Patent Publication Number: US-2010126876-A1

Title: Water Purification

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     A vast number of people throughout the world lack access to a healthy drinking water supply. Many of those people live near water sources, but the water from those sources is unfit for drinking and the people have no ready means of purifying the water. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an illustration of an embodiment of the present invention system for purifying water. 
         FIG. 2  is a flow chart illustrating one embodiment of the present invention method for purifying water. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an embodiment of the present invention system  2  for water purification. Water purification system  2  includes water electrolysis system  4 , combustion chamber  6 , oxygen channel  8 , hydrogen channel  10 , evaporation chamber  12 , condensation chamber  14 , and water vapor conduit  16 . 
     Water electrolysis system  4  generates hydrogen and oxygen from water. In one embodiment, water electrolysis system  4  includes electrolytic chamber  18  and direct current voltage source  20 . Direct current voltage source is any source of direct current, either originating as direct current or rectified to direct current from alternating current, such as solar, wind, or nuclear power, power generated from an external combustion engine  30 , or any other direct current voltage source. 
     Direct current voltage source  20  has anode  22  and cathode  24 . Both anode  22  and cathode  24  are disposed in electrolytic chamber  18 . Water  26  in electrolytic chamber  18  is decomposed into oxygen and hydrogen at anode  22  and cathode  24 , respectively. 
     In addition to hydrogen and oxygen, the water electrolysis process also generates heat. In one embodiment, system  2  further includes means for capturing heated air from the water electrolysis process and means for introducing the captured heated air into combustion chamber  6  to augment the vacuum generated by the heated water vapor traveling from combustion chamber  6  to condensation chamber  14 . 
     Examples of the means for capturing the heated air include a jacket or casing  26  surrounding electrolytic chamber  18 . The heated air is generated between electrolytic chamber  18  and jacket  26  and introduced into combustion chamber  6  through heated air channel  28  between jacket  26  and combustion chamber  6 . 
     Hydrogen channel  10  is disposed to transport hydrogen from water electrolysis system  4  to combustion chamber  6 . Oxygen channel  8  is disposed to transport oxygen from water electrolysis system  4  to combustion chamber  6 . In one embodiment, all of the hydrogen and oxygen generated from the water electrolysis process is transported to combustion chamber  6 . 
     In an alternative embodiment, some of the oxygen and hydrogen generated from the water electrolysis process is stored for future use or for other uses. Hydrogen storage system  38  is in fluid communication with hydrogen channel  10  and oxygen storage system  40  is in fluid communication with oxygen channel  8  so that some of the hydrogen and oxygen may be stored. 
     Combustion chamber  6  is a chamber for combusting hydrogen from electrolysis system  4  in oxygen from electrolysis system  4  to generate heated water vapor. In addition to water vapor, the combustion process also generates heat. In one embodiment combustion chamber  6  is tightly insulated to ensure that as much of the heat generated by the combustion process as possible is contained within combustion chamber  6  and flows with heated water vapor into condensation chamber  14 . 
     In one embodiment, system  2  further includes means for capturing air external to combustion chamber  6 , heated from the combustion process within combustion chamber  6  and means for introducing the captured heated air into combustion chamber  6  to augment the vacuum generated by the heated water vapor traveling from combustion chamber  6  to condensation chamber  14 . 
     Examples of the means for capturing the heated air include a jacket or casing  34  surrounding combustion chamber  6 . The heated air is generated between combustion chamber  6  and jacket  34  and introduced into combustion chamber  6  through heated air channel  36  between jacket  34  and combustion chamber  6 . 
     In one embodiment, system  2  further includes external combustion engine  30  and electrical power generation system  32 . One example of an external combustion engine is a Stirling engine. Another example of an external combustion engine is a steam engine. External combustion engine  30  is disposed to utilize the combustion of hydrogen within combustion chamber  6  as a source of external combustion. Electrical power generation system  32  is powered by external combustion engine  30  and, in one embodiment, provides electrical power to direct current voltage source  20 . 
     Evaporation chamber  12  generates water vapor from water. In one embodiment, evaporation chamber  12  is disposed on a body of water. In one embodiment, evaporation chamber  12  is a passive solar evaporation chamber. In alternate embodiments, evaporation chamber  12  may be any type of chamber for evaporating water to form water vapor. 
     In one embodiment, evaporation chamber  12  has a clear top and an open bottom. The open bottom rests in a body of water, such as salt water or other non-potable water source. 
     Water vapor conduit  16  is disposed between evaporation chamber  12  and condensation chamber  14 . As heated water vapor from combustion chamber  6  travels from combustion chamber  6  into condensation chamber  14 , a Venturi effect is created, which generates a vacuum on water vapor conduit  16 . The vacuum draws water vapor from evaporation chamber  12  into condensation chamber  14 . 
     In one embodiment, system  2  further includes condensing pipe  38  and collection chamber  40 . Although referred to as a pipe, condensing pipe  38  may be any type of fluid carrying conduit, such as a pipe, tube, or hose. 
     Condensing pipe  38  is disposed in a body of water and interconnects water vapor conduit  16  and condensation chamber  14 . Water vapor drawn from evaporation chamber  12  first passes through condensing pipe  38 , then through water vapor conduit  16  and into condensation chamber  14 . Water vapor passing through condensing pipe  38  is condensed into purified liquid water. 
     Collection chamber  40  is in fluid communication with condensing pipe  38 . Collection chamber  40  is also disposed in the body of water, below condensing pipe  38 . Purified liquid water in condensing pipe  38  flows by gravity into collection chamber  40 . 
     Condensation chamber  14  allows water vapor to cool, which causes it to condense to purified liquid water. In one embodiment, condensation chamber  14  is cooled by air. In an alternative embodiment, condensation chamber  14  is cooled by water. 
     Condensation chamber  14  is disposed to receive water vapor from both combustion chamber  6  and evaporation chamber  12 . In one embodiment, condensation chamber  14  is disposed above combustion chamber  6  so that as the heated water vapor naturally rises, it flows into condensation chamber  14 . 
     Water vapor in condensation chamber  14  is condensed into purified liquid water in condensation chamber  14 . Receiving water vapor from both combustion chamber  6  and evaporation chamber  12  produces more purified liquid water than receiving water vapor from only combustion chamber  6 . 
     The condensed, purified, liquid water may be immediately distributed or collected in storage containers  50 . Storage containers  50  are any container suitable for the storage of purified liquid water, such as barrels, jars, wells, cylinders, and the like. 
       FIG. 2  is a flow chart representing steps of one embodiment method for purifying water. Although the steps represented in  FIG. 2  are presented in a specific order, the technology presented herein can be performed in any variation of this order. Furthermore, additional steps may be executed between the steps illustrated in  FIG. 2 . 
     Water is electrolyzed  54  to generate hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen and oxygen are transported  56  to combustion chamber  6 . The hydrogen is combusted  58  in the oxygen in combustion chamber  6  to generate heated water vapor. 
     The heated water vapor is transported  60  from combustion chamber  6  to condensation chamber  14 . The heated water vapor moves across an opening to the water vapor conduit  16 , in so doing, a vacuum is generated within water vapor conduit  16 . 
     During this process, water is evaporated  62  in evaporation chamber  12  to form water vapor. In one embodiment, water vapor conduit  16  connects directly to evaporation chamber  12 . In an alternate embodiment, condensing pipe  38  interconnects  64  water vapor conduit  16  and condensation chamber  12 . 
     The vacuum, generated by transporting  60  the heated water vapor from combustion chamber  6 , draws  66  evaporated water vapor from evaporation chamber  12 . Where condensing pipe  38  interconnects  64  water vapor conduit  16  and condensation chamber  12 , evaporated water vapor is also drawn  68  from evaporation chamber  12 . At least some of the evaporated water vapor passing through condensing pipe  38  condenses  70  into purified liquid water. The purified liquid water is collected  72  in collection chamber  40 . 
     The evaporated water vapor passing through water vapor conduit  16  joins the heated water vapor in condensation chamber  14  where they are both condensed  74  to purified liquid water and collected  76 . Condensing  74  water vapor from both the combustion  58  and the evaporation  62  produces more purified liquid water than receiving water vapor from only the combustion. Any remaining air is exhausted out of condensation chamber  14 . 
     In order to improve the efficiency of the process, heated air may be captured  78 ,  80  from both the electrolysis process  54  and the combustion process  58 . The captured heated air is introduced  82  into combustion chamber  6  to augment the vacuum generated by the heated water vapor traveling from combustion chamber  6  to condensation chamber  14 . 
     An additional improvement to the efficiency of the process allows external combustion engine  30  to operate  84  from the combustion  58  of hydrogen in combustion chamber  6 . Electrical power is generated  86  from the operation of external combustion engine  30 . The electrical power may then be utilized as desired. In one embodiment, the electrical power is utilized in the electrolyzing  54  of water. 
     The foregoing description is only illustrative of the invention. Various alternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the present invention embraces all such alternatives, modifications, and variances that fall within the scope of the appended claims.