Water desalination system
An improved water desalination system is disclosed, in which contaminated water such as seawater or brackish water is preheated and fed into a primary pressure vessel through a distribution head. The seawater is distributed from the distribution head over a non-adherent surface such as a plurality of silicone chords hanging below a distribution tank or a cone- and cylindrical-shaped surface. The water is exposed to a high temperature steam environment in the chamber to cause at least a portion of the water in the contaminated water to evaporate, while the remaining concentrated salts from the contaminated water fall to the bottom of the chamber. A portion of the steam in the primary pressure vessel is withdrawn to be condensed into fresh water. The energy withdrawn with the steam extracted from the primary pressure vessel is made up by a supplemental energy apparatus, such as a steam generator.
1. A desalination system for producing fresh water from water containing undesired constituents, comprising:
a pressure vessel, the pressure vessel including
an evaporation portion, the evaporation portion arranged to contain a steam environment,
an energy injection portion, and
a salt collection portion;
a water distribution head located in the evaporation portion, the water distribution head including a contaminated water receiving component located within the pressure vessel, the contaminated water receiving component having a non-adherent surface over which contaminated water is dispersed;
an energy addition apparatus, the energy addition apparatus being operably connected to the energy injection portion to add energy to the pressure vessel steam environment; and
a condensation vessel, the condensation vessel receiving steam from the pressure vessel for condensation into fresh water,
wherein
contaminated water received by the receiving component and distributed over the non-adherent surface absorbs sufficient energy from the steam environment to evaporate at least a portion of the water from the contaminated water into the pressure vessel steam environment,
the energy addition apparatus injects sufficient energy into the pressure vessel through the energy injection portion to maintain the evaporation portion steam temperature and pressure as steam is withdrawn into the condensation vessel.
2. The desalination system of claim 1 , wherein
the contaminated water receiving component includes a contaminated water distribution unit having a cone-shaped upper surface and a cylindrical section below the cone-shaped upper surface,
the cone-shaped upper surface and cylindrical section have surfaces coated with a substance to which salts do not adhere, and
contaminated water received by the receiving component and distributed over the cone-shaped surface flows from the cone-shaped surface to the cylindrical section surface.
3. The desalination system of claim 1 , wherein the energy addition apparatus includes a steam generator.
4. The desalination system of claim 3 , wherein the steam generator receives at least one of steam and liquid water for heating and injection into the injection portion from at least one of the evaporation portion of the pressure vessel and the condensation vessel.
5. The desalination system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a turbine disposed between the pressure vessel and the condensation vessel, wherein the turbine extracts energy from steam received from the evaporation portion of the pressure vessel and exhausts the received steam to the condensation vessel.
6. The desalination system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a condensation heat exchanger, wherein the condensation heat exchanger receives energy from steam in the condensation vessel to assist condensation of steam into fresh water.
7. The desalination system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an inlet heat exchanger, wherein energy is transferred from fresh water condensed in the condensation vessel to the contaminated water being transferred to the distribution head.
8. The desalination system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a salt removal device disposed to remove salts remaining from the evaporation of water from the contaminated water which accumulate a brine collection portion of the primary pressure vessel.
9. The desalination system of claim 8 , wherein the salt removal device is an auger.
10. The desalination system of claim 8 , wherein the salt removal device is a blade sets and holes arrangement, in which a plurality of blades selectively cover and uncover a plurality of salt removal holes in a bottom portion of the primary pressure vessel for controlled salt removal from the primary pressure vessel.
11. The desalination system of claim 10 , wherein the blade sets are arranged on interior and exterior surfaces of the bottom portion of the pressure vessel to cover inlets and outlets of the plurality of salt removal holes.
12. The desalination system of claim 11 , wherein the actuation of the blade sets to cover and uncover the plurality of salt removal holes is controlled by a computer controller.
13. A desalination apparatus for producing fresh water from water containing undesired constituents, comprising:
a pressure vessel, the pressure vessel including
an evaporation portion, the evaporation portion arranged to contain a steam environment,
an energy injection portion, and
a salt collection portion;
a water distribution head located in the evaporation portion, the water distribution head including a contaminated water receiving component located within the pressure vessel, the contaminated water receiving component having a non-adherent surface over which contaminated water is dispersed;
a steam generator, the steam generator being operably connected to the energy injection portion to add energy to the pressure vessel steam environment; and
a condensation vessel, the condensation vessel receiving steam from the pressure vessel for condensation into fresh water;
a turbine;
a condensation heat exchanger;
an inlet heat exchanger; and
an auger,
wherein
contaminated water received by the receiving component and distributed over the non-adherent surface absorbs sufficient energy from the steam environment to evaporate at least a portion of the water from the contaminated water into the pressure vessel steam environment,
the steam generator injects sufficient energy into the pressure vessel through the energy injection portion to maintain the evaporation portion steam temperature and pressure as steam is withdrawn into the condensation vessel,
the steam generator receives steam for heating and injection into the energy injection portion from at least one of the evaporation portion of the pressure vessel and the condensation vessel,
the turbine extracts energy from steam received from the evaporation portion of the pressure vessel and exhausts the received steam to the condensation vessel,
the condensation heat exchanger receives energy from steam in the condensation vessel to assist condensation of steam into fresh water,
energy is transferred from fresh water condensed in the condensation vessel to the contaminated water being transferred to the water distribution head,
salts remaining from the evaporation of water from the contaminated water accumulates in the salt collection portion of the primary pressure vessel, and
the salt removal device is arranged to remove the salts from the salt collection portion.