Water vapor distillation apparatus, method and system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10807883-B2
Application number	US-201715477321-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2017
Priority date	Jul 15, 2011
Publication date	Oct 20, 2020
Grant date	Oct 20, 2020

Abstract

A fluid vapor distillation system. The system includes a control system for controlling a fluid vapor distillation apparatus including a blow down controller for controlling a blow down valve, a source flow controller for controlling a source flow valve, and a blow down level sensor in communication with a blow down controller and a source flow controller, the blow down level sensor sends signals related to the blow down level to the blow down controller and the source flow controller indicative of the blow down level, wherein the source flow controller actuates the source flow valve based at least on the blow down level sensor signals, and wherein the blow down controller actuates the blow down valve based at least on the blow down level sensor signals, whereby the blow down level and the source flow level are maintained using the blow down level sensor signals as input.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fluid vapor distillation system comprising:
a source fluid input;
an evaporator condenser apparatus, said source fluid input fluidly connected to said evaporator condenser, said evaporator condenser configured to transform source fluid into steam and compressed steam into product fluid;
a heat exchanger comprising:
an outer tube;
at least one inner tube; and
two ends, and at each end a connector is attached, wherein one of the said connectors forms a connection to the evaporator condenser,

wherein the said heat exchanger is fluidly connected to said source fluid input and a product fluid output and;
a regenerative blower fluidly connected to said evaporator condenser, and configured to compress steam; and
a control system that comprises:
a blow down controller configured to control a blow down valve;
a source controller configured to control source valve; and
a blow down level sensor in communication with a blow down controller and a source controller, said blow down level sensor configured to send signals related to said blow down level,
wherein said source controller is configured to actuate said source valve based at least on said blow down level sensor signals, and
wherein said blow down controller is configured to actuate said blow down valve based at least on said blow down level sensor signals,
whereby said blow down level is maintained.

2. The fluid vapor distillation system of claim 1 , wherein said control system further comprises:
at least one controller configured to orchestrate operation of the system in a number of states comprising;
a fill state wherein said controller is configured to command the source valve open and allow source fluid to enter a sump in said fluid vapor distillation system;
a heat state wherein said controller is configured to command power to a heater in said sump until fluid in said sump reaches a predetermined temperature;
a heat exchanger prime state wherein said controller is configured to command the source valve open at a predetermined duty cycle;
a start pump state wherein said controller is configured to command a bearing feed pump to run at a predetermined rate, and said controller is configured to start a motor of the regenerative blower; and
a run state wherein said controller is configured to orchestrate operation of the fluid vapor distillation system to produce product water, and

wherein said control system is further configured to transition to an idle state in which the at least one controller is off.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein said heat exchanger is disposed about a housing of said evaporator condenser.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein said outer tube is a source fluid flow path and at least one of said at least one inner tube is a product fluid flow path.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein said heat exchanger further comprises at least three inner tubes.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein said heat exchanger comprises a plurality of inner tubes twined to form a substantially helical shape.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein said evaporator condenser comprises:
a substantially cylindrical housing; and
a plurality of tubes in said housing.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein said evaporator condenser further comprises a packing inside the tubes.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein said packing is a rod.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein said evaporator condenser further comprises a steam chest fluidly connected to said plurality of tubes.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein said regenerative blower further comprises an impeller assembly driven through a magnetic drive coupling.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein said control system comprises at least a motor control processor and an ARM processor.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein said fluid vapor distillation system further comprises a conductivity sensing assembly to determine the conductivity of the product fluid, wherein the sensor assembly sends a signal to shut down the vapor distillation system when the conductivity exceeds a specified limit.

14. A fluid vapor distillation system comprising:
a source fluid input, have a source flow rate;
an evaporator condenser apparatus, said source fluid input fluidly connected to said evaporator condenser, said evaporator condenser configured to transform source fluid input into steam flow and a flow of blow down fluid and to transform a flow of compressed steam into a flow of product fluid;
a heat exchanger fluidly connected to said source fluid input and a product fluid output, and comprises;
an outer tube;
at least one inner tube; and
two ends, and at each end a connector is attached, wherein one of said connectors forms a connection to the evaporator condenser;

a regenerative blower fluidly connected to said evaporator condenser configured to compress the steam flow; and
a control system for controlling said fluid vapor distillation system that comprises:
a source controller programmed to control a source valve; and
a blow down level sensor in communication with the source controller,
wherein said source controller programmed to actuate said source valve to maintain a specified flow of blow down fluid.

15. A fluid vapor distillation system comprising:
a source fluid input;
an evaporator condenser apparatus fluidly coupled to said source fluid input, said evaporator condenser configured to transform source fluid into steam and compressed steam into product fluid;
a heat exchanger fluidly coupled to said source fluid input and a product fluid output, and comprises;
a plurality of tubes, at least one of the tubes being contained within another of the tubes;
two ends each with a connector, one connector coupled to the evaporator condenser; and

a control system for controlling said fluid vapor distillation system comprising:
a blow down controller configured to control a blow down valve;
a source controller configured to control a source level via a source valve; and
a blow down level sensor in communication with a blow down controller and a source controller, said blow down level sensor configured to send signals related to said blow down level to said blow down controller and said source controller,
wherein said source controller configured to actuate said source valve based at least on said blow down level sensor signals, and
wherein said blow down controller configured to actuate said blow down valve based at least on said blow down level sensor signals,
whereby said blow down level and said source level are maintained using said blow down level sensor signals as input.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein said heat exchanger comprises:
an outer tube; and
at least one inner tube.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein said outer tube is a source fluid flow path and at least one of said at least one inner tube is a product fluid flow path.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein said heat exchanger further comprises at least three inner tubes.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein said heat exchanger comprises a plurality of inner tubes twined to form a substantially helical shape.

Assignees

• Deka Products Lp

Inventors

• Kamen Dean
• Larocque Ryan K
• Langenfeld Chris C
• Ent Stephen M
• Schnellinger Andrew A
• Bhat Prashant
• Smith Stanley B
• Clapp Otis L

Classifications

• C02F2303/10

  Energy recovery · CPC title

• C02F2103/06

  Contaminated groundwater or leachate · CPC title

• C02F1/18

  Transportable devices to obtain potable water · CPC title

• C02F1/16

  using waste heat from other processes · CPC title

• C02F1/08

  Thin film evaporation · CPC title