Portable, potable water recovery and dispensing apparatus

• US 6,182,453 B1
• Filed: 04/06/2000
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Worldwide Water Incorporated (Clear Water Compliance LLC)
• Original Assignee: Worldwide Water Incorporated (Clear Water Compliance LLC)
• Inventors: Forsberg, Francis C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Doerrler, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): NORMAN, MARC E
• Application Number:
  US09/544,407
• Time in Patent Office: 306 Days
• Field of Search: 621/25, 621/26, 621/27, 62/93, 622/71, 622/72, 622/85, 622/88, 622/89, 622/91, 623/90, 621/88, 210/143, 210/681, 210/669, 210/745, 210/753, 210/257.1, 210/134
• US Class Current: 62/125
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 5/0072 with filtration
• 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 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 20/208 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: Y02A 50/20 Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters
• 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 an air filter to remove particulates and aerosols from the incoming air. An enclosed heat absorber cools the filtered air to its dew point and collects droplets of condensate into a combined condensate collector and storage reservoir. Before discharge, the collected dew is treated in a bacteriostat loop to destroy adventitious living organisms and to filter out undesirable and dangerous contaminants. A recirculation loop provides the ability to recirculate stored condensate during periods of inactivity. Further, quick disconnect fittings and variable length flexible tubing allows use of the invention to serve remote dispensers and/or appliances and allows use of municipal water treated through the apparatus in low condensate situations. 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. at least one air 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 at least one filtration means,

c. water condensing means comprising an enclosed cooler having dew-forming surfaces sealingly connected downstream to said filtration means and upstream to said air-circulation means, said 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 combined condensate collector and storage reservoir,

d. said combined condensate collector and storage reservoir of material appropriate for storage of high-purity drinking water and fitted with an outlet connection whereby most of the water held therein can be withdrawn,

e. a discharge line connected to said combined condensate collector and storage reservoir whereby water in said combined condensate collector and storage reservoir is pumped at a predetermined flow rate through a water filter meeting NSF 53 standards for removing volatile organic compounds, said water filter connected in series with a bacteriostat where the water is exposed to radiation of sufficient energy and appropriate wavelength to kill adventitious bacteria and viruses,

f. said discharge line sealingly connected to said combined condensate collector and storage reservoir extending through said housing for external dispensing of purified water from said combined condensate collector and storage reservoir,

g. means within said enclosure for sequencing control operations and monitoring and/or visually displaying integrity of system components therein.

2. 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 and/or visually displaying integrity, comprising at least one sensor of one or more different types including;

on/off operation, ambient air humidity, fluid flow rate, fluid level, fluid pressure, head 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, status of emergency water-input ports, and status of safety locks.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising

an inlet water line, operational controls and related safety check valves for admission of municipal water in the event that water cannot be generated from environmental air, said municipal water flowing via said discharge line through temporarily deactivated said pump, said water filter, and said bacteriostat upon the opening of a dispenser.

4. The system of claim 3 further characterized in that

said inlet water line is fitted with quick disconnects to quickly and efficiently accomplish connection and disconnection, and valves to accomplish all needed safety and interlock protections.

5. The system of claim 4 further characterized in that

said discharge line is provided with an additional fluidly-connected, external-delivery channel terminating into a connection with an external appliance or dispenser,

said external channel fitted with quick disconnects to quickly and efficiently accomplish connection and disconnection, and valves to accomplish all needed safety and interlock protections.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising

a recirculation loop in fluid connection with said discharge line for automatically recirculating water from said combination condensate collector and storage reservoir through said pump, said water filter, and said bacteriostat according to a predetermined command to initiate recirculation.

7. The system of claim 5 further characterized in that

said external delivery channel and said inlet water line are encircled by an aesthetically pleasing sleeve of material appropriate for protection of said external delivery channel and said inlet water line such that said external delivery channel and said inlet water line can be neatly and unobtrusively attached to a wall.

8. The system of claim 5 further comprising

a means for testing said portable, potable water recovery system in a controlled environment to produce a set of results, said set of results enabling creation of a computer controlled sequence for controlling said portable, potable water recovery system for maximizing condensate for all conditions, and said set of results enabling creation of a graph to display water production levels at various conditions for assurance of maximum production.

9. The system of claim 3 further comprising

a. an evaporator, and

b. a means for alternately freezing and thawing said evaporator to produce condensate in low humidity and low temperature conditions.

10. The system of claim 9 further characterized in that

said means for freezing and thawing said evaporator is activated according to a predetermined computer controlled sequence.

11. The system of claim 10 further characterized in that

said evaporator is formed and positioned to create a vortex for efficient flow of said liquid water into said combined condensate collector and storage reservoir.

12. The system of claim 2 further characterized in that

said means for monitoring and/or visually displaying integrity comprises control interlocks to terminate system operation upon positive detection of the spill sensor.

13. The system of claim 1 further comprising

a recirculation loop in fluid connection with said discharge line for automatically recirculating water from said combination condensate collector and storage reservoir through said pump, said water filter, and said bacteriostat according to a predetermined command to initiate recirculation.

14. The system of claim 1 further comprising

an ion generator mounted upstream of said at least one filtration means to further assist in removing particulate matter from the intake air.

15. The system of claim 1 further comprising

a wall mounting means for mounting said potable-water recovery system to a wall or other vertical surface.

16. The system of claim 1 further characterized in that

said air filtration means meets HEPA standards so as to remove and trap particulates of diameter larger that 0.3 microns dispersed in ambient air.