Plant for sea water desalinizing using solar energy

• US 5,645,693 A
• Filed: 08/18/1995
• Issued: 07/08/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gabor Gode
• Original Assignee: Gabor Gode
• Inventors: Gode, Gabor
• Primary Examiner(s): Manoharan, Virginia
• Application Number:
  US08/516,509
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 202/176, 202/177, 202/205, 202/241, 202/234, 202/172, 202/173, 202/267.1, 202/185.1, 159/903, 159/46, 159/24.1, 159/DIG. 16, 159/DIG. 15, 203/11, 203/22, 203/10, 203/DIG. 1, 203/DIG. 17, 203/DIG. 20, 203/DIG. 8, 60/641.9, 60/641.8, 126/600, 126/690
• US Class Current: 202/173
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 1/0082 Regulation; Control
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 1/26 Multiple-effect evaporating
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 1/30 Accessories for evaporators ; Constructional details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/14 using solar energy
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 7/04 using pressure differences or thermal differences occurring in nature F03G7/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/124 Water desalination
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/142 Solar thermal; Photovoltaics
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/212 Solar-powered wastewater sewage treatment, e.g. spray evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 159/16 Vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 159/903 Solar
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 203/01 Solar still
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 203/08 Waste heat
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 203/18 Control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 203/21 Acrylic acid or ester

Abstract

An apparatus for desalination of sea water by the utilization of solar energy, advantageously accompanied by electric power generation, containing a heat caption unit (1) serving as a heat source, a sea water collecting tank (10), a pre-heating tank (11), a heat receiver (20), and evaporators (2,3,4) connected in line, and distilled water storage tanks (13). The sea water collecting tank (10) and the pre-heating tank (11) that pre-heats the sea water and cools the distilled steam are situated beside each other at different level, and the adjoining walls of the two tanks have an opening for through-flow (11a) or a through-flow tube; the discharge duct (8) of the pre-heating tank (11) is led into the evaporators where the first evaporator (2) is provided with a heater (72) heated by the heating agent, the second and the subsequent evaporators (3) are provided with a heating system consisting of pipe rings (73a) utilizing hot vapor and pipes connecting the pipe rings.

Claims

1. Apparatus for desalination of sea water by the utilization of solar energy for distillation of said sea water, comprising a heat caption unit that automatically follows the movement of the sun serving as a heat source, a sea water collecting tank, a pre-heating tank having a discharge duct, a plurality of evaporators which serve to evaporate steam out of sea water, said plurality of evaporators being connected in series, and distilled water storage tanks;

said preheating tank which pre-heats the sea water and cools the steam and said sea water collecting tank being situated beside each other at different levels, the adjoining walls of the two tanks having an opening for a through-flow tube;

the discharge duct of the preheating tank connecting into the plurality of evaporators, the first of the plurality of evaporators having a heating agent inlet and a heater heated by the heating agent, the second and the subsequent evaporators having a heating system consisting of pipe rings utilizing hot vapor and pipes connecting the pipe rings, at least one parabolic collector made up of module elements serving as heat collecting units for heating the heating agent that heats the first evaporator, said heat collecting units having a funnel-shape means with a bottom hollow, a high heat-resistant metal or ceramic coating covering the wall of said means, a heat receiver means having an inlet pipe and a discharge pipe, baffle plates or pipe bundles inside said receiver for heating the heating agent, wherein the inlet pipe of the receiver is connected to a discharge pipe of the first evaporator discharging a cooled heating agent, while the discharge pipe of the receiver is connected to the heating agent inlet of the first evaporator.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heat receiver is connected directly or indirectly to a heat-exchanger that is connected to a turbogenerator.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the heat exchanger consists of a boiler drum provided at its top with an inlet pipe section for the heating agent and at its bottom with a discharge pipe section for the cooled heating agent said inlet pipe section and said discharge pipe section connected inside the boiler drum by a heating system consisting of pipe rings and pipes which join said pipe rings;

wherein a feed water tank is connected through a feed pump and a pipeline to the heat exchanger, and on the upper part the turbo-generator is driven by high-pressure vapor discharge pipe; and

an expanded vapor, after leaving the turbo generator is ducted into a condenser and thence into the feed water tank.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the at least one parabolic collector has a frame structure made of glass-texture reinforced synthetic resin, with oval ribs and annular rings perpendicular to the ribs, including a topmost and a lowest ring, where the topmost ring and the lowest ring fix the ribs by pin joint and gluing;

said frame structure further having a parabolic mirror assembled from segments fixed to it; and

said mirror being provided with a reflecting surface on its inner surface.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the at least one parabolic collector has an upper orifice, and each segment of the parabolic mirror is adjustably fixed by spring bolts with washers, and there is a supporting structure fixing the receiver, and said supporting structure is fixed to said upper orifice of the at least one parabolic collector.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the shape of an outer surface of the segments is provided and maintained by bracing ribs.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the at least one parabolic collector is supported by a support construction which has ball-and-socket construction fixed to its foundation, consisting of a hollow steel ball, a lower bearing part formed as a hollow to fit said hollow steel ball and coated by metal-steamed lead, and an upper bearing part, fixed to the at least one parabolic collector, formed as a basket to fit said hollow steel ball and also fixed to the support construction.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the inlet pipe and discharge pipe of the receiver are routed through an opening in the center of the at least one parabolic collector and the inlet pipe and discharge pipe of the receiver then pass through the upper bearing and the hollow steel ball supporting the at least one parabolic collector, where the upper bearing part and the hollow steel ball are fixed to each other;

further, perpendicularly situated pipe sections are connected to pipe sections leading from the hollow steel ball jointed by vertical pipe sections provided with elbows protruding into the pipe section in sealed condition.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the at least one parabolic collector is fixed in place by pairs of telescopic rods and one of each pair of rods is equipped with a remote-controllable driving mechanism, the other, non-driven rod in each pair being provided with position fixing lock gear, and the driving mechanism of driven rods being formed so that a toothed rack is attached to the upper part of the telescopic rods on both sides, and at its bottom part an electric motor having a shaft is situated with a gear wheel on its shaft, coupling through other gear wheels to the rack fixed to the upper part;

the position fixing lock gear of the telescopic non-driven rods being formed so that a toothed rack is connected on both sides of the telescopic rods at its upper part, and at the bottom part locking forks and an electromagnetic coil for releasing the forks are situated, where gear wheels are coupled with the rack on both sides, fastened with a smaller diameter, helical toothed gear and the locking forks are connected to the helical toothed gears.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first evaporator is provided with cleaning blades to promote heat transfer and hinder deposits on the heater;

wherein the plurality of evaporators following the first evaporator are each followed by a condensate separator, cooled steam passing after treatment in the evaporators into the tank pre-heating sea water, which serves as a condenser, wherein a pump is fitted into a pipe discharging vapor from the tank preheating sea water, producing vacuum in the tank, and a vapor discharge pipe of the last evaporator tank, provided with a vacuum pump, is jointed after the discharge pipe of the preheating vapor and passes through the sea water pre-heating tank which further cools the distilled water.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the steam produces a pressure, which pressure is used to generate electric power.