Hydrate desalination for water purification

• US 6,991,722 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2003
• Issued: 01/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Water Generating Systems I, LLC
• Original Assignee: Marine Desalination Systems LLC
• Inventors: Max, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barry, Chester T.
• Application Number:
  US10/686,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20050082214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 210150-151, 210/220
• US Class Current: 210/150
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/504 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/62 Carbon oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/20 by degassing, i.e. liberation of dissolved gases degasification of liquids in general B01D19/00; arrangement of degassing apparatus in boiler feed supply F22D
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/22 by freezing
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/26 by extraction
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/265 Desalination
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/5236 using inorganic agents
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/08 Seawater, e.g. for desalination
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/18 from the purification of gaseous effluents
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1642 Formats specially adapted for sequence numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/18 Automatic repetition systems, e.g. Van Duuren systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/124 Water desalination
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/40 of CO2

Abstract

An apparatus is disclosed which allows the hydrate formed in the hydrate formation region of a desalination fractionation apparatus to be cooled as it rises in the apparatus. This has the beneficial effect of increasing its stability at lower pressures and reducing the depth at which the hydrate will begin to dissociate. The present invention provides for more efficient management of the distribution of thermal energy within the apparatus as a whole by controlling the flow of water through the system—particularly residual fluids remaining after hydrate forms—such that it is substantially downward through the fractionation column and out through a lower portion thereof. Hydrate thus separates from the residual fluid at or nearly at the point of formation, which helps keep the hydrate formation region of the apparatus at a temperature suitable for the formation of hydrate and improves efficiency. Hydrate formation may be enhanced, thereby further improving efficiency, by pre-treating the water-to-be-treated so as to dissolve hydrate-forming gas in it, before further hydrate-forming gas is injected into the water-to-be-treated under conditions conducive to the formation of gas hydrate.

Claims

1. Apparatus for desalinating or purifying saline or otherwise polluted input water, said apparatus comprising:

a desalination fractionation installation having a hydrate formation region disposed at a lower portion thereof and a hydrate dissociation region disposed at an upper portion thereof;

a mixing chamber;

an input water conduit which is arranged to provide input water to said mixing chamber and to said hydrate formation region; and

a gas supply conduit which is arranged to provide hydrate-forming gas to said mixing chamber and to said hydrate formation region;

wherein hydrate-forming gas is dissolved into at least a portion of the input water in said mixing chamber prior to being input into said hydrate formation region.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said input water conduit which is arranged to provide input water to said mixing chamber and to said hydrate formation region constitutes a first input water conduit arranged to provide input water to said mixing chamber and a second input water conduit arranged to provide input water to said hydrate formation region.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said gas supply conduit which is arranged to provide hydrate-forming gas to said mixing chamber and to said hydrate formation region constitutes a first gas supply conduit arranged to provide hydrate-forming gas to said mixing chamber and a second gas supply conduit arranged to provide hydrate-forming gas to said hydrate formation region.