Depth exposed membrane for water extraction
View Patent ↗Systems and methods for the desalination of seawater and the purification of surface and groundwater are provided. The systems utilize the hydrostatic pressure of a natural or induced water column to filter water through a reverse osmosis, nanofiltration or other membrane, whereby a certain desired water quality or potable water is obtained.
1. A water treatment system, comprising:
a shaft configured to be submerged to a depth extending down into the earth and flooded with water to be treated, the water having a first pressure at the submerged depth;
an inflow tube disposed within the shaft;
at least one membrane disposed with the inflow tube, the membrane having a concentrate side and a permeate side;
a plurality of guides aligned with a vertical length of the shaft;
a collector in fluid communication with the permeate side of the membrane; and
a passageway configured to expose an interior of the collector to a second pressure which is lower than the first pressure, wherein exposing the concentrate side of the membrane to the first pressure drives a filtration process in which permeate moves across the membrane from the concentrate side to the permeate side.
2. The water treatment system of claim 1 , further comprising a pump oriented between the collector and the passageway, wherein the pump causes permeate to flow in the direction of the surface.
3. The water treatment system of claim 2 , further comprising a pump well housing the pump, the pump well further comprising a pipe extending from the pump and connecting with the passageway.
4. The water treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the guides are continuous along the length of the shaft.
5. The water treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the guides comprise a plurality of segments along the length of the shaft, each segment configured to engage an adjacent segment.
6. The water treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the guides are located between the shaft and the inflow tube.
7. The water treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one membrane is a spiral wound membrane that is wrapped around the passageway.