Desalination device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11148958-B2
Application number	US-201916711546-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2019
Priority date	Dec 12, 2018
Publication date	Oct 19, 2021
Grant date	Oct 19, 2021

Abstract

Disclosed are a desalination device and processes of desalination using the device. The device is directly ocean-situated and fully nature-powered with on intake, no brine production, and no electricity consumption. The device contains a heating unit, configured to receive a dry air stream and heat the dry air stream with one or more renewable energy sources to produce a heated air stream; a humidifier, configured to receive the heated air stream, evaporate at least portion of water present in the humidifier and humidify the heated air stream to produce a wet air stream, a cooling unit, configured to receive the wet stream and cool the wet air stream resulting in condensation of at least a portion of the moisture to produce fresh water and a dehumidified air stream; and a fresh water collection tank, configured to collect at least a portion of the fresh water.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An ocean-situated desalination device, comprising:
a water or air powered heating unit, configured to receive a dry air stream and heat the dry air stream to form a heated dry air stream;
a humidifier, configured to receive the heated dry air stream, evaporate at least portion of water present in the humidifier and humidify the heated dry air stream to form a wet air stream;
a cooling unit, configured to receive the wet stream and cool the wet air stream resulting in condensation of at least a portion of moisture present in wet air stream to produce fresh water and dehumidified air stream; and
a fresh water collection tank, configured to collect at least a portion of the fresh water.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the heating unit comprises an air-powered heating component comprising:
a wind turbine, configured to be rotated by wind;
a chamber comprising, an inlet and an outlet, the inlet is configured to allow an air steam enter the chamber and the outlet is configured to allow an air stream exit the chamber; and
at least two rotors or impellers inside the chamber, the said rotors or impellers are mechanically coupled to the wind turbine, the rotors or impellers are configured to rotate with rotation of the wind turbine in a synchronized fashion to blow air against each other and heat air inside the chamber.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the heating unit comprises a water-powered heating component comprising:
a water turbine, configured to be rotated by waves, tides and/or water currents;
a chamber with an inlet and outlet, the inlet is configured to allow an air stream enter the chamber and the outlet is configured to allow an air stream exit the chamber; and
at least two rotors or impellers inside the chamber, the said rotors or impellers are mechanically coupled to the water turbine, the at least two rotors or impellers are configured to rotate with rotation of the water turbine in a synchronized fashion to blow air against each other and air inside the chamber.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the water turbine comprises:
(i) a vertical shaft having a proximal end configured to mechanically couple the water turbine to the at least two rotors or impellers and a distal end opposite the proximal end; and
(ii) a plurality of blades, the blades being (a) connected to the shaft by spokes and (b) spatially distributed axially and radially with respect to the shaft; wherein the blades are straight lift-type blades, bent lift-type blades, drag-type blades, or a combination of different types of, and the turbine is configured for unidirectional rotation.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the heating unit comprises an open ocean water heated conduit comprising:
an elongated body made from a material that conducts heat, the elongated body forming a lumen; and
an inlet at a proximal end of the body and an outlet at a distal end of the body opposite to the proximal end,
water heated conduit is configured to be submerged in open ocean water with temperature between 5 to 40° C., the inlet is configured to allow an air stream to enter the lumen of the conduit where the air absorbs at least a portion of thermal energy of the water via heat exchange across the conduit heating the air stream in the lumen of the conduit, the outlet is configured to allow the air stream to exit the lumen of the conduit.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the humidifier is a rolling-type humidifier and the rolling-type humidifier comprises:
a chamber with an open bottom configured to allow at least a portion of surrounding water to enter the chamber and partially fill the chamber forming an air filled portion above a water filled portion;
an air inlet to the air filled portion of the chamber configure to allow the heated dry air stream from the heating unit to enter the chamber;
a plurality of disks having an outer surface and spaced along horizontal axles in the chamber, the disks are configured to partially submerge in the water in the water filled portion of the chamber and to rotate resulting in wetting of the outer surface of the disks, the wetted disks humidify the dry air stream to form the wet air stream; and
an outlet to the chamber, configured to allow the wet air stream to exit the chamber.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the humidifier is an overtopping-type humidifier and the overtopping-type humidifier comprises:
a top reservoir comprising a partially open top cover;
a bottom chamber positioned below the top reservoir, the bottom chamber comprises a partially open bottom, an air inlet and an air outlet;
a slotted wall positioned between the top reservoir and the bottom chamber forming a bottom surface of the top reservoir and a top surface of the bottom chamber, the slotted wall comprises a plurality of slot openings; and
a plurality of fabric sheets extending between the top reservoir and the bottom chamber through the plurality of slot openings of the slotted wall,
wherein during use, the overtopping-type humidifier is partially submerged in surrounding water and the partially open top cover of the top reservoir is configured to allow at least a portion of the surrounding water to enter the top reservoir by wave overtopping, the partially open bottom of the bottom chamber is configured to allow at least a portion of surrounding water to enter the bottom chamber and partially fill the bottom chamber, the plurality of fabric sheets are configured to connect water inside the top reservoir with the water inside the bottom chamber and form wet fabric sheets, the air inlet of the bottom chamber is configured to allow the heated dry air stream from the heating unit to enter the bottom chamber and contact the heated dry air stream with the wet fabric sheets to form the wet air stream, and the air outlet of the bottom chamber is configured to allow the wet air stream to exit the bottom chamber and the overtopping-type humidifier.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the cooling unit comprises an open ocean water cooled conduit comprising:
an elongated body forming a lumen and having a proximal end and a distal end, the body being made from a material that conducts heat; and
an inlet at the proximal end of the body and an outlet at the distal end of the body opposite to the proximal end;
the water-cooled conduit is configured to be submerged in open ocean water with temperature between 5 to 40° C., the inlet is configured to allow the wet air stream to enter the lumen of the conduit that is configured to dissipate at least a portion of heat from the wet air stream, cooling and dehumidifying the wet air stream to produce a dehumidified air stream, the outlet is configured to allow the dehumidified air stream to exit the conduit.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the cooling unit comprises an evaporative cooling conduit comprising:
an elongated body forming a lumen and having a proximal end and a distal end, the body being made from a material that conducts heat; and
an inlet at the proximal end of the body and an outlet at the distal end of the body opposite to the proximal end,
the evaporative cooling conduit is configured for ocean surface exposure where waves keep the evaporative cooling conduit wet on the outside and winds blow the evaporative cooling conduit dry, the inlet is configured to allow the wet air stream to enter the lumen of the conduit that is configured to dissipate at least a portion of heat from the wet air stream, cooling and dehumidifying the wet air stream to produce a dehumidified air stream, the outlet is configured to allow the dehumidified air stream to exit the conduit.

10. A method of desalination comprising deploying the device of claim 1

Assignees

• Yang Yingchen
• Univ Texas

Inventors

• Yang Yingchen

Classifications

• C02F2201/009

  Apparatus with independent power supply, e.g. solar cells, windpower or fuel cells · CPC title

• B01D5/006

  with evaporation or distillation · CPC title

• Y02P70/10

  Greenhouse gas [GHG] capture, material saving, heat recovery or other energy efficient measures, e.g. motor control, characterised by manufacturing processes, e.g. for rolling metal or metal working · CPC title

• C02F2103/08

  Seawater, e.g. for desalination · CPC title

• C02F1/14

  using solar energy · CPC title