Flexible belt evaporator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9079119-B2
Application number	US-201313752327-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2013
Priority date	Jan 28, 2013
Publication date	Jul 14, 2015
Grant date	Jul 14, 2015

Abstract

The flexible belt evaporator employs an endless woven textile belt serving as a carrier for saline or otherwise contaminated water for evaporation of the water therefrom, and also serves as the evaporator surface. Mechanical equipment immersed in the saltwater and corresponding maintenance difficulties are largely avoided by placing most or all belt rollers clear of the liquid water tank of the system. Saltwater or contaminated water is sprayed onto the belt from above. The continuing passage of the belt about the exposed rollers results in water evaporation from the belt. Scale and residue buildup on the belt is removed by passing the belt through a wash tank. The wash tank preferably contains an ultrasonic generator to produce ultrasonic energy for removal of residue from the textile belt. The flexible belt evaporator system may be applied to evaporative cooling systems, humidifying systems, and salt or residue recovery systems.

First claim

I claim:

1. A flexible belt evaporator, comprising:
a plurality of upper guide rollers;
a plurality of lower guide rollers;
a wash bath adjacent the upper guide rollers and the lower guide rollers;
an endless, flexible absorbent fabric belt, the belt being disposed alternatingly about the upper guide rollers and the lower guide rollers in a sinusoidal path and selectively traveling therearound, the belt further having a loop portion disposed in the wash bath, wherein the sinusoidal path of said endless, flexible absorbent fabric belt is positioned external to said wash bath; and
a salt water dispenser selectively dispensing salt water onto the endless, flexible absorbent fabric belt, wherein water of the salt water dispensed on the endless, flexible absorbent fabric belt evaporates to leave a salt residue on the endless, flexible absorbent fabric belt, the salt residue being washed therefrom in the wash bath.

2. The flexible belt evaporator according to claim 1 , wherein the belt is formed of hydrophobic warp strands and hydrophilic weft strands.

3. The flexible belt evaporator according to claim 1 , further comprising an ultrasonic device disposed in the wash bath, the ultrasonic device ultrasonically removing the salt residue from the belt as the belt passes through the wash bath.

4. The flexible belt evaporator according to claim 1 , further comprising first and second master rollers disposed above the upper guide rollers, the salt water dispenser being disposed between the first and second master rollers.

5. The flexible belt evaporator according to claim 1 , wherein the salt water dispenser comprises a plurality of spray nozzles.

6. The flexible belt evaporator according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one wash bath roller disposed in the wash bath, the loop portion of the belt passing tautly around the at least one wash bath roller.

7. The flexible belt evaporator according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first pair of pinch rollers disposed above the wash bath; and
a second pair of pinch rollers disposed above the wash bath, the loop portion of the belt being disposed loosely between the first pair of pinch rollers and the second pair of pinch rollers.

8. A flexible belt evaporator, comprising:
a plurality of guide rollers including upper guide roller and lower guide rollers;
a wash bath adjacent the guide rollers;
an ultrasonic device disposed in the wash bath;
an endless, flexible absorbent fabric belt formed of hydrophobic warp strands and hydrophilic weft strands, the belt alternating about the upper guide rollers and the lower guide rollers in a sinusoidal path and selectively traveling therearound, the belt further having a loop portion disposed in the wash bath, the ultrasonic device ultrasonically removing residue from the belt as the belt passes through the wash bath, wherein the sinusoidal path of said endless, flexible absorbent fabric belt is positioned external to said wash bath; and
a salt water dispenser selectively dispensing salt water onto the endless, flexible absorbent fabric belt, wherein water of the salt water dispensed on the endless, flexible absorbent fabric belt evaporates to leave a salt residue on the endless, flexible absorbent fabric belt, the salt residue being washed therefrom in the wash bath.

9. The flexible belt evaporator according to claim 8 , wherein said upper guide rollers are configured in a linear row and said lower guide rollers are configured in a linear row.

10. The flexible belt evaporator according to claim 8 , wherein:
said upper guide rollers are configured in a staggered configuration having one row of upper guide rollers staggered above another row of upper guide rollers; and
said lower guide rollers are configured in a staggered configuration having one row of lower guide rollers staggered above another row of lower guide rollers,
whereby the staggered configuration of the upper guide rollers and the staggered configuration of the lower guide rollers allows a greater number of each to be disposed over a linear distance than a corresponding linear configuration thereof, thus increasing a length of the sinusoidal path of said belt and corresponding evaporative surface area exposed to said salt water dispenser.

11. The flexible belt evaporator according to claim 8 further comprising first and second master rollers disposed above the guide rollers, the water dispenser being disposed between the first and second master rollers, the salt water dispenser comprising a plurality of spray nozzles.

12. The flexible belt evaporator according to claim 8 , further comprising at least one wash bath roller disposed in the wash bath, the loop portion of the belt passing tautly around the at least one wash bath roller.

13. The flexible belt evaporator according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a first pair of pinch rollers disposed above the wash bath; and
a second pair of pinch rollers disposed above the wash bath, the loop portion of the belt being disposed loosely between the first pair of pinch rollers and the second pair of pinch rollers.

14. A flexible belt evaporator, comprising:
a plurality of guide rollers including upper guide roller and lower guide rollers, said upper guide rollers being configured in a staggered configuration having one row of upper guide rollers staggered above another row of upper guide rollers, and said lower guide rollers being configured in a staggered configuration having one row of lower guide rollers staggered above another row of lower guide rollers;
a wash bath adjacent the guide rollers;
an ultrasonic device disposed in the wash bath;
an endless, flexible absorbent fabric belt formed of hydrophobic warp strands and hydrophilic weft strands, the belt alternating about the upper guide rollers and the lower guide rollers in a sinusoidal path and selectively traveling therearound, the belt further having a loop portion disposed in the wash bath, the ultrasonic device ultrasonically removing residue from the belt as the belt passes through the wash bath, wherein the sinusoidal path of said endless, flexible absorbent fabric belt is positioned external to said wash bath; and
a salt water dispenser selectively dispensing salt water onto the endless, flexible absorbent fabric belt, wherein water of the salt water dispensed on the endless, flexible absorbent fabric belt evaporates to leave a salt residue on the endless, flexible absorbent fabric belt, the salt residue being washed therefrom in the wash bath, whereby the staggered configuration of the upper guide rollers and the staggered configuration of the lower guide rollers allows a greater number of each to be disposed over a linear distance than a corresponding linear configuration thereof, thus increasing a length of the sinusoidal path of said belt and corresponding evaporative surface area exposed to said salt water dispenser.

Assignees

• Univ King Fahd Pet & Minerals
• King Abdulaziz City Sci & Tech

Inventors

• Alsadah Jihad Hassan

Classifications

• C02F1/12

  Spray evaporation · CPC title

• B01D1/18

  to obtain dry solids (B01D1/24 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B01D1/24 Primary

  to obtain dry solids · CPC title

• B01D1/222

  In rotating vessels; vessels with movable parts · CPC title