Desalination method and system using compressed air energy systems
First Claim
1. A system for desalinating seawater comprising:
- a compressor for compressing air;
an expander for expanding compressed air to co-generate chilled air;
a chamber, with at least one nozzle through which the seawater can be sprayed into the chamber, and into which the chilled air from the expander can be introduced, wherein the exposure of the seawater to the chilled air enables ice particles consisting of pure water to be formed in the chamber;
a device that helps remove the ice particles from the chamber, thereby helping to separate the pure water in the ice particles from the impurities in the seawater.
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Abstract
The invention relates to a desalination method and system that uses freeze crystallization technology that incorporates the use of compressed air energy as the source for freezing temperatures. When compressed air is released by a turbo expander, chilled air is produced as a by-product, wherein the chilled air is introduced into a crystallization chamber. Also injected into the chamber is a spray cloud of seawater droplets, which has been pre-chilled by heat exchange with the cold chamber walls, and which is then circulated and exposed to the chilled air in the chamber. The sizes of the droplets can vary, but are preferably predetermined, along with the relative temperatures, flows and speeds of the spray and chilled air, such that when the droplets are circulated within the chilled air, and settle at the bottom of the chamber, they are deposited at slightly above the eutectic temperature. This way, the ice/snow mass that forms at the bottom of the chamber will consist of frozen ice crystals, and a residue of salt water brine, which can runoff from the mass, either from the sides, or through any voids or channels that may form within the mass.
133 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A system for desalinating seawater comprising:
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a compressor for compressing air;
an expander for expanding compressed air to co-generate chilled air;
a chamber, with at least one nozzle through which the seawater can be sprayed into the chamber, and into which the chilled air from the expander can be introduced, wherein the exposure of the seawater to the chilled air enables ice particles consisting of pure water to be formed in the chamber;
a device that helps remove the ice particles from the chamber, thereby helping to separate the pure water in the ice particles from the impurities in the seawater. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of desalinating seawater comprising:
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compressing air to produce compressed air energy;
releasing the compressed air with an expander to co-generate chilled air;
introducing the chilled air into a chamber;
spraying the seawater in the form of droplets into the chamber;
exposing the seawater droplets to the chilled air within the chamber, thereby forming ice particles consisting of pure water within the droplets; and
forming a mass with the ice particles within the chamber, thereby helping to separate the pure water in the ice particles from the impurities in the seawater. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification