Abstract:
The vacuum distillation system of application U.S. Pat. No.  10/374,924  which compensates the pressures of the input and output products it is extended by using a common interchange space by the low compression of the liquids and another performances as raising fresh water, using water salt saturated, using atmospheric water vapor or using facility for condensation.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     The present invention is based on the Spanish application of patent no.P200302154 dated Sep. 10, 2003, that is priority. Also is an extended application regarding the U.S. Pat. No. 10/374,924 patent application. Following patents are related with the present invention: 
        U.S. Pat. No. 6,494,995. A floating solar cell, being created a partial vacuum in the solar cell.     U.S. Pat. No. 6,391,162. A desalination system utilizing solar energy provided with a solar heat collector, a heat exchanger, a condenser and a raw water tank.        
 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     The previous U.S. Pat. No. 10/374,924 application for patent is about a vacuum distillation system which compensates the pressures of the input and output products, doing at the same time the input and the output of the products through a turbine and a pump with a common shaft, allowing very low work pressures.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     Another way for compensating the input and output pressures is by using a common interchange space (interchange tank) by the low compression of the liquids, according the following: 
        the interchange tank is at the system pressure (low pressure),     the interchange tank is fullfilled with distilled water from a condensation tank,     the interchange tank is isolated from the rest of the system by valves, being opened to the atmosphere by another valve,     the distilled water is easily removed from the interchange tank,     the interchange tank is fullfilled with sea water, being isolated from the atmosphere and opened to the system,     the evaporation tank is fed with the sea water from the interchange tank. 
 
 But the using of the interchange tank is only possible if the pollution of the residues into the interchange tank is acceptable. 
       
 
         [0013]     Another performances are added: 
        the system can be fed with water salt saturated o near the saturation point, speeding the evaporation by the heat crystallization of the salt,     also may be fed with atmospheric water vapor using a deliquescence product, as calcium chloride or aluminium chloride ( 61 ) by condensing the atmospheric water vapor until creating a liquid,     facility for condensation of the evaporated water vapor by atomizing fresh water, increasing the condensation surface.        
 
         [0017]     Naturally the system is suitable to be applied for any product. Especially the system may be used to purify polluted waters if the small pollution of the interchange tank is allowed. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       [0018]      FIG. 1 . General distillation system.  
         [0019]      FIG. 2 . Distillation system control.  
         [0020]      FIG. 3 . The distillation system to obtain fresh water and salt from the sea water.  
         [0021]      FIG. 4 . The distillation system using an interchange tank.  
         [0022]      FIG. 5 . Control of the distillation system with the interchange tank.  
         [0023]      FIG. 6 . Feeding the distillation system with salt saturated water.  
         [0024]      FIG. 7 . Feeding the distillation system with atmospheric water vapor.  
         [0025]      FIG. 8 . The distillation system to obtain fresh water and salt from the sea water by using the vacuum suction forces of the system and the crystallization heat of the salt.  
         [0026]      FIG. 9 . The distillation system for obtaining fresh water and salt from the sea water by raising the fresh water, by using the interchange tank.  
         [0027]      FIG. 10 . The distillation system with raised evaporation zone being cooled by sea water.  
         [0028]      FIG. 11 . Cooling the condensation zone by using atomized water. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0029]      FIG. 1  illustrates a very general distillation system with a evaporation zone  1  and a condensation zone  2 . The zone  1  having one or several subzones of solid or high viscosity residues  23   a,    23   b,  while the zone  2  having one or several condensation subzones  2   a,    2   b.  Each residue or condensation subzone provided with a thermometer  3   a,    3   b,    5   a,    5   b,  a densimeter  20   a,    20   b,    16   a,    16   b,  a capacity sensor  4   a,    4   b,    6   a,    6   b  and an isolation valve  19   a,    19   b,    17   a,    17   b,  while each residue subzone is provided with an input valve  10   a,    10   b  and an input fluxemeter  31   a,    31   b,  while each condensation subzone is provided with an outlet valve  12   a,    12   b,  an outlet fluxemeter  32   a,    32   b  and an extraction pump  13   a,    13   b.  The product from outside the system to the first residue subzone  23   a  enters through an input turbine  11 , being measured the density of the product by an input densimeter  30 . The product enters to the second and subsequent residue subzones from the preceding residue subzone. The whole evaporation system has a manometer  7 , and a vacuum pump  8 .  
         [0030]     The turbine and all the extraction pumps having a common shaft  14  and a motor  15  (by example electric). The control of the turbine and the extraction pumps is through the motor  15 .  
         [0031]     The relative volume between the input turbine and each extraction pump must be the same that its connected products.  
         [0032]      FIG. 2 . Distillation system control. The thermometers, the capacity sensors, fluxemeters, densimeters and manometer are provided with digitalizers and they are connected with a control computer  9  through a local network  17 . Also the valves, the motor and the vacuum pump are provided with control devices, said control devices being connected with the control computer  9  through the local network  17 .  
         [0033]     The control computer  9  by mean of a pressure-temperature-density function  9   a  activates the vacuum pump  8  until which the boiling temperature of the product at the internal pressure from the manometer of the system  7  is intermediate between the temperatures from the thermometers of the residue subzones  3   a,    3   b  and from the thermometers of the condensation subzones  5   a,    5   b.  The pressure-temperature-density function gets the value of the initial density of the product from the input densimeter  30  (when no product to distillate into the first residue subzone) and more forward from the first residue subzone densimeter  20   a.    
         [0034]     The control computer by mean of a feeding-recovering function  9   b  activates the motor  15  and the input and outlet valves  10   a,    12   a,    12   b  when the value from the capacity sensor of the first residue subzone  4   a  is under a prefixed value and the values from the capacity sensors of the condensation subzones  6   a,    6   b  are over another prefixed value, until which the value of said capacity sensors return the equilibrium values.  
         [0035]     The control computer by mean of a residue transfer function  9   c  activates the input valves  10   b  of the second and subsequent residue subzones when the value from the densimeter of the precedent residue subzone  20   a  is over a prefixed value, if the value from the capacity sensor of the second or subsequent residue subzones  4   b  are not over another prefixed value.  
         [0036]     The control computer by mean of a residue calculation function  9   d  determines the values of the residues into each residue subzone, having in account the values of the densimeters, fluxemeters, capacity sensors and the mass conservation law. When the residues of one residue subzone is over a prefixed value, said residue calculation function closes the input valve until which all the product of said residue subzone is evaporated, closing the outlet and isolation valves of said residue subzone, informing the system operator through a screen or alarm  34  to recover the residues.  
         [0037]     The control of the isolation valves of the condensation subzones  17   a,    17   b  is not part of this invention, being part of each particular distillation system, being well know from the state of the art.  
         [0038]      FIG. 3  shows a sea water distillation. The evaporation zone, which is coincident with the first residue subzone, is a evaporation tank placed at the sun  23   a  and fed by the sea water, while the condensation zone is a submerged condensation tank  2   a,  its walls being thermally conductors. The capacity sensors are buoys  
         [0039]     The capacity of the turbine  11  and the extraction pump  13  are substantially the same.  
         [0040]     A vapor conduit  18  links the evaporation tank  23   a  and the condensation tank  2   a,  being the vacuum pump  8  on said conduit, and having said conduit an isolation valve  19   a.  Said vapor valve  19  is useful when the evaporation tank is emptied, because by closing said vapor valve the vacuum of the condensation tank is preserved.  
         [0041]      FIG. 4 . The distillation system using an interchange tank has the usual evaporation tank  23   a  and condensation tanks  2   a,  with they inputs  10   a,  outlets  12   a  and isolation valves  19   a,  vacuum pump  8 , vapor conduit  18 , and sensors as fluxemeters, thermometers, densimeters, . . .  
         [0042]     Especially the distillation system has an interchange tank  32  fed through the valve  35  and the pump  37  alternatively of fresh water when the valve  12   a  is opened and the valve  36  is closed, or sea water in the opposite case. Said interchange tank is emptied: 
        if it contains fresh water through the valve  33 , to outside,     if it contains sea water through the valve  10   a,  into the evaporation tank.        
 
         [0045]     To fill the interchange tank  32  with sea water, the equalizing valve of atmospheric pressure  34   e  is opened and the equalizing valve of system pressure  34   i  is closed, while to fill the interchange tank with fresh water the valve  34   i  is opened and the valve  34   e  is closed. Naturally in both cases the outlet valves  33 ,  10   a  and the input valve of the interchange tank  32  are closed.  
         [0046]     To empty the interchange tank of fresh water through the valve  33 , the valve  34   i  is closed and the valve  34   e  is opened, while to empty the interchange tank of sea water is the opposite. Obviously in both cases the valve  35  are closed.  
         [0047]     The interchange tank is always full filled or full emptied, by this a capacity sensor  38  is provided.  
         [0048]     The liquid capacity of the condensation tank  2   a  must be upper the capacity of the interchange tank  32 , for full filling the interchange tank from the condensation tank.  
         [0049]      FIG. 5 . The control of the distillation system with interchange tank is performed through the computer function of feeding-recovering  9   b  of said figure. Initially, the capacity sensors of the evaporation, condensation and interchange tanks  4   a,    6   a,    38  must be started and all the valves of the interchange tank must be closed  34   e,    34   i,    33 ,  35 ,  10   a.    
         [0050]     The performances of the computer function of feeding-recovering  9   b  are: 
        if the reading of the capacity sensor of the condensation tank is under the capacity of the interchange tank and the reading of the capacity sensor of the interchange tank  38  is zero, the valves  34   e    36  y  35  are opened and the valves  12   a  and  34   i  are closed, activating the pump  37  until the maximal reading of the sensor  38 , 
            then the valves  34   e,    36  y  35  are opened and the valve  34   i  is closed,     if the reading of the capacity sensor of the evaporation tank is low, the valve  10   a  is opened until which said capacity sensor of the evaporation tank reaches its top,     if the reading of the capacity sensor of the condensation tank is under the capacity of the interchange tank and the reading of the capacity sensor of the interchange tank  38  is zero, the valve  10   a  is closed and the valves  12   a  and  35  are opened, activating the pump  37  until the maximal reading of the sensor  38 ,     then the valves  12   a,    35  and  34   i  are closed, and the valves  34   e  and  33  are opened until which the reading of the sensor  38  is zero.    
               
 
         [0056]      FIG. 6 . Feeding the distillation system with salt saturated water. When the liquid to distillate is sea water, the evaporation tank  23   a  can be fed from a preevaporation reservoir  50  with water salt saturated o near the saturation point. The saturation is reached by evaporating water by the sun heat. When said saturation point is reached, the preevaporation reservoir is fed from the sea, avoiding the salt crystallization (on the preevaporation reservoir).  
         [0057]     The salt concentration of the preevaporation reservoir, the environment temperature, atmospheric pression and humidity is respectively measured by a preevaporation densimeter  51 , thermometer  52 , manometer  53  and hygrometer  54 . Said sensors control a feeding device for preevaporation  55  which is started when the saturation density is reached, being stopped when the density is under a prefixed value.  
         [0058]     The previous is for lowering the size of the vacuum space, because the evaporation is speeded by the heat crystallization of the salt.  
         [0059]     The feeding device for preevaporation may be a valve or a pump according the sea level regarding the preevaporation reservoir.  
         [0060]     The preevaporation resevoir can be a marine zone as a small bay provided with a dock for closing said marine zone.  
         [0061]      FIG. 7 . Feeding the distillation system with atmospheric water vapor. An open precipitation reservoir  60  is provided, said precipitation reservoir having a deliquescent product, as calcium chloride or aluminium chloride  61 . Said deliquescent product condensates the atmospheric water vapor until create a liquid  62 . This liquid  62  can be distilled by connecting the precipitation reservoir with the evaporation tank  23   a.    
         [0062]     For avoiding the transport of the deliquescent product from the condensation tank  23   a  to the precipitation reservoir  60 , the last device can be configurated similarly the condensation tank, both having a transparent mobile cover. So, both devices would be interchanged.  
         [0063]      FIG. 8 . The distillation system to obtain fresh water and salt from the sea water by using the vacuum suction forces of the system and the crystallization heat of the salt. This figure is very similar that  FIG. 3 , with the following differences: 
        the evaporation tank  23   a  has not residues, being linked to a second evaporation tank  23   b  with a container of residues  28  and isolation hatches  30 ,     the turbine  11  is raised H regarding the sea level,     the sea water feeds the evaporation tank through a conduit  29  which raises until the turbine  11 ,     the conduit  29  is provided with a primed pump  31  and control valves  32  and  33  of said primed pump, supposing that the conduit  29  between the two valves  32  and  33  is fullfilled of water,     the condensation tank  2   a  is cooled by the water of the conduit  29  and by an heat interchanger  31 ,     the water from the first evaporation tank  23   a  goes to the second evaporation tank  23   b  when the reading of the densimeter of said first evaporation tank is near to the saturation water of salt, by this, no residue is in the first evaporation tank,     when the container  28  is filled with salt, the isolation hatches  30  are closed, being the container  28  recovered, emptied and returned filled with water salt saturated to maintain the vacuum of the system.          
         [0071]     By previous: 
        the sea water would be raised by the suction of the vacuum of the system the maximal height 
 
H=(1 at.−system pressure) * 10.33 m./(sea water density) 
       
 
         [0073]     being 1 at.=10.33 m. of fresh water 
        but H would be 
 
H&gt;(1 at.−system pressure)×10.33 m./(sea water density) 
       
 
         [0075]     if the current of water into the conduit  29  is started by the primed pump  31 , 
        said height H of the sea water implies that also the turbine  11  and the pump  13   a  can be raised, y by this, the evaporation tank  2   a,  y by this, the fresh water of said evaporation tank,     the fresh water can be raised an additional height providing the common shaft  14  of the turbine  11  and the pump  13   a  in a vertical sense,     the sea water of the conduit  29  is warmed in part by passing the condensation tank,     the water salt saturated of the second evaporation tank can be evaporated with a low external heat,     the previous permits the functioning of the system on the night with a low external heat.        
 
         [0081]      FIG. 9 . The distillation system for obtaining fresh water and salt from the sea water by raising the fresh water, using an interchange tank. This figure contains devices of the  FIGS. 4 and 8  with the following additions: 
        the interchange tank  32  is on high, near the condensation tank a 2 , also on high,     the interchange tank  32  is not connected with the evaporation tank through the valve  10   a  being connected through waiting tanks  32   a,    32   b,  through regulations valves  10   a   1 ,  10   a   3 , and the turbine  11  which is linked with the feeding pump of the interchange tank  37  through the common shaft  14 ,     the waiting tanks  32   a,    32   b  are at the system pressure,     the sea water from the interchange tank  32  is stored into the first waiting tank  32   a  for storing its gravitational energy,     when the interchange tank  32  is fed by the pump  37 , the gravitational energy of the sea water of the first waiting tank  32   a  helps the pump  37  through the turbine  11 ,     the sea water from the first waiting tank  32   a  is stored into the second waiting tank  32   b,  for feeding the evaporation tank in time  23   a.            
         [0088]      FIG. 10 . The distillation system with raised evaporation zone being cooled by sea water. The condensation tank  2   a  can be cooled through a cooling closed circuit comprising a conduit  29   b,  a dragging pump  31   b,  an first heat interchanger into the condensation zone  39   a  and a second heat interchanger into the sea  39   b.  Only the a dragging pump  31   b  expends energy.  
         [0089]      FIG. 11 . Cooling the condensation zone by using atomized water. For condensation facility into the condensation tank  2   a  a fresh water atomizer is arranged  70  into the condensation tank  2   a.  Eventually said atomizer can be fed through an cooler  71 . The fresh water is from the condensation tank. By previous, the condensation surface is increased at the price of a small amount of energy.