Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
  • C02F1/02—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by heating
  • C02F1/04—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by heating by distillation or evaporation
  • C02F1/047—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by heating by distillation or evaporation using eolic energy
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24S—SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS
  • F24S20/00—Solar heat collectors specially adapted for particular uses or environments
  • F24S20/70—Waterborne solar heat collector modules
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24S—SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS
  • F24S30/00—Arrangements for moving or orienting solar heat collector modules
  • F24S30/40—Arrangements for moving or orienting solar heat collector modules for rotary movement
  • F24S30/42—Arrangements for moving or orienting solar heat collector modules for rotary movement with only one rotation axis
  • F24S30/422—Vertical axis
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02A—TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02A20/00—Water conservation; Efficient water supply; Efficient water use
  • Y02A20/124—Water desalination
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02A—TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02A20/00—Water conservation; Efficient water supply; Efficient water use
  • Y02A20/124—Water desalination
  • Y02A20/138—Water desalination using renewable energy
  • Y02A20/141—Wind power
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02A—TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02A20/00—Water conservation; Efficient water supply; Efficient water use
  • Y02A20/124—Water desalination
  • Y02A20/138—Water desalination using renewable energy
  • Y02A20/142—Solar thermal; Photovoltaics
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
  • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
  • Y02E10/40—Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers
  • Y02E10/47—Mountings or tracking

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for desalination and/or purification of water.
• a floating solar still comprising of a dome shaped buoyant outer casing having a continous side wall spanned at its upper end by a top enclosure, a continous inner wall within said casing extending upwardly from the lower portion of the outside wall to provide an upwardly open trough between the side walls, and also having a liquid pervious barrier spanning the interior of the inner wall.
• This buoyant casing is intended to be floated upon the open sea, with the side walls, and the lower portion of the trough, immersed beneath the surface of the sea water, and sea water will rise within the inner wall above the pervious barrier, acting as a filter to remove solids and animal life.
• the top enclosure having a dark coated surface, will absorb the solar rays, and the increase in heat will cause the water above the barrier to evaporate.
• the vapor thus formed contacts the inside of the outer wall, which is chilled by the sea water, the condensate will be accumulated within the trough, from which it is withdrawn through a conduit.
• the output from this device would be small, but no energy apart from solar energy is required, except for the .
• US, A, 3334026 discloses a method to produce potable water, based on the combination of solar energy and wind force.
• a relatively humid stream of atmospheric air the humidity of which could be increased in a first stage by passing through a duct with wick members saturated by and communicating with sea water, is heated and expanded, whereafter it passes through a cooler in which the water vapor of the air stream is condensed out, and pumped to a fresh water reservoir.
• the water purification system disclosed in US, A, 4172 767 is a solar energy based system, in which it s proposed to include the use of wind energy included to increase the yield of the system. It is based on the use of a covered tank containing unclean water, heated by solar rays, the vapor being moved by a blower to a condensing apparatus, from which the condensed water is pumped to a storage tank. Wind energy can be used to drive a blower, intended to increase the air flow rate over the water surface in the tank containing unclean water.
• An object of the present invention is to disclose a method and apparatus for desalination and/or purification of water having a reasonably high output of purified water, but requiring only natural and thus easily obtainable energy sources.
• the method for desalination and/or purification of water is based on the use of area restricting wall members, suspended floating on a water surface and spanned by an upper wall, in which an air flow caused by wind force, wave motion or solar heat is forced over the restricted water surface heated by solar rays through the upper wall, the air flow being directed from the restricted area to a cooler, from which the condensate is directed to a storage tank or similar.
• the apparatus according to the present invention is character sed in that the restricting wall members include a flexible skirt extending from the lower portion, arranged to extend downwardly below the water surface, the upper wall being arranged with air inlets, facilitating an air flow into the enclosure formed by the restricting wall members, the upper wall and the surface suspending the restricting wall members, said air flow being directed through a conduit to a cooler, from which the condensate is passed to a storage tank or similar.
• it also comprises a lower second wall surface, preferably having a dark and heat absorbing surface,s arranged located submerged at a small distance below the water surface, including air-filled cushions or similar elements to maintain the second wall surface suspended below the water surface, and also including through apertures facilitating a free flow of water between the upper and. lower surfaces of the second wall surface.
• the air flow through the enclosure can be enhanced by a substantially vertically extending solar heated stack, connected to the air oulet from the cooler.
• Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention.
• Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, but with an additional element included.
• Fig. 3 is a frag entory cross-sectional view showing a modified air inlet.
• Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of an upper covering wall surface.
• Fig. 5 is a plan view of the embodiment shown in Fig. 3
• Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a pump member influenced by wave motion, arranged to force air into the apparatus.
• Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a solar heated stack arranged to draw air into the apparatus.
• Fig.8 is a cross-sectional view showing how rain water can be retrieved by means of a further modification.
• Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing how the apparatus can be arranged partly immersed into water and partly covering a beach, washed by waves.
• Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in Fig. 9.
• Fig. 11 is a perspective view, illustrating how a number of immersed or semi-immersed units can be interconnected to cover a larger area.
• the method according to the present invention is based on the use of solar energy, but also other natural energy sources, such as energy obtained from wave motion, and/or wind energy.
• the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 includes a floating member, comprising an upper covering wall surface 1, from which inflated sections 2, 2' extend downwardly, having a skirt 3, 3 ' extending downwardly from the lower portion.
• the lower free portion of the skirts 3, 3 " are advantageously arranged including a weight 4, 4 ' , causing the skirts 3, 3 ' to extend in a substantially vertical direction from the inflated sections 2, 2'.
• the floating member is manufactured as an integral unit of a synthetic plastics material, the inflated sections 2, 2'and the skirts 3, 3 ' being formed by folding and welding the outer portions of the upper wall surface 1.
• a number of air inlets 5, 5' extend uppwardly from the upper covering wall surface 1, communicating with the interior of the floating member.
• FIG. 1 it is shown how a conduit 7 is connected adjacent to one edge portion of the upper wall surface 1, and how the other end portion of said conduit 7 is arranged communicating with a cooler 8, located below the water surface 6, and thus being cooled by the surrounding water.
• a cooler 8 located below the water surface 6, and thus being cooled by the surrounding water.
• the water enclosed within the inflated sections 2, 2 ' and the skirts 3, 3 ' would be heated, and vapor from the heated water could move through the conduit 7 to the cooler 8 to be condensed.
• A, 2820 744 such a solar still has a very small output, and further means would be required to obtain a desired and acceptable output of purified water.
• the air inlets 5, 5 " provide such a further means by directing an air flow into the interior of the floating member.
• These air inlets 5, 5 ' can either be arranged with the inlet opening fixed in relation to the floating member, or arranged to facilitate a rotary movement around the vertical axis.
• the floating member is preferably orientated in such a way, that the inlet openings of the air inlets 5, 5 ' are facing the wind
• the air inlets 5, 5 ' are preferably arranged including means, which orientate the air inlets 5, 5 ' in such a way, that the inlet openings are constantly located in relation to the wind direction to facilitate a maximum flow of air into the floating structure.
• each air inlet 5, 5 ' may also include a valve member 9, such as a flap valve or any other valve type permitting an air flow into the interior of the floating member, but restricting an outwardly directed flow (Fig. 3).
• a valve member 9 such as a flap valve or any other valve type permitting an air flow into the interior of the floating member, but restricting an outwardly directed flow (Fig. 3).
• the above described operation is continously repeated, resulting in an intermittent air stream over the water surface enclosed within the floating member, thereby increasing evaporation and also the output of purified water.
• the increased efficiency is thus ' accomplished by a combination of solar energy heating and a forced air flow passing over the heated water surface, the air flow being accomplished either by wind energy or wave energy, or by a combination of same.
• a transparent stack 11 is arranged connected to an air outlet 12 from the cooler 8.
• the stack 11 surrounds a body 13, having a dark outer surface, and the space between the outer surface of the body 13 and the internal surface of the stack 11 is continously reduced in direction towards the outlet at the upper portion of the stack 11.
• the body 13 is made subject to sun rays, the surface is heated, resulting in an upwardly directed air flow through the stack 11.
• the continously decreased through-flow area within the stack 11 results in an successively increased velocity for the air stream.
• the upper covering wall surface 1 can be further improved, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5.
• the upper • covering wall surface 1 comprises of two layers, 1 and 1 ' respectively, having a number of lenses 14, 14 ' , arranged to take up and focus incoming sun rays at a predetermined distance below the lenses 14, 14 " , e.g. at the surface of the water, or immediately below same, enclosed within the floating member.
• the lenses 14, 14 " are advantageously formations of a suitable liquid, enclosed between the layers 1, 1 " , diametrically restricted by means of a surrounding welded joint between the two layers 1, 1 " .
• apertures 16, 16 " are taken up in this second wall surface 15, to facilitate a water flow into the area restricted by same.
• valve members in this apertures 16, 16 " to prevent a return flow out from the space restricted by the second wall surface 15, and thus achieve formation or sedimentation upon same of salt, which could be recovered and used.
• either the covering wall surface 1, or the second wall surface 15, should be arranged detachable.
• the second wall surface 15 can advantageously include a number of gas or air filled sections or "bubbles", which serve to maintain the second wall surface 15 at a predetermined distance below the water surface enclosed by the floating member.
• each covering wall surface 1 When used in areas where rain can be expected, it is also possible to make a further modification, intended to facilitate possibility to recover rain water, as shown in Fig. 8. Since the upper covering wall surface 1 covers a fairly large area, and is manufactured from a flexible material, the rain water will deflect the surface and be stored on same.
• the central portion of each covering wall surface 1 may thus be provided with a water outlet 17, communicating with a conduit 18 connected to the cooler 8, or a fresh water reservoir 19, to which water from the cooler 8 also is passed for storage and subsequent use.
• a valve member 20 may be arranged at the water outlet 17, arranged to be operated when the pressure from the water located on top of the upper covering wall surface 1 indicates that said surface is substantially covered by water.
• the valve member 20 is opened to facilitate a free flow into the interior of the floating member, and after a predetermined time limit, or when a certain and prdetermined volume of water has passed through the valve member 20, the flow is diverted into the conduit 18.
• the floating member may advantageously include a number of supporting inflated sections 2, 2 " with associated skirts 3, 3 " , located in a spaced relationship from each other, and serving to form a number of restricted areas adjacent to each other. Obviously, it would also be possible to interconnect a number of floating members, in order to get desired surface coverage (Fig. 11).
• output over a period of 24 hours would be in the region of 10 - 40 1/m , i.e. a plant covering a water surface having an area of 200 m would result in an output of 2 - 8 purified water.
• this output could be considerably increased, by locating the floating member partly covering a water surface and partly covering a beach surface.
• a beach having a grain size of 1 mm and in which the water infiltrates to a depth of 10 mm has, due to the capillary effect on the water washed up by waves, an effective surface six times larger per mm of depth than the beach area, i.e. a beach area of 1 m is equivalent to an area of 60 m .
• output from a plant partially covering a beach is increased by 10 - 20 times, and if the plant covers a total area of 200 m , total output over a period of 24 hours would be in the region of 30 - 60 m .
• the inflated sections 2, 2 " serve as distance members locating the upper covering wall surface 1 at a predetermined distance from the beach surface, and the skirts 3, 3 " serve as anchoring and sealing means, e.g. burried in the beach.
• the beach acts as a means for storage of solar heat, and the absorption of solar rays can be further improved by preparation of the beach, prior to restricting an area of same by means of the "floating member", which, for this application, only partly is arranged floating.
• a second wall surface 15 of the type previously described located burried at a distance below the surface of the beach.
• a dark and heat absorbing material preferably located in a pocket formed in the beach.
• a combination of floating members having a submerged lower surface and including at least one solar heated stack for accomplishing an air stream over the heated water is a preferred and suitable embodiment.
• the solar heated stack can often be omitted.
• the method and apparatus according to the present invention can also be used to recover salt, when used for desalination of water.
• inflated sections 2, 2 " same are advantageously a number of independent sections, closed off from each other, in order to secure that the floating member is not adversely affected if punctured locally.
• These sections 2, 2 " may obviously also be manufactured from other materials than synthetic and flexible plastic materials, i.e. more rigid materials, both non-metallic and metallic.
• the solar heated stack 11 may also be manufactured in a number of ways and from a variety of materials.
• a simple design includes a tubular- structure, forming a frame, onto which a flexible plastics material is applied.
• a more rigid construction may also be used, based on both metallic and non-metallic materials.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Sustainable Development (AREA)
• Sustainable Energy (AREA)
• Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
• Hydrology & Water Resources (AREA)
• Heat Treatment Of Water, Waste Water Or Sewage (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Cited By (10)

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Citations (3)

• 1984
  • 1984-03-15 SE SE8401503A patent/SE8401503L/ not_active Application Discontinuation
• 1985
  • 1985-03-13 AU AU40658/85A patent/AU4065885A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1985-03-13 WO PCT/SE1985/000115 patent/WO1985004159A1/en unknown
  • 1985-03-13 JP JP60501233A patent/JPS61501439A/ja active Pending
  • 1985-03-13 EP EP85901629A patent/EP0203926A1/en not_active Withdrawn

Patent Citations (3)

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