WATER PURIFICATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20140076812A1
• Filed: 09/12/2013
• Published: 03/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kevin E. Munro
• Original Assignee: Kevin E. Munro
• Inventors: Munro, Kevin E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,517,950 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/652
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2313/365 Electrical sources
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/10 Accessories; Auxiliary operations
• 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 2201/009 Apparatus with independent power supply, e.g. solar cells, windpower, fuel cells for electrolysis apparatus C02F2201/46165
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/212 Solar-powered wastewater sewage treatment, e.g. spray evaporation

Abstract

Systems, components, and methods for water purification are described. In an example, a system may comprise an array of light-focusing elements, a heat exchanger device, a turbine generator, or other components and can be configured to use a source of light (e.g., sunlight) to filter water from a water source and to generate electricity. The electricity may be looped back into the system to further produce filtered water.

Claims

1. A solar-powered water processing system, comprising:

an array of light-focusing elements configured in an arrangement to produce light in a focused beam;

a heat exchanger device located in the vicinity of the focused beam, the heat exchanger being coupled to a water source; and

a turbine generator coupled to the heat exchanger and configured to produce electricity from steam produced from heating water in the heat exchanger device.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a reverse osmosis filter system coupled to the heat exchanger and a seawater intake.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the reverse osmosis filter system is configured to be powered by the electricity produced by the turbine generator.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the electricity from the turbine generator is directed by an electrical distribution panel that is coupled to the reverse osmosis filter.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the electrical distribution panel is coupled to a battery.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein a freshwater reserve source is coupled to the heat exchanger.

7. The system of claim 2, further comprising a salt bath coupled to the reserve osmosis filter system such that brine from the filter system is directed into the salt bath.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a pressure relief device coupled to the turbine generator, the pressure relief device further coupled to a condenser.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the light-focusing elements comprise at least one Fresnel lens.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the array of light-focusing elements is arranged in a dome shape.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger comprises a plurality of pipes in parallel so as to absorb light from the focused beam of the array of light-focusing elements.

12. A method of processing salt water with a solar-powered water processing system, the method comprising:

collecting sunlight with an array of light-focusing elements configured in an arrangement to produced light in a focused beam;

heating water in a heat exchanger device located in the vicinity of the focused beam, the heat exchanger being coupled to a water source; and

using a turbine generator to generate electricity from steam produced by heating water in the heat exchanger, the turbine generator being coupled to the heat exchanger.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising transferring the electricity to an electrical distribution panel coupled to a reverse osmosis filter system.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising using the electricity to power the reverse osmosis filter system.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising collecting filtered water from the reverse osmosis filter system.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising collecting brine from the reverse osmosis filter system into a salt bath.

17. The method of claim 16, heating the salt bath by irradiation with sunlight collected with an array of light-focusing elements configured in an arrangement to direct light towards a focal point positioned in the salt bath.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the salt bath is heated to greater than 800°

C.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising generating steam from water in the salt bath and using the steam to generate electricity with the turbine generator.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the array of light-focusing elements include a plurality of lenses having elechtrocromic layers configured to control an amount of heat produced from the steam.