Patent ID: 7381310
Filing Date: 2008-06-03
Classification: B01D,C02F,Y02A,Y02P,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A plant for the desalination of sea water, the plant comprising an external body, the external body housing: (a) a watertight, open-ended, hollow and upright, outer cylinder; (b) an open-ended upright, inner hollow cylinder disposed inside the outer cylinder, the outer and inner cylinders being watertight with respect to one another and being thermally insulated from one another and from ambient conditions; (c) a fan disposed above the outer and inner cylinders and cooperative with the external body to drive air from the inner cylinder into the outer cylinder; (d) at least one air flow control orifice to reduce the pressure of the driven air, the at least one air flow control orifice being disposed in the lower half of the inner cylinder and opening into the outer cylinder; (e) a duct to supply warm sea water to be desalinated to the upper end of the inner cylinder; (f) a vaporizer comprising an array of sheets disposed in the inner cylinder, the sheets having evaporator surfaces to receive warm sea water descending from the duct and expose the warm sea water to ascending air wherein water can evaporate from the evaporator surfaces and be entrained in the ascending air; (g) an outlet to remove water of increased salinity from the external body, said water of increased salinity being water descended from the vaporizer; (h) a condenser disposed in the outer cylinder, the condenser comprising cylindrical, heat-conductive surfaces and piping for the supply of sea water coolant to cool the cylindrical heat conductive surfaces; (i) a pipe for collection of desalinated water condensing in the condenser; and (j) a water distributor to distribute sea water from the duct evenly in the vaporizer, the water distributor optionally being a mist-generating water distributor wherein the plant comprises a closed circuit for recycling air driven by the fan, the closed circuit extending through the inner cylinder and through the outer cylinder; wherein the condenser is connected to the vaporizer for the supply of sea water from the condenser to the vaporizer; wherein the condenser piping comprises multiple turns of spirally ascending heat-conductive piping resistant to sea water corrosion surrounding the cylindrical heat conductive surfaces and wherein the cylindrical heat conductive surfaces are concentric and occupy an upper portion of the outer cylinder; wherein the at least one air flow control orifice comprises a plurality of calibrated orifices providing reduced pressure in the vaporizer relatively to the condenser; wherein the external body comprises a hemispherical portion enclosing the fan and the upper ends of the inner and outer cylinders and accommodating the water-vapor-entraining air driven from the inner cylinder to the outer cylinder; and wherein the plant comprises an ultraviolet lamp disposed within the hemispherical portion to prevent growth of fungi and bacteria.