Hydrate-based desalination/purification using permeable support member
First Claim
1. A method for separating components of a fluid system, said fluid system being 1) a solution comprising a solute dissolved in a solvent, 2) a suspension comprising solid material suspended within a suspension suspending fluid, or 3) an emulsion comprising liquid material suspended within an emulsion suspending fluid, said method comprising:
- causing or allowing clathrate to form within said fluid system, said clathrate having a crystalline structure comprising one or more guest molecules disposed within a cage structure formed from a plurality of host molecules with at least one of said guest molecules and said host molecules being supplied to said clathrate from said fluid system;
causing or allowing a generally solid layer of said clathrate to form along a surface of a permeable restraint, thereby expelling or displacing away from said clathrate residual fluid that remains after said clathrate forms, said generally solid layer of clathrate being sufficiently impermeable that it substantially isolates said fluid system, per se, from said permeable restraint such that said fluid system does not pass through said permeable restraint and said permeable restraint being sufficiently permeable that said host molecules and said guest molecules are able to pass through it upon dissociation of said clathrate;
causing portions of said generally solid layer of clathrate that are adjacent to said surface of said permeable restraint to dissociate, whereby said host molecules and said guest molecules pass through said permeable restraint to a collection region that is located across said permeable restraint from said surface thereof; and
collecting said host molecules and/or said guest molecules from said collection region.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Processes and apparatus are disclosed for separating and purifying aqueous solutions such as seawater by causing a substantially impermeable mat of gas hydrate to form on a porous restraint. Once the mat of gas hydrate has formed on the porous restraint, the portion of the mat of gas hydrate adjacent to the restraint is caused to dissociate and flow through the restraint, e.g., by lowering the pressure in a collection region on the opposite side of the restraint. The purified or desalinated water may then be recovered from the collection region. The process may be used for marine desalination as well as for drying wet gas and hydrocarbon solutions. If conditions in the solution are not conductive to forming hydrate, a heated or refrigerated porous restraint may be used to create hydrate-forming conditions near the restraint, thereby causing gas hydrates to form directly on the surface of the restraint.
89 Citations
49 Claims
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1. A method for separating components of a fluid system, said fluid system being 1) a solution comprising a solute dissolved in a solvent, 2) a suspension comprising solid material suspended within a suspension suspending fluid, or 3) an emulsion comprising liquid material suspended within an emulsion suspending fluid, said method comprising:
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causing or allowing clathrate to form within said fluid system, said clathrate having a crystalline structure comprising one or more guest molecules disposed within a cage structure formed from a plurality of host molecules with at least one of said guest molecules and said host molecules being supplied to said clathrate from said fluid system; causing or allowing a generally solid layer of said clathrate to form along a surface of a permeable restraint, thereby expelling or displacing away from said clathrate residual fluid that remains after said clathrate forms, said generally solid layer of clathrate being sufficiently impermeable that it substantially isolates said fluid system, per se, from said permeable restraint such that said fluid system does not pass through said permeable restraint and said permeable restraint being sufficiently permeable that said host molecules and said guest molecules are able to pass through it upon dissociation of said clathrate; causing portions of said generally solid layer of clathrate that are adjacent to said surface of said permeable restraint to dissociate, whereby said host molecules and said guest molecules pass through said permeable restraint to a collection region that is located across said permeable restraint from said surface thereof; and collecting said host molecules and/or said guest molecules from said collection region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A method of forming hydrate or other clathrate, comprising:
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disposing a permeable hydrate-formation or clathrate-formation support member in an environment containing constituent components of said hydrate or other clathrate; cooling said permeable support member to cause a pressure-sealing barrier layer of hydrate or clathrate to form on a first surface thereof; causing said hydrate or clathrate to dissociate back into its constituent components from at least portions thereof which are adjacent to said first surface of said permeable support member; and drawing said dissociated constituent components through said permeable support member from said first surface toward a second, opposite surface. - View Dependent Claims (47)
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48. A method of removing water from a non-aqueous medium, comprising:
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disposing a permeable hydrate-formation support member in a non-aqueous medium containing undesired water content therein; cooling said permeable hydrate-formation support member to cause hydrate to form on a first surface thereof, said hydrate being formed from molecules derived from said non-aqueous medium and molecules of said undesired water content; causing said hydrate to dissociate back into its constituent components from at least portions thereof which are adjacent to said first surface of said permeable support member; and drawing said dissociated constituent components through said permeable support member from said first surface toward a second, opposite surface, thereby removing undesired water content from said non-aqueous medium. - View Dependent Claims (49)
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Specification