolved solids, and maximize the recovery of potable water from contaminated water through a horizontal water processing vessel. It is about an improved method.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Desalination (also desalination or desalination) refers to one of many processes for removing excess salts, minerals and other natural or unnatural contaminants from water. Historically, desalination has converted seawater into drinking water for ships. Modern desalination processes are still used on ships and submarines to ensure a continuous supply of drinking water for the crew. However, desalination is increasingly being used in arid regions where freshwater resources are scarce. In these regions, salt water from the ocean is desalinated into fresh water suitable for consumption (ie drinking) or irrigation. The highly concentrated waste product from the desalination process is commonly referred to as brine, and salt (NaCl) is a common major by-product. Most modern attention to desalination is focused on developing cost-effective processes to provide fresh water for use in arid regions where fresh water availability is limited.

Large-scale desalination is usually expensive and typically requires large amounts of energy and expensive infrastructure. For example, the world's largest desalination plants mainly use multi-stage flash distillation and can produce 300 million cubic meters (m ³ ) of water per year. The largest desalination plant in the United States desalinates 25 million gallons (95,000 m ³ ) of water per day. Worldwide, about 13,000 desalination plants produce more than 12 billion gallons (45 million m ³ ) of water per day. Accordingly, there is a continuing need in the art to improve desalination methods, ie to reduce the cost and improve the efficiency of related systems.

Desalination can be accomplished by many different processes. For example, several processes use simple evaporation-based desalination methods such as multiple effect evaporation (MED or simply ME), vapor compression evaporation (VC), and evaporation-condensation. In general, evaporation-condensation is a natural desalination process carried out by nature during the hydrologic cycle. In the hydrological cycle, water evaporates into the atmosphere from sources such as lakes, oceans and streams. Evaporated water comes into contact with cold air to form dew or rain. The resulting water is generally free of impurities. The hydrologic process can be artificially replicated using a series of evaporation-condensation processes. In basic operation, brine is heated and evaporated. Salts and other impurities dissolve in the water and remain during the evaporation stage. The evaporated water is later condensed, collected and stored as fresh water. Over the years, evaporation-condensation systems have improved greatly, especially with the advent of more efficient technologies that facilitate the process. However, these systems still require significant energy input to evaporate the water. Alternative evaporation-based desalination methods include multi-stage flash distillation as briefly described above. Multi-stage flash distillation uses vacuum distillation. Vacuum distillation is the process of boiling water at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure by creating a vacuum within an evaporation chamber. Thus, vacuum distillation operates at much lower temperatures than MED or VC and therefore requires less energy to evaporate water to separate contaminants from the water. This process is particularly advantageous in view of rising energy costs.

Alternative desalination methods include reverse osmosis (RO), electrodialysis reversal (EDR), nanofiltration (NF), forward osmosis (FO) and membrane distillation. ) (MD). Among these desalination processes, reverse osmosis is the most widely used. Reverse osmosis uses a semi-permeable membrane and pressure to separate salts and other impurities from water. A reverse osmosis membrane is considered optional. That is, the membrane is highly permeable to water molecules while highly impermeable to salts and other contaminants dissolved therein. The membranes themselves are stored in expensive high-pressure containers. The container arranges the membrane to maximize the surface area and brine flow rate therethrough. Conventional osmotic desalination systems typically use one of two technologies to create high pressure within the system: (1) a high pressure pump; or (2) a centrifuge. A high-pressure pump helps filter the brine through the membrane. The pressure in the system depends on the pump settings and the osmotic pressure of the brine. The osmotic pressure depends on the temperature of the solution and the concentration of the salt dissolved in the solution. Alternatively, centrifugal separators are typically more efficient, but more difficult to implement. Centrifugal separators spin solutions at high speeds to separate materials of varying densities within the solution. In combination with the membrane, suspended salts and other contaminants are subjected to constant radial acceleration along the length of the membrane. In general, one of the common problems with reverse osmosis is the removal of suspended salts and clogging of the membrane over time.

The operating cost of a reverse osmosis desalination plant is primarily determined by the cost of the energy required to drive the high-pressure pump or centrifugal separator. A hydraulic energy recovery system can be integrated into a reverse osmosis system to avoid the rising energy costs associated with an already energy intensive process. This involves recovering some of the input energy. For example, turbines can recover energy, especially in systems where high operating pressures and large volumes of brine are required. The turbine recovers energy during hydraulic pressure drop. Thus, energy is recovered in the reverse osmosis system based on the differential pressure between opposite sides of the membrane. The pressure on the salt water side is much higher than the pressure on the demineralised water side. The pressure drop creates significant hydraulic energy recoverable by the turbine. Thus, the energy generated between the high pressure and low pressure sections of the reverse osmosis membrane is utilized and not completely wasted. The recovered energy can be used to drive any system component, including high-pressure pumps or centrifugal separators. Turbines help reduce the overall energy consumption to perform desalination.

In general, reverse osmosis systems typically consume less energy than thermal distillation and are therefore more cost effective. Reverse osmosis works well with somewhat brackish water solutions, but reverse osmosis can become overloaded and inefficient when used with highly saline solutions, such as marine brackish water. Other less efficient desalination methods may include ion exchange, refrigeration, geothermal desalination, solar humidification (HDH or MEH), methane hydrate crystallization, advanced water recycling or RF induced hyperthermia. Regardless of the process, desalination remains energy intensive. Future costs and economic feasibility will continue to depend on the cost of desalination technology and the cost of energy required to operate the system.

As another alternative method of desalination, US Pat. No. 4,891,140 to Burke, Jr. discloses a method for separating and removing dissolved minerals and organic matter from water by disruptive distillation. Here, water is heated to steam under controlled pressure. Dissolved salt particles and other contaminants fall out of solution as the water evaporates. An integrated hydrocyclone centrifuge accelerates the separation process. The heated, high-pressure clean water transfers energy back to the system via heat exchange and a hydraulic motor. Thus, the net energy use is relatively lower than the aforementioned processes. In practice, net energy use is essentially equal to pump losses and heat losses due to equipment operation. One particular advantage of this design is that there is no membrane to replace. This process removes chemicals and other substances that would otherwise damage or destroy membrane-based desalination devices.

Another patent, US Pat. No. 4,287,026 to Wallace, discloses a method and apparatus for removing salts and other minerals in dissolved solid form from brine and other brackish waters to produce drinking water. Water is forced through several desalination stages at high temperatures and high centrifugal speeds. Preferably, the internal components rotate the water at speeds of up to Mach 2 to efficiently separate and suspend dissolved salts and other dissolved solids from the vaporized water. Suspended salts and other minerals are forced outward by centrifugal force and discharged separately from water vapor. The separated and purified steam or steam is then condensed back into drinking water. The system requires significantly less operating energy than reverse osmosis and similar filtration systems to efficiently and economically purify water. One drawback of this design is that the rotating shaft is embedded in a vertical chamber. As a result, the rotating shaft section is rigidly fixed to the base unit only by means of bearings and bearing caps. At high rotational speeds (eg, greater than Mach 1), vibration causes excessive bearing shaft and seal damage. Another disadvantage is that the series of chambers are bolted together in the housing section. Perforated plates are joined to these sections by O-ring seals. Because the multiple chambers and housing sections are connected via multiple nuts and bolts, the housing and O-ring seals tend to wear over time due to salt penetration. In particular, assembly of the Wallace design is particularly difficult. Maintenance is equally labor intensive as disassembling each housing section, including O-rings, nuts and bolts, takes significant time. Of course, the device must be reassembled after performing any necessary maintenance. Each housing section must be carefully reassembled to ensure a proper seal therebetween. Additionally, this system is prone to various torque and maintenance issues such as leaking O-rings as the device ages. Moreover, the rotating shaft is coupled to a power source by means of a gear drive, contributing to the previously mentioned reliability problems associated with bearings, shafts and seals. The system also does not disclose means for adjusting the speed of the rotating shaft section according to the osmotic pressure of the brackish water being desalinated. Thus, the static operation of the Wallace desalination machine is not as efficient as other modern desalination devices.

Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved system that includes sensors to monitor real-time system information and controls to regulate mechanical operation of the system to maximize decontamination of water, such as desalination of water, and minimize energy consumption. exist. Such a system must further incorporate multiple recycling cycles to increase the drinking water recovery rate from about 80% to about 96% to 99%, and must incorporate a polymer assisted recovery system to extract trace elements of residual compounds; It should consume less energy than other desalination systems known in the art. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides additional related advantages.

The present invention relates to systems for treating fluids, such as decontamination or desalination of wastewater, and for generating water vapor, including steam. A system for decontaminating a wastewater source starts with a wastewater source fluidly connected to an inlet on a wastewater filter device that produces a filtered wastewater flow. A separation tank is fluidly connected to the outlet on the wastewater filter filter device and the separation tank divides the filtered wastewater flow into a heavy fraction, a light fraction and an intermediate fraction. A first decontamination unit is disposed vertically along the elongate vessel between a first end of the elongate vessel proximate the first wastewater inlet and a second end of the elongate vessel proximate the first contaminant outlet and the first vapor outlet. It includes a generally horizontal, elongated vessel having a plurality of alternately spaced rotating trays and stationary baffles. A first wastewater inlet on the first decontamination unit is fluidly connected to an intermediate outlet on the separation tank and separates the intermediate fraction into a contaminant flow to the first contaminant outlet and a decontaminated vapor flow to the first vapor outlet.

The contaminant tank is fluidly connected to the first contaminant outlet and the heat exchanger tube is fluidly connected to the first vapor outlet and is thermally connected to the contaminant tank. The heat from the steam flow decontaminated in the heat exchanger tubes dries the contaminant flow in the contaminant tank to contaminant mineral residues. A decontaminated water recovery tank is fluidly connected to the heat exchanger tube behind the contaminant tank. A mineral separator is connected to the outlet on the pollutant tank, which separates pollutant mineral residues into commercial minerals.

A recycling line fluidly connects the first contaminant outlet to the first wastewater inlet on the first decontamination unit. The recycling line diverts at least 75% of the contaminant flow to the first wastewater inlet.

Within the decontamination unit, each rotating tray has a plurality of scoops each having a first diameter inlet and a smaller second diameter outlet, each fixed baffle having a first diameter inlet and a smaller second diameter outlet. It has a plurality of holes each having an exit. The purifying unit may further include an inner sleeve disposed in the elongate vessel downstream of the plurality of alternately spaced rotating trays and stationary baffles, the inner sleeve defining an annular passageway to the first contaminant outlet.

The system comprises a plurality of alternating spacers disposed vertically along the elongate vessel between a first end of the elongate vessel proximate the second wastewater inlet and a second end of the elongate vessel proximate the second contaminant outlet and the second vapor outlet. and a second decontamination unit having a generally horizontal elongated vessel having a rotating tray and a stationary baffle. The second wastewater inlet is fluidly connected to the first pollutant outlet on the first decontamination unit, the second pollutant outlet is fluidly connected to the pollutant tank, and the second vapor outlet is fluidly merged with the first vapor outlet. Each of the plurality of trays of the second decontamination unit has a plurality of scoops each having an inlet of a first diameter and an outlet of a smaller second diameter, and each of the plurality of baffles of the second decontamination unit has an inlet of a first diameter and an outlet of a smaller diameter. It has a plurality of holes each having an outlet of a smaller second diameter.

The invention also relates to a method for decontaminating wastewater sources. The process begins with screen filtering the source of wastewater creating a stream of filtered wastewater. The filtered wastewater stream is separated into a heavy, light and medium fraction in a density separation tank. The middle fraction is processed through a decontamination unit, which separates the middle fraction into a contaminant flow and a decontaminated vapor flow. The contaminant flow is dried in a heat exchanger unit using heat from the decontaminated vapor flow. The decontaminated vapor stream is then condensed into purified water and the dried contaminant stream is treated to recover minerals therefrom.

The process further includes recycling a portion of the contaminant flow back through the decontamination unit. The recycled portion of the contaminant flow through the decontamination unit comprises at least 75% of the contaminant flow. The process further includes processing the contaminant flow through a second decontamination unit, the second decontamination unit separating the contaminant flow into a concentrated contaminant flow and a second decontaminated vapor flow. Having a second decontamination unit includes combining the decontaminated vapor flow with the second decontaminated vapor flow, wherein the drying step converts heat from the combined decontaminated vapor flow and the second decontaminated vapor flow. and drying the concentrated contaminant flow in a heat exchanger using

The decontamination unit preferably has a generally horizontal elongate container having a plurality of alternately spaced rotating trays and stationary baffles disposed vertically along the elongate container between first and second ends of the elongate container. . The plurality of alternately spaced rotating trays and stationary baffles include a plurality of scoops on each of the plurality of rotating trays, each scoop having a first diameter inlet and a smaller second diameter outlet, and a plurality of stationary baffles, respectively. It may further include a plurality of holes in the hole, each hole having an inlet of a first diameter and an outlet of a second, smaller diameter. The decontamination unit may include an inner sleeve disposed in the elongate vessel downstream of a plurality of alternately spaced rotating trays and stationary baffles, the inner sleeve defining an annular passageway to a contaminant outlet.

In the decontamination unit, at least one of the trays may include a flow director extending from its front face and configured to direct the flow of fluid towards the periphery of the tray. A rotatable shaft passes through the baffle and is attached to the tray to rotate the tray within the inner chamber while the baffle remains stationary. The drive rotates the shaft. Typically, a gap or layer or sleeve of low-friction material or bearing is placed between the baffle and the shaft.

In one preferred embodiment, a controller may be used to regulate the rotational speed of the shaft or the water input to the vessel. At least one sensor communicates with the controller. The at least one sensor is configured to determine at least one of: 1) rotational speed of the shaft or tray, 2) pressure in the inner chamber, 3) temperature of the fluid, 4) fluid input velocity, or 5) volume of the fluid to be treated. contaminant level.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description taken together with the accompanying drawings illustrating by way of example the principles of the present invention.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the present invention. In these drawings:
1 is a schematic plan partial cross-sectional view of a system for decontaminating water and generating water vapor in accordance with the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a schematic side partial sectional view of the system of Fig. 1;
FIG. 2A is a view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating an alternative arrangement in which system 10 is controlled by a direct drive motor coupled directly to one end of a shaft;
3 is a plan view illustrating a water treatment vessel with an open top portion;
4 is an end view of a horizontal water treatment vessel attached to a portable skeleton, in accordance with the present invention;
5 is a plan view of a rotating tray having a plurality of scoops therein;
6 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a tray and its scoop;
7 is a plan view of a baffle used in accordance with the present invention;
8 is a side view of a tray with a forwardly disposed water director;
9 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a baffle illustrating a tapered hole in the baffle;
10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an electric motor coupled to a transmission and then coupled to a shaft of a water treatment vessel, in accordance with the present invention;
Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram of a system of the present invention similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating the integration of a control box and various sensors according to the present invention;
12 is a schematic plan view of a system of the present invention incorporating a turbine and generator;
Figure 12A is a view similar to Figure 12 illustrating that the system can be controlled by a direct drive motor coupled directly to one end of the shaft;
13 is an end view of a water treatment vessel illustrating a steam outlet of the water treatment vessel;
Figure 14 is a schematic side view of the system of Figure 12;
15 is a schematic front partial cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of a system for decontaminating water and generating water vapor, in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 16 is an enlarged view of the trays and baffles of the system of Figure 15 indicated by circle 16;
Figure 17 is a bottom perspective view of a vessel having an inlet and an outlet shown in the system of Figure 15;
Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view of the vessel of Figure 17 taken along line 18-18;
Figure 19 is an illustration of a shaft with trays and baffles of the system of Figure 15;
Fig. 20 is an illustration of a tray of the system of Fig. 15;
Fig. 21 is an illustration of a baffle in the system of Fig. 15;
Fig. 22 is a side view of the tray indicated by lines 22-22 in Fig. 20;
Fig. 23 is an opposite side view of the tray indicated by line 23-23 in Fig. 20;
Fig. 24 is a side view of the baffle indicated by lines 24-24 in Fig. 21;
25 is a partial cross-sectional view of a shaft, tray and baffle disposed in a vessel;
Fig. 26 is a cross-sectional view of the tray taken along line 26-26 of Fig. 20;
Fig. 27 is a cross-sectional view of the baffle taken along line 27-27 of Fig. 21;
28 is a schematic diagram of a control screen for the system of the present invention;
29 is a schematic diagram of processes occurring at various points throughout the water treatment vessel of the present invention;
Fig. 30 is an illustration of an embodiment of a shaft with trays and baffles of the system of Fig. 15 with increased diameters and numbers of scoops and holes on the trays and baffles;
Fig. 31 is a side view of the tray taken from Fig. 30;
Fig. 32 is a side view of the baffle taken from Fig. 30;
33 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a system of the present invention comprising a brine capture system and a storage tank;
34 is a schematic diagram of the brine capture system of the present invention;
35 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a system of the present invention that includes a raised condenser with a hydroelectric generator and a holding tank;
Fig. 35A is a schematic diagram of the condenser of Fig. 35;
36 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a system of the present invention comprising a brine recirculation system and a brine drying system;
37 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a system of the present invention that includes a control system with a graphical display;
Fig. 38 is a schematic diagram of a control system with a graphical display of a main screen;
39 is a schematic diagram of a control system with a graphical display of a graph screen;
40 is a schematic diagram of a control system with a graphic display of a trend screen;
41 is a flow diagram illustration of a wastewater purification system and process in accordance with the present invention;
42 is a flow diagram illustration of an alternative embodiment of a wastewater purification system and process in accordance with the present invention.

As shown in the drawings, for purposes of illustration, the present invention relates to a system and method for decontaminating water and generating water vapor. The method and system of the present invention are particularly suitable for desalination of salt water such as river water or other liquids/slurries as well as marine or other brackish water. Although this preferred treatment is used herein for illustrative purposes, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the systems and methods of the present invention may be used to decontaminate other water sources. The present invention can be used to remove (decontaminate) heavy metals and other contaminants as well as dissolved or suspended solids. Moreover, as described more fully herein, the systems and methods of the present invention provide water vapor in the form of steam having a pressure and temperature sufficient to pass through a turbine operatively connected to a generator for electricity generation or other steam heating applications. can be used in conjunction with relatively clean water to produce

In the following discussion, several embodiments of the method and system of the present invention for decontaminating water and generating water vapor are described. Throughout these embodiments and with reference to the drawings, functionally equivalent elements will be referred to using like reference numerals.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 , a system that is a vaporization-desalination unit (generally referred to by reference numeral 10 ) includes a water treatment vessel or chamber 12 defining an internal chamber 14 , salt and other Dissolved solids and contaminants are removed from the water to produce drinking water that is essentially free of minerals. In one embodiment, process vessel 12 receives contaminated water from supply tank 16 via supply tank tube 20 and through inlet valve 18 . In this example, the inlet valve 18 enters the vessel 12 laterally through the side wall. This inlet valve 18 can be alternately positioned as described below. The water source may be saltwater or seawater, other brackish water or even water contaminated with other contaminants. Also, the present invention contemplates supplying the contaminated water directly from the source, in which case the supply tank 16 may not necessarily be used.

Referring now to FIG. 3 , in one embodiment, the vessel 12 is such that the lower and upper shell portions 12a and 12b are opened relative to each other or removed to release the contents within the interior chamber 14 of the vessel 12. It consists of a lower shell and an upper shell portion 12b to allow access. The vessel 12 may also be constructed as a single unit as opposed to lower and upper shell portions. The water treatment vessel 12 includes a plurality of rotatable trays 22 within an inner chamber 14 spaced apart from each other and with a baffle 24 disposed between each pair of trays 22 . As described more fully herein, the rotatable tray 22 includes a plurality of scoops 26 formed therethrough and the baffle 24 typically includes a plate having a plurality of holes 28 formed therethrough. . The baffle 24 is fixed to the vessel 12 to be fixed. The baffle 24 includes a lower portion disposed on the lower shell 12a of the vessel and an upper portion disposed attached to and disposed on the upper shell 12b of the vessel 12, such that the lower and upper shells 12a of the vessel 12 and 12b) may be designed to form a single baffle when interdigitated and closed. Alternatively, each baffle 24 may comprise a single piece attached to lower shell 12a or upper shell 12b in previous embodiments or at multiple points in single unit embodiments. In either embodiment, the baffle 24 will remain generally stationary as water and steam pass through the baffle.

2, 10, 11 and 12, variable frequency drive 30 can adjust the speed at which electric motor 32 drives transmission 34 and corresponding shaft 36. Shaft 36 is rotatably coupled to bearings, such as non-friction bearings, typically lubricated with synthetic oil, Schmidt couplers, or ceramic bearings 38 and 40 generally opposite to vessel 12 . Shaft 36 extends through tray 22 and baffle 24 such that only tray 22 is rotated by the shaft. That is, the tray 22 is coupled to the shaft 36 . A bearing or low friction material such as a layer or sleeve of Teflon is disposed between the rotating shaft 36 and the hole plate baffle 24 to stabilize and support the rotating shaft 36 while reducing friction therebetween. Teflon is undesirable because it can consume fluid and contaminate it.

Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 12A , system 10 may be controlled by direct drive motor 32a coupled directly to one end of shaft 36 . The direct drive motor 32a allows the use of a high speed electric motor or gas turbine direct drive. By using a direct drive motor 32a, the drop in power and power associated with resistance inherent in transmission gearing can be avoided. For example, in a typical geared drive system, a motor of 200 HP and 300 ft-lb may produce rotor parameters of 60 HP and 90 ft-lb after gearing. In contrast, a direct-drive motor only needs to deliver 60 HP and 90 ft-lbs from the rotor to achieve the same parameters - it experiences no drop because gearing in the transmission is eliminated.

Although the system 10 of the present invention having a geared drive transmission can be prepared as a fixed installation or a mobile installation, such as in a trailer, the elimination of the transmission in a direct drive system facilitates the mobile aspect of the system 10. The smaller and more compact direct drive system 10 is more mobile and fits more easily on a trailer transported from site to site.

As can be seen from the figure, the water treatment vessel 12 is oriented generally horizontally. This contrasts with Wallace's '026 device, in which the water treatment chamber is oriented generally vertically and the top of the rotating shaft is secured by bearings and bearing caps supporting the chamber itself. As a result, the rotating shaft section was rigidly fixed only to the base of the unit. At high rotational operating speeds, vibration within the system causes excessive bearing, shaft and seal failure. In contrast, mounting the water treatment vessel 12 horizontally to the frame structure 42 distributes the rotational load along the length of the vessel 12 and causes excessive vibration, such as harmonic vibration, that would otherwise cause bearing, shaft, and seal failure. this is reduced Moreover, mounting the container 12 to the frame structure 42 enhances the portability of the system 10 as will be more fully described herein. Supporting the very rapidly rotating shaft 36 through each baffle 24 further stabilizes the shaft and system and reduces vibration and damage caused thereby.

As noted above, the shaft 36 and tray 22 are rotated at very high speeds, such as Mach 2, but slower speeds, such as Mach 1.7, have proven effective. This moves the water through the scoop 26 of the tray 22, swirling and heating the water so that water vapor is formed and contaminants, salts and other dissolved solids are ejected from the vapor leaving behind. Most intake water is vaporized by 1) vacuum distillation and 2) cavitation generated upon collision with the first rotating tray 22, centrifugal and axial flow compression is a direct correlation between shaft RPM and temperature/pressure increase or decrease Because there is a relationship, the temperature and pressure are increased. The water and vapor pass through apertures 28 in baffles 24 before being processed again through rotary tray 22 followed by scoop 26. The configuration of the trays 22 and baffles 24 minimizes drag and friction in the rotation of the shaft 36 by providing sufficient clearance at the periphery of the trays 22 and through the central openings 59 of the baffles 24. designed to remove or At the same time, leakage around the periphery of the tray 22 and through the central opening 59 of the baffle 24 should be minimized to increase efficiency.

As the water and steam pass through the respective subchambers of vessel 12, the temperature of the steam increases to produce additional steam and leave salts, dissolved solids, and other contaminants in the remaining water. The centrifugal force on the water and contaminants forces the water and contaminants up the walls of the inner chamber 14 and into a series of channels 44 that conduct the contaminants and unvaporized water to an outlet 46 . The generated steam passes through the steam outlet 48 formed in the vessel 12. Thus, water vapor and contaminants and the remaining water are separated from each other. It is important to note that system 10 produces water vapor, not steam. Water vapor is produced through a combination of reduced pressure and increased temperature. System 10 maintains the temperature of the water vapor at a temperature equal to or lower than that of steam, avoiding the latent heat of vaporization and the additional energy required to convert liquid water into steam. Because of this, the energy required to return water vapor to liquid water is correspondingly lower.

As described above, tray 22 is rotated by shaft 36 . The shaft 36 is supported inside the water treatment vessel 12 by a plurality of bearings as described above. Bearings are usually non-friction bearings lubricated with synthetic oil, steel bearings, or ceramic bearings. Prior art desalination systems incorporate standard roller bearings that can fail under high rotational speeds and high temperatures. Accordingly, desalination systems known from the prior art have a high failure rate in relation to standard roller bearings. In the present invention, lubricated non-friction bearings, sealed steel ball bearings, or ceramic bearings 38 and 40 are more durable and fail less frequently at high rotational speeds and temperatures than standard roller bearings. Bearings 38 and 40 may include internal lubrication tubes to pass lubrication oil flow through to minimize wear and tear due to operation. Bearings 38 and 40 also include vibration sensors (described below) to monitor and minimize the amount of vibration that occurs during operation. Additionally, shaft 36 may be intermittently supported by a low friction material such as a Teflon sleeve or bearing 50 disposed between baffle plate 24 and shaft 36 . This also ensures an even distribution of weight and force on the shaft 36 and improves the operation and life of the system.

Referring now specifically to FIGS. 5 and 6 , an exemplary tray 22 is shown having a plurality of scoops 26 formed therethrough. Although 14 scoops 26 are illustrated in FIG. 5 , it will be appreciated that the number can vary and can be dozens in a single tray 22 , and thus the dotted lines represent multiple scoops of varying numbers.

6 is a cross-sectional view of a tray 22 and a scoop 26 formed within the tray. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the scoop 26 is tapered such that the diameter of the inlet 52 is greater than the diameter of the outlet 54 . The tapered scoop 26 is essentially a venturi tube with a vertical opening or inlet 52 substantially orthogonal to the horizontal plane of the rotating tray base 22 . Liquids and vapors are accelerated through the tapered scoop 26 because the tapered scoop has a larger volume at its inlet 52 and a smaller volume at its outlet or outlet 54 . The change in volume from the inlet to the outlet of the tapered scoop 26 causes an increase in velocity due to the venturi effect. As a result, the liquid water and water vapor are further accelerated and agitated, increasing the temperature and pressure. It also allows separation of contaminants from within the water vapor. Tapered scoop 26 may be attached to rotating tray 22 by any means known in the art.

Once again, there will be somewhat tapered scoops 26 distributed over the entire area of the rotating tray 22, and the specific number and size of scoops 26 will depend on the operating conditions of the system 10 of the present invention. It will be understood. Moreover, the angle of the scoop 26 , illustrated as approximately 45 degrees in FIG. 6 , may vary from tray 22 to tray 22 . That is, increasing the angle of the scoop 26 of the rotating tray 22 by increasing the angle of the scoop 26 of the rotating tray 22, for example, by increasing the angle of the rotating scoop by 25 degrees to 31 degrees to 36 degrees in the next tray, 40 degrees, 45 degrees in the next tray, etc. Accommodates the pressure increase of the accumulated water vapor as it passes through (12). An increase in angle can also be used to further agitate and generate steam, and can increase the pressure of steam that can be used in a steam turbine as described more fully herein.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 9 , a baffle 24 in the form of a perforated plate is shown in FIG. 7 . In this case, the baffle 24 is formed as a first plate member 56 and a second plate member 58 connected to the inner wall of the container 12 by a connector 60 . Connector 60 may include bolts, dowels, rods or any other suitable connecting means. Alternatively, as described above, the baffle 24 may be formed as a single unit connected to the upper or lower vessel shells 12a and 12b. When formed as double plate members 56 and 58, preferably plate members 56 and 58 engage each other when vessel 12 is closed to effectively form a single baffle 24.

As described above, a plurality of holes 28 are formed through the baffle plate 24 . 9 is a cross-sectional view of one such hole 28 . Similar to the trays described above, the apertures include inlets 62, which preferably have a larger diameter than their outlets 64, such that apertures 28 are tapered to increase the pressure and velocity of water and steam passing therethrough. and further increase the temperature to produce additional steam from the water. Similar to tray 22 described above, apertures 28 may be formed throughout the baffle plate as indicated by the series of dotted lines. The specific number and size of apertures 28 may vary depending on the operating conditions of system 10 .

Referring now to FIG. 8 , a shaft 36 extending through the rotating tray 22 is illustrated. In one embodiment, a conical water director 66 is positioned in front of the tray 22 . For example, the director 66 passes from the shaft 36 through the central opening 59 of the baffle 24 towards the periphery or outer edge of the tray 22 for improved vaporization and higher recovery of drinking water. It may have a 45 degree angle to deflect the remaining water and steam.

Referring back to Figures 3 and 4, as discussed above, in a particularly preferred embodiment, vessel 12 may be formed from two shells or sections 12a and 12b. This may allow for rapid inspection and replacement of vessel components as needed. Preferably, the walls of internal chamber 14 and any other components such as tray 22, baffle plate 24, shaft 36, etc. are treated with melonite or other friction reducing and corrosion resistant material. Of course, these components may be constructed of materials that are corrosion resistant and have a low coefficient of friction, such as polished stainless steel or the like. The lower and upper sections 12a and 12b of the container 12 are preferably interconnected so that when closed they are substantially airtight and watertight. In addition, the closed vessel 12 must be able to withstand high temperatures and high pressures due to vaporization of water therein during operation of the system 10.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 , 2 and 10 , transmission 34 typically interconnects electric motor 32 and drive shaft 36 . Motor 32 may be a combustion engine (gasoline, diesel, natural gas, etc.), electric motor, gas turbine, or other known means of providing drive. The speed of the transmission 34 is set by a variable frequency drive 30. The illustrations in FIGS. 1 , 2 and 10 are schematic only and do not show the relative sizes of variable frequency drive 30 , motor 32m and transmission 34 . Variable frequency drive 30 is primarily controlled by computerized controller 68 as described more fully herein. Shaft 36 may be belt or gear driven. As described below, motor 32 may be directly coupled to shaft 36 . In particular, referring to FIG. 10 , the shaft 70 of the motor is connected to the intermediate shaft 72 by a belt 74 . Intermediate shaft 72 is connected to the shaft by another belt 76. The high speed industrial belt and pulley system shown in FIG. 10 drives the shaft 36 inside the water treatment vessel 12 . As shown, a plurality of belts 74, 76 and a set of intermediate shafts 72 rotate shaft 36 by multiples of the rotational input speed applied by electric motor 32 on electric motor drive shaft 70. Increases the rotational output speed at Of course, the ratio of the rotational input speed to the rotational output speed can be changed by changing the relative rotational speeds of the belts 74, 76 and the corresponding intermediate shaft 72. Couple the electric motor drive shaft 70 to shaft 36 via belts 74, 76 and intermediate shaft 72, and add a Schmidt coupler to shaft 36 between transmission 34 and chamber 12 By doing so, the present invention avoids the vibration and reliability problems that plague other prior art desalination systems.

Referring back to FIG. 1 , as noted above, water vapor is directed through steam outlet 48 of vessel 12 . The water vapor travels through a recovery tube (78) to a vapor recovery container or tank (80). The water vapor then condenses in the vapor recovery tank 80 and coalesces into liquid water. To facilitate this, in one embodiment, a plurality of spaced apart members 82, such as in the form of louvers, are positioned in the flow path of the water vapor so that the water vapor can coalesce in the louvers and condense into liquid water. The liquid water is then transferred to a potable water storage tank 84 or a pasteurization and maintenance tank 86. Liquid water may be maintained in holding tank 86 when the water and steam in vessel 12 is heated to the temperature required for pasteurization to kill harmful microorganisms, zebra mussel larvae, and other harmful organisms.

Referring now to FIGS. 15-27, another preferred embodiment of the system 10 and water treatment vessel 12 is shown. 15 illustrates the overall system 10 including an alternative single piece configuration of the container 12. In this embodiment, the vessel 12 comprises an inner chamber 14, an inlet valve 18, a tray 22 with a scoop 26, a baffle 24 with an aperture 28, a brine outlet 46, and a similar configuration to the previously described embodiments, including elements such as steam outlet 48. Inlet valve 18 includes multiple inlets to vessel 12, preferably at least two. These inlets 18 are located at the end of the vessel around the shaft 36 to distribute the fluid more evenly throughout the interior chamber 14. The inlet 18 preferably enters the vessel 12 in line with the shaft 36 to avoid entering the inner chamber 14 at a steep, particularly perpendicular to the direction of travel through the vessel 12. Contaminant outlet 46 is preferably oversized so as not to restrict the flow of concentrated fluid out of system 10 . The recirculation feature described below may address any excess of liquid that may be allowed to exit the system 10 through the oversized contaminant outlet 46. A shaft 36 supported by ceramic bearings 38 and 40 passes through the center of the tray 22 and baffle 24 .

Tray 22 is secured to shaft 36 and extends outwardly toward the wall of inner chamber 14 as described above. The baffle 24 preferably extends from the wall of the inner chamber 14 towards the shaft 36 having a central opening 59 forming a gap between the baffle 24 and the shaft 36 as described above. contains a single piece The baffle 24 is also secured to the wall of the inner chamber, preferably by means of screws or dowels 60, as described above. In a particularly preferred embodiment, vessel 12 includes six trays 22 and five baffles 24 alternately distributed through interior chamber 14 .

In this alternative embodiment, the inner chamber 14 includes an inner sleeve 45 disposed proximate to the brine outlet 46 . The inner sleeve 45 has an annular shape with a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the inner chamber 14 . An inner sleeve (45) extends from a point downstream of the last tray (22) to another point just downstream of the brine outlet (46). An annular passage 47 is created between the inner sleeve 45 and the outer wall of the inner chamber 14 . In a typical configuration, the inner sleeve 45 is about 6 inches long and the annular passageway 47 is about 1-1½ inches wide. This annular passage or channel 47 captures brine or contaminants emitted from the rotating tray 22 to the outer walls of the chamber 14 as described above. This annular passage 47 facilitates the transfer of brine or contaminants to the outlet 46 and minimizes the possibility of contaminating vapor exhaust or material accumulation within the chamber 14.

16 illustrates an enlarged view of tray 22 and baffle 24 . It can be clearly seen how baffle 24 extends from the wall of vessel 12 through chamber 14 and terminates proximate shaft 36 . It can also be seen how the tray 22 is attached to the shaft 36 and has the scoop 26 disposed through the tray as described. A cone 66 is preferably disposed on each tray 22 to deflect any fluid flowing along the shaft as described above (FIG. 8). 17 illustrates an external view of vessel 12 showing inlet 18 , outlets 46 , 48 and shaft 36 . Typically, the ends of the vessel 12 will be sealed and sealed against leakage. The vessel is shown open here for clarity and ease of explanation. FIG. 18 illustrates a cross-section of the container 12 shown in FIG. 17 and further illustrates the internal components including tray 22, baffle 24, inner sleeve 45 and annular passageway 47. . 19 illustrates shaft 36 with tray 22 and baffle 24 away from container 12 . 30, 31 and 32 illustrate an alternative embodiment of the tray 22 and baffle 24 along the shaft 36. In this alternative embodiment, the trays 22 and baffles 24 have increased diameters with an increased number of rows (preferably 3-4 rows) and a corresponding increase in the number of scoops and holes therein. . These increases allow more volume of fluid to be processed per unit time. Of course, the vessel 12 will have a corresponding increase in diameter to accommodate the larger trays 22 and baffles 24 . This increased diameter creates a situation where the outermost edge of the rotating tray 22 has a significantly higher rotational speed compared to a smaller diameter tray 22 .

20 and 21 illustrate tray 22 and baffle 24 respectively. 22, 23 and 26 illustrate various views and cross-sectional views of the tray 22 of FIG. 24 and 27 similarly illustrate various views and cross-sections of the baffle 24 of FIG. 21 . As described, the tray 22 includes a scoop 26 passing through the body of the tray 22 . Scoop 26 includes a scoop inlet 52 and a scoop outlet 54 configured as described above. The scoop inlet 52 is preferably oriented with the opening facing the direction of rotation around the shaft. This maximizes the amount of fluid entering the scoop inlet 52 and passing through the plurality of scoops. The angle of the scoop 26 on the continuous tray 22 may be adjusted as described above. The baffle 24 also includes a plurality of apertures 28 constructed and profiled as described above (FIG. 9). 25 illustrates the shaft 36 and baffle 24 pairing of the tray 22 . Arrows indicate the direction of rotation of the shaft and thus the tray 22 in this particular view. Scoop 26 with scoop inlet 52 is illustrated in the top half of the figure in a rotational direction, ie out of the page. In the lower half of the figure, as the tray 22 rotates with the shaft 36, the scoop 26 with the scoop inlet 52 is also illustrated as being oriented in the rotational direction, ie into the page. The direction of rotation may be clockwise or counterclockwise. The direction of rotation may be changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. As described in previous embodiments, the scoop inlet 52 has a larger diameter than the scoop outlet 54, thereby increasing the flow rate and reducing the fluid pressure.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, when the primary goal of system 10 is to remove contaminants from contaminated water, such as brackish water, to have potable water, the temperature of the water vapor is heated to between 100 degrees Fahrenheit and less than 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Even more preferably, the water vapor is heated to between 140 degrees Fahrenheit and 170 degrees Fahrenheit for pasteurization purposes. However, the water vapor temperature is kept at a minimum and almost always below 212 degrees Fahrenheit, so that the water does not boil and turns into steam, making it more difficult to condense and coalesce from the water vapor into liquid water. As RPM increases, temperature and pressure increase. The RPM can be adjusted to achieve the desired temperature.

The water boils and the steam temperature rises above 212 degrees Fahrenheit, only if steam generation is desirable for heating, electricity generation, and other purposes described more fully herein. This allows the present invention to condense and coalesce the water vapor into liquid water without the need for complex refrigeration or condensation systems that pasteurize the water vapor and often require additional electricity and energy.

In one embodiment, contaminated water, referred to as brine in the desalination process, is collected at outlet 46 and passed to brine waste tank 88 . As shown in Figure 1, polymers or other chemicals 90 may be added to the brine to recover trace elements and the like. Salts from brine can also be processed and used for a variety of purposes, including the production of table salt, agricultural brine, and/or fertilizers.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the treated contaminated water is retreated by recycling the contaminants and remaining water back through the system. This can be done multiple times to increase the amount of potable water extracted from contaminated water by up to 99%. This may be done by directing the contaminants and wastewater from outlet 46 to a first brine or contaminant reprocessing tank 92 . The remaining wastewater in the form of brine or other contaminants is then reintroduced through inlet 18 to vessel 12 and reprocessed and recycled through vessel 12 as described above. Additional potable water will be extracted in vapor form for condensation and collection in vapor recovery tank 80. The remaining contaminants and wastewater are then directed to a second brine or contaminant reprocessing tank 94 . Contaminant or brine concentrations will be much higher in the reprocessing tank 92. Once a sufficient level of wastewater or brine has accumulated in reprocessing tank 92, this contaminated water then passes through inlet 18 and is circulated and treated through system 10 as described above. The extracted potable water vapor is removed at outlet 48 and converted to liquid water in vapor recovery tank 80 as described above. The resulting contaminants and wastewater may then be placed in another reprocessing tank or brine waste tank 88. The initial passage of seawater is expected to yield, for example, 80% to 90% potable water. The first reprocessing yields an additional amount of drinking water such that the total drinking water extracted is 90% to 95%. By passing the brine and remaining water back through the system, up to 99% of drinking water can be recovered by recycling the brine with little or no increase in unit cost. In addition, it can reduce the volume of brine or contaminants, facilitating trace element recovery and/or reducing its disposal costs.

Referring now to FIG. 11 , in a particularly preferred embodiment, the computer system obtains from a plurality of sensors that continuously read the temperature, pressure, flow rate, rotational speed and remaining capacity of the various tanks connected to the water treatment vessel 12 of the components. It is incorporated into the system 10 of the present invention for adjusting the variable frequency drive 30 based on measurements taken. Typically, these readings are taken in real time.

For example, a temperature and/or pressure sensor 96 may be employed to measure the pressure as well as the temperature of water or steam entering or exiting vessel 12 as desired. In response to these sensor readings, control box 68 causes variable frequency drive 30 to maintain rotational speed of shaft 36, decrease rotational speed of shaft 36, or rotate shaft 36. The rotational speed is increased to maintain the temperature and pressure, decrease the temperature and pressure, or increase the pressure and temperature of water and steam, respectively. This can be done, for example, to ensure that the steam temperature reaches the required pasteurization temperature to kill all harmful microorganisms and other organisms therein. Alternatively or in addition, the rotational speed (RPMS) of the shaft 36 and/or tray 22 may be adjusted to ensure that the system is operating correctly and that the system is producing the required water vapor at the desired temperature and/or pressure. A sensor may be used to detect. The computerized controller may also adjust the amount of water input through inlet 18 (GPMS) so that the proper amount of water is input for the amount of water vapor and wastewater removed to make system 10 operate efficiently. Control box 68 can regulate the flow rate of water to vessel 12, or even regulate water input.

28 schematically illustrates a computer display 112 or similar configuration. This computer display schematically illustrates a vessel 12 having a shaft 36 and a plurality of trays 22 as well as various inlets and outlets 18, 46, 48. Shaft 36 has a number of vibration and temperature sensors 114 disposed along its length. Bearings 38 and 40 also include vibration and temperature sensors 114. Vibration and temperature sensor 114 is configured to detect horizontal and vertical vibrations at each point as well as temperature of shaft 36 generated by rotational friction. The bearings 38 and 40 include an oil supply line 116a and a return line 116b to provide their lubrication. The inlet 18 and brine outlet 46 include flow meters 118 for detecting corresponding flow rates. Temperature and pressure sensors 96 are disposed throughout vessel 12 . Temperature and pressure sensors 96 are also positioned throughout vessel 12 to take measurements at various predetermined points.

As indicated above, the contaminated water may come from supply tank 16 or from any other number of tanks including reprocessing tanks 92 and 94. Also, a collected water storage tank is fluidly coupled to the inlet 18 to a certain level or for other purposes, such as when producing steam that requires higher purity water than contaminated water can provide. It is contemplated that water can be guaranteed to be purified for this purpose. As such, one or more sensors 98 may track data within the tank to determine water or wastewater/brine water level, concentration, or flow rate into or out of the tank. The controller 68 controls, for example, the control of the tank when the brine is reprocessed from the first brine reprocessing tank 92 to the second brine reprocessing tank 94 and finally to the brine waste tank 88, as described above. Can be used to switch inputs and outputs. Thus, when the first brine reprocessing tank reaches a predetermined level, the fluid flow from the supply tank 16 is shut off and fluid is instead provided from the first brine reprocessing tank 92 to the vessel 12. do. The treated contaminants and remaining wastewater are then directed to a second brine reprocessing tank 94 until a predetermined level is reached. The water is then directed from the second brine reprocessing tank 94 through the system and water treatment vessel 12 to, for example, the brine waste tank 88 . The brine in the first reprocessing tank 92 may be about 20% of the contaminated water, including most of the total dissolved solids. Residual brine that is ultimately directed to brine waste tank 88 may also comprise only 1% of the contaminated water initially introduced into decontamination system 10 via supply tank 16 . Thus, temperature and pressure sensors, RPM and flow meters can be used to control the desired water output, including steam temperature control resulting in pasteurized water.

Controller 68 controls variable frequency drive 30 to rotate shaft 36 at a rate high enough that rotation of the tray boils the input water and produces steam at the desired temperature and pressure, as illustrated in FIG. 12 . It can be used to instruct (32) to supply power. 12 illustrates a steam turbine 100 integrated into system 10. Steam turbine 100 can also be used with the vessel shown in FIGS. 15-27. Water vapor in the form of steam may be generated in the water treatment vessel 12 to drive the high-pressure, low-temperature steam turbine by supplying the steam outlet 48 to the inlet of the turbine 100 . Turbine 100 is in turn coupled to generator 102 for cost effective and economical electricity generation. As shown in FIG. 12A , the steam turbine 100 may be removed with the shaft 36 of the vessel 12 extended to directly or indirectly rotate the generator 102 . In this case, the later stages of the trays and baffles inside vessel 12 act as steam turbines due to the presence of water vapor that helps rotate the shaft.

In the case of a steam turbine, water vapor can be heated to greater than 600 degrees Fahrenheit and pressurized to greater than 1600 pounds per square inch (psi), which is suitable for driving the steam turbine 100. Apart from the increased speed of the trays, the integration of the tapered nature of the scoops 26 in the trays 22 and the tapered features of the holes 28 in the hole plate baffles 24 also facilitates the production of water vapor and steam. let it For example, increasing the angle of the scoop 26 from 25 degrees in the first tray to 45 degrees in the last tray also increases the generation of water vapor in the form of steam and increases its pressure to drive the steam turbine 100. 13 and 14 show that the steam outlet 104 is formed at the end of the vessel 12 and the steam turbine 100 is directly connected to the outlet, and thus pressurized steam passes through the turbine 100 to the blade 106 ) and an embodiment in which electricity is generated through a coupled generator by rotating the shaft 108. The steam outlet 110 transfers the steam to the steam recovery container 80 or the like. The recovery tank 80 may need to include additional piping, condensers, refrigeration units, etc. to cool the steam or hot water vapor and condense it into liquid water.

Of course, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that steam generated by system 10 may be used for other purposes, such as heating purposes, removal of oil from oil wells and tar and shale pits, and the like.

In addition, the present invention can generate lower temperature and/or pressure water vapor for drinking water production by sensor and controller 68, which water vapor is directed through outlet 48 directly to the vapor recovery container and system It will be appreciated that the steam is accelerated to produce hot water vapor or steam for passage through the steam turbine 100 to generate electricity as needed. For example, during nighttime hours, system 10 may be used to generate potable water when little electricity is needed. However, during daylight hours, system 10 may be adjusted to generate steam and electricity.

As noted above, many of the components of the present invention, including variable frequency drive 30, electric motor 32, transmission 34, and water treatment vessel 12, and components therein, are included in a portable skeleton 42. can be attached to The entire system 10 of the present invention can be designed to fit into a 40 foot long ISO container. The container can be insulated with a refrigerated (HVAC) unit for controlled operating environments and shipping and storage. The various tanks, including supply tanks, vapor recovery tanks, drinking water storage tanks, pollutant/brine reprocessing or waste tanks, may be fitted into transportable containers or transported separately and connected to inlet and outlet ports as required. Thus, the entire system 10 of the present invention can be easily transported in an ISO container or the like via a ship, semi-tractor trailer or the like. Thus, the system 10 of the present invention can be transported to locations as needed, even remote locations, to deal with natural disasters, military operations, and the like. This arrangement results in a high level of mobility and rapid deployment and start-up of the system 10 of the present invention.

29 schematically illustrates the processes occurring at various points throughout vessel 12, i.e., subchambers. The interior chamber 14 of vessel 12 is effectively divided into a series of subchambers as illustrated. Vessel 12 includes five subchambers that perform the functions of an axial flow pump, an axial flow compressor, a centrifugal flow compressor, a lightless gas turbine and/or a hydraulic/water turbine. In operation, system 10 has the ability to vaporize water through a mechanical process, thereby enabling efficient and effective desalination, decontamination, and vaporization of a variety of damaged fluids. Prior to entering vessel 12, the fluid may undergo a pretreatment step 120, in which the fluid passes through filters and various other processes that may more easily be removed or compromise or degrade the integrity of system 10. separate contaminants. Upon passing through the inlet 18, the fluid enters the suction chamber 122 where it affects the fluid similar to an axial flow pump once the system 10 has reached operating rotational speed. An external initiation pump (not shown) may be shut off so that the system 10 draws contaminated water through the inlet, i.e., the suction chamber functions as an axial flow pump without continued operation of the initiation pump. If the suction chamber pressure is significantly reduced, vacuum distillation or vaporization will occur at temperatures below 212°F. After the intake chamber 122 , the fluid encounters the first tray 22 entering the first processing chamber 124 . This first processing chamber acts as both a centrifugal compressor and an axial compressor through the combined action of the rotating tray 22 and adjacent baffle 24 . A high proportion of the intake water is vaporized through cavitation upon collision with the high-speed rotating tray 22 in the first processing chamber 124 . A centrifugal compression process occurs within the first processing chamber 124 and each subsequent processing chamber. The centrifugal compression process casts at least a portion of the unvaporized dissolved solid and liquid water onto the outer walls of the processing chamber 124 . This action separates the dissolved solids and most of the remaining liquid from the vapor. An axial compression process also occurs within the first processing chamber 124 and each subsequent chamber. This axial compression process compresses vapors and liquids which also increase the pressure and temperature within the processing chamber. Both the second process chamber 126 and the third process chamber 128 function similarly by combining the actions of the centrifugal compressor and axial compressor features of the first process chamber 124 .

By the time the fluid reaches the fourth processing chamber 130 , it is subjected to centrifugal and axial compression processes to change the properties of the fluid and the flow of the fluid through the vessel 12 . In the fourth processing chamber, the fluid behaves as if it were passing through a lightless gas turbine or hydraulic/water turbine by causing shaft 36 to rotate. The fifth processing chamber 132 combines this lightless gas turbine or hydraulic/water turbine process. The turbine process in the fourth and fifth processing chambers 130, 132 measures the force to drive rotation of the shaft 36 so that the power of the motor 32 can be throttled back without loss of function of the system 10. provides After exiting the fifth treatment chamber 132, almost all contaminants in the form of brine pass through the annular passage 47 to the outlet 46 and purified vapor passes through the central portion of the inner chamber 14 to the vapor outlet 48. ), the fluid was highly separated. Turbine operation of the fourth and fifth processing chambers 130, 132 allows continued operation of the system 10 with reduced energy input (by 25%) compared to the start phase once equilibrium of operation is reached.

After the fifth processing chamber 132, the system includes a discharge chamber. Exhaust chamber 134, which is larger than any previous processing chamber, includes two exhaust outlets 46 and 48. When the volume increases significantly, the pressure is greatly reduced and the dissolved solids and remaining water are physically separated from the vapor.

The dimensions of the vessel 12 are preferably configured so that the combined process chambers 124-132 account for approximately half of the total length. Discharge chamber 134 occupies about 1/3 of the total length. The remainder of the container length, which is about 1/6 of the total length, is occupied by the suction chamber 122. The processing chambers 124-132 are divided into approximately 3/5 compressor functions and 2/5 turbine functions. After the fluid exits the last processing chamber 132, the fluid enters the discharge chamber 134 and achieves about 80% vaporization when directed to the respective outlets 46 and 48.

33 and 34 illustrate an embodiment of a system 10 that includes a system for capturing water from a body of water 150 . In this embodiment, body of water 150 is preferably a sea or ocean containing brackish water, but may be any body of water. The capture system 152 includes a capture vessel 154 disposed in a body of water 150 such that an open top or side 156 of the vessel 154 is at least partially above an intermediate level of water relative to the body of water 150. Although the system 10 can function with an open top 156 on a vessel 154 as shown in FIG. 33, the vessel is preferably a vessel (to take advantage of both incoming and outgoing waves/tides) 154) has open sides 156 facing the sea and land. For this system to work, the water level in the body of water 150 must change sufficiently so that a portion of the body of water enters the open side 156 but does not completely submerge the vessel 154. Ideally, this occurs with the rising and falling tides in the sea or ocean as well as the waves that can occur in these bodies of water. The distance that the open side 156 of the vessel 154 extends above the intermediate water level depends on the variability of the water level for a particular body of water 150 . The open side 156 is preferably covered by a filter screen 158 to reduce the occurrence of living organisms in the body of water 150 and other large objects from entering the vessel 154 . The open side 156 preferably also includes pivot louvers 157 disposed above the screen 158 which can be opened or closed to control the amount of water and/or sand entering the container 154. .

Inside vessel 154 is a capture funnel 160 or similar structure configured to direct most of the water entering vessel 154 to supply pipe 162 . The capture funnel 160 is preferably positioned below an intermediate water level for the body of water. Although vessel 154 and capture funnel 160 are illustrated as generally square in shape, they may be configured in other shapes. It has been found that the square shape, preferably with corners oriented towards the waves or tides present in the body of water 150, facilitates the rise of waves or tides over the vessel 154 to allow water to enter the open side 156. lost. The vessel 154 may also be configured such that the open side 156 is angled at a non-perpendicular angle on the side facing the incoming waves or tides to facilitate water entry across the open side 156. there is. The open side 156 is preferably positioned so that most of its surface area is above the intermediate water level, so that when sand or other sediment reaches the open side 156 it is likely to be in the higher part of a wave or tide. little.

Supply pipe 162 preferably leads to shore and to storage vessel 164 . System 10 may include a number of storage vessels 164 to receive and store a sufficient quantity of captured seawater. The supply pipe 162 may be underground as it goes ashore, but recognizing any elevation change to a surface facility requires appropriate plumbing and pumping. The storage vessel 164 may be located near the body of water 150 or at some distance from the body of water 150 depending on the needs of the user. When a sufficient amount of water is stored in vessel 164, pump 166 attached to outlet 168 of vessel 164 pumps the stored water through inlet pipe 170 to inlet 18 of treatment system 10. orient to The inlet pipe 170 preferably includes a storage vessel 164 and a filtration system 172 to remove large deposits or particles that may pass through the pump 166. System 10 may then be used to desalinate water as described elsewhere.

35 illustrates another embodiment of a system 10 of the present invention, which system 10 is used to generate electricity from steam produced from steam outlet 48 as described elsewhere. In this embodiment, system 10 further includes a condenser 174 disposed at a first distance 176 above vessel 12 . Steam pipe 178 directs water vapor from steam outlet 48 to condenser 174 . Since the water vapor is lighter than air and rises under its own power, no mechanical means is required to raise the water vapor through the first distance 176 to the condenser 174. Preferably, the steam pipe 178 has a generally vertical section 178a extending at least a first distance 176 if not slightly greater than the first distance 176 . A generally horizontal section 178b of steam pipe 178 extends from the end of this vertical section 178a to an inlet 180 on condenser 174. This generally horizontal section 178b may have a slight slope from the end of the vertical section 178a to the inlet 180 on the condenser 174. This allows for the possibility that any incidental condensation occurring in the steam pipe 178 will extend to the condenser 174 along the slope of the generally horizontal section 178b. Steam pipe 178 and all sections thereof are preferably insulated to prevent premature loss of heat and to minimize the occurrence of condensation during ascent to the condenser.

35A illustrates a particular generally diamond-shaped condenser 174, the condenser 174 may be configured in steam or other shapes known to those skilled in the art of steam processing. The purpose of the condenser is to completely condense the vapor produced by system 10. It preferably includes sufficient structures therein as known to those skilled in the art to facilitate condensation of the vapors. As the vapor condenses, it flows through outlet 182 on condenser 174 to condensate holding tank 184.

The holding tank 184 is preferably located at a second street 186 above the hydro generator 188. When a sufficient amount of condensed process fluid is stored in holding tank 184 , the condensed process fluid is discharged from outlet 190 on holding tank 184 . The condensed process fluid falls under gravity over a second distance 186 to the hydro generator 188. The hydroelectric generator 188 converts the kinetic energy of the falling condensed process fluid into electrical energy for storage or immediate use. Electrical energy may be stored in a rechargeable chemical battery, capacitor, or similar known electrical storage means 192 . The condensed process fluid falling into the hydroelectric generator 188 exits through the generator outlet 189 to be used for subsequent treatment (not shown), such as is normally done with such treated water.

Although first distance 176 and second distance 186 are shown in FIG. 35 as being explicitly "stacked" on top of each other, this is not a requirement of these distances. The only requirement for either of these distances is that the second distance 186 is sufficiently above the hydro generator 188 to efficiently convert the kinetic energy of the falling process fluid into electrical energy. Preferably, this second distance 186 is at least 10 feet, but may be 20 feet or more depending on the amount of condensed process fluid and the capability of the hydro generator. The first distance 176 needs to have a distance sufficient to position the condenser 174 and holding tank 184 above the second distance 186 . Inevitably, the first distance 176 depends on the size of the condenser 174, the holding tank 184, and the second distance 186.

36 illustrates another embodiment of system 10 of the present invention, wherein brine outlet 46 and steam outlet 48 are both used for further processing. Specifically, brine reprocessing tank 194 receives brine from brine outlet 46 through reprocessing inlet 196 . The brine reprocessing tank 194 also includes a reprocessing outlet 198 and a recirculation outlet 200 . A first portion of brine in brine reprocessing tank 194 is directed by recirculation pipe 202 to recirculation outlet 200 where it is directed back to inlet 18 of system 10 for reprocessing. In this way, the brine is reprocessed to recover additional water vapor from the process fluid.

A second portion of brine in brine reprocessing tank 194 is passed to reprocessing outlet 198 for storage in brine holding tank 204 . This reprocessing outlet 198 may include a valve 206 to restrict or completely block the flow of the second portion of brine to the brine holding tank 204 . The brine holding tank 204 is connected to a brine drying system 208 comprising a heat exchanger 210 with a circulating heat pipe 212 . The circulation heat pipe 212 passes back and forth like a conventional heat exchanger 210. Heat exchanger 210, which is part of system 10 of the present invention, receives its heat source from steam from steam outlet 48. Specifically, the steam conversion pipe 214 extracts a portion of the water vapor from the steam outlet 48 and transfers it to the circulating heat pipe 212 of the heat exchanger 210 . Stored brine from brine holding tank 204 passes over heat exchanger 210 and any remaining water is dried from the heat of the water vapor.

The dried brine is then conveyed to the dried brine holding tank 216 for subsequent use or processing. This dried brine can be used to create salts or other compounds found in brine. Additionally, any useful contaminants found in water treated in system 10 of the present invention, i.e., metals, elements or other valuable compounds, may be recovered from the dried brine for resale or other subsequent treatment.

As shown in FIGS. 37 and 38 , system 10 may be controlled by a control system 218 that measures various operating parameters of system 10 . The control system 218 includes a graphical display 220 that is touch screen sensitive. Graphical display 220 can be used to regulate the power, torque and rpm of motors and shafts as well as the flow rate of fluid entering system 10 . This graphic display 220 is similar to the graphic display shown in FIG. 28 . Graphical display 220 includes a schematic graphical illustration of system 10 corresponding to its various components. The control system 218 and graphic display 220 described herein are updated from the version of FIG. 28 . Graphical display 220 provides power, CPU activity, and operation corresponding to the fluids being processed in system 10: (1) brackish water, (2) seawater, (3) produced water, and (4) pasteurized water. An indicator light 238 indicating the mode is included around its perimeter.

The updated graphical display shows the operating time captured by the plurality of operating sensors 222 connected to the system 10 as well as an internal clock to determine speed for any data measured by the operating sensors 222. Provide measurement data.

Operational sensors 222 include temperature and pressure sensors 224 associated with each of a plurality of processing stages 226 in system 10 . The processing stages may include an inlet stage 226a, an outlet stage 226b, and a tray/baffle stage 226c associated with each operative pair of trays 22 followed by baffles 24. Actuation sensor 222 also includes a rotation sensor 228 associated with shaft 36 and motors 32 and 32a. The rotation sensor 228 is configured to measure revolutions per minute, torque, horsepower, runtime, and total revolutions. Actuation sensor 222 may also include a bearing sensor 230 associated with bearings 38 and 40 at either end of shaft 36 . Bearing sensor 230 is configured to measure the temperature and flow rate of lubricant passing through bearings 38 and 40 as well as vibration of shaft 36 . The actuation sensor 222 may also include a flow sensor 232 associated with the fluid inlet 18 and contaminant outlet 46 . The flow sensor 232 measures the open or closed state of the valve on the fluid inlet 18, the flow rate at the fluid inlet 18 and the concentrate outlet 46, and the flow rate at the fluid inlet 18 and the concentrate outlet 46. configured to measure total fluid flow.

Graphical display 220 has several display modes. The main screen is shown in FIG. 38 and displays the values measured by operational sensors 222 in a schematic diagram of system 10 . The graph screen shown in FIG. 39 displays the values measured by the temperature and pressure sensors 224 in a bar graph format 234 configured to indicate the orientation of the plurality of operational stages 226 . The graph screen also displays numerical measurements for rotation sensor 228 , bearing sensor 230 , and flow sensor 232 . The trend screen shown in FIG. 40 displays a line graph 236 of the values measured by temperature and pressure sensor 224 over time. In this line graph, each operational stage 226 associated with one of the temperature and pressure sensors 224 is represented by a separate line. The line graph can show current operating conditions or can be reviewed to show historical operating temperature and pressure data. The trend screen may also display data measured by other sensors including at least the number of revolutions per minute of the rotor from the rotation sensor 228 . Display screen 220 also has the ability to control whether data logging is on or off, as well as capturing images of the graphical display.

41 and 42 illustrate schematic flow diagrams of preferred systems and methods for purifying wastewater sources.

The system 250 of the first preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 41 begins with a wastewater source 252 . Wastewater source 252 can be any polluted water source that typically needs to be cleaned or purified, ie, sewage, domestic wastewater, effluent, runoff, industrial waste, and the like. The flow from the wastewater source 252 first passes through a macro filter strainer 254 designed to remove large objects, such as rocks, branches, etc., from the flow. The goal is to remove solid objects that may be too large to pass through the rest of system 250.

After the macro filter filter 254, the wastewater flow goes to a separation tank 265. The separation tank 256 separates the wastewater flow into different regions depending on the weight or density difference, i.e., lower heavy fraction region 256a, middle intermediate fraction region 256b, and upper light fraction region 256c. make it possible The heavy fraction is usually sludge or similar solid or semi-solid contaminants. Light fractions are usually oils or similar light contaminants. The wastewater flow removed from the middle fraction outlet 258 of the middle section 256b is passed on for further treatment. Tank 256 also includes a heavy fraction outlet 258a and a light fraction outlet 258c so that both fractions can be removed when needed. The medium fraction outlet 258 is preferably located in the medium fraction area 256b, but close to the heavy fraction area 256a to maximize the accessibility of the medium fraction.

The wastewater flow from the intermediate outlet 258 enters the vaporizer-desalination unit 10 configured as described above and is treated in the same manner as described above. Contaminant outlet flow 46 is directed to contaminant flow tank 260 for storage or subsequent treatment. The purified vapor outlet stream 48 is directed elsewhere for subsequent treatment, where it is condensed for use in a clean water system, including but not limited to drinking water or irrigation water. Optionally, the contaminant outlet flow 46 may be wholly or partially recycled for further purification via the recycle line 46a and back through the vaporizer-desalination unit 10. Rather than recycling, the contaminant outlet flow 46 may be treated through a second vaporizer-desalination unit 10 set in series with the first unit.

The use of vaporizer-desalination unit 10 allows for the elimination of conventional filtration systems and chemical process treatments found in conventional water treatment plants. These systems and treatments typically involve chemicals and/or reverse osmosis and similar filtration systems that are expensive to operate and maintain. Use of the system 250 of the present invention reduces or eliminates these costs.

A second embodiment of a water purification system 262 is shown in FIG. 42 . The second system 262 is identical to the first system 250 up to the separation tank 256 and vaporizer-demineralization unit 10 . In this second system 262, the contaminant outlet flow 46 is directed to the contaminant flow tank 264. The contaminant flow tank 264 includes a heat exchanger pipe 266 connected to the vapor outlet flow 48. Heat from the vapor outlet flow 48 dries the contaminant outlet flow 46. The dried contaminant outlet stream 268 is then passed to further processing for contaminant mineral recovery 270 . After the heat exchanger pipe 266, the vapor outlet flow 48 is passed to a cooled and decontaminated water recovery tank 272.

Initial treatment through vaporizer-desalination unit 10 in either system 250, 262 was found to purify about 75% of the water content in the contaminated water stream. A second treatment round through this unit 10 will purify about 75% of the remaining contaminated flow. The combined treatment results in greater than 90% purified water content from wastewater sources.

Although several embodiments have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.

Claims (17)

A system for decontaminating wastewater,
a wastewater source fluidly connected to an inlet on the wastewater filter strainer device producing a filtered wastewater flow;
a separation tank fluidly connected to the outlet on the wastewater filter strainer device, the separation tank dividing the filtered wastewater flow into a heavy fraction, a light fraction and an intermediate fraction;
A plurality of alternately spaced turns disposed vertically along the elongate vessel between the first end of the elongate vessel proximate the first wastewater inlet and the second end of the elongate vessel proximate the first contaminant outlet and the first vapor outlet. a first decontamination unit comprising a generally horizontal elongated vessel having a tray and a stationary baffle;
wherein a first wastewater inlet on the first decontamination unit is fluidly connected to an intermediate outlet on the separation tank and separates an intermediate fraction into a contaminant flow to the first contaminant outlet and a decontaminated vapor flow to the first vapor outlet. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising a contaminant tank fluidly connected to the first contaminant outlet, wherein the heat exchanger tube is fluidly connected to the first vapor outlet and thermally connected to the contaminant tank, wherein the heat exchanger tube is decontaminated. and heat from the vapor flow dries the contaminant flow in the contaminant tank to contaminant mineral residues. 3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a decontaminated water recovery tank fluidly connected to the heat exchanger tubes behind the contaminant tank. 3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a mineral separator connected to the outlet on the contaminant tank, the mineral separator operative to separate contaminant mineral residues into commercial minerals. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a recycling line fluidly connecting the first contaminant outlet to the first wastewater inlet on the first decontamination unit. 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the recycling line diverts at least 75% of the contaminant flow to the first wastewater inlet. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of trays of the first decontamination unit has a plurality of scoops each having an inlet of a first diameter and an outlet of a second smaller diameter, and each of the plurality of baffles of the first decontamination unit has a plurality of scoops, respectively. A system having a plurality of orifices, each having an inlet of one diameter and an outlet of a second, smaller diameter. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first decontamination unit further comprises an inner sleeve disposed in the elongated container downstream of the plurality of trays and the plurality of baffles, the inner sleeve forming an annular passageway to the first contaminant outlet. , system. 2. The pluralities of claim 1 , vertically disposed along the elongate vessel between the first end of the elongate vessel proximate the second wastewater inlet and the second end of the elongate vessel proximate the second contaminant outlet and the second vapor outlet. a second decontamination unit comprising a generally horizontal elongated vessel having alternatingly spaced rotating trays and stationary baffles, wherein the second wastewater inlet is fluidly connected to the first contaminant outlet on the first decontamination unit. wherein the second contaminant outlet is fluidly connected to the contaminant tank and the second vapor outlet is fluidly merged with the first vapor outlet. A method for decontaminating wastewater sources,
screen filtering the wastewater source to produce a filtered wastewater stream;
separating the filtered wastewater stream into a heavy fraction, a light fraction, and an intermediate fraction in a density separation tank;
processing the middle fraction through a decontamination unit, the decontamination unit separating the middle fraction into a contaminant flow and a decontaminated vapor flow;
drying the contaminant flow in a heat exchanger unit using heat from the decontaminated vapor flow;
condensing the decontaminated steam flow into purified water; and
treating the dried contaminant flow to recover minerals from the flow. 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising recycling a portion of the contaminant flow through a decontamination unit. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein at least 75% of the contaminant flow is recycled through the contaminant removal unit. 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising processing the contaminant flow through a second decontamination unit, the second decontamination unit separating the contaminant flow into a concentrated contaminant flow and a second decontaminated vapor flow. . 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising combining the decontaminated vapor flow with a second decontaminated vapor flow, wherein the drying step removes heat from the combined decontaminated vapor flow and the second decontaminated vapor flow. drying the concentrated contaminant flow in a heat exchanger using 11. The decontamination unit of claim 10, wherein the decontamination unit is generally horizontal elongate having a plurality of alternately spaced rotating trays and stationary baffles vertically disposed along the elongate vessel between the first and second ends of the elongate vessel. A method comprising a container. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of alternately spaced rotating trays and stationary baffles:
a plurality of scoops in each of the plurality of rotating trays, each scoop having a first diameter inlet and a smaller second diameter outlet; and
The method further comprises a plurality of holes in each of the plurality of stationary baffles, each hole having an inlet of a first diameter and an outlet of a second, smaller diameter. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising an inner sleeve disposed in the elongate vessel downstream of the plurality of alternately spaced rotating trays and stationary baffles, the inner sleeve defining an annular passageway to the contaminant outlet.

Images