Marine evaporator for fresh water production
First Claim
1. A dissolved-solids-bearing water evaporator for producing fresh water by evaporation of dissolved-solids-bearing water and condensation of vapor generated by such evaporation to produce a stream of fresh water, comprising, in combination:
- a housing having a dissolved-solids-bearing water inlet and a dissolved-solids-bearing water outlet;
a plurality of plate heat exchange elements within the housing, each plate element having a lower internal space, means for introducing a heating medium into the lower internal space and means for discharging the heating medium from the lower internal space, means for introducing vapor derived from the evaporation of dissolved-solids-bearing water within the housing into an upper internal space and means for discharging fresh water from within the upper internal space, said upper and lower internal spaces being separated by a transverse partition; and
entrainment separator means for preventing water entrained by vapor derived from the evaporation of dissolved-solids-bearing water from entering the upper internal space.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A combined evaporator and condenser for desalination of seawater which can be used on a ship for fresh water production, has plate type falling film heat exchange elements within a housing wherein a liquid heating medium such as hot engine jacket water circulates within lower internal spaces of the heat exchange elements for boiling seawater falling as a film down external surfaces of the elements and vapor boiled off from the seawater is conducted to upper internal spaces within the heat exchange elements for condensation therein to produce a stream of fresh water. The seawater film flows down the entire length of the external surfaces of the plate heat exchange elements, which have a transverse internal partition separating their lower and upper internal spaces and vertical partitions within the lower internal spaces for lengthening the flow path of the liquid heat exchange medium therethrough.
37 Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A dissolved-solids-bearing water evaporator for producing fresh water by evaporation of dissolved-solids-bearing water and condensation of vapor generated by such evaporation to produce a stream of fresh water, comprising, in combination:
- a housing having a dissolved-solids-bearing water inlet and a dissolved-solids-bearing water outlet;
a plurality of plate heat exchange elements within the housing, each plate element having a lower internal space, means for introducing a heating medium into the lower internal space and means for discharging the heating medium from the lower internal space, means for introducing vapor derived from the evaporation of dissolved-solids-bearing water within the housing into an upper internal space and means for discharging fresh water from within the upper internal space, said upper and lower internal spaces being separated by a transverse partition; and
entrainment separator means for preventing water entrained by vapor derived from the evaporation of dissolved-solids-bearing water from entering the upper internal space. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
- a housing having a dissolved-solids-bearing water inlet and a dissolved-solids-bearing water outlet;
-
11. A method for evaporation of dissolved-solids-bearing water and condensing vapor derived from such evaporation comprising introducing the dissolved-solids-bearing water at the top of a housing and causing the dissolved-solids-bearing water to fall as a film over external surfaces of plate heat exchange elements within the housing before exiting from the bottom of the housing after some of the dissolved-solids-bearing water has evaporated while falling down the external surfaces;
- introducing a liquid heating medium into a lower internal space within each of the plate heat exchange elements for evaporating falling dissolved-solids-bearing water by indirect heat exchange with the dissolved-solids-bearing water and discharging the liquid heating medium from the lower internal space;
causing vapor derived from the evaporation of the dissolved-solids-bearing water to pass into an upper internal space within each of the plate heat exchange elements for condensation of vapor therein by indirect heat exchange with dissolved-solids-bearing water falling over the external surfaces of the plate heat exchange elements and discharging condensate from within the upper internal space as a stream of fresh water. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
- introducing a liquid heating medium into a lower internal space within each of the plate heat exchange elements for evaporating falling dissolved-solids-bearing water by indirect heat exchange with the dissolved-solids-bearing water and discharging the liquid heating medium from the lower internal space;
Specification