ABSTRACT
Abstract
A hydro-thermal exchange unit (HTEU) for desalinating feed water in accordance with a humidification-dehumidification includes feed water, fresh water and gas conduit circuits for transporting feed water, fresh water, and gas, respectively. The unit also includes an evaporator through which a portion of the feed water conduit and the gas conduit pass. The evaporator causes evaporation of a portion of the feed water to produce vapor that is transported through the gas conduit. The unit also includes a condenser through which a portion of the gas conduit and the fresh water conduit pass. The condenser has input and output ports for coupling the gas and fresh water conduit circuits. The condenser extracts moisture from the vapor transported therethrough by the gas conduit. The extracted moisture is discharged through the fresh water conduit. The unit also includes a heat exchanger through which a portion of the fresh water conduit and the feed water conduit pass to thereby extract residual heat from the fresh water such that the residual heat heats the feed water.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/711,325, filed May 13, 2015, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/693,932, filed Dec. 4, 2012 entitled âHYBRID SOLAR DESALINATION SYSTEMâ, which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 12/770,892, filed Apr. 10, 2010, entitled âHYBRID SOLAR DESALINATION SYSTEMâ, now abandoned. The subject matter of both applications are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for water desalination using renewable solar energy.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Fresh water has become a very valuable and scarce resource in recent years not only in arid countries of the Middle East and North Africa regions, but also in many highly populated areas of more developed countries, such as Spain, USA, China and many others. Increases in population and commercial activities have contributed to the depletion of freshwater resources. Desalination, as one of the earliest forms of water production, remains a popular method of water production throughout the world. Desalination typically uses a large amount of energy to remove a portion of pure water from a salt water source. Salt water (feed water) is fed into the process, the result of which is one output stream of pure (fresh) water and another stream of waste water with high salt concentration (brine). Large commercial desalination plants based on fossil fuels are in use by oil-rich countries to supplement their traditional sources of water supply. However, people in many other areas of the world have neither the money nor oil resources to allow them to produce water in a similar manner. Over a billion people today lack access to purified drinking water and the vast majority of these people live in rural areas, where it is very difficult to implement any traditional clean water solution. Difficulties related to the use of fossil fuels could be resolved by switching to renewable resources, such as solar, wind or geothermal energy. Geographical areas where water is needed are in fact rich with renewable energy sources. Thus the obvious way forward is to combine those renewable energy sources with desalination plants. Among various renewable energy resources, the solar energy stands out as the most available, convenient and appropriate energy source for desalination.
The main drawback with the use of solar energy in existing large-scale desalination plants is the resulting low productivity rate and thermal efficiency. However, since solar desalination plants use free energy and therefore have insignificant operational costs, over the long term they are more attractive than conventional approaches. This technology is still suitable even today for small-scale production, especially in remote arid areas and islands, where there is no supply of conventional energy. In addition to cost considerations, there are also environmental concerns about the fossil fuel burning. The coupling of renewable energy sources with desalination processes offers a sustainable, environmentally conscious route for increasing supplies of potable water.
Solar energy can be harnessed for desalination either directly or indirectly. Collection systems, which use solar energy to produce distillate directly in the solar collector, are called direct collection systems, whereas systems that combine solar energy collection systems with conventional desalination systems are called indirect systems. In indirect systems, solar energy is used to either generate the heat required for desalination or generate electricity subsequently used to provide electric power for conventional desalination plants such as multi-effect, multi-stage flash or reverse osmosis systems. Direct solar desalination is primarily suited for very small production systems, such as solar stills. The low production rate is caused by a low operating temperature and near atmospheric pressure of a resulting steam. Numerous attempts have been made in order to produce fresh water by means of solar energy. A simple solar still of a basin type is the oldest method. A solar still is a simple device that can be used to convert saline or brackish water into drinking water. Solar stills use exactly the same processes, which in nature generate rainfall, namely evaporation and condensation: a transparent cover encloses a pan of saline water that is first evaporated by the trapped solar energy within the enclosure and then condensed on the inner face of the sloping transparent cover. This distilled water is generally potable; the quality of the distillate is very high because all the salts, inorganic and organic components, and microbes are left behind in the bath. One of the problems that negatively influence the still performance is the direct contact between the collector and the saline water, which may lead to corrosion and scaling in the still. The biggest issue for the solar stills however are their rather low efficiency and water production rate: a typical production rate of a solar still is about 4 L/m 2 /day or less.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a hydro-thermal exchange unit (HTEU) for desalinating feed water in accordance with a humidification-dehumidification process is provided. The hydro-thermal exchange unit includes feed water, fresh water and gas conduit circuits for transporting feed water, fresh water, and gas, respectively. The unit also includes an evaporator through which a portion of the feed water conduit and the gas conduit pass. The evaporator causes evaporation of a portion of the feed water to produce vapor that is transported through the gas conduit. The unit also includes a condenser through which a portion of the gas conduit and the fresh water conduit pass. The condenser has input and output ports for coupling the gas and fresh water conduit circuits. The condenser extracts moisture from the vapor transported therethrough by the gas conduit. The extracted moisture is discharged through the fresh water conduit. The unit also includes a heat exchanger through which a portion of the fresh water conduit and the feed water conduit pass to thereby extract residual heat from the fresh water such that the residual heat heats the feed water.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a hydro-thermal section (HTS) is provided. The HTS includes a hydro-thermal exchange unit for desalinating feed water in accordance with a humidification-dehumidification process. The hydro-thermal exchange unit includes feed water, fresh water and gas conduit circuits for transporting feed water, fresh water, and gas, respectively. The hydro-thermal exchange unit also includes an evaporator through which a portion of the feed water conduit and the gas conduit pass. The evaporator causes evaporation of a portion of the feed water to produce vapor that is transported through the gas conduit. The hydro-thermal exchange unit also includes a condenser through which a portion of the gas conduit and the fresh water conduit pass. The condenser extracts moisture from the vapor transported therethrough by the gas conduit. The extracted moisture is discharged through the fresh water conduit. The HTS also includes a thermal energy source which provides thermal energy that causes the feed water to be heated.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, an HTS includes a plurality of serially coupled hydro-thermal exchange units for desalinating feed water in accordance with a humidification-dehumidification process. The plurality of hydro-thermal exchange units includes an upstream-most hydro-thermal exchange unit and a downstream-most hydro-thermal exchange unit. Each of the hydro-thermal exchange units includes a feed water, fresh water and gas conduit circuit for transporting feed water, fresh water, and gas, respectively, an evaporator through which a portion of the feed water conduit and the gas conduit pass, and a condenser through which a portion of the gas conduit and the fresh water conduit pass. Each hydro-thermal exchange unit also includes a heat exchanger through which a portion of the fresh water conduit and the feed water conduit pass to thereby extract residual heat from the fresh water such that the residual heat heats the feed water. A feed water output conduit from a heat exchanger in an immediately preceding upstream hydro-thermal exchange unit is connected to a feed water input conduit to the evaporator of an immediately following downstream hydro-thermal exchange unit and a fresh water output conduit from the condenser of the upstream hydro-thermal exchange unit is connected to a fresh water input conduit to the heat exchanger of the immediately preceding upstream hydro-thermal exchange unit. The HTS also includes a solar collector array for capturing solar energy that at least in part causes evaporation of a portion of the feed water received from the downstream-most hydro-thermal exchange unit. The solar collector array has a feed water output conduit connected to an input feed water conduit of the evaporator of the upstream-most hydro-thermal exchange unit.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a solar-powered desalination system includes a desalination module. The desalination module includes an electro-mechanical section (EMS) that includes a photovoltaic module for converting solar energy to electrical energy and at least one pump powered by the electrical energy. The desalination module also includes a hydro-thermal section (HTS) for desalinating feed water in accordance with a humidification-dehumidification process. The hydro-thermal section includes a solar collector for capturing solar energy that at least in part causes evaporation of a portion of the feed water. The at least one pump is configured to pump water through the hydro-thermal section.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for desalinating feed water. The method includes capturing solar energy, pumping feed water through a hydro-thermal exchange unit using electrical energy obtained in a photovoltaic conversion process, and desalinating feed water in the hydro-thermal exchange unit in accordance with a humidification-dehumidification process by using the captured solar energy to evaporate a portion of the feed water that is subsequently condensed to thereby obtain desalinated feed water.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for incrementally expanding an existing desalination system. The method includes providing a HTS for desalinating feed water in accordance with a humidification-dehumidification process. The HTS includes feed water, fresh water and gas conduit circuits for transporting feed water, fresh water, and gas, respectively and a thermal energy source which provides thermal energy that causes the feed water to be heated. The HTS also includes an evaporator through which a portion the feed water conduit and the gas conduit pass. The evaporator causes evaporation of a portion of the feed water to produce vapor that is transported through the gas conduit. The HTS further includes a condenser through which a portion of the gas conduit and the fresh water conduit pass. The condenser extracts moisture from the vapor transported therethrough by the gas conduit. The extracted moisture is discharged through the fresh water conduit. A common feed water supply conduit is coupled to an input conduit of the feed water conduit circuit of the HTS and an input conduit of a feed water conduit circuit of the existing desalination system. A common fresh water discharge conduit is coupled to an output conduit of the fresh water conduit circuit of the HTS and an output conduit of a fresh water conduit circuit of the existing desalination system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows one example of a desalination system that includes an electro-mechanical section (EMS) and hydro-thermal section (HTS).
FIG. 2 shows an alternative example of a desalination system that is modular.
FIGS. 3-5 show other examples of a desalination system.
FIGS. 6-8 show various configurations of a hydro-thermal exchange unit (HTEU).
FIGS. 9-12 show various configurations of n hydro-thermal section (HTS).
FIGS. 13-14 show two examples of a multi-stage HTS design.
FIGS. 15-17 show examples of a mass transfer unit.
FIG. 18 is a graph illustrating the temperature profile and the moisture content distribution of the bubbles for the mass transfer unit shown in FIG. 17 .
FIGS. 19-27 show other examples of a mass transfer unit.
FIG. 28 shows an example of a desalination system that relies exclusively on solar energy.
FIG. 29 shows an example of a water-based desalination system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of exemplary embodiments or other examples described herein. However, it will be understood that these embodiments and examples may be practiced without the specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components and circuits have not been described in detail, so as not to obscure the following description. Further, the embodiments disclosed are for exemplary purposes only and other embodiments may be employed in lieu of, or in combination with, the embodiments disclosed.
The operation of a solar still is based on a humidification-dehumidification (HD) cycle, in which air is first humidified by evaporation of feed water and subsequently dehumidified to produce fresh water as a result. Air can be mixed with significant quantities of vapor. The vapor carrying capability of air increases with temperature, i.e. 1 kg of dry air can carry 0.6 kg of vapor when its temperature increases to 80° C. A significant advantage of this type of technology is that it provides means for low pressure and low temperature desalination. It can operate off the solar heat, which is not only environmentally safe and, but also economically attractive. HD-based desalination systems could potentially be very cost competitive. However, so far these systems have not been able to compete successfully against existing, more common approaches, such as reverse osmosis or multi-effect evaporation. The main reasons are a relatively low efficiency and high capital costs associated with the solar-driven HD systems. There is a need to design and develop more advanced solar-driven desalination approaches, which can be easily and effectively implemented in a wide range of production capacities at different locations around the world.
In the following discussion the HD process is described as it specifically applies to the desalination of saline or brackish feed water. However, the same method and apparatus can be used in other application of this process, e.g. water purification, distillation and others. The described apparatus can be also used in processing of liquids and materials other than water, e.g. alcohols, acids, foodstuffs, etc.
In accordance with the present invention, a desalination system driven primarily by solar energy is provided. The system 100 shown in FIG. 1 consists of at least two integrated parts: electro-mechanical section (EMS) 110 and hydro-thermal section (HTS) 120 . EMS 110 comprises at least one PV cell or PV module
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/711,325, filed May 13, 2015, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/693,932, filed Dec. 4, 2012 entitled âHYBRID SOLAR DESALINATION SYSTEMâ, which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 12/770,892, filed Apr. 10, 2010, entitled âHYBRID SOLAR DESALINATION SYSTEMâ, now abandoned. The subject matter of both applications are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for water desalination using renewable solar energy.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Fresh water has become a very valuable and scarce resource in recent years not only in arid countries of the Middle East and North Africa regions, but also in many highly populated areas of more developed countries, such as Spain, USA, China and many others. Increases in population and commercial activities have contributed to the depletion of freshwater resources. Desalination, as one of the earliest forms of water production, remains a popular method of water production throughout the world. Desalination typically uses a large amount of energy to remove a portion of pure water from a salt water source. Salt water (feed water) is fed into the process, the result of which is one output stream of pure (fresh) water and another stream of waste water with high salt concentration (brine). Large commercial desalination plants based on fossil fuels are in use by oil-rich countries to supplement their traditional sources of water supply. However, people in many other areas of the world have neither the money nor oil resources to allow them to produce water in a similar manner. Over a billion people today lack access to purified drinking water and the vast majority of these people live in rural areas, where it is very difficult to implement any traditional clean water solution. Difficulties related to the use of fossil fuels could be resolved by switching to renewable resources, such as solar, wind or geothermal energy. Geographical areas where water is needed are in fact rich with renewable energy sources. Thus the obvious way forward is to combine those renewable energy sources with desalination plants. Among various renewable energy resources, the solar energy stands out as the most available, convenient and appropriate energy source for desalination.
The main drawback with the use of solar energy in existing large-scale desalination plants is the resulting low productivity rate and thermal efficiency. However, since solar desalination plants use free energy and therefore have insignificant operational costs, over the long term they are more attractive than conventional approaches. This technology is still suitable even today for small-scale production, especially in remote arid areas and islands, where there is no supply of conventional energy. In addition to cost considerations, there are also environmental concerns about the fossil fuel burning. The coupling of renewable energy sources with desalination processes offers a sustainable, environmentally conscious route for increasing supplies of potable water.
Solar energy can be harnessed for desalination either directly or indirectly. Collection systems, which use solar energy to produce distillate directly in the solar collector, are called direct collection systems, whereas systems that combine solar energy collection systems with conventional desalination systems are called indirect systems. In indirect systems, solar energy is used to either generate the heat required for desalination or generate electricity subsequently used to provide electric power for conventional desalination plants such as multi-effect, multi-stage flash or reverse osmosis systems. Direct solar desalination is primarily suited for very small production systems, such as solar stills. The low production rate is caused by a low operating temperature and near atmospheric pressure of a resulting steam. Numerous attempts have been made in order to produce fresh water by means of solar energy. A simple solar still of a basin type is the oldest method. A solar still is a simple device that can be used to convert saline or brackish water into drinking water. Solar stills use exactly the same processes, which in nature generate rainfall, namely evaporation and condensation: a transparent cover encloses a pan of saline water that is first evaporated by the trapped solar energy within the enclosure and then condensed on the inner face of the sloping transparent cover. This distilled water is generally potable; the quality of the distillate is very high because all the salts, inorganic and organic components, and microbes are left behind in the bath. One of the problems that negatively influence the still performance is the direct contact between the collector and the saline water, which may lead to corrosion and scaling in the still. The biggest issue for the solar stills however are their rather low efficiency and water production rate: a typical production rate of a solar still is about 4 L/m 2 /day or less.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a hydro-thermal exchange unit (HTEU) for desalinating feed water in accordance with a humidification-dehumidification process is provided. The hydro-thermal exchange unit includes feed water, fresh water and gas conduit circuits for transporting feed water, fresh water, and gas, respectively. The unit also includes an evaporator through which a portion of the feed water conduit and the gas conduit pass. The evaporator causes evaporation of a portion of the feed water to produce vapor that is transported through the gas conduit. The unit also includes a condenser through which a portion of the gas conduit and the fresh water conduit pass. The condenser has input and output ports for coupling the gas and fresh water conduit circuits. The condenser extracts moisture from the vapor transported therethrough by the gas conduit. The extracted moisture is discharged through the fresh water conduit. The unit also includes a heat exchanger through which a portion of the fresh water conduit and the feed water conduit pass to thereby extract residual heat from the fresh water such that the residual heat heats the feed water.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a hydro-thermal section (HTS) is provided. The HTS includes a hydro-thermal exchange unit for desalinating feed water in accordance with a humidification-dehumidification process. The hydro-thermal exchange unit includes feed water, fresh water and gas conduit circuits for transporting feed water, fresh water, and gas, respectively. The hydro-thermal exchange unit also includes an evaporator through which a portion of the feed water conduit and the gas conduit pass. The evaporator causes evaporation of a portion of the feed water to produce vapor that is transported through the gas conduit. The hydro-thermal exchange unit also includes a condenser through which a portion of the gas conduit and the fresh water conduit pass. The condenser extracts moisture from the vapor transported therethrough by the gas conduit. The extracted moisture is discharged through the fresh water conduit. The HTS also includes a thermal energy source which provides thermal energy that causes the feed water to be heated.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, an HTS includes a plurality of serially coupled hydro-thermal exchange units for desalinating feed water in accordance with a humidification-dehumidification process. The plurality of hydro-thermal exchange units includes an upstream-most hydro-thermal exchange unit and a downstream-most hydro-thermal exchange unit. Each of the hydro-thermal exchange units includes a feed water, fresh water and gas conduit circuit for transporting feed water, fresh water, and gas, respectively, an evaporator through which a portion of the feed water conduit and the gas conduit pass, and a condenser through which a portion of the gas conduit and the fresh water conduit pass. Each hydro-thermal exchange unit also includes a heat exchanger through which a portion of the fresh water conduit and the feed water conduit pass to thereby extract residual heat from the fresh water such that the residual heat heats the feed water. A feed water output conduit from a heat exchanger in an immediately preceding upstream hydro-thermal exchange unit is connected to a feed water input conduit to the evaporator of an immediately following downstream hydro-thermal exchange unit and a fresh water output conduit from the condenser of the upstream hydro-thermal exchange unit is connected to a fresh water input conduit to the heat exchanger of the immediately preceding upstream hydro-thermal exchange unit. The HTS also includes a solar collector array for capturing solar energy that at least in part causes evaporation of a portion of the feed water received from the downstream-most hydro-thermal exchange unit. The solar collector array has a feed water output conduit connected to an input feed water conduit of the evaporator of the upstream-most hydro-thermal exchange unit.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a solar-powered desalination system includes a desalination module. The desalination module includes an electro-mechanical section (EMS) that includes a photovoltaic module for converting solar energy to electrical energy and at least one pump powered by the electrical energy. The desalination module also includes a hydro-thermal section (HTS) for desalinating feed water in accordance with a humidification-dehumidification process. The hydro-thermal section includes a solar collector for capturing solar energy that at least in part causes evaporation of a portion of the feed water. The at least one pump is configured to pump water through the hydro-thermal section.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for desalinating feed water. The method includes capturing solar energy, pumping feed water through a hydro-thermal exchange unit using electrical energy obtained in a photovoltaic conversion process, and desalinating feed water in the hydro-thermal exchange unit in accordance with a humidification-dehumidification process by using the captured solar energy to evaporate a portion of the feed water that is subsequently condensed to thereby obtain desalinated feed water.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for incrementally expanding an existing desalination system. The method includes providing a HTS for desalinating feed water in accordance with a humidification-dehumidification process. The HTS includes feed water, fresh water and gas conduit circuits for transporting feed water, fresh water, and gas, respectively and a thermal energy source which provides thermal energy that causes the feed water to be heated. The HTS also includes an evaporator through which a portion the feed water conduit and the gas conduit pass. The evaporator causes evaporation of a portion of the feed water to produce vapor that is transported through the gas conduit. The HTS further includes a condenser through which a portion of the gas conduit and the fresh water conduit pass. The condenser extracts moisture from the vapor transported therethrough by the gas conduit. The extracted moisture is discharged through the fresh water conduit. A common feed water supply conduit is coupled to an input conduit of the feed water conduit circuit of the HTS and an input conduit of a feed water conduit circuit of the existing desalination system. A common fresh water discharge conduit is coupled to an output conduit of the fresh water conduit circuit of the HTS and an output conduit of a fresh water conduit circuit of the existing desalination system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows one example of a desalination system that includes an electro-mechanical section (EMS) and hydro-thermal section (HTS).
FIG. 2 shows an alternative example of a desalination system that is modular.
FIGS. 3-5 show other examples of a desalination system.
FIGS. 6-8 show various configurations of a hydro-thermal exchange unit (HTEU).
FIGS. 9-12 show various configurations of n hydro-thermal section (HTS).
FIGS. 13-14 show two examples of a multi-stage HTS design.
FIGS. 15-17 show examples of a mass transfer unit.
FIG. 18 is a graph illustrating the temperature profile and the moisture content distribution of the bubbles for the mass transfer unit shown in FIG. 17 .
FIGS. 19-27 show other examples of a mass transfer unit.
FIG. 28 shows an example of a desalination system that relies exclusively on solar energy.
FIG. 29 shows an example of a water-based desalination system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of exemplary embodiments or other examples described herein. However, it will be understood that these embodiments and examples may be practiced without the specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components and circuits have not been described in detail, so as not to obscure the following description. Further, the embodiments disclosed are for exemplary purposes only and other embodiments may be employed in lieu of, or in combination with, the embodiments disclosed.
The operation of a solar still is based on a humidification-dehumidification (HD) cycle, in which air is first humidified by evaporation of feed water and subsequently dehumidified to produce fresh water as a result. Air can be mixed with significant quantities of vapor. The vapor carrying capability of air increases with temperature, i.e. 1 kg of dry air can carry 0.6 kg of vapor when its temperature increases to 80° C. A significant advantage of this type of technology is that it provides means for low pressure and low temperature desalination. It can operate off the solar heat, which is not only environmentally safe and, but also economically attractive. HD-based desalination systems could potentially be very cost competitive. However, so far these systems have not been able to compete successfully against existing, more common approaches, such as reverse osmosis or multi-effect evaporation. The main reasons are a relatively low efficiency and high capital costs associated with the solar-driven HD systems. There is a need to design and develop more advanced solar-driven desalination approaches, which can be easily and effectively implemented in a wide range of production capacities at different locations around the world.
In the following discussion the HD process is described as it specifically applies to the desalination of saline or brackish feed water. However, the same method and apparatus can be used in other application of this process, e.g. water purification, distillation and others. The described apparatus can be also used in processing of liquids and materials other than water, e.g. alcohols, acids, foodstuffs, etc.
In accordance with the present invention, a desalination system driven primarily by solar energy is provided. The system 100 shown in FIG. 1 consists of at least two integrated parts: electro-mechanical section (EMS) 110 and hydro-thermal section (HTS) 120 . EMS 110 comprises at least one PV cell or PV module 111 , which is used to provide electrical power to other EMS components, such as a system controller 112 , water and air pumps 113 , and other possible electro-mechanical components. HTS 120 comprises at least one solar thermal collector 121 and hydro-thermal exchange unit 130 (HTEU). Unit 130 in turn comprises three independent circulation conduits or circuits: (1) circuit 131 for transporting feed water, (2) circuit 132 for transporting vapor carrying gas (typically air), and (3) circuit 133 for circulating fresh water. The circuits may comprise pipes, tubes, ducts, valves, taps, splitters, regulators and other components involved in water and air circulation. These circuits could be fully open, partially open or closed circuits. Means for heat and mass transfer 134 between respective circuits are also provided and described in detail below. Heat collected by collector 121 is transferred to at least one of the
circuits
131 , 132 and 133 . Also, means for supplying feed water 135 and discharging fresh water 136 are provided. As a result, system 100 is an autonomous desalination system, which can extract all of the energy required for its operation from ambient solar energy (or alternatively from other renewable energy sources). This desalination system represents a hybrid approach to desalination, encompassing attractive features of both direct and indirect desalination methods. For example, the solar heat is collected in the integrated collector 121 , which is characteristic of the direct desalination. However, heat/mass exchange and fresh water extraction are accomplished in the exchange unit 130 physically remote from the collector, which is characteristic of indirect desalination enabling better heat recovery and efficiency.
A larger desalination system 200 shown in FIG. 2 may be built using a modular design approach. In this case system 200 consists of several smaller, independent systems 100 connected to common feed water supply and fresh water discharge lines
210 and 220 , respectively. Such an approach simplifies the design of large desalination systems, minimizes component costs and lowers the start-up capital cost.
Desalination systems may be modified to include other sources of energy. For example, electrical power at least in part may be provided to the system from an electrical utility grid, an electrical power generator or any other independent electrical supply. Furthermore, other heat sources may be used for feed water heating, e.g. geothermal heat, industrial waste heat or others.
In accordance with the present invention, an advanced hybrid desalination system may be provided as shown in FIG. 3 . System 300 comprises an HTS, which includes at least solar heat collector 310 , evaporator 320 , condenser 330 , and heat exchanger 340 , and an EMS, which includes at least PV module 350 , controller 360 and pumps 371 - 373 . Feed water is circulated using pump 371 and pipe circuit 381 in the direction indicated by the arrows in FIG. 3 . The feed water is heated in the solar collector 310 and then partly evaporated by the evaporator 320 . The vapor is carried away by the carrier gas, such as air, in an air duct circuit 382 . The carrier gas is driven by air pump 372 . The moisture is then extracted in the condenser 330 and discharged using fresh water circuit 383 and pump 373 . Latent heat recovered in the condenser is used to pre-heat feed water in the heat exchanger 340 . PV panel 350 provides electrical power to the system using electrical circuit 351 . Controller 360 manages power distribution among the pumps using electrical circuit 361 .
Some or all of the aforementioned circuits 381 - 383 may be partially or fully closed as shown below. For example, the air circuit 382 may be a fully closed loop, so that the same air is recycled in sequential humidification-dehumidification cycles. The fresh water circuit 383 may be a partially closed loop, in which a portion of the flow is returned back to the system and the other portion is discharged. Similarly, the feed water circuit may be partially closed, so that a portion of feed water cycled back into the system.
Other components may be included in the desalination systems described above, such as backup batteries, solar heat storage, water filtering components etc. Electrical batteries and solar heat storage can store excess solar energy during the day, so that the system may operate during the night. This approach extends the operation of the system and thus improves its utility. The solar heat storage may be a hot water tank. Alternatively, a higher boiling temperature liquid may be used such as oil. In this case, the oil is first heated in the heat collector and then transferred to a storage tank. The feed water can then be heated using the hot oil, rather than the direct solar heat exposure.
This system may be modified to improve its performance according to FIG. 4 . System 400 in this case, in addition to solar heat collector 410 , evaporator 420 , condenser 430 , and heat exchanger 440 , has post-heater 490 . The PV panel 450 then provides electrical power not only to controller 460 and pumps 471 - 473 , but also to the heater 490 . The operation of the system 400 is similar to that of the system 300 in all respects, except that the additional electrical heater 490 raises the maximum temperature of the feed water as it enters the evaporator 420 . The extra temperature rise increases the air moisture content and evaporator efficiency. Also, the location and layout of the pumps may be different from the ones shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 .
In accordance with the present invention, an alternative advanced hybrid desalination system may be provided as shown in FIG. 5 . System 500 comprises an HTS, which includes at least solar heat collector 510 , heat exchanger 520 , evaporator 530 and condenser 540 , and an EMS, which includes at least PV module 550 , controller 560 and pumps 571 - 573 . Feed water is circulated using pump 572 and pipe circuit 581 , whereas fresh water is circulated using pump 571 and pipe circuit 582 . The fresh water is heated in the solar collector 510 and then used to heat up the feed water in the heat exchanger 520 . An additional electrical post-heater (not shown) may be used to further raise the temperature of the feed water before it enters the evaporator 530 . The feed water is then partly evaporated and the vapor is carried away by the carrier gas, such as air, in an air duct circuit 583 . The circulation of the carrier gas is driven by air pump 573 . The moisture is extracted afterwards in the condenser 540 and added to the recirculating supply of fresh water in the fresh water circuit 582 . Latent heat produced in the condenser is used to heat up the fresh water before it enters the solar collector 510 . PV panel 550 provides electrical power to the system using electrical circuit 551 . Controller 560 manages power distribution among the pumps using electrical circuit 561 . Some or all of the aforementioned circuits 581 - 583 may be partially or fully closed as shown below. For example, the air circuit 583 may be a fully closed loop, so that the same air is recycled in sequential humidification-dehumidification cycles. The fresh water circuit 582 may be a partially closed loop, in which a portion of the flow is returned back to the system and the other portion is discharged using circuit 584 . The feed water circuit may be open, so that the used feed water (brine) is completely discharged out of the system after passing once through the evaporator.
The fresh water circuit configured as a closed loop or a partially closed loop (e.g. circuit 582 ) does not require a special fresh water input for providing a continuous supply of additional fresh water. In this case the fresh water is primarily generated by the system itself through the process of dehumidification in the condenser. However, at the start of the desalination process the fresh water circuit may have to be filled with the amount of fresh water sufficient to run the condenser. Alternatively, in the absence of fresh water the fresh water circuit may be filled with the feed water. In the latter case the desalination system may have to be run for several hours before the water at the fresh water output is clean.
Desalination systems
300 , 400 and 500 are specific design examples of system 100 shown in FIG. 1 . Other designs of system 100 are of course possible. They include variations in the order of heat and mass exchanges among different elements and circuits of the HTS, additional elements in the HTS, such as heat exchangers, heaters, filters, etc., and additional elements in the EMS, such as alternative energy sources (wind or wave power generators). For example, heat from the solar collector may be transferred to the carrier gas. Sun tracking and concentrating optics may be added to improve solar energy conversion efficiency in the integrated PV modules and/or heat collectors. Any of these desalination systems may be based on the ground or water (e.g. coastal areas). In the latter case the EMS should be water resistant and the system as a whole should float on the water surface. As a single stage desalination system (i.e. a single humidification-dehumidification cycle), this system is intrinsically safe for the environment, since it produces very low salinity brine. Additional vertical positioning equipment may be included in such a system, which would allow the system to be submerged or raised above the water surface. In addition, the system may be provided with a small engine, motor, thruster or other, which would enable autonomous translation motion across the water surface. The autonomous positioning system may be used for system protection against inclement weather.
Different solar collectors may be used in order to convert solar energy to heat. Either fluid or gas is heated by the solar radiation as it circulates along the solar collector through or near an absorber. The heat may be transferred to the carrier gas, feed water or fresh water. Some other fluid may be also heated at the solar collector and either stored at an insulated tank or used to heat another thermal medium. The solar collector may be a static or suntracking device. The latter ones may have one or two axes of sun tracking. An example of a static collector is a flat-plate collector (FPC) made of either metal or plastic. The absorber pipes are assembled on a flat plate and they usually have a transparent protective surface in order to minimize heat losses. They may have different selective coatings to reduce heat losses and to increase radiation absorption. A typical flat-plate collector is an insulated metal box with a glass or plastic cover and a black absorber plate. The flow tubes can be routed in parallel or in a serpentine pattern. Flat plate collectors so far have not been found as a very popular and useful technology for desalination. Although they have been used for relatively small desalinated water production volumes, production of large volumes of water today requires additional energy sources. Heat losses could be minimized in evacuated tube collectors (ETCs) by an evacuated cover of the absorber. Evacuated tubes could be either Dewar-type coaxial glass tubes or ETC with a metallic absorber and a glass-to-metal seal. ETCs reach higher temperatures and efficiencies, and they are typically used in conjunction with the solar concentration.
Another energy-harvesting portion of system 100 is the PV module 111 , which provides necessary electrical power to the electrical components of the system. There are different PV technologies suitable for this purpose. The most widespread technology is based on crystalline silicon, which provides PV modules with efficiency of about 14-18%. Higher efficiencies of about 25-30% can be achieved using multi junction PV modules based on another crystalline semiconductorâGaAs. When these modules are used in combination with solar concentration, energy conversion efficiencies approach and may even exceed 40%. However, PV modules based on these technologies tend to be expensive and in some cases may be even cost prohibitive for desalination purposes. Less expensive PV technologies exist and they are based on thin-film semiconductors, such as a-Si, CdTe, CuInGaSe 2 and others. Thin-film PV modules are somewhat less efficient than their crystalline silicon counterparts, but they may be more economical in desalination applications. Current developments in thin-film PV also suggest that the efficiency of these modules will eventually approach that of Si modules and their cost will continue to decrease substantially below that of Si modules, which would make thin-film PV even more attractive for desalination purposes.
In accordance with the present invention, a hydro-thermal exchange unit (HTEU) can be configured in a closed star configuration, as shown in FIG. 6 . Unit 600 comprises at least mass exchange units
610 and 620 and heat exchanger 630 , which are directly connected to each other. The mass exchange units are the evaporator and condenser used respectively to humidify and dehumidify the carrier gas. The heat exchanger 630 is used to recover the latent heat released in the condenser. Alternatively, a hydro-thermal exchange unit can be configured in an open star configuration, as shown in FIG. 7 . Unit 700 comprises at least mass exchange units
710 and 720 and heat exchanger 730 , some of which are not directly connected (e.g. units 710 and 730 ). For example, mass exchange unit 710 may be an evaporator, in which feed water transferred via circuit 750 is partly evaporated and carried away by the carrier gas transferred by circuit 760 . Respectively, mass exchange unit 720 may be a condenser, in which the moisture is extracted from the carrier gas, condensed and added to the flow of fresh water transferred by circuit 770 . Subsequently, the heat exchanger 730 and the latent heat carried by the fresh water flowing from the condenser are used to heat up feed water carried by circuit 780 . The arrows in FIG. 7 indicate the flow directions for all circuits in the example considered above. It should be noted that the open star configuration can only be depicted in the drawings in only one way as shown in FIG. 7 , but the closed star configuration can be depicted in the manner shown in either FIG. 6 or FIG. 7 . The main difference between these two configurations is that in the closed star arrangement each unit is internally connected, whereas in the open star arrangement this is not the case and there are additional ports (e.g. output A and input D as in FIG. 7 ).
Similarly, a hydro-thermal exchange unit can be also configured in an open star configuration, as shown in FIG. 8 . Unit 800 comprises at least mass exchange units
810 and 820 and heat exchanger 830 . In this case mass exchange unit 810 may be an evaporator, in which the feed water transferred via circuit 850 is partly evaporated and carried away by the carrier gas transferred by circuit 860 . Circuit 860 is configured in a closed loop configuration, so that the same carrier gas may be used repeatedly. Respectively, mass exchange unit 820 may be a condenser, in which the moisture is extracted from the carrier gas, condensed and added to the flow of fresh water transferred by circuit 870 . Circuit 870 is configured in partially closed configuration, enabling fresh water recirculation. Excess fresh water is discharged using output circuit 890 . The heat exchanger 830 is used to heat up feed water carried by circuit 880 .
Accordingly, the HTS of a desalination system may be configured in an open or closed star configuration. For example, FIG. 9 shows an HTS in an open star configuration comprising solar collector 901 , evaporator 910 , condenser 920 and heat exchanger 930 . In this case, feed water is supplied to the system 900 via circuit 940 and preheated in the heat exchanger 930 . It is further transferred to the collector 901 via circuit 941 , where it is heated to its maximum temperature. The feed water is subsequently transferred to the evaporator 910 via circuit 942 and its remainder is discharged from the system via circuit 943 . Evaporated moisture is carried by an air flow in circuit 951 from the evaporator 910 to the condenser 920 , after which dehumidified air is recirculated back to the evaporator using circuit 952 . Condensed moisture is added to the flow of fresh water and carried away by circuit 961 . Fresh water is heated due to the release of latent heat in the condenser. This heat is used to pre-heat incoming feed water in the heat exchanger 930 . Cooled fresh water is recirculated back to the condenser using circuit 962 . A portion of the fresh water flow is split and excess is discharged via circuit 963 . In this example the carrier gas circuit ( 951 and 952 ) is configured in the closed loop configuration. Although the air is used as a carrier gas, other gasses may be also used, such as argon, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and others. The fresh water circuit ( 961 , 962 and 963 ) is configured in a partially closed configuration, and the feed water circuit ( 940 , 941 , 942 and 943 ) is configured in an open configuration. Mass and
heat exchangers
910 , 920 and 930 are preferably counter-flow exchangers, since counter-flowing optimizes the heat/mass exchange rate and maximizes the efficiency of an exchange process. The HTS 900 is designed to recover primarily the latent heat of the condensing water vapor, which is typically the primary source of heat losses in the solar-based direct desalination systems. However, the temperature of the discharged feed water (brine) carried by the circuit 943 is typically higher than that of the feed water at the intake in the circuit 940 . The residual heat carried by the brine in this case is an additional source of heat losses.
HTS 1000 shown in FIG. 10 recovers both the latent heat of the condensed fresh water and the residual heat of the discharged brine. HTS 1000 comprises solar collector 1001 , evaporator 1010 , condenser 1020 , primary heat exchanger 1030 and secondary heat exchanger 1070 . In this case, feed water is supplied to the HTS 1000 via circuit 1040 and preheated in the heat exchangers
1030 and 1040 . It is further transferred to the collector 1001 via circuit 1042 , where it is heated to its maximum temperature. The feed water is subsequently transferred to the <figure-callout id="1010" label="evaporator" filenames="US10538435-20200121-D00008.png" state="{{s
CLAIMS
Claims ( 22 )
The invention claimed is:
1. An evaporator/condenser, comprising:
at least one mass exchange unit, each of the mass exchange unit including:
a vessel for containing gas and water, the vessel having an upper portion and a lower portion;
a gas conduit located in a bottom portion of the vessel and having a gas inlet communicating a gas flow from external of the vessel into the gas conduit;
an aerator receiving gas from the gas conduit and creating a stream of gas bubbles;
a water intake conduit for receiving a flow of water from a source external to the vessel, the water intake conduit being located in an upper portion of the vessel;
a water output conduit located in the lower portion of the vessel through which water flows out of the vessel;
a gas outlet located in the upper portion of the vessel; and
a series of mesh screens being arranged in a stack in the vessel between the water intake conduit and the aerator so that, when used as an evaporator, gas bubbles from the aerator rising in the vessel through water are subdivided into smaller gas bubbles as they pass through holes in each of the mesh screens, and when used as a condenser, accumulate small size bubbles from the aerator rising in the vessel through water and aggregate them into larger sized bubbles.
2. The evaporator/condenser of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of mass exchange units, a gas outlet of a first one of the mass exchange units being coupled to the air inlet of the gas conduit of a second one of the mass exchange units and the water output conduit of the second mass exchange unit being coupled to the water intake conduit of the first mass exchange units.
3. The evaporator/condenser of claim 1 wherein the first and second mass exchange units are stacked one upon another such that the second mass exchange unit is located above the first mass exchange unit.
4. The evaporator/condenser of claim 1 the aerator is configured to create gas bubbles having a size between 0.1 mm and 5 mm.
5. The evaporator/condenser of claim 1 the aerator is configured to create gas bubbles having a size between 0.5 mm and 2 mm.
6. The evaporator/condenser of claim 1 wherein a spatial separation between adjacent ones of the mesh screens is constant.
7. The evaporator/condenser of claim 1 wherein a spatial separation between adjacent ones of the mesh screens varies with a vertical position of each of the mesh screens.
8. The evaporator/condenser of claim 7 wherein the spatial separation increases as the vertical positions of the mesh screens become closer to the lower portion of the vessel.
9. The evaporator/condenser of claim 1 further comprising a sprayer for spraying the water from the water intake conduit to create columns of water that move from top to bottom in the vessel.
10. An evaporator/condenser, comprising:
at least one mass exchange unit, each of the mass exchange unit including:
a vessel for containing gas and water, the vessel having an upper portion and a lower portion;
a gas conduit located in a bottom portion of the vessel and having a gas inlet communicating a gas flow from external of the vessel into the gas conduit;
a water intake conduit for receiving a flow of water from a source external to the vessel, the water intake conduit being located in an upper portion of the vessel;
a sprayer for spraying the water from the water intake conduit to create columns of water that move from top to bottom in the vessel;
a water output conduit located in the lower portion of the vessel through which water flows out of the vessel;
a gas outlet located in the upper portion of the vessel; and
at least one mesh screen being arranged in a layered stack in the vessel between the water intake conduit and the water output conduit so that a wetted mesh surface can provide a large contact area for mass exchange between gas and water.
11. The evaporator/condenser of claim 10 wherein the sprayer is configured to spray the water across a topmost one of the mesh screens.
12. The evaporator/condenser of claim 10 wherein the at least one mesh screen comprises a series of mesh screens that are laterally staggered such that adjacent ones of the mesh screens are laterally offset with respect to one another so that a path through the vessel is provided along which the gas is able to flow from the air inlet to the air outlet without traversing any holes in the mesh screens.
13. The evaporator/condenser of claim 10 further comprising a series of baffles each being associated with one of the mesh screens to block gas flow between an outer portion of the respective mesh screen and an interior wall of the vessel such that gas flow is facilitated along said path through the vessel.
14. The evaporator/condenser of claim 10 wherein at least one mesh screen comprises a series of mesh screens and a spatial separation between adjacent ones of the mesh screens varies with a vertical position of each of the mesh screens.
15. The evaporator/condenser of claim 13 wherein the baffles are constant in size.
16. The evaporator/condenser of claim 13 wherein a size of each baffle varies with vertical position.
17. The evaporator/condenser of claim 10 wherein the vessel has a constant cross-sectional area.
18. The evaporator/condenser of claim 10 wherein the vessel has a varying cross-sectional area across its height.
19. The evaporator/condenser of claim 10 wherein the vessel is cylindrical in shape.
20. The evaporator/condenser of claim 19 wherein the at least one mesh screen comprises a series of mesh screens that are defined by a continuous spiral mesh screen.
21. The evaporator/condenser of claim 20 wherein the vessel includes a hollow core in which the mesh screens are not present.
22. The evaporator/condenser of claim 10 further comprising an aerator receiving gas from the gas conduit and creating a stream of gas bubbles in water.
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Solar desalination system employing a humidification-dehumidification process
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