Patent ID: 7560028

Claim:
A method for providing potable water from a source of polluted or salt-containing water, comprising the steps of: (a) forming a coolant solution comprising a hydrate-forming species and a perfluorocarbon heat exchange (HX) liquid compound, wherein both said hydrate-forming species and said HX liquid compound are immiscible in water, wherein the hydrate-forming species is selected to restrict or substantially eliminate the formation of hydrate crystal dendrites, and wherein said hydrate-forming species will form clathrate hydrates within a specific range of temperature and pressure and said HX liquid compound will not form hydrates within said specific range; (b) introducing a seed quantity of a solid hydrate into a quantity of said polluted or salt-containing water having a temperature and pressure within said specific range; (c) dispersing said coolant solution in said quantity of polluted or salt-containing water while maintaining said temperature and pressure within said specific range forming thereby a clathrate hydrate; (d) separating and removing said clathrate hydrate from said coolant solution and said polluted or salt-containing water; and (e) melting said clathrate hydrate and separating and recovering a quantity of said coolant solution and a quantity of purified water comprising the clathrate hydrate.