Patent ID: 7815776
Filing Date: 2010-10-19
Classification: B01D,C02F,Y02A,Y10S

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for evaporating raw water and collecting the resulting water vapor, comprising: a lower chamber for holding raw water; a heating element extending over the lower chamber and positioned above or partially submersed in the raw water; a sheet of porous material extending over the heating element and having a submersed portion in contact with the raw water and a non-submersed portion above the raw water, where the heating element is in contact with the non-submersed portion of the porous material; an upper chamber above the sheet of porous material for collecting water vapor evaporated from raw water in the porous material; and a vapor-recompression device, wherein the heating element comprises a conduit that receives water vapor collected in the upper chamber and transfers heat from the water vapor to the raw water in the porous material, and the vapor-recompression device pressurizes the water vapor before the water vapor enters the conduit.