Solar assist for the lifting, purification and storage of water

This invention utilizes distillation to purify water but instead of the usual application of heat to boil the water and then condense it, heat is applied to a relatively small quantity of water which is confined until it is superheated. When the pressure reaches a pre-set level the water is released allowing sudden expansion to a vapor to create a high velocity directed through a venturi to suck water from the main body of water lifting it into an expansion chamber located at the elevation above the main body of water equaling the maximum lift by suction. The vapor is then led through a heat exchanger where it will circulate until it is condensed. Some of the condensate will replenish the water to be heated while the remainder is led around the vacuum chamber to heat the water therein and then to storage. In-as-much as a vacuum system is used to lift the water, the lower end of the vacuum chamber may be left open to the source of the water, which may be the ocean, and the concentrated pollutants will disburse back to the source and keep the fouling of the inside of the vacuum system to a minimum. Flow resistance is utilized to aid in separating the higher concentration of pollutants in the vacuum chamber from the polluted water freshly arriving.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention discloses a process where water is distilled when it reaches 
the limit of maximum lift under a vacuum leaving the pollutants to return 
to the original source and storing the distilled water for distribution. 
Equipment has been devised to carry out the process. A solar heating 
system has been devised to make the operation more economical.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Supports 11 mounted on dock 12 support deck 13 carrying storage tank i4 and 
heater 15. Inside the storage tank is the expansion chamber 16 which has 
the main supply line 17 and the return line 18 sealed therein. These lines 
are equipped with headers 19 and 20 respectively. The upper part of the 
expansion chamber 21 leads to a venturi 22 with an exit through the check 
valve 23 to the heat exchanger 24. Powering the expansion is valve 25. It 
releases high velocity vapor or steam into the venturi to create the 
suction. This valve is operated by toggle 26 tripped by piston 27 working 
against adjustable tension spring 28 and controlled by adjustable toggle 
pressure 29 controlled by hand wheel 30. The piston 27 operates in 
cylinder 31. The tension of spring 28 controlled by hand wheel 32 also 
influences the resetting of the toggle. There are two sources of energy 
for this operation, the heater or boiler 15 which supplies hot water under 
pressure through pipes 33 and 34. Mounted on the straight portions 35 of 
pipes 33 are journaled parabolic half lenses 36 which are driven by motor 
and reduction gears 48 and V belts 49 so as to turn with the sun while the 
sun is focused on the pipes. Adjustment of the pipes to keep them normal 
to the suns rays may be required if the installation is far from the 
tropics. The pipes should always be oriented north and south. Additional 
pipes may be connected to pipe 38 to increase the capacity. The control 
valve will operate with either or both heating systems operating. 
Mounted under the heat exchanger are filling tanks 37. These tanks are 
connected to both lines 33 and 34 and are also connected to the heat 
exchanger 24. Under normal operating conditions the heating system is 
refilled from the heat exchanger through opening 49 and when full, valve 
39, which floats, will rise and close the opening sealing it with a ground 
fit so it can withstand high pressure. When the pressure drops valve 39 
will drop and the heating system will again refill. When the tank is full 
any additional water in the condenser will be guided by collar 41 around 
opening 40 into pipe 42 which feeds the water to jacket 43 surrounding the 
header to warm that water and then to storage, in the main tank 14. A 
cooling jacket is placed around the heat exchanger area 24 as shown at 45 
and provision is made to recirculate the vapor to be sure condensation is 
complete. Provision is made for cooling the water jacket 45 from the 
supply line 46 which is connected to the main output line 47. This may 
also be used to fill the hot water system at the start of operations 
through outlet 50. 
FIG. 3 shows a cross-section taken in the header 20 as an enlarged view so 
as to show the shoulders 44 on the passage way. These passage ways are 
shown in an inverted position in header 19. Although these passage ways 
are open to almost the same pressure on both sides of the opening there 
will be a tendency for the water to flow better in one direction than in 
the other direction because the shoulder will tend to reflect the motion 
of the water when the motion is against the shoulder thus serving to 
retard its movement in that direction. Thus at 20 there will be less 
resistance to water going down pipe 18 and at 19 there will be less 
resistance to the flow going into evaporator 16. There is bound to be a 
great deal of up and down motion in the evaporator when the water is 
boiling during evaporation. The water freshly arriving should have a 
tendency to come into the evaporator through header 19 and the water with 
the more polutants that has been in the evaporator longer should tend to 
leave by 18. 
OPERATION 
To start operations, water can be supplied from line 47 through line 46 
through cooling jacket 45 and opening 50 to the heat interchange 24. From 
there it would be like normal with the water draining from 24 through 
opening 40 to tank 37 to pipes 33 and 34 of the heating system. When the 
heater is full tank 37 will fill, which closes float valve 39. Check valve 
23 and pressure valve 25 will normally be closed, sealing water in the 
system. Heat may be applied from boiler 15 or reflectors 36 or both at the 
same time. Being sealed off, the heater water confined with become 
superheated depending on the pressure set on the toggle through spring 28 
and screw 29. When the pressure on piston 27 is sufficient to overcome 
these pressure settings the toggle will operate, opening valve 25 sending 
a blast of steam to open check valve 23 through the venturi and creating a 
vacuum in the expansion chamber and sucking polluted water from under the 
dock and up into the expansion chamber. When the water is in the expansion 
chamber it is at the limit to which it may be lifted by vacuum and then it 
boils as more suction is applied. When the vapor is condensed it has been 
purified by distillation. It will recycle itself repeatedly as long as 
heat is applied.