Solar desalinization plant

• US 8,246,787 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2009
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SolarReserve Technology, LLC
• Original Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Incorporated (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cap, Daniel P., von Arx, Alan V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Duane
• Assistant Examiner(s): McCarty, Patrick
• Application Number:
  US12/553,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20110048921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 202/180, 203/10, 203/11, 203/40, 203/41, 203/88, 203/DIG.1, 159/2.1, 159/903
• US Class Current: 202/82
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 1/0035 Solar energy for treatment of water C02F1/14
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2311/04 Specific process operations in the feed stream; Feed pretreatment
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2311/2649 Filtration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2311/2673 Evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 5/006 with evaporation or distillation
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/025 Reverse osmosis; Hyperfiltration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/04 Feed pretreatment
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/06 Flash evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/14 using solar energy
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/441 by reverse osmosis
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/08 Seawater, e.g. for desalination
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2301/063 Underpressure, vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 9/00 Multistage treatment of water, waste water or sewage
• CPC Class Codes: F22B 1/006 using solar heat solar heat collectors per se F24S; devices for producing mechanical power from solar energy F03G6/00
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 20/20 Solar heat collectors for receiving concentrated solar energy, e.g. receivers for solar power plants
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 90/00 Solar heat systems not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/124 Water desalination
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/131 Reverse-osmosis
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/142 Solar thermal; Photovoltaics
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/212 Solar-powered wastewater sewage treatment, e.g. spray evaporation

Abstract

A desalinization plant and process utilizes solar radiation to produce steam from seawater which is then used to generate freshwater and electricity.

Claims

1. A desalinization plant comprising:

a concentrated solar power system including a receiver arranged to receive solar radiation from a plurality of heliostats;

a seawater loop arranged to communicate steam through said receiver, said seawater loop including at least one heat exchanger to transfer energy to the seawater within said seawater loop to extract steam from the seawater, wherein said seawater loop includes a flash tank arranged upstream of said receiver between said heat exchanger and said receiver, including a steam line and a salt water return line connected as outputs from the flash tank, said steam line being connected to communicate steam from said flash tank into said receiver and said salt water return line being connected to communicate seawater from said flash tank to a sea salt recovery system;

a turbine driven by the steam; and

a condenser downstream of the turbine to produce freshwater from the steam.

2. The desalinization plant of claim 1, wherein the steam is extracted from said heat exchanger via boiling.

3. The desalinization plant of claim 1, wherein the steam is extracted from said at least one heat exchanger via flashing.

4. The desalinization plant of claim 1, further comprising an osmotic membrane to at least partially extract a solute from the seawater downstream of said at least one heat exchanger.

5. The desalinization plant of claim 1, wherein said condenser receives seawater and said heat exchanger is arranged to receive as a first input the seawater from said condenser and as a second input heated steam from said receiver.

6. The desalinization plant of claim 1, wherein said concentrated solar power system includes a tower structure, and said heat exchanger is arranged within said tower structure.

7. The desalinization plant of claim 1, wherein said at least one heat exchanger includes a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger, and said seawater loop includes an osmotic membrane arranged to receive seawater as a first input from said first heat exchanger and discharge the seawater directly to said second heat exchanger.

8. The desalinization plant of claim 7, wherein said osmotic membrane is arranged to receive as a second input steam directly from said turbine.

9. The desalinization plant of claim 1, wherein said at least one heat exchanger includes a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger that are arranged to serially receive the seawater into said first heat exchanger from said condenser and then into said second heat exchanger and serially receive the steam from said receiver into said second heat exchanger and then into said first heat exchanger.

10. A desalinization plant comprising:

a concentrated solar power system including a receiver arranged to receive solar radiation from a plurality of heliostats;

a seawater loop arranged to communicate steam through said receiver, said seawater loop including;

a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger that are arranged to serially receive seawater into said first heat exchanger and then into said second heat exchanger to produce the steam and serially receive the steam from the receiver into said second heat exchanger and then into said first heat exchanger, and

an osmotic membrane arranged to receive seawater as a first input from said first heat exchanger and discharge the seawater directly to said second heat exchanger;

a turbine driven by the steam from the second heat exchanger, wherein said osmotic membrane is arranged to receive as a second input any remaining steam and any condensed water directly from said turbine; and

a condenser downstream of the osmotic membrane and arranged to receive new seawater into said seawater loop, said condenser being arranged to provide the new seawater to said first heat exchanger.