Patents: Sea water desalination

A wind energy installation having a tower, a gondola supported by the tower, a rotor mounted in the gondola, and at least one pressure pump that is mechanically driven by the rotor and that feeds a raw water-treating reverse osmosis plant, the components of the reverse osmosis plant being arranged within the tower.

United States Patent 7029576

Seawater Desalination Plant

The invention provides a seawater desalination plant including a cascade of evaporation units that are connected by a line system which guides the saltwater. Each cascade unit can be impinged upon by low pressure. The seawater is guided to the evaporation unit after having been directed through the cascades so that it can be successively evaporated. In order to improve the energy balance of the plant, an arrangement of heat exchangers (WT) is placed in at least the saltwater supply line and a heat pump (WP) is connected to one or several heat exchangers (WT).

Publication number: US 2008/0017498

Sea sand desalination method

A sea sand desalination method includes: pumping sea sand to a first fresh water wash and a vibration sifter at the same time to purge foreign matter, salt, and coarse grains; blending in measuring tank at a sea sand-water ratio of 0.6:1; pouring the mixture into a heating tank and heating to boiling point; and sending it to a filtration machine for straining. The filtration machine filters the sea sand with hot water at its front section and a second fresh water wash at its rear section, and then discharges the hot water. The sea sand in the filtration machine is thereafter conveyed into a second vibration sifter and a third fresh water wash for purging. The post-wash fresh water after above-mentioned wash flows into a first and second waste water pool, respectively. Finally, the fully depurated sea sand is conveyed via a water wheel to a sand dumping site.

Publication number: US 2003/0168386

Wave-powered desalination of seawater

This invention provides efficient and cost effective water wave-powered piston pumps. Utility of such pumps is demonstrated in the reverse osmosis desalination of seawater.

Patent number: 4421461

Desalination of seawater by nonionic surfactant aided phase separation

A novel process for the extraction of salt from seawater based on the unique solubility properties of nonionic surfactants and the relative phobia of inorganic salts to organic surfactants has been developed. Nonionic surfactant is first added to the seawater to form a homogenous mixture. Then the temperature of the mixture is adjusted to cause it to separate into aqueous salt-rich and relatively salt-free phases. The relatively salt-free phase is then caused to phase separate into a surfactant-rich phase and a relatively surfactant-free and relatively salt-free water phase by further temperature adjustment. Finally, these latter two phases are separated to recover salt-free water.

Patent number: 5679254

Thermal power station combined with a plant for seawater desalination

A combined thermal power station and a desalination plant for seawater in which the power station includes a gas turbine set, a waste heat boiler connected to the exhaust gas outlet of the gas turbine and a steam turbine. The waste heat boiler includes first and second sections arranged in cascade on the water side in the flow path of the turbine exhaust gases, the first section in the exhaust gas flow path constituting a steam generator for the steam turbine and the second section constituting a source of heat utilized in the desalination plant. Seawater may be passed directly through the second section of the waste heat boiler or high-temperature hot water produced by the second section may be passed through a heat exchanger incorporated in the flow path of the seawater. The waste heat boiler may further include an additional source of heat in the form of a fuel burner for maintaining operation of the steam turbine and desalination plant under emergency conditions in the event the gas turbine set is stopped.

United States Patent 4094747

Apparatus and process for desalination of seawater

An apparatus and process for desalination of seawater using a hydrophobic por permeable membrane. Heated seawater is passed across one surface of a membrane at rates which cause the flow to be turbid such that its turbidity is characterized by Reynolds numbers in excess of 1000. Fresh water is passed across the other surface of the membrane to act as a condenser and collector of vapor which passes through the membrane.

Patent number: 5102550

Apparatus and method for the desalination of sea water by multistage reverse osmosis

Reverse osmosis membrane module units (2,8) are arranged at multistage with a booster pump (7) provided in the concentrate flow channel (4) between reverse osmosis membrane module units (2,8), and the total effective reverse osmosis membrane area of a module unit (8) is in the range of 20-80% of that of the preceding module unit (2). The object of this invention is to provide apparatus and separation method that produce low-concentration solution from high-concentration solution with a high recovery ratio, small energy requirements, and high stability.

EP0709130

Seawater solar desalination system

A solar seawater desalination system is designed to operate in a self-sustaining manner without the need for any moving parts. Seawater is converted to steam in a solar heat collector panel and the steam is led in a steam pipe through a series of primary cooling chambers where it is condensed by incoming seawater in tanks jacketing the steam tube. The tanks are connected in series between an inlet air-lock regulator and the solar collector panel so that the seawater is caused to flow successively through the tanks from the inlet to the collector panel as make-up water, solely by pressure differentials created in the system by the steam generation. Excessively saline seawater which collects in the collector panel is dumped from the system in a similar manner through an outlet air-lock regulator. Secondary cooling chambers may be provided to condense steam generated from the seawater in the primary cooling chambers by heat received from the steam pipe.

United States Patent 5672250

Desalination of seawater or brackish water

This invention deals with the problem of extracting potentially potable relatively salt-free water from seawater or brackish well water in areas where little or no power supplies exist. The object is to draw such water through a special filter that permits the passage of the water while leaving the salt behind, enough so that the remaining small amount of salinity is considered not objectionable for drinking purposes. This invention would have great potential as stand-by equipment in the after-math of coastal typhoons and hurricanes, when all power is lost, and water supplies are contaminated by flood tides from the sea. It would also have an application to remove most of the radio-active salts or residue left over from a nuclear accident or explosion that would contaminate water supplies.

Patent number: 4735722

Electrodialysis desalination process system for seawater

An electrodialysis desalination process for seawater comprising the steps of collecting seawater and heating same by solar heat; subjecting seawater thus heated to electrodialysis; and separating same into two portions of a diluted solution and a concentrated brine, is provided, as well as the same system comprising a preheater utilizing solar heat for preheating seawater, an electrodialyser for separating seawater thus preheated by said preheater into said two portions, and means for supplying seawater to the preheater and then from the preheater to the electrodialyser. Various modifications of the above process and system are disclosed. According to the present inventions, electric power consumption in the electrodialysis is saved and solar heat is utilized effectively.