Apparatus and method for the recovery and purification of water from the exhaust gases of internal combustion engines

• US 20020148221A1
• Filed: 12/19/2001
• Published: 10/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lexington Carbon Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lexington Carbon Company LLC
• Inventors: Jagtoyen, Marit, Kimber, Geoffrey M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,581,375 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/309
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/265 by refrigeration (condensation)
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/283 using coal, charred products, or inorganic mixtures containing them
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/42 by ion-exchange ion-exchange in general B01J
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/18 from the purification of gaseous effluents
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/009 having two or more separate purifying devices arranged in series
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/0093 the purifying devices are of the same type
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2240/02 a heat exchanger
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2240/22 a condensation chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/005 for draining or otherwise eliminating condensates or moisture accumulating in the apparatus F01N3/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/02 for cooling, or for removing solid constituents of, exhaust by means of electric or electrostatic separators F01N3/01 ; mixing air with exhaust in tailpipes F01N13/082, F01N13/20
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/043 without contact between liquid and exhaust gases
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/2882 Catalytic reactors combined or associated with other devices, e.g. exhaust silencers or other exhaust purification devices combined with absorbents or adsorbents only F01N3/0814; combined with particulate filters F01N3/035
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 5/02 the devices using heat
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 210/90 Ultra pure water, e.g. conductivity water

Abstract

An apparatus and method of use with internal combustion engines, such as used for land vehicles, for the on-board recovery and purification of water. The source of water is from the vehicle'"'"'s exhaust, where it is collected by condensation. The water recovery system consists of a device for cooling the exhaust so as to condense out the water, such as a counter-current flow heat exchanger in combination with a chiller (a refrigerant-cooled heat exchanger), which cools the exhaust below its dew point. Exhaust condensate is collected at the outlet of the chiller. These cooling devices may be coupled with the vehicle'"'"'s air conditioning system. The condensed water then flows through the water purification portion of the present invention. The water purification system can rely upon solids filtration and different forms of activated carbons and activated carbon fiber composite materials which can be used in combination with ion exchange resins to provide a water purification train which is integrated with the water recover unit on board the vehicle. The water can be purified to have a TOC of less than 2 ppm to meet EPA drinking water standards, as well as Department of Defense tri-service requirements for long-term consumption as specified in TB Med 577. Potable water can be produced at a rate of approximately up to 0.7 gallons/gallon fuel utilizing a HMMWV diesel engine. This allows production of about 15 gallons per day of potable water on-board the HMMWV (based on consumption of about 30 gallons of fuel per day).

Claims

1. A method for recovering potable water from the exhaust gases from an internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of:

(a) cooling said exhaust gases so as to cause water to condense from said exhaust gases;

followed by

(b) passing said water through one or more particulate filters having a maximum pore size of from about 0.1 to about 10 microns;

(c) passing said water through one or more activated carbon filter beds; and

(d) passing said water through one or more ion exchange resin filter beds.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the potable water produced has a TOC less than about 0.5 ppm, an inorganic content less than about 2 ppm and a pH between about 6 and about 8.

3. The method according to claim 1 which produces at least about 0.5 gallons of water per gallon of engine fuel combusted.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the exhaust gas is passed through a catalytic converter prior to the step (a) cooling step.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the gases are cooled using one or more heat exchangers.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein one of said heat exchangers is an ambient air-cooled heat exchanger.

7. The method according to claim 6 utilizing at least two heat exchangers and wherein one of said heat exchangers is a refrigerant-cooled heat exchanger.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein sodium bicarbonate is added to the water in an amount sufficient to neutralize its acidity.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein the sodium bicarbonate is added prior to step (c).

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein step (d) is followed by passing the water through a second particulate filter having a maxim-am pore size of from about 0.1 to about 10 microns.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein the water is sequentially passed through steps (b), (c) and (d), in that order.

12. The method according to claim 7 wherein the activated carbon beds separately comprise a wood-based carbon material having a majority of pores in the range of from about 17 to about 40 Å

, and a coal-based water-treatment carbon material having an average pore size of from about 6 to about 20 Å

.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein the ion exchange resin is a mixed bed of cation and anion resin that is strongly acidic and strongly basic type 1 ion change resin.

14. The method according to claim 1 wherein the activated carbon beds sequentially comprise a wood-based carbon material having a majority of pores in the range of from about 17 to about 40 Å

, and a coal-based water-treatment carbon material having an average pore size of from about 6 to about 20 Å

.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein the ion exchange resin is a mixed bed of cation and anion resin that is strongly acidic and strongly basic type 1 ion exchange resin.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the means for cooling the exhaust gases comprises a heat exchanger.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17 wherein the heat exchanger is an ambient air-cooled heat exchanger.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18 wherein the means for cooling the exhaust gases additionally comprises a refrigerant-cooled heat exchanger.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19 which is adapted to connect to the catalytic converter which is connected to the exhaust portal of the engine.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20 which includes a valve which allows the exhaust gas to bypass the apparatus if the temperature of the catalytic converter is below a pre-defined level.

22. The apparatus according to claim 19 wherein the activated carbon beds sequentially comprise a wood-based carbon material having a majority of pores in the range of from about 17 to about 40 Å

, and a coal-based water-treatment carbon material having an average pore size of from about 6 to about 20 Å

.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22 wherein the ion exchange resin is a mixed bed of cation and anion resin that is strongly acidic and strongly basic type 1 ion exchange resin.

24. The apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the flow path of the water takes it sequentially through the one or more particulate filters, the one or more activated carbon filter beds, and the one or more ion exchange resin beds, in that order.

16. An apparatus for recovening potable water from the exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine comprising a means for connecting said apparatus to the exhaust portal of said engine;

a means for cooling the exhaust gases so as to cause the water in said gases to condense;

a means for collecting said water and channeling it to a purification system which comprises one or more particulate filters having an average pore size of from about 0.1 to about 10 microns, one or more activated carbon filter beds, and one or more ion exchange resin beds; and

means for collecting the water which has passed through said purification system.