Patent ID: 8202401
Filing Date: 2012-06-19
Classification: B01D,C02F,Y02A,Y02W,Y10S

Abstract:
1. An apparatus, comprising: a housing assembly defining a first reservoir and a second reservoir, the first reservoir configured to receive a first volume of fluid in a substantially liquid state, the first volume of fluid including a first impurity concentration, the housing assembly including a condenser portion and a boiler portion; a heat-transfer element coupled to the housing assembly and defining at least a portion of the condenser portion and at least a portion of the boiler portion, the heat-transfer element positioned such that the first volume of fluid flows across a surface of the heat-transfer element within the boiler portion from the first reservoir towards the second reservoir, the heat-transfer element configured to transfer heat from the condenser portion to the boiler portion such that a first portion of the fluid flowing across the surface is boiled within the boiler portion and a second portion of the fluid is conveyed into the second reservoir, the second portion of the fluid including a second impurity concentration higher than the first impurity concentration; a compression component fluidically coupled to the boiler portion of the housing assembly and the condenser portion of the housing assembly, the compression component configured to produce a pressure differential between the boiler portion and the condenser portion to move the first portion of fluid from the boiler portion to the condenser portion; and a pump configured to pump a portion of a second volume of the fluid from the second reservoir into the first reservoir.