SEAWATER DESALINATION SYSTEM AND METHOD
First Claim
1. A water desalination system, comprising:
- a submersible module submersible in a body of water from which desalinated water is to be produced, said submersible module defining a water-receiving interior and including at least one opening leading out from said interior to an exterior;
at least one reverse osmosis (RO) membrane associated with each of said at least one opening such that said at least one RO membrane is exposed to water when said module is submersed in the body of water at a depth at which hydrostatic pressure of the water causes water molecules to be forced through said at least one RO membrane into said interior of said module;
a pump arranged in communication with said interior of said module and pumping desalinated water out from said interior of said module while said module is submersed and to thereby keep the interior pressure of said module at about 1 bar; and
a moving device coupled to said module and arranged to move said module and thus said at least one RO membrane while submersed in the body of water and relative to the body of water to thereby change a location at which said module is submersed in the body of water from which water is to be desalinated to thereby keep the salt concentration adjacent to said at least one RO membrane of said module close to a salt concentration level of the body of water.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Desalination system includes a submersible module defining a water-receiving interior and including openings leading from the interior to an exterior, reverse osmosis (RO) membranes arranged in each opening such that the RO membrane is exposed to seawater when the module is submersed, a pump arranged in connection with the interior of module, and a movement system for adjusting the vertical depth at which the module is submersed. The movement system can move the module in vertical and horizontal directions, in any predetermined pattern, or in vertical—horizontal planes defined by the movement system from one location to another location to prevent an elevated salt concentration in an area adjacent the RO membranes and to thereby maintain the osmotic pressure of the seawater in the area adjacent the RO membranes low.
17 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A water desalination system, comprising:
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a submersible module submersible in a body of water from which desalinated water is to be produced, said submersible module defining a water-receiving interior and including at least one opening leading out from said interior to an exterior; at least one reverse osmosis (RO) membrane associated with each of said at least one opening such that said at least one RO membrane is exposed to water when said module is submersed in the body of water at a depth at which hydrostatic pressure of the water causes water molecules to be forced through said at least one RO membrane into said interior of said module; a pump arranged in communication with said interior of said module and pumping desalinated water out from said interior of said module while said module is submersed and to thereby keep the interior pressure of said module at about 1 bar; and a moving device coupled to said module and arranged to move said module and thus said at least one RO membrane while submersed in the body of water and relative to the body of water to thereby change a location at which said module is submersed in the body of water from which water is to be desalinated to thereby keep the salt concentration adjacent to said at least one RO membrane of said module close to a salt concentration level of the body of water. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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11. A method for desalinating water, comprising:
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forming a module with a water-receiving interior and at least one opening leading out from the interior to an exterior; associating at least one reverse osmosis (RO) membrane with each of the at least one opening such that the at least one RO membrane is exposed to water when the module is submersed in the body of water from which desalinated water is to be produced; submersing the module in the body of water such that the at least one RO membrane is submersed to a depth at which hydrostatic pressure of the water causes water molecules to be forced through the at least one RO membrane into the interior of the module while salt molecules remain alongside an outer face of the at least one RO membrane thereby providing desalinated water in the interior of the module; pumping the desalinated water from the interior of the module while the module and thus the at least one RO membrane is submersed in the body of water via a pump arranged in communication with the interior of the module containing the desalinated water; and moving the module and thus the at least one RO membrane from one location to another location while maintaining the module and the at least one RO membrane submersed in the body of water and relative to the body of water to thereby keep the salt concentration adjacent to the at least one RO membrane close to a salt concentration level of the body of water to prevent an elevated salt concentration in an area adjacent to the at least one RO membrane. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22)
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Specification