Abstract:
A system for cleaning, heating and purifying contaminated aqueous solutions. The system utilizes a separator having a wheel with staggered orifices of different diameters and depths. The wheel is tightly held within a housing and is mounted on a rotating shaft. The shaft is held by sealed bearing assemblies. The shaft is rotated by an external electromotive devise. The aqueous solution is transported to the separator via preheat and circulation tanks by use of a pump, and passes to a storage container where it may be utilized for many purposes, via a pair of heat exchangers, a venturi and a second pump.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention generally relates to fluid purification systems, and more particularly, to an improved and more efficient system for separating impurities from an aqueous solution utilizing a rotating separator and a vacuum. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     It is well known that water and other fluids must be filtered or treated so as to separate and remove entrained impurities in order to render the impure water safe and/or useable. Various techniques and processes have heretofore been employed in order to purify water. In particular, reverse osmosis systems are the preferred method of purifying aqueous solutions. 
     Additionally, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,188,090, 5,385,298 and 5,957,122 to Griggs disclose apparatus having rotors therein for heating water in a system. The disclosed apparatus all utilize cylindrical rotors, having a plurality of bores whose depth preferably exceeds their diameter, rotatable in a C-faced housing by an external power source, such as an electrical motor. 
     While the use of reverse osmosis systems provide clean or purified water, they have to be cleaned and/or maintained frequently, and tend to be expensive to own and operate. And, while the apparatus for heating fluids in the Griggs &#39;090, &#39;298 and &#39;122 patents do produce heated water, they do not work efficiently in producing purified water, nor do they produce heated or purified water in sufficient quantities to be used in anything except small or low capacity systems, such as residential hot water systems. 
     The present invention provides improvements in purifying larger quantities of water and other aqueous solutions in a more efficient and productive manner. This is accomplished by utilizing a system having a vacuum drawn therein and by using a separator having a cylindrical rotor or wheel with a plurality of different sized orifices formed therein and spaced uniformly around an outer surface thereof. The rotor or wheel is held in a housing and mounted on a shaft held in bearing assemblies and is rotated at high speed to cause fluid in the housing to be sheared off at the molecular level. This shearing action separates the clean and purified fluid from the impurities. And any impurities in the fluid are pumped out of the system, while the purified fluid is pumped to a holding tank by a vacuum system, for use as needed. The heat produced during this process aids in purification of the fluid, and is used to aid in preheating incoming, unpurified fluid to the system. 
     Therefore, it can be seen that the present invention meets an existing need in the art for the improved and more efficient system for purifying aqueous solutions, as well as the production of large quantities of purified water, or the like, in a controlled manner. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved system for purifying fluids. It is a particular object of the present invention to provide an improved system for more efficiently purifying aqueous solutions utilizing a vacuum system. It is another particular object of the present invention to provide an improved separator having a rotor with a plurality of uniformly spaced, different sized orifices formed therein. It is yet another particular object of the present invention to provide an improved system for achieving substantially improved through-put of purified water by utilizing a vacuum. And, it is a further particular object of the present invention to provide an improved method and system for purifying water having a more efficient separator with a rotating wheel used in conjunction with a vacuum, and a plurality of tanks and pumps to efficiently purify large quantities of water. 
     These and other objects and advantages of the present invention are achieved by providing a system for purifying fluid comprised of a circulation tank, a separator operated by an electric motor, a preheat fluid tank, a system to form a vacuum and a purified product holding tank. Incoming fluid is first drawn into the preheat fluid tank and then to the circulation tank, after which it is drawn into the separator where it is purified before being drawn through a venturi and into the purified fluid holding tank. In a second embodiment of the present invention there is provided a system utilizing a known separator or heat pump to greatly increase the efficiency and production of purified fluid. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a preferred embodiment of the fluid purification system of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view partly in cross-section, of an improved separator of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line  3 — 3  of FIG.  2 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventors of carrying out their invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art, since the generic principles of the present invention have been defined herein specifically to provide for an improved and simplified fluid purification method and system. Although the present invention may be utilized with any aqueous solution, it is described in connection with the purification of impure or polluted water, for sake of convenience only, and not by way of limitation. 
     Referring now to the drawings, the system of the present invention is generally shown at  10 . The system  10  is supplied with raw or polluted aqueous solution or water at line  12  through a control valve  13 , preferably operated by a solenoid that is activated to open the valve by a low level sensor or switch  14  in a pre-heat fluid tank  16 . The raw aqueous solution flows into the pre-heat tank  16 , where it is mixed with fluid from line  18  coming from a first outlet of a second heat exchanger  20 . Once the fluid in pre-heat tank  16  reaches a predetermined height, it activates a high level sensor or switch  22 , which deactivates or closes valve  13 . 
     The fluid is drawn from an outlet in the pre-heat tank  16  via line  24  connected to an inlet of a first three-way valve  26 , which valve is preferably solenoid operated. Line  24  then continues from a first outlet of the three-way valve  26  to a circulation tank  28 . A further line  30  is connected to a second outlet of three-way valve  26  and leads to a first inlet in the second heat exchanger  20  to pass fluid through the second heat exchanger and out the first outlet to line  18 . The three-way valve  26  is activated to feed aqueous solution from pre-heat tank  10  to the circulation tank  28  by a low level sensor or switch  32  and is shut off by a high level switch  34  in the circulation tank. The circulation tank  28  also includes a conductivity sensor or switch  36  to check the conductivity of the aqueous solution in the circulation tank. 
     The circulation tank  28  includes a plurality of outlets including one to a strainer  38  and a waste valve  40 , preferably solenoid operated, connected thereto, to filter out and send away waste from the system and an outlet leading to line  90 , as explained more fully below. 
     Fluid from the circulation tanks  28  is pulled through a further outlet to a line  42  by a pump  44  and fed into an inlet of a separator  46 . The separator  46  may be of the type set forth in the Griggs &#39;090, &#39;298 or &#39;122 patents discussed above, or may be of an improved type as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and described more fully below. In any case, the separator  46  is actuated at high speed by a motor  48 , which motor may include belts, pulley, chains, couplings, a transmission or the like, to control the speed of a rotor within the separator. 
     The high speed movement of a rotor within the separator  46  both heats and purifies the aqueous solution therein, preferably by shearing the aqueous solution at the molecular level to produce purified gas, such as steam. Any impurities remaining in the separator  46  are removed as necessary. By using a vacuum in the system  10 , after the separator  46 , as explained more fully below, the system produces greater through-put of approximately 24 times as much as known systems. For example, 60 GPH with the present system as opposed to 2.5 GPH with a system such as the Griggs patents. 
     The steam is drawn through an outlet in the separator  46  into line  50  to a second three-way valve  52 . The steam passes through a flow meter  54 , a conductivity meter  56  and a temperature sensor or switch  58  held in line  50 , before reaching the three-way valve  52 . The three-way valve  52  splits the steam and directs this steam, via lines  60  and  62 , into two inlet ports at opposite ends of a first heat exchanger  64 , where at least some of the steam is condensed to a purified fluid. A first outlet port of the first heat exchanger  64  is connected to a line  66  that is connected to the circulation tank  28  to allow any steam and heated purified fluid to mix with the raw aqueous fluid in the circulation tank. A second outlet port of the first heat exchanger is connected to a line  68  that leads to a second inlet port in the second heat exchanger  20  to allow heat to be applied to the water coming from line  30  and exiting at line  18 . 
     A second outlet of the second heat exchanger  20  is connected to a line  70  connected to a venturi  72 , which pulls the purified fluid via a vacuum formed in the venturi. The venturi  72  is fed fluid from a purified fluid holding or product tank  74  through a filter  76  by a pump  78 . The pump  78  is activated by a low-level sensor or switch  80  in holding tank  74  and is shut off by a high-level switch  82 . The purified fluid from line  70  and filter  76  meet and mix within the venturi  72  to operate the same and exit the venturi through an outlet connected to a line  84  that feeds the fluid back into the holding tank  74 . The purified fluid from holding or product tank  74  is selectively fed to a system, as needed, through an outlet connected to a line  86 , controlled by a control valve  88 . 
     Condensate or steam from circulation tank  28  enters the line  90  from the still further outlet in the top of the circulation tank and passes through a secondary condenser  92 . After being condensed in the secondary condenser  92 , purified fluid is fed through line  94  to a further inlet in holding or product tank  74 . 
     Therefore, it can be seen that the system  10  of the present invention provides an improved process and method of purifying large quantities of impure aqueous solution, such as water, in a more efficient manner. 
     The method and system of the present invention produces vastly superior results when compared to known systems, and is improved even further by the use of the novel separator  46 , as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The separator  46  includes a housing  96  having a rotor or wheel  98 , an inlet  97  and an outlet  99 . The rotor  98  is preferably cylindrical and of a predetermined diameter and thickness, depending on the needs of the system in which it is held. The rotor is mounted or secured on a shaft  100  held in a pair of bearing means  102 ,  104  at opposed ends thereof. The rotor  98  is preferably closely held in an inner chamber  106  formed by cylindrical end plates  108 ,  110  and a cylindrical shell  112 . The cylindrical end plates  108 ,  110  include annular apertures  114 ,  116  formed in opposed sides thereof and the shell  112  is sized and dimensioned to fit snuggly into the annular apertures  114 ,  116  to form a sealed inner chamber  106 . Sealing means may be provided in the apertures  114 ,  116 , as needed. The end plates  108 ,  110  with the shell  112  held in the annular apertures are sealingly held or sandwiched together by a plurality of securing elements  107 , such as bolts or screws, passing through and secured in openings formed in the end plates. 
     The bearing means  102 ,  104  are secured to outside surfaces of the end plates  108 ,  100  by securing elements  109 , passing through holders for the bearings and secured in the end plates. 
     The cylindrical rotor  98  includes a plurality of different size orifices  118 ,  120  formed on an exterior surface on the outer periphery  99 . As shown, the different size orifices  118 ,  120  are of different diameters and depths and are uniformly spaced in a staggered relationship around the entire exterior surface  99 . 
     The cylindrical rotor  98  is securely mounted or fixed to the shaft  100  in any desired manner, as for example by means of a pair of holding plates  101 ,  103  held by securing means  105 . The holding plates are clamped or secured to an enlarged annular portion  111  secured to or formed integrally with the shaft  100 . The shaft  100  is rotated at high speed by motor  48 , directly or through other means to cause severe turbulence and molecular shearing action to the aqueous fluid held in internal chamber  106 , to purify the aqueous solution. 
     The housing  96  and rotor or wheel  98  may be of any desired shape and size, provided that they are sized and dimensioned to work together most efficiently. In one preferred embodiment of the invention superior results were obtained utilizing a 12 HP motor rotating a rotor approximately 10″ in diameter and 2.125″ thick. The shaft  100  was approximately 2″ in diameter, and in addition to the holding plates  101 ,  103 , included a key held in a keyway formed in holding plates and an inner portion of the rotor. The openings  118  and  120  were approximately 0.75″ in diameter and 0.62″ deep and 0.25″ in diameter and 0.18″ deep. Finally, the clearance between the outer surface  99  of the rotor  98  and the interior surface of the shell  112  is approximately 0.12″. 
     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodiments may be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than is specifically described herein.