Pressurized vapor cycle liquid distillation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10905971-B2
Application number	US-201313964565-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2013
Priority date	Nov 13, 2002
Publication date	Feb 2, 2021
Grant date	Feb 2, 2021

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are directed toward a novel pressurized vapor cycle for distilling liquids. In some embodiments of the invention, a liquid purification system is revealed, including the elements of an input for receiving untreated liquid, a vaporizer coupled to the input for transforming the liquid to vapor, a head chamber for collecting the vapor, a vapor pump with an internal drive shaft and an eccentric rotor with a rotatable housing for compressing vapor, and a condenser in communication with the vapor pump for transforming the compressed vapor into a distilled product. Other embodiments of the invention are directed toward heat management, and other process enhancements for making the system especially efficient.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A water distillation system comprising:
an intake for receiving an intake water stream entering the water distillation system;
an evaporative condenser comprising:
a plurality of tubes, the plurality of tubes having inner diameters and outer surfaces; and
an outer shell;

where an evaporator section is defined by the inner diameters of the plurality of tubes and a condenser section is defined by the outer diameters of the plurality of tubes and the outer shell;
a sump comprising a heating element and fluidly connected to the intake;
a plurality of sump manifold openings that fluidly connect the evaporator section to the sump; and
a compressor comprising:
an inlet port fluidly connected to the evaporator section;
an outlet port fluidly connected to the condenser section:
a pressure boundary;
a rotating shaft;
a motor rotor coupled to the rotating shaft, the motor rotor housed within the pressure boundary; and
a motor stator located outside the pressure boundary.

2. The water distillation system of claim 1 wherein the evaporator section receives the intake water stream and produces a vapor and a blowdown liquid stream, the compressor receives the vapor and delivers compressed vapor to the condenser section, wherein the compressed vapor is condensed into a product water stream.

3. The water distillation system of claim 2 , comprising
a waste outlet;
a head chamber fluidly connecting the evaporator section to the inlet port and separating the blowdown liquid stream from the vapor; and
a heat exchanger comprising:
a first path fluidly connecting the intake to the sump; and
a second path fluidly connecting the head chamber to the waste outlet;

wherein the intake water stream is heated by cooling the blowdown liquid stream in the second path.

4. The water distillation system of claim 2 further comprising:
a head chamber fluidly connecting the evaporator section to the inlet port and separating the blowdown liquid stream from the vapor;
a valve fluidly connected to the intake and the sump; and
a blowdown chamber with a level sensor fluidly connected to the head chamber;
wherein a controller opens the valve to maintain a constant flow of the blowdown liquid stream based on a signal from the level sensor.

5. The water distillation system of claim 1 , comprising
a product water outlet; and
a heat exchanger comprising:
a first path fluidly connecting the intake to the sump; and
a second path fluidly connecting the condenser section to the product water outlet;

wherein the intake water stream is heated by cooling the product water stream in the second path.

6. The water distillation system of claim 1 , wherein the rotor is hermetically sealed within the pressure boundary.

7. The water distillation system of claim 1 further comprising a heat exchanger receiving the intake stream of water and heating the intake stream of water with at least one of a plurality of heat sources and delivering the intake stream of water to the sump, wherein the at least one of a plurality of heat sources is selected from the group consisting of a product stream from the condenser section, a blowdown stream from the evaporator section, a stream cooling a motor driving the compressor, and a heat source external to the water distillation system.

8. A water distillation system comprising:
an intake for receiving an intake stream of water entering the water distillation system;
a product water outlet;
a sump comprising a heating element and fluidly connected to the intake;
a compressor comprising:
an inlet port for receiving vapor;
an outlet port for delivering compressed vapor:
a pressure boundary;
a plurality of vanes;
a motor rotor coupled to the plurality of vanes, the motor rotor housed within the pressure boundary; and
a motor stator located outside the pressure boundary;

wherein the plurality of vanes compress the vapor in to compressed vapor an evaporative condenser comprising:
a plurality of tubes, the plurality of tubes having inner diameters and outer surfaces; and
an outer shell;

wherein an evaporator section is defined by the inner diameters of the plurality of tubes and a condenser section is defined by the outer diameters of the plurality of tubes and the outer shell,
wherein the evaporator section is coupled to the sump for transforming the intake stream of water to vapor and a blowdown liquid stream and the condenser section is fluidly connected to the compressor outlet for transforming compressed vapor into a product water stream; and
a heat exchanger comprising:
a first path fluidly connecting the intake to the sump; and
a second path fluidly connecting the condenser section to the product water outlet;

wherein the intake stream of water is heated by cooling the product water stream in the second path.

9. The water distillation system of claim 8 , comprising
a waste outlet; and
a head chamber fluidly connecting the evaporator section to the inlet port and separating the blowdown liquid stream from the vapor.

10. The water distillation system of claim 8 wherein the heat exchanger heats the intake stream of water with at least one of a plurality of heat sources, wherein the at least one of a plurality of heat sources is selected from the group consisting of the product water stream from the condenser section, the blowdown liquid stream from the evaporator section, a stream cooling a motor driving the compressor, and a heat source external to the water distillation system.

11. The water distillation system of claim 8 further comprising:
a head chamber fluidly connecting the evaporator section to the inlet port and separating the blowdown liquid from the vapor;
the sump being fluidly connected to the evaporator section;
a valve fluidly connected to the intake and the sump; and
a blowdown chamber with a level sensor fluidly connected to the head chamber;
wherein a controller is configured to open the valve to maintain a constant flow of blowdown liquid based on a signal from the level sensor.

12. The water distillation system of claim 8 , wherein the rotor is hermetically sealed within the pressure boundary.

Assignees

• Deka Products Lp

Inventors

• Bednarek David F
• Demers Jason A
• Duggan Timothy P
• Jackson James L
• Leonard Scott A
• Mcgill David W
• Owens Kingston

Classifications

• B01D1/28

  with vapour compression · CPC title

• F28D9/005

  the plates having openings therein for both heat-exchange media · CPC title

• F04C19/002

  with rotating outer members · CPC title

• C02F1/048

  Purification of waste water by evaporation · CPC title

• Y10S203/08

  Waste heat · CPC title