High efficiency water desalinator

• US 20080066874A1
• Filed: 09/19/2006
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bhatti, Mohinder Singh, Joshi, Shrikant Mukund, Reyzin, Ilya
• Application Number:
  US11/523,416
• Publication Number:
  US 20080066874A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 159/5
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 1/14 with heated gases or vapours or liquids in contact with the liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 1/22 by bringing a thin layer of the liquid into contact with a heated surface B01D1/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 5/006 with evaporation or distillation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/048 Purification of waste water by evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/124 Water desalination

Abstract

A water desalinator includes a plurality of spaced tubes for establishing wet channels with fins extending between adjacent tubes for establishing a plurality of dry channels. A blower blows air through the dry channels, and air is bled from the dry airstreams to form wet airstreams flowing through the wet channels. A saline water tank is in fluid communication with the tubes to introduce saline water into the wet channels. Heat is extracted from the dry airstreams and transferred to the saline water, causing it to evaporate into the wet airstreams. By rejecting the heat out of the wet airstream in a condensation chamber, fresh water condenses out of the wet airstream and deposits into a water tank.

Claims

1. An assembly for desalinating water comprising;

at least one tube extending longitudinally from a front to a back for establishing at least one wet channel,

at least one fin extending from said at least one tube defining at least one dry channel for a dry airstream flowing longitudinally from said front toward said back,

said at least one tube defining a bleeder for bleeding air from said at least one dry channel to said at least one wet channel,

a saline water tank in fluid communication with said tube for adding saline water to said at least one wet channel for evaporation to create a wet airstream therein by abstracting heat from air in said at least one dry channel, and

a condensation chamber in fluid communication with the wet and dry airstreams for producing a condensate of desalinated water by rejecting heat from the wet airstream.

2. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 including a pair of said tubes spaced apart from one another and wherein said at least one dry channel is defined between said pair of said tubes.

3. An assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said tubes extend from a lower end at least partially surrounded by said saline water tank to an upper end.

4. An assembly as set forth in claim 3 further including a plate covering said upper end of said tubes to direct the flow of the wet airstream in said wet channels from said front toward said back and parallel to the dry airstream.

5. An assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said plate includes a thermo-electric module for further enhancing condensation of desalinated water.

6. An assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said thermo-electric module surrounds said condensation chamber.

7. An assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said tubes include a wicking portion and a wicking material extending from said lower end of said wicking portion of said tubes and into said saline water tank for drawing saline water into said wet channels for evaporation.

8. An assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said condensation chamber comprises an extension of said tubes extending longitudinally and rearwardly from said wicking portion.

9. An assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein said saline water tank surrounds said wicking portion of said tubes.

10. An assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said condensation chamber extends from said back of said tubes.

11. An assembly as set forth in claim 10 wherein said condensation chamber commingles the wet and dry airstreams downstream from said back of said tubes.

12. An assembly as set forth in claim 10 wherein said wicking material lines said tubes from said front to said back.

13. An assembly as set forth in claim 10 wherein said saline water tank completely surrounds said lower end of said tubes.

14. An assembly as set forth in claim 3 further including a tank cover below said at least one fin for fluidly isolating said saline water tank from said dry channels.

15. An assembly as set forth in claim 3 further including a heating element disposed within said saline water tank for boiling saline water into vapor for introduction into said wet channels and the wet airstream therein.

16. An assembly for desalinating water comprising;

a plurality of tubes spaced from one another and extending vertically from a lower end to an upper end and horizontally from a front to a back for establishing a plurality of wet channels,

said tubes each including an array of ribs extending inwardly from opposite sides of said tubes and extending vertically from said lower end to said upper end,

said ribs spaced from one another horizontally along said tubes from said front to said back,

a plurality of fins each extending between adjacent tubes at an angle relative to said tubes and extending between said front and said back of said tubes for establishing a plurality of dry channels for a dry airstream flowing therein from said front toward said back,

said tubes defining a plurality of orifices spaced vertically along said front of said tubes for bleeding air from said dry channels to said wet channels,

a saline water tank surrounding said lower end of at least a portion of said tubes,

a wicking material extending from said lower end of said portion of said tubes for drawing saline water into said wet channels for evaporation to create a wet airstream therein by abstracting heat from air in said dry channels,

a heating element disposed within said saline water tank to boil saline water into vapor for enhancing introduction into said wet channels and the wet airstream therein,

a tank cover beneath said plurality of fins for fluidly isolating said saline water tank from said dry channels,

a plate covering said upper end of said tubes to direct the flow of the wet airstream in said wet channels from said front toward said back parallel to the dry airstream,

a condensation chamber downstream from said wicking material for receiving the wet and dry airstreams to produce a condensate of desalinated water by rejecting heat from the wet airstream,

a thermoelectric module lining said plate for further enhancing production of the condensate of desalinated water, and

a potable water tank positioned beneath said condensation chamber for receiving the condensate of desalinated water.

17. An assembly as set forth in claim 16 wherein said condensation chamber comprises an extension of said tubes.

18. An assembly as set forth in claim 17 wherein said saline water tank surrounds the portion of said tubes lined with said wicking material.

19. An assembly as set forth in claim 16 wherein said condensation chamber extends from said back of said tubes.

20. An assembly as set forth in claim 19 wherein said saline water tank completely surrounds said lower end of said tubes.

21. An assembly as set forth in claim 19 wherein said thermoelectric module surrounds said condensation chamber to produce a commingled airstream having a lower temperature than air entering said dry channels.

22. An assembly as set forth in claim 19 wherein said condensation chamber further includes at least one condensing surface extending there within for development of the condensate of desalinated water.

23. A method of desalinating water comprising;

conveying intake air into a dry airstream,

bleeding a fraction of the intake air into a wet airstream,

exposing the wet airstream to saline water,

extracting heat from the dry airstream,

transferring the extracted heat to the saline water and evaporating the saline water into the wet airstream, and

rejecting the extracted heat out of the wet airstream and condensing desalinated water out of the wet airstream.

24. A method as set forth in claim 23 further defined as flowing the wet and dry airstreams parallel to one another while transferring the extracted heat from the dry airstream to the wet airstream.

25. A method as set forth in claim 24 further defined as maintaining the wet and dry airstreams separate from one another while rejecting the extracted heat.

26. A method as set forth in claim 25 wherein said rejecting the extracted heat is further defined as rejecting the extracted heat back to the dry airstream.

27. A method as set forth in claim 25 further defined as cooling the wet airstream with a thermo-electric module while rejecting the extracted heat to enhance condensation.

28. A method as set forth in claim 24 further defined as commingling the wet and dry airstreams while rejecting the extracted heat.

29. A method as set forth in claim 28 further defined as cooling the commingled airstream with a thermoelectric module while rejecting the extracted heat to enhance condensation.

30. A method as set forth in claim 24 wherein said exposing is further defined as wicking saline water into communication with the wet airstream for evaporation into the wet airstream.