Patent ID: 9266065
Filing Date: 2016-02-23
CPC Classification: B01D,C02F,Y02A,Y02W

Claim Text:
1. An apparatus for osmotic extraction of a solvent from a first solution, comprising: a first chamber having an inlet fluidly connected to a source of the first solution; a second chamber having an inlet fluidly connected to a source of a concentrated draw solution comprising ammonia and carbon dioxide in a desired molar ratio of greater than one to one and having a concentration greater than the first solution; a semi-permeable membrane system separating the first chamber from the second chamber and configured to promote the flow of at least a portion of the solvent from the first solution to the concentrated draw solution to form a depleted first solution in the first chamber and a dilute draw solution in the second chamber; a separation system fluidly connected downstream of the second chamber, the separation system configured to receive a first portion of the dilute draw solution from the second chamber and to separate ammonia and carbon dioxide draw solutes from a solvent stream; a recycle system comprising a condenser to condense the ammonia and carbon dioxide draw solutes, and further comprising an absorber in fluid communication with the condenser and the second chamber for receiving the condensed draw solutes and a second portion of the dilute draw solution as an absorbent and outputting a re-concentrated draw solution to maintain the desired molar ratio in the second chamber; and a source of low grade heat in thermal communication with the separation system.