Water vapor distillation apparatus, method and system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9604858-B2
Application number	US-201313952263-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 26, 2013
Priority date	Jul 15, 2011
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

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 comprising:
a housing; and
a plurality of tubes in said housing,

whereby said source fluid input is fluidly connected to said evaporator condenser and said evaporator condenser transforms source fluid into steam and transforms compressed steam into product fluid;
a heat exchanger fluidly connected to said source fluid input and a product fluid output, said heat exchanger comprising:
an outer tube; and
at least one inner tube;

wherein said heat exchanger further comprising two ends, and at each end a connector is attached, whereby said connectors form a connection to the evaporator condenser;
a regenerative blower fluidly connected to said evaporator condenser, whereby said regenerative blower compresses steam, and whereby the compressed steam flows to the evaporative condenser where compressed steam is transformed into product fluid; and
a control system for controlling said fluid vapor distillation apparatus comprising:
a blow down controller programmed to control a blow down valve;
a source flow controller programmed to control a source flow valve; and
a blow down level sensor in communication with a blow down controller and a source flow controller, said blow down level sensor sends signals related to said blow down level to said blow down controller and said source flow controller indicative of said blow down level,
wherein said source flow controller is programmed to actuate said source flow valve based at least on said blow down level sensor signals, and
wherein said blow down controller is programmed to actuate said blow down valve based at least on said blow down level sensor signals,
whereby said blow down level and said source flow are maintained using said blow down level sensor signals as input.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the heat exchanger is disposed about said housing of said evaporator condenser.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the heat exchanger further comprising wherein said outer tube is a source fluid flow path and said at least one inner tube is a product fluid flow path.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said heat exchanger further comprising at least three inner tubes.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said at least three inner tubes are twined to form a substantially helical shape.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said evaporator condenser tubes further comprising packing inside the tubes.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said packing is a rod.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said evaporator condenser further comprising a steam chest fluidly connected to said plurality of tubes.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said regenerative blower further comprising an impeller assembly driven by a magnetic drive coupling.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said control system comprising at least two processors, with one of the two processors being a motor control engine processor and the second processor being an ARM processor.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said fluid vapor distillation apparatus further comprising a conductivity meter and a conductivity cell to determine the conductivity of the product fluid.

12. A water vapor distillation system comprising:
a water vapor distillation apparatus comprising:
a source fluid input;

an evaporator condenser apparatus comprising:
a housing; and
a plurality of tubes in said housing,

whereby said source fluid input is fluidly connected to said evaporator condenser and said evaporator condenser transforms source fluid into steam and transforms compressed steam into product fluid;
a heat exchanger fluidly connected to said source fluid input and a product fluid output, said heat exchanger comprising:
an outer tube; and
at least one inner tube;

a regenerative blower fluidly connected to said evaporator condenser, whereby said regenerative blower compresses steam, and whereby the compressed steam flows to the evaporative condenser where compressed steam is transformed into product fluid; and
a control system for controlling said fluid vapor distillation apparatus comprising:
a blow down controller programmed to control a blow down valve;
a source flow controller programmed to control a source flow valve; and
a blow down level sensor in communication with a blow down controller and a source flow controller, said blow down level sensor sends signals related to said blow down level to said blow down controller and said source flow controller indicative of said blow down level,
wherein said source flow controller is programmed to actuate said source flow valve based at least on said blow down level sensor signals, and
wherein said blow down controller is programmed to actuate said blow down valve based at least on said blow down level sensor signals,
whereby said blow down level and said source flow are maintained using said blow down level sensor signals as input; and

a Stirling engine electrically connected to said water vapor distillation apparatus, wherein said Stirling engine at least partially powers said water vapor distillation apparatus, the Stirling engine comprising:
at least one rocking drive mechanism comprising:
a rocking beam having a rocker pivot;
at least one cylinder;
at least one piston, the piston housed within a respective cylinder whereby the piston is capable of substantially linearly reciprocating within the respective cylinder; and
at least one coupling assembly having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end being connected to the piston and the distal end being connected to the rocking beam by an end pivot, whereby linear motion of the piston is converted to rotary motion of the rocking beam;

a crankcase housing the rocking beam and housing a first portion of the coupling assembly;
a crankshaft coupled to the rocking beam by way of a connecting rod, whereby the rotary motion of the rocking beam is transferred to the crankshaft;
a working space housing the at least one cylinder, the at least one piston and a second portion of the coupling assembly; and
a seal for sealing the workspace from the crankcase.

13. The water vapor distillation system of claim 12 wherein the seal is a rolling diaphragm.

14. The water vapor distillation system of claim 12 wherein the coupling assembly further comprising:
a piston rod; and
a link rod, the piston rod and link rod coupled together by a coupling means.

15. The water vapor distillation system of claim 12 further comprising a lubricating fluid pump in the crankcase.

16. The water vapor distillation system of claim 12 wherein the heat exchanger is disposed about the housing of the evaporator condenser.

17. The water vapor distillation system of claim 12 wherein the heat exchanger further comprising wherein the outer tube is a source fluid flow path and the at least one inner tube is a product fluid flow path.

18. The water vapor distillation system of claim 17 wherein the heat exchanger further comprising at least three inner tubes.

Assignees

• Deka Products Lp

Inventors

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

Classifications

• Y02W10/37

  using solar energy · CPC title

• C02F1/041 Primary

  by means of vapour compression · CPC title

• C02F2209/05

  Conductivity or salinity · CPC title

• C02F1/048

  Purification of waste water by evaporation · CPC title

• C02F1/008

  Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F · CPC title