Thermoelectric water gap membrane distillation system and process
A distillation apparatus having a hot liquid block, a thermoelectric module (TEM), a condensation surface, a feed liquid chamber having a feed chamber inlet, a feed chamber outlet, and a membrane disposed on at least one side of the feed liquid chamber. One side of the membrane faces to the condensation surface. A water gap of 1 mm to 20 cm separates the condensation surface and the membrane. A permeate outlet in fluid communication with the water gap. A heating unit in fluid communication with the feed liquid chamber and the hot liquid block. A cooling unit in fluid communication with the permeate outlet. A multi-stage distillation apparatus with a plurality of distillation apparatuses. A process of distilling water, by feeding a liquid into the distillation apparatus through the hot block inlet and collecting distilled water from the permeate outlet.
1. A distillation apparatus, comprising:
a hot liquid block having a hot block inlet and a hot block outlet;
a first thermoelectric module (TEM) and a second TEM, the first and second TEMs adjacent one another to form a TEM stack having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, wherein the hot liquid block is adjacent to the first side of the TEM stack;
a condensation surface having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, wherein the first side of the condensation surface is adjacent to the second side of the TEM stack;
a feed liquid chamber having a feed chamber inlet, a feed chamber outlet, and a membrane disposed on at least one side of the feed liquid chamber, wherein one side of the membrane faces to the condensation surface and a gap of 1-200 mm separates the condensation surface and the membrane;
a permeate outlet in fluid communication with the gap;
a heating unit in fluid communication with the feed liquid chamber and the hot liquid block; and
a cooling unit in fluid communication with the permeate outlet.
2. The distillation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heating unit comprises a first heat exchanger, and (1) a drying unit (DU) having a drying unit inlet to the DU and a drying unit outlet of the DU, or (2) a space heating unit (SH) having a space heating inlet to the SH and a space heating outlet of the SH;
wherein the first heat exchanger is fluidly connected to the feed liquid chamber through the feed chamber outlet; and
wherein the first heat exchanger is fluidly connected the hot liquid block through the hot block inlet.
3. The distillation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cooling unit comprises a second
heat exchanger, and at least one module selected from the group consisting of a cooling unit (CU) and a space cooling unit, wherein the CU comprises a cooling unit inlet and a cooling unit outlet, and wherein a space cooler (SC) comprises a space cooling inlet and a space cooling outlet;
wherein the second heat exchanger is fluidly connected to the permeate outlet.
4. The distillation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the membrane is a polytetrafluoroethylene flat sheet.
5. The distillation apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the polytetrafluoroethylene flat sheet has a mean pore size between 0.01 μm and 10 μm.
6. The distillation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the gap includes a rubber support
to separate the second side of the condensation surface and the membrane.
7. The distillation apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first heat exchanger is at least one selected from the group consisting of a plate heat exchanger, a tube in tube heat exchanger, a shell and tube heat exchanger, a plate and shell heat exchanger, a plate fin heat exchanger, a double tube heat exchanger, an adiabatic wheel heat exchanger, and a finned tube heat exchanger.
8. The distillation apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the second heat exchanger is at least one selected from the group consisting of a plate heat exchanger, a tube in tube heat exchanger, a shell and tube heat exchanger, a plate and shell heat exchanger, a plate fin heat exchanger, a double tube heat exchanger, an adiabatic wheel heat exchanger, and a finned tube heat exchanger.
9. A multi-stage distillation apparatus comprising a plurality of the distillation apparatuses according to claim 1 .
10. The multi-stage distillation apparatus of claim 9 , wherein a first feed liquid chamber in a first stage and a second feed liquid chamber in an adjacent stage are both in fluid communication with a first hot liquid block in the first stage through a first hot block inlet.
11. The multi-stage distillation apparatus of claim 9 , wherein a first hot liquid block in a first stage and a second hot liquid block in an adjacent stage are both in fluid communication with a first feed liquid chamber in the first stage through a first feed chamber inlet.
12. The multi-stage distillation apparatus of claim 9 , wherein a first feed liquid chamber in a first stage and a second feed liquid chamber in an adjacent stage are both in fluid communication with an inlet of a first heat exchanger through feed chamber outlets.
13. The multi-stage distillation apparatus of claim 9 , wherein a first hot liquid block in a first stage and a second hot liquid block in an adjacent stage are both in fluid communication with an outlet of a first heat exchanger through hot block inlets.
14. The multi-stage distillation apparatus of claim 9 , wherein a first water gap in a first stage and a second water gap in an adjacent stage are both in fluid communication with an inlet of a second heat exchanger through water gap outlets.
15. The multi-stage distillation apparatus of claim 9 , wherein a first feed liquid chamber in a first stage and a second feed liquid chamber in an adjacent stage are both in fluid communication with an inlet of a first heat exchanger through feed chamber outlets; and
a first water gap in a first stage and a second water gap in an adjacent stage are both in fluid communication with an inlet of a second heat exchanger through water gap outlets.
16. The multi-stage distillation apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the TEM is powered by at least one source selected from the group consisting of solar photovoltaic module, wind power mill, geothermal power, and ocean/wave mill.
17. A process of distilling water, comprising:
feeding a liquid into the distillation apparatus of claim 1 through the hot block inlet and collecting distilled water from the permeate outlet.
18. The process of distilling water of claim 17 , wherein the liquid is at least one selected from the group consisting of salty water, ocean/sea water, rejected brine, wastewater, brackish water, flowback/produced water, fruit juices, blood, milk, dyes, and waste flows.