Patent ID: 8287710

Claim:
A system for electrostatic desalination, comprising: a plurality of stacked water collection plates, each of the water collection plates having an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface being adapted for supporting a thin film of salt water formed thereon; a plurality of cathodes, each of the cathodes extending between a pair of adjacent collection plates in the plurality of stacked water collection plates; a plurality of anodes, each of the anodes being attached to a respective one of the lower surfaces of the plurality of stacked water collection plates; and a plurality of conductive needles mounted on each said cathode, each said conductive needles extending substantially orthogonally towards a respective one of said anodes, wherein each said needle forms a corona tip for producing electrons, the electrons ionizing molecules of pure water vapor during corona discharge, the pure water vapor being formed from natural evaporation of the thin film of salt water, whereby the ionization of the molecules of the pure water vapor enhances electrostatic transport of the molecules of the pure water vapor; whereby, an external voltage applied across the plurality of cathodes and the plurality of anodes generates the corona discharge to ionize the pure water vapor evaporated from the thin film of salt water formed on the upper surface of the collection plates, electrostatic transport thereof being effected toward the lower surfaces of the plurality of stacked water collection plates and being enhanced by the ionization thereof, the pure water vapor condensing into pure liquid water thereon.