Portable, potable water recovery and dispensing apparatus

• US 6,058,718 A
• Filed: 05/29/1998
• Issued: 05/09/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Worldwide Water Incorporated (Clear Water Compliance LLC)
• Original Assignee: Worldwide Water Incorporated (Clear Water Compliance LLC)
• Inventors: Forsberg, Francis C, Wollmann, Dan D
• Primary Examiner(s): Bennett, Henry
• Assistant Examiner(s): NORMAN, MARC E
• Application Number:
  US09/087,892
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 62/93, 62/271, 62/272, 62/285, 62/288, 62/289, 62/291, 62/390, 62/125, 62/126, 62/127, 62/188, 210/143, 210/681, 210/669, 210/754, 210/753, 210/257.1, 210/134
• US Class Current: 62/125
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2210/00015 UV radiation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/001 Processes for the treatment of water whereby the filtration technique is of importance C02F1/44 takes precedence; construction of filters in general B01D24/00 - B01D41/00
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/008 Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/283 using coal, charred products, or inorganic mixtures containing them
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/32 with ultraviolet light
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/36 ultrasonic vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/78 with ozone C02F1/4672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/009 Apparatus with independent power supply, e.g. solar cells, windpower or fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/008 comprising telecommunication features, e.g. modems or antennas
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/02 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/40 Liquid flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/42 Liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 9/00 Multistage treatment of water, waste water or sewage
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 9/20 Portable or detachable small-scale multistage treatment devices, e.g. point of use or laboratory water purification systems
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 3/28 from humid air condensing of vapours in general B01D5/00; dehumidification of air for air-conditioning F24F3/14
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/00 Water conservation; Efficient water supply; Efficient water use
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/152 Water filtration
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/208 Off-grid powered water treatment
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/211 Solar-powered water purification
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/212 Solar-powered wastewater sewage treatment, e.g. spray evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/37 : using solar energy

Abstract

A portable, potable-water generator for producing high-purity liquid water by condensation of dew from ambient air. The generator employs filtration subsystems to remove particulates and acrosols from the incoming air. An enclosed heat absorber cools the filtered air to its dew point and collects droplets of condensate into a closed system. The collected dew is further continually treated in a bacteriostat loop to destroy adventitious living organisms and to filter out undesirable and dangerous contaminants. All the subsystems are fail safe-interlocked to disable the generator immediately and prevent delivery of water if any one of them stops functioning within predetermined safe limits.

Claims

1. A portable, potable-water recovery system for producing and dispensing water comprising:

a portable enclosure provided with an inlet port, an outlet port and air-circulation means for circulating ambient air from said inlet port to said outlet port and water-condensing means within said enclosure, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT

a. filtration means adapted to remove and trap particulates of diameter larger than 1-100 micrometers dispersed in ambient air is sealingly connected upstream of said air-circulation means,

b. said air-circulation means comprising an internal, ducted, electric, rotary air-circulation means of controllable, variable flow volume of ambient air sealingly connected downstream of said filtration means,

c. water condensing means comprising an enclosed first cooling means sealingly connected downstream to said filter port and upstream to said air-circulation means including dew-forming surfaces adapted to cool the boundary-layer air adjacent to said dew-forming surfaces to a temperature at least 1-10 deg. C. below the equilibrium dew point of the inlet air stream, thereby forming liquid-water on said dew-forming surfaces, said surfaces being formed and positioned for gravity flow of said liquid water into a enclosed drip off collection vessel,

d. enclosed fluid-reservoir sealingly connected to said drip off collection vessel of material appropriate for storage of high-purity drinking water and fitted with a outlet connection whereby most of the water held therein can be withdrawn,

e. bacteriostat loop means sealingly connected to said fluid reservoir and comprising a closed-loop, recirculation channel and pump whereby water in said reservoir is pumped at a predetermined flow rate through a disposable activated-carbon porous VOC filter-absorber connected in series with a UV treatment zone where it is continually exposed to radiation of sufficient energy and appropriate wavelength to kill adventitious bacteria and viruses,

f. a first delivery channel sealingly connected to said recirculation channel, extending through said enclosure and terminated with a valve for external dispensing of purified water from said reservoir, and

g. means within said enclosure for sequencing control operations, monitoring integrity and indicating proper operation of system components therein.

2. The system of claim 1 FURTHER CHARACTERIZED IN THAT:

a second cooling means for providing, holding and maintaining chilled water at a predetermined temperature range of 5-20 deg. C. is located within said reservoir and thermally coupled to a portion of the volume of water contained therein, said thermally-coupled water portion being fluidly connected to a valve-terminated second external delivery line.

3. The system of claim 2 FURTHER CHARACTERIZED IN THAT:

an additional third external delivery channel is fluidly connected to the non-cooled portion of said reservoir,

said third channel is fitted with a pulse-powered, in-line, electric-resistance heater and terminated by an external delivery valve, and

said in-line heating means is positioned along the length of said third channel intermediate its ends and sized to heat and dispense purified water at a flow rate in the range 50-500 ml/min, to a temperature in the range of 40-90 deg. C., said flow starting after a warm-up delay time in the range of 10-60 seconds following activation of said thermal heater means.

4. The system of claim 1 FURTHER CHARACTERIZED IN THAT

said means for automatically sequencing control operations, comprising at least one of:

discrete components, integrated circuits, or microprocessors, adapted to receive sensor signals and activate operational functions, including safety-interlock functions, and related system components, all operations being activated according to a predetermined, logical control sequence,

said means for monitoring integrity, comprising at least one sensor of one or more different types including;

ambient air humidity, fluid flow rate, fluid level, fluid pressure, current flow, radiation intensity, operational frequency, temperature, elapsed time, cumulative flow volume, presence of small quantities of spilled liquid water, open or closed solenoid valve status, open or closed status of external water input ports, open or closed status of external water-delivery ports and status of emergency water-input ports, and

said means for indicating proper operation comprising one or more human-detectable signal types including;

continuous visual illuminated, pulsatile visual illuminated, continuous single tone of a single frequency, pulsed tones of a single frequency and tone patterns in the form of a melodic motifs.

5. The system of claim 4 FURTHER CHARACTERIZED IN THAT

said bacteriostat loop also includes an input port, operational controls and related safety check valves for admission of municipal water in the event that water cannot be generated from environmental air.

6. The system of claim 4 FURTHER CHARACTERIZED IN THAT

said bacteriostat loop also includes an emergency input port, operational controls and related safety check valves for admission of low-quality water in the event that water cannot be generated from environmental air.

7. The system of claim 4 FURTHER CHARACTERIZED IN THAT:

a second cooling means for providing holding and maintaining chilled water at a predetermined temperature range of 5-20 deg. C. is located within said reservoir and thermally coupled to a portion of the volume of water contained therein, said thermally-coupled water portion being fluidly connected to a valve-terminated second external delivery line.

8. The system of claim 7 FURTHER CHARACTERIZED IN THAT:

an additional third external delivery channel is fluidly connected to the non-cooled portion of said reservoir,

said third channel is fitted with a pulse-powered, in-line, electric-resistance heater and terminated by an external delivery valve, and

said in-line heating means is positioned and along the length of said third channel intermediate its ends and sized to heat and dispense purified water at a flow rate in the range 50-500 ml/min, to a temperature in the range of 40-90 deg. C., said flow starting after a warm-up delay time in the range of 10-60 seconds following activation of said thermal heater means.

9. The system of claim 8 FURTHER CHARACTERIZED IN THAT

said bacteriostat loop is provided with an additional fluidly-connected, external-delivery channel terminating into a connection with an external appliance or container,

said external channel fitted with valves to accomplish all needed safety and interlock protections,

said external-delivery functions and valve switchovers being controlled by a device consisting of one of:

manual and system-automated.

10. The system of claims 1, 2, 3 or 4 FURTHER CHARACTERIZED IN THAT

said bacteriostat loop is provided with an additional fluidly-connected, external-delivery channel terminating into a connection with an external appliance or container,

said external channel fitted with valves to accomplish all needed safety and interlock protections, and

said external-delivery functions and valve switchovers being controlled by a device consisting of one of:

manual and system-automated.

11. The system of claims 1, 2, 3, or 4 FURTHER CHARACTERIZED IN THAT

said enclosure includes an additional pest-deterrent system comprising a piezoelectric tone generator and related operational-circuit controls adapted sequentially to change its output frequency by increments within in a predetermined range and at predetermined time intervals.

12. The system of claim 2 FURTHER CHARACTERIZED IN THAT

said second cooling means is a Peltier-junction device with a cooling probe extending approximately horizontally into said reservoir,

said thermally-coupled water portion is defined by one or more perforated, spaced-apart encompassing cups positioned to surround the portion of the probe extending into the water reservoir and closely fitted to adjacent wall of reservoir,

said innermost encompassing cup having a volume of at least 100 ml,

said cooling probe having sufficient contact area and cooling capacity to cool the volume of coupled water to a temperature at least 5 deg. C. below the temp. of remaining uncoupled water in said reservoir,

said second external delivery line having an inlet port within said coupled portion

said perforations in said innermost encompassing cup being of sufficient size and number to guide water inflow into regions of coupled volume relatively remote from said inlet port, and

said perforations in said innermost encompassing cup having a total area approximately equal to said inlet port area.

13. The system of claim 12 FURTHER CHARACTERIZED IN THAT

an additional third external delivery channel is fluidly connected to the non-cooled portion of said reservoir,

said third channel is fitted with a pulse-powered, in-line, electric-resistance heater and terminated by an external delivery valve, and

said in-line heating means is positioned and along the length of said third channel intermediate its ends and sized to heat and dispense purified water at a flow rate in the range 50-500 ml/min, to a temperature in the range of 40-90 deg. C., said flow starting after a warm-up delay time in the range of 10-60 seconds following activation of said thermal heater means.

14. The system of claim 1 FURTHER CHARACTERIZED IN THAT

said bacteriostat loop includes a drinking-water input port, operational controls and related safety check valves for admission of pressurized municipal water in the event that water cannot be generated from environmental air, and

said bacteriostat loop includes an emergency input port, operational controls and related safety check valves for gravity-flow charging of low-quality water in the event that water cannot be generated from environmental air.

15. The system of claim 14 FURTHER CHARACTERIZED IN THAT

said bacteriostat loop is provided with an additional fluidly-connected, external-delivery channel terminating into a connection with an external appliance or container,

said external channel is fitted with valves to accomplish all needed safety and interlock protections, and

said external-delivery functions and valve switchovers being controlled by a device consisting of one of:

manual and system-automated.

16. The system of claim 5 FURTHER CHARACTERIZED IN THAT

said means for automatically sequencing control operations includes a telemetry signal interface port comprised of one or more of:

twisted wire modem, electromagnetic-wave signals of any frequency and cellular phone modem,

said port being adapted to receive or transmit analog or digital information,

said transmitted information including current operational condition of subsystems and status data pertaining to availability of water to be delivered to external devices from said reservoir, and

said received information including command codes or signals capable of altering operational parameters stored in the controller and query codes capable to trigger said transmission of status information.

17. The system of claim 9 FURTHER CHARACTERIZED IN THAT

said means for monitoring integrity comprises control interlocks to terminate system operation upon failure detection on at least the following subsystems:

pumps, filters, UV and spill sensor, and

said means for indicating proper operation comprise at least human visible and human audible indicators related to operational mode and status.

18. The system of claim 5 FURTHER CHARACTERIZED IN THAT

said bacteriostat loop is provided with an additional fluidly-connected, external-delivery channel terminating into a connection with an external appliance or container,

said external channel is fitted with valves to accomplish all needed safety and interlock protections, and

said external-delivery functions and valve switchovers being controlled by a device consisting of one of:

manual and system-automated.

19. The system of claim 18 FURTHER CHARACTERIZED IN THAT

said means for monitoring integrity comprises control interlocks to terminate system operation upon failure detection on at least the following subsystems:

pumps, filters, UV and spill sensor, and

said means for indicating proper operation comprise at least human visible and human audible indicators related to operational mode and status.

20. The system of claim 9 FURTHER CHARACTERIZED IN THAT

said means for automatically sequencing includes a predetermined command to initiate delivery to said external delivery channel and connected device automatically whenever said reservoir is filled.

21. The system of claim 5 FURTHER CHARACTERIZED IN THAT

said means for automatically sequencing includes a predetermined command to initiate delivery to said external delivery channel and connected device automatically whenever said reservoir is filled.