Desalination system and desalination method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9822019-B2
Application number	US-201414500566-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2014
Priority date	Jan 18, 2013
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

A desalination system includes a water tank, a water-repellent particle layer located at a lower portion of the tank and composed of water-repellent particles, and a devolatilizing layer located below the water-repellent particle layer. Liquid is introduced to the tank, the introduced liquid is heated to be evaporated into water vapor, and the water vapor passes through the water-repellent particle layer and is liquefied at the devolatilizing layer, so that fresh water is obtained from the liquid. The desalination system further includes a liquid level controller for determining a level of the liquid introduced to the tank in accordance with information on relationship between information corresponding to an amount of the liquid introduced to the tank and a surface level of the liquid in the tank, and an introduced amount controller for adjusting the amount of the liquid introduced to the tank in accordance with the determined liquid surface level.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A desalination system comprising:
a water tank;
a water-repellent particle layer located in the water tank and composed of water-repellent particles; and
a devolatilizing layer located below the water-repellent particle layer, wherein liquid is introduced to the water tank,
the introduced liquid is heated to be evaporated into water vapor, and
the water vapor passes through the water-repellent particle layer and then, is liquefied at the devolatilizing layer to obtain fresh water from the liquid,
the desalination system further comprises:
a liquid level controller that determines a level of the liquid introduced to the water tank in accordance with a pre-stored relationship between information corresponding to an amount of the liquid introduced to the water tank and a surface level of the liquid in the water tank; and
an introduced amount controller that adjusts the amount of the liquid introduced to the water tank in accordance with the determined surface level of the liquid.

2. The desalination system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an impurity deposition information acquiring unit that acquires information on whether or not impurities are deposited from the liquid, wherein
the liquid level controller comprises a decision unit that determines a level of the liquid so that a level of the liquid in the water tank in a case where the impurities are deposited is higher than a level of the liquid in a case where the impurities are not deposited, in accordance with the information from the impurity deposition information acquiring unit.

3. The desalination system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an impurity deposition information acquiring unit that acquires information on whether or not impurities are deposited from the liquid, wherein
the liquid level controller comprises a decision unit that determines a level of the liquid so that a level of the liquid in the water tank in a case where the impurities are deposited is higher than a level of the liquid in a case where the impurities are not deposited, in accordance with the information from the impurity deposition information acquiring unit.

4. The desalination system according to claim 3 , wherein
the impurity deposition information acquiring unit comprises:
an imaging unit that captures an image of a surface of the water-repellent particle layer in the liquid and outputs the captured image associated with time; and
an impurity decision unit that decides whether or not the impurities are deposited from the liquid in accordance with the image captured and outputted from the imaging unit.

5. The desalination system according to claim 3 , wherein
the impurity deposition information acquiring unit is configured to acquire information on whether or not impurities are deposited in the introduction path used for introducing the liquid to the water tank, and
the decision unit is configured to adjust, when acquiring information from the impurity deposition information acquiring unit that the impurities are deposited, a level of the liquid in the water tank so as to be higher than a level of the liquid in a case where the impurities are not deposited.

6. The desalination system according to claim 5 , wherein
the impurity deposition information acquiring unit comprises:
a concentration measuring unit that measures concentration of the impurities in the liquid flowing in the introduction path and outputs, to the impurity deposition information acquiring unit, the measured concentration of the impurities associated with time; and
an impurity decision unit that decides whether or not the impurities are deposited from the liquid in accordance with the concentration of the impurities as outputted from the concentration measuring unit.

7. The desalination system according to claim 5 , wherein
the impurity deposition information acquiring unit comprises:
an imaging unit that captures an image of the liquid flowing in the introduction path and outputs, to the impurity deposition information acquiring unit, the captured image of the liquid associated with time; and
an impurity decision unit that decides whether or not the impurities are deposited from the liquid in accordance with the image of the liquid as outputted from the imaging unit.

8. A liquid amount adjusting apparatus included in a desalination system comprising:
a water tank for containing liquid;
a water-repellent particle layer located in at a lower portion of the water tank and composed of water-repellent particles; and
a devolatilizing layer located below the water-repellent particle layer, the liquid adjusting apparatus comprising:
a liquid level determining unit that determines a level of the liquid introduced to the water tank in accordance with a pre-stored relationship between information corresponding to an amount of the liquid introduced to the water tank and a surface level of the liquid in the water tank; and
an introduced amount controller that adjusts the amount of the liquid introduced to the water tank in accordance with the determined surface level of the liquid.

9. A desalination method for obtaining fresh water from liquid using a desalination apparatus comprising:
a water tank for containing liquid;
a water-repellent particle layer located in the water tank and composed of water-repellent particles; and
a devolatilizing layer located below the water-repellent particle layer, and made of a plurality of particles to which water repellent treatment is not applied,
the method comprising steps of:
determining, by a liquid level controller, a surface level of the liquid introduced to the water tank in accordance with information on relationship between information corresponding to an amount of the liquid introduced to the water tank and a surface level of the liquid in the water tank;
adjusting, by an introduced amount controller, the amount of the liquid introduced to the water tank and then, placing a liquid on the water-repellent particle layer so as to be equal in level to the determined surface level of the liquid;
heating to evaporate the contained liquid into water vapor while a top of the water tank is covered with a lid; and
obtaining fresh water from the liquid by causing the water vapor to pass through the water-repellent particle layer, then reach the devolatilizing layer and be liquefied.

Assignees

• Panasonic Corp
• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wakita Yumi
• Mino Norihisa
• Takeuchi Hiroki
• Nakata Mikiya

Classifications

• Y02W10/37

  using solar energy · CPC title

• C02F2209/10

  Solids, e.g. total solids [TS], total suspended solids [TSS] or volatile solids [VS] · CPC title

• B01D1/0082

  Regulation; Control · CPC title

• C02F2209/42

  Liquid level · CPC title

• C02F1/14

  using solar energy · CPC title