Patent ID: 6348148
Filing Date: 2002-02-19
Classification: B01D,C02F,Y02A

Abstract:
An apparatus for desalinating seawater, comprising:at least one reverse osmosis device comprising at least one brine enclosure and at least one membrane through which water molecules can flow, but through which sodium and chlorine ions cannot flow, at least one of said membranes surrounding one of said brine enclosures such that water that has not passed through said at least one membrane, and has an increased concentration of salt, can be collected from said brine enclosure and separated from water having a lower concentration of salt; at least one fresh water enclosure, within which water that has been desalinated by passing through at least one membrane, can be collected and separated from salt water; a channel having at least one top opening and at least one bottom opening; at least one brine conduit in fluid communication with at least one brine pump for moving water having an increased concentration of salt from at least one of said brine enclosures to said channel; at least one pressure hull, retained on the channel and having an external skin that is impermeable to water, said external skin surrounding at least one of the brine pumps, at least one of said reverse osmosis devices, and at least one of said freshwater enclosures; a seawater conduit for each reverse osmosis device passing through the external skin of the pressure hull and the at least one membrane, through which seawater exterior to the pressure hull can flow into at least one brine enclosure; at least one check valve in at said least one seawater conduit, that prevents water from flowing from the brine enclosure back through said at least one seawater conduit; and at least one freshwater pump for removing desalinated water from at least one of said freshwater enclosures.