US3522150A

US3522150A - Vacuum flash distilling apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3522150A
Application number: US722420A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles W Galuska
Original assignee: CHARLES W GALUSKA
Current assignee: CHARLES W GALUSKA
Priority date: 1968-04-18
Filing date: 1968-04-18
Publication date: 1970-07-28
Anticipated expiration: 1987-07-28

Description

July 28, 1970 C. W. GALUSKA VACUUM FLASH DISTILLING APPARATUS Filed April 18. 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fig./ f rl- VAPOR 36 OUTLET f :fcouozusmc sacnom 30 f, j a

34 7 SALT CONDENSATE 22 OUTLET WATER (BRING DlSCHARGE-L "52 w FRESH j I .20 26''" WATER 54 HEATER EVAPORATOR w 42 l ENGINE q/COOLANT w 56 x w /44 l i T w zmaxT sa T J a ENG\NE .5

LIQUID-LEVEL CHECTK VALVE DISTILLED WATER Charles W. Ga/uska INVENTOR.

July 28, 1970 c. w. GALUSKA 3,522,150

VACUUM FLASH DISTILLING APPARATUS Filed April 18, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 T Fig. 2 56 76 3 km 2 k 78 Charles W. Ga luska INVENTOR.

Y 9mm United States Patent 3,522,150 VACUUM FLASH DISTILLING APPARATUS Charles W. Galuska, San Jose, Calif., assignor of fifty percent to Louis Edwards, San Jose, Calif.

Filed Apr. 18, 1968, Ser. No. 722,420 Int. Cl. B01d 3/06; C02b 1/06 US. Cl. 202-235 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a distillation apparatus and more particularly to an engine distilling apparatus of the vacuum operated flash type.

Portable distilling apparatus powered by an internal combustion engine for recovering distilled water from salt water sources or the like, is well known. One method utilized in connection with such apparatus is to partially evaporate the salt water and conduct it to a low pressure region within a flash tank in order to further convert the partially evaporated salt water into a mixture of vapor and liquid free of the salt and other contaminants. Separate liquid and vapor phases are then withdrawn from the flash tank unit under a vacuum pressure established within a condenser to which the outlets of the flash tank unit are connected. The liquid and vapor condensate may then be withdrawn from the condenser and collected as the product distillate. The condenser vacuum pressure may be established by means of a vacuum pump driven by the internal combustion engine.

In order to partially evaporate the salt water or raw liquid being processed, the coolant of the engine cooling system is utilized as a source of heat. In accordance with the present invention however, the heat absorbed by the engine coolant is increased by means of a hydrodynamic brake mechanism through which the coolant is passed. Thus, the engine driven distilling apparatus may be brought to an operating condition more rapidly and may be operated more elficiently.

An important object of the present invention therefore is to provide an engine driven distilling apparatus in which the heat absorbed by the engine coolant is utilized as a source of heat for partially evaporating the raw liquid being processed. The improvement of the present invention resides in the provision of a hydrodynamic brake driven by the engine and utilizing the engine coolant as the energy absorbing fluid operative to retard or load the engine.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view through the hydrodynamic brake device associated with the apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line 3-3 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line 4-4 in FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, FIG. 1 illustrates in diagrammatic form, the apparatus of the present invention generally referred to by reference numeral 10. The apparatus is powered by an internal combustion engine 12 from which a power output shaft 14 extends. The engine 12 is of any well known commercial type such as a diesel engine having cylinder cooling facilities in the form of a liquid coolant circulating system. Thus, a coolant in let conduit 16 is connected to the engine block for supply of a liquid coolant such as water to the engine cooling jacket from which heated coolant is conducted through the outlet conduit 18 also connected at a suitable location to the engine block. In the usual engine installation, the inlet and outlet conduits 16 and 18 circulate the cooling water through a radiator in order to remove the heat. In accordance with the present invention however, the cooling water is circulated through a heater evaporator type of heat exchanger 20 to which the inlet conduit 16 is connected. Accordingly, after heat is removed from the cooling water within the heater evaporator 20, it is returned by conduit 16 at a reduced temperature to the cooling jacket of the engine 12 within which it is heated once again. The heat abson'bed by the cooling water in the engine is transferred within the heater evaporator 20 to the liquid being processed such as salt water conducted from the source 22 through the heat transfer tubes 24 of the heater evaporator. Thus, the salt water is partially evaporated within the heater evaporator as it is conducted in heat exchange relation to the heated coolant supplied by conduit 26 to the heater evaporator.

The partially evaporated liquid is conducted from the heater evaporator 20 by conduit 28 to a flash type separator condenser generally referred to by reference numeral 30. Flow of the partially evaporated liquid through conduit 28 is however prevented by means of a thermostatically controlled valve mechanism 32 until the temperature of the partially evaporated liquid has reached a predetermined value deemed necessary to obtain efiicient operation of the flash separator condenser 30. The separator condenser 30 is of a well known type and encloses a flash chamber maintained at a predetermined vacuum pressure substantially below the static pressure of the fluid within conduit 28. Thus, upon entering the separator condenser, the partially evaporated liquid from the heater evaporator 20 is converted into vapor which rises within the flash separator condenser and partially condenses so as to form a liquid-vapor mixture free of salt and/or other contaminants. The liquid phase of the mixture is removed from the condensing section of the separator condenser through a liquid outlet conduit 34 while the remaining vapor phase is removed from the separator condenser through an insulated vapor outlet conduit 36.

Also associated with the apparatus 10, is a condenser 38 through which condensate and vapor pass in heat exchange relation to each other. Condensate from the separator condenser 30 is conducted by the liquid outlet conduit 34 to the condenser outlet conduit 40 while the vapor outlet conduit 36 conducts vapor to the condenser under a predetermined vacuum pressure in order to induce flow of vapor from the separator condenser 30 and maintain the proper vacuum pressure therein. The condenser 38 is therefore connected by conduit 42' to a vacuum pump 44 driven by the engine power shaft 14 through the belt drive 46. Thus, after a predetermined quantity of condensate is collected within the condenser 38, condensable vapors conducted to the condenser by conduit 36 from the separator condenser 30, will be condensed While noncondensable volatiles are withdrawn therefrom through the vacuum pump 44. A check valve 48 connects the 3 condenser outlet conduit 40 to a product collecting cham ber 50 within which the distilled water product is stored. The check valve 48 prevents outflow of distilled Water from the chamber 50 and inflow of condensate until a sufficient quantity of condensate is collected within the condenser 38.

It will be observed from FIG. 1, that the coolant circulating system is provided with a make-up supply of coolant such as the fresh water source 52 connected by means of the T-fitting 54 to the coolant outlet conduit 18 and a delivery conduit 56 through which heated coolant is conducted toward the heater evaporator 20 aforementioned. The engine heated cooling Water is further heated in accordance with the present invention by means of a hydrodynamic brake device 58 interconnecting the

conduits

56 and 26. The brake device is selectively connected or disconnected from the power output shaft 14 of the engine through any suitable clutch mechanism 60. When engaged, the clutch mechanism 60 connects the brake device 58 to the engine for retarding or loading the same While generating a substantial quantity of heat adapted to be absorbed by the cooling water conducted from conduit 56 to conduit 26. In view of the heat generated by the hydrodynamic brake device 58, it may be enclosed within an insulated enclosure 62 in order to ensure maximum heat transfer to the cooling water. It will therefore be appreciated, that the water cooling system of the engine is uniquely associated with both the heater evaporator 20 forming a necessary component of the distilling apparatus and the hydrodynamic brake device 58 by virtue of which a substantial improvement in operating characteristics and efliciency of the distilling apparatus is obtained.

Referring now to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, it will be observed that the hydrodynamic brake device 58 includes a housing 64 on which a fluid sealing bearing assembly 66 is mounted for receiving one end of a drive shaft 68 adapted to be connected to the engine shaft 14 through the clutch mechanism 60 aforementioned. The housing 64 is closed by a cover 70 on which a second bearing assembly 72 is mounted for rotatably journaling and sealing the drive shaft 68 in spaced relation to the bearing assembly 66. A brake rotor 74 is secured to the drive shaft 68 within the housing axially spaced by the spacers 76 from the end wall of the housing 64 and the housing cover 70. An annular, fluid-tight chamber 78 is formed about the rotor 74. Also, pockets 80 are formed in the end wall of the housing 64 and the housing cover 70 in confronting relation to pockets 82 formed on both axial sides of the rotor 74. It will be apparent therefore, that upon rotation of the drive shaft 68, a hydrodynamic braking effect will be produced by fluid within the annular chamber 78. Fluid in the form of engine cooling water is circulated through the chamber 78 by means of the

conduits

56 and 26 to which the housing 64 is connected.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that when the clutch mechanism 60 is engaged, the engine is loaded by the hydrodynamic brake 58 to convert a substantial quantity of mechanical energy into fluid energy absorbed by the cooling water before it is circulated through the heater evaporator 20. Thus, when the distilling apparatus is set into operation by starting of the internal combustion engine 12, it will reach an operating condition, as recognized by the thermostatic valve 32, more rapidly in view of the action of the hydrodynamic brake device 58. The distilling apparatus may then remain operative at a higher efficiency and at any desired point in its operation, the engine may be unloaded by disconnection of the hydrodynamic brake device 58 from the engine shaft 14 so that operation of the distilling apparatus may continue with less loading of the engine as long as the temperature of the cooling water is suflicient to maintain operation of the heater evaporator 20.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled 4 in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination with an internal combustion engine having coolant circulating means, apparatus for distilling raw liquid having contaminants therein comprising heat exchange means connected to said coolant circulating means for conducting coolant heated by the engine in heat exchange relation to the raw liquid to preheat the same, separator means including a flash chamber for separating partially evaporated liquid from the contaminants, conduit means including a flow-restriction valve therein connecting the heat exchange means to the flash chamber of the separator means for conducting the partially evaporated liquid thereto, a condenser communicating with the flash chamber of the separator means, pump means driven by the engine and connected to the condenser for inducing flow of vapor from the separator means to the condenser, distillate collecting means connected to the condenser and the separator means for receiving condensate, and heat generating brake means driven by the engine for heating the coolant.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said heat-generating brake means includes a hydrodynamic brake connected to the engine, and means for conducting the coolant through the brake between the engine and the heat exchange means to increase the heat added to the coolant by circulation through the engine.

3. The combination of claim 1 including a check valve between the distillate collecting means and the condenser for preventing outflow of condensate until a predetermined quantity thereof is collected within the condenser.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said flowrestriction valve means connecting the heat exchange means to the separator means is a thermal responsive valve preventing flow of partially evaporated liquid until a predetermined temperature is attained.

5. The combination of claim 1 including clutch means for Selectively disconnecting the heat generating brake means from the engine.

'6. In combination with an internal combustion engine having coolant circulating means, apparatus for distilling raw liquid comprising heater-evaporator means connected to said coolant circulating means for conducting coolant heated by the engine in heat exchange relation to the raw liquid, a flash separator means having vapor and liquid outlets, conduit means including a flow-restriction valve therein connecting the heater-evaporator means to the flash separator means for conducting partially evaporated liq-uid thereto, a condenser communicating with the flash separator means, vacuum pump means driven by the engine and connected to the condenser for inducing flow of vapor from the flash separator means to the condenser, distillate collecting means connected to the condenser and the liquid outlet of the flash separator means for receiving condensate, and hydrodynamic brake means driven by the engine for further heating the coolant conducted from the engine to the heater evaporator means while loading the engine.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said flow-restriction valve means connecting the heater evaporator means to the flash separator means is a thermal responsive valve preventing flow of partially evaporated liquid until a predetermined temperature is attained.

8. The combination of claim 7 including a liquid-level check valve between the distillate collecting means and the condenser for preventing outflow of condensate until a predetermined quantity thereof is collected within the condenser.

5 9. The combination of claim 6 including a liquid-level check valve between the distillate collecting means and the condenser for preventing outflow of condensate until a predetermined quantity thereof is collected within the condenser.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Bethon 202--174 Ewing 20311 X Brown 202-177 Blaskowski 203-100 X NORMAN YUDKOFF, Primary Examiner F. E. 'DRUMMOND, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.