Seawater, brine or sewage solar desalination plant, and desalination method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9623344-B2
Application number	US-201214006476-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2012
Priority date	Mar 22, 2011
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

A tent or covering with a pyramid-shaped structure, with an inner dark-colored sheet and an outer transparent sheet, installed on a supporting base anchored to the ground or on floats on the surface of the sea, wherein in the apex of the pyramid there are included vaporizers with micronebulizers for nebulizing the water to be treated, a device for capturing humid air through a continuous or sectioned condensation column and for subsoil distillation and heat dissipation in the smaller, water-collecting tank and recirculation of the air devoid of humidity into the enclosure. In addition, it includes a computerized control system of the processes includes controls of the air and nebulized water flow rates and of the working regime of the facility.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A seawater, brine or sewage solar desalination plant comprising a fresh-water collecting tank in the subsoil or below sea level, and a closed enclosure bounded by a transparent shell installed on a supporting base anchored to the ground or on floats on the surface of the sea, said closed enclosure comprising:
a dome, triangular cupola or pyramidal upper area;
a solar collector placed inside the closed enclosure, associated with said transparent shell and separated therefrom comprising a sunlight-capturing surface with a dark finish placed inside the closed enclosure for generating hot air by solar energy, said sunlight-capturing surface with a dark finish being parallel to the outer transparent shell and spaced therefrom, providing an ascending sloped interspace, open at a low level, near said supporting base and open at an upper part so that sunlight is captured and transformed into heat that will warm the air of the interspace carrying hot air towards said upper area and concentrating there;
vaporizing means including a number of micro nebulizers of the water to be treated in the upper area of the closed enclosure, providing nebulized water where the hottest air is accumulated;
at least a vertical condensation and distillation column;
a sucking device for collecting humid air, resulting from the nebulized water evaporation, drawing off the humid air towards an inlet area of said at least a vertical condensation and distillation column, said inlet area being placed in said upper area so that the humid air is pushed down said at least a condensation and distillation column that is communicated with said fresh-water collecting tank wherein a water condensation and a heat dissipation are completed, and
air recirculation tubes for recirculating the collected humid air, discharged of water, from said fresh-water collecting tank towards the interior of the closed enclosure; and
wherein the supporting base accumulate salt crystals produced due the evaporation of the water nebulized in the upper area of the closed enclosure and fall by gravity.

2. A desalination plant according to claim 1 wherein:
at least one conduit for the water to be treated, is supported on said at least a condensation and distillation column;
said vaporizing means include several nozzles for micro nebulizing the water to be treated towards said upper area where the heated air is accumulated; and
a pump connected to said at last one conduit for pumping the water to be treated towards said nozzles.

3. A desalination plant according to claim 2 wherein at least one stretch of the conduit for water to be treated is in interference with the high-temperature humid air capturing conduit next to the column upper end area, then absorbing a latent condensing heat in the air of said upper end area.

4. A desalination plant according to claim 1 wherein said fresh-water collecting tank remains inside a larger tank intended for the provision or supply of the recovered usable fresh water, located at a lower level, with a selective communication from one tank to the other by a controlled valve or drip cock wherein said larger tank provides a low temperature and cooling off during night.

5. A desalination plant according to claim 4 wherein said fresh-water collecting tank comprises several branches extending under the base of the enclosure, branches from which a communication is established for the return of air deprived of humidity towards the interior of the enclosure by the tubes.

6. A desalination plant according to claim 5 wherein said fresh-water collecting tank is in communication with the outside through at least one conduit for feeding refreshment air from the outside at a time selected by an adequate outside environment temperature.

7. A desalination plant according to claim 1 wherein said enclosure has a quadrangular pyramidal configuration including one single column or a configuration with at least one upper portion forming an elongated triangular cupola including several columns spaced apart and each of them ending close to said upper portion.

8. A desalination plant according to claim 1 including a computerized processing control system comprising controls of the flow rates of the air and the nebulized water to be treated and of the working regime of the facility.

9. A desalination plant according to claim 4 wherein said collecting fresh-water tank and the larger tank are arranged at some depth under the condensation column.

10. A desalination plant according to claim 9 wherein the larger collecting tank is in communication and contact with subsoil tunnels for heat dissipation.

11. A desalination plant according to claim 1 wherein a salt collection and accumulation area has been provided next to the base of the at least a column and in that the remainder of the bounded space under the transparent covering is useful as a dwelling or for agricultural purposes with a controllable microclimate.

12. A desalination plant according to claim 11 wherein at least one entrance and at least one passage to the interior of enclosure have been provided for the removal of usable salt, built up at the base of the at least a column.

Assignees

• Bosch I Bosch Angel
• Univ Catalunya Politecnica

Inventors

• Bosch I Bosch Angel

Classifications

• B01D5/0066

  Dome shaped condensation · CPC title

• B01D1/14 Primary

  with heated gases or vapours {or liquids} in contact with the liquid · CPC title

• C02F1/14

  using solar energy · CPC title

• A01G9/243

  Collecting solar energy (in general F24S) · CPC title

• Y02W10/37

  using solar energy · CPC title