SOLAR DESALINIZATION PLANT

• US 20110048921A1
• Filed: 09/03/2009
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SolarReserve Technology, LLC
• Original Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Incorporated (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: von Arx, Alan V., Cap, Daniel P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,246,787 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 203/10
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 1/0035 Solar energy for treatment of water C02F1/14
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2311/04 Specific process operations in the feed stream; Feed pretreatment
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2311/2649 Filtration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2311/2673 Evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 5/006 with evaporation or distillation
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/025 Reverse osmosis; Hyperfiltration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/04 Feed pretreatment
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/06 Flash evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/14 using solar energy
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/441 by reverse osmosis
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/08 Seawater, e.g. for desalination
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2301/063 Underpressure, vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 9/00 Multistage treatment of water, waste water or sewage
• CPC Class Codes: F22B 1/006 using solar heat solar heat collectors per se F24S; devices for producing mechanical power from solar energy F03G6/00
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 20/20 Solar heat collectors for receiving concentrated solar energy, e.g. receivers for solar power plants
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 90/00 Solar heat systems not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/124 Water desalination
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/131 Reverse-osmosis
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/142 Solar thermal; Photovoltaics
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/212 Solar-powered wastewater sewage treatment, e.g. spray evaporation

Abstract

A desalinization plant and process utilizes solar radiation to produce steam from seawater which is then used to generate freshwater and electricity.

Claims

1. A desalinization plant comprising:

a concentrated solar power system;

a heat exchanger in fluid communication with said concentrated solar power system through a seawater loop to transfer energy to seawater within said seawater loop to extract steam from the seawater;

a turbine driven by the steam; and

a condenser downstream of the turbine to produce freshwater from the steam.

2. The desalinization plant of claim 1, wherein the steam is extracted from said heat exchanger via boiling.

3. The desalinization plant of claim 1, wherein the steam is extracted from said heat exchanger via flashing.

4. The desalinization plant of claim 1, further comprising an osmotic membrane to at least partially extract a solute from the seawater downstream of said heat exchanger.

5. A process for producing freshwater comprising:

absorbing energy from a concentrated solar power system into seawater communicated through the heat exchanger;

extracting steam from the seawater;

driving a turbine with the steam; and

condensing the steam downstream of the turbine to produce freshwater.

6. The process of claim 5, further comprising driving an electric generator with the turbine, thereby generating electricity.