WO2000067871A1

WO2000067871A1 - Cold distillation method

Info

Publication number: WO2000067871A1
Application number: PCT/US2000/000606
Authority: WO
Inventors: D. Joshua Prestidge
Original assignee: Prestidge D Joshua
Priority date: 1999-05-05
Filing date: 2000-01-11
Publication date: 2000-11-16
Also published as: JP2002543954A; AU2606500A; OA11938A; AU3529600A; MXPA01011209A; EP1191988A4; EP1191988A1; TR200103175T2; IL146273A0; ZA200108980B; US6051111A; AP2001002343A0; WO2000068150A2; CA2368117A1

Abstract

A mehtod of distillation including the steps of drawing a volume of untreated water (140) containing impurities into a container (130), applying a vacuum to the container, applying an oscillating electric charge via an oscillating device (110) to the untreated water thereby producing water vapor from the untreated water, capturing the water vapor in a vapor pipe (170), and condensing the water vapor back into a liquid form in a collecting chamber (100). An oscillating frequency of 2.6 gigahertz, either by sonic or electric charge, displaces the hydrogen bonding between water molecules. This displacement permits distillation at a low temperature without the infusion of large amounts of energy.

Description

COLD DISTILLATION METHOD

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present im ention relates generally to a distillation process and more specifically to a method for obtaining potable water from saltwater

RELATED APPLICATIONS

Reference is made to co-pending United States patent application Ser No 08/953,183, entitled: Desalination Method Using Induced Molecular Displacement, and filed in the name of D.J. Prestidge on October 17, 1997

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Water is an immeasurably valuable resource to the human race However, 97.23 percent of all water is found in the oceans About one percent of the freshwater is in the glaciers and ice caps and about one percent is in the atmosphere and clouds This leaves only one percent in the ground available from aquifers and natural spπngs

Because of its capacity to dissolve numerous substances in large amounts, pure water rarely occurs in nature Duπng condensation and precipitation, rain or snow absorbs from the atmosphere varying amounts of carbon dioxide and other gases, as well as traces of organic and inorganic mateπal. In addition, precipitation carries radioactive fallout to the earth's surface In its movement on and through the earth s crust w ater reacts with minerals in the soil and rocks The principal dissolv ed constituents of surface and groundwater are sulfates, chlondes, and bicarbonates or sodium and potassium and the oxides of calcium and magnesium Surface waters may also contain domestic sewage and industπal wastes Groundwaters from shallow wells may contain large quantities of nitrogen compounds and chlondes deπved from human and animal wastes Waters trom deep wells generally contain only minerals in solution

Seawater contains in addition to concentrated amounts of sodium chloπde, or salt, many other soluble compounds as the impure waters of πvers and streams are constantly feeding the oceans At the same time, pure water is continually lost by the process of evaporation, and as a result the proportion of the impunties that give the oceans their saline character is increased

In their thirst for water, people have looked longingly throughout history at the endless supply of water from the sea More than ev er, people believe that desalting ocean water holds the answer to the ever-increasing demand for fresh-water In 1967. Key West, Flonda, began operation of its desalination plant and thus became the first city in the United States to draw its fresh water from the sea

Desalination plants have high construction costs and consume large amounts of power Using conventional fuels, plants with a capacity of 1 million gallons per day or less produce water at a cost of $ 1 00 or more per 1 ,000 gallons More than 500 such plants are in operation with a total capacity of nearly 125 million gallons a day Natural freshwater sources cost only 30 cents per 1 ,000 gallons, vet rapidly deplete underground aquifers and other relatively finite sources of freshwater

Further problems with desalination plants in current operation are their environmental effect These plants produce a bnne effluent that threatens the aquatic environment when returned to the sea Other drawbacks to current desalination plants are their limitations to treating seawater

What is needed is a method to produce distilled quality freshwater from w astewater However, traditional distillation processes heat the water, thereby v aponzing objectionable organic or toxic content

Currently utilized distillation methods include multiple-effect evaporation, vapor- compression distillation, and flash ev aporation The tvpical distillation process compπses heating the influent saltw ater until it boils This separates out the dissolv ed minerals resulting in a puπfied and salt-free product This product is then recov ered in a gaseous state and piped out to the distnbution system Other desalination methods include freezing, reverse osmosis and electrodialysis The freezing process takes advantage of the different freezing points of fresh and salt water The ice crystals are divided from the bπne. washed free of salt, and melted into fresh water Reverse osmosis compnses the process of using pressure to force fresh water through a thin membrane that does not permit the minerals to pass Electrodialysis is applied to recoveπng fresh water from brackish waters Positive and negative ions are created when a salt dissolves in water An electric current is applied to the water through anion and cation membranes which extract the salt from the solution

Water exhibits constancy in all its phases (liquid, gas, and solid) This constancy is perceptible in the temperature change of liquid water which increases or decreases more slowly than almost any other known matenal Water takes ten times the energy of iron (for equal weight) to heat one degree This slow heating of water acts as a buffer against accelerated boiling or burning

Inhibiting the hydrogen-bonding of liquid water requires the displacement of water molecules at the point of bonding flickeπng on and off at a frequency of approximately one billion times a second The bonding is dependent on position The molecules must be onented with a hydrogen atom in one molecule close to an oxygen atom in another A displacement in this configuration would inhibit the bond from forming A frequency of one billion hertz has a wavelength of one micrometer which is approximately the same length of one thousand water molecules in a linear arrangement These molecules are displaced duπng the compression and relaxation of the wave motion thereby preventing the bonds from establishing Without the hydrogen-bonding, the liquid water boils at room temperature Once the vapor is no longer subjected to the high-frequency oscillations, it condenses back to a liquid

This invention is direct to a new method of desalination w hich utilizes molecular displacement to vapoπze water from contaminants without the need to heat the solution

An object of this invention is to provide an alternate method of desalination of seawater

It is another object of this invention to provide desalination at a lower cost than previously known methods by lowenng the energy level required to minimal amounts

It is another object of this invention to provide distilled water from seawater regardless of the water's salinity

It is another object of this invention to prov ide potable water from seawater without creating environmental damage from the bπne effluent common to methods previously known

It is another object of this invention to provide a system of water treatment to produce potable water from other contaminated solutions other than seawater Previous attempts have been made to provide an efficient desalination process such as descnbed in U S Patent No 5,679,254 to Chakrabarti ('254 patent), U S Patent No 5,630,913 to Tajer-Ardebύi ('913 patent), U S Patent No 5,525,200 to LaNois et al ('200 patent), U S Patent No 5,229,005 to Fok et al ('005 patent). U S Patent Nos 5, 160,634 and 5,094,758 to Chang ('634 and '758 patents), all of which are incorporate herein by reference

The '254 patent to Charkrabarti descnbes the desalination of seawater by applying organic chemicals to seawater which bond to the water molecules The new solution is then heated to extract and recover fresh water However, this process requires the use of chemicals and is limited in output capacity Furthermore, the solution recovered by the process it not completely salt-free

The '913 patent to Tajer-Ardebih descnbes a water distillation system using relatively standard methods of heat, vacuum and condensation The '913 patent provides no mechanism to further reduce the boiling point of the liquid aside from the application of a vacuum

The '200 patent to LaNois et al descnbes a low temperature vacuum distillation apparatus wherein a vacuum applied to untreated liquid lowers the boiling point so that distillation may occur at lower temperatures The perceived benefit of the '200 patent is its baffleless pathway to provide a more efficient vapor collection process However, the '200 patent provides no mechanism to further reduce the boiling point of the liquid aside from the application of a vacuum The '005 patent to Fok et al descnbes a process for desalination of seawater utilizing the oceanic depth as a source for pressure for reverse osmosis However, the water must be repeatedly transferred from an oceanic depth to the surface and then transported inland Furthermore, this process is impractical for many coastal communities wherein the ocean depth is too shallow in the surrounding vicinity The '634 and '758 patents to Chang descπbe a system and method for desalinating water utilizing a laser beam to reduce the dielectric value of the solvent and vibrating the ions, permitting them to combine and precipitate out of seawater However, the '634 patent requires the use of expensive lasers and related optics to function properly Additionally, the '634 patent may not be suitable for large desalination projects Consequently, there is a need in the art for an alternate method of desalination of seawater

There is a further need in the art for a desalination process which operates at a lower cost than previously known methods by loweπng the energy level required to minimal amounts There is a further need in the art for a water treatment process able to provide distilled water from seawater regardless ot the salinity

There is a further need in the art for a system that provides potable water from seawater without creating environmental damage from the bπne effluent common to methods previously known

There is a further need in the art for a system of water treatment to produce potable water from other contaminated solutions other than seawater

There is a further need in the art for a system able to distill freshwater at a low temperature without vaponzing hazardous or undesirable contaminants However, in view of the pnor art in at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art how the identified needs could be fulfilled

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention solves significant problems in the art by providing a low energy, environmentally benign method of distillation, particularly for desalinating seawater into potable water for human consumption

A method of distillation compπsing the steps of applying a vacuum to a body of water containing impunties, applying an oscillating electnc charge to said water thereby producing a volume of water vapor from said water, and captunng and condensing said volume of water vapor

Generally descnbed, the present invention provides a method of distillation compπsing the steps of applying a vacuum to a body of untreated water containing impunties applying an oscillating electnc charge to said untreated water thereby producing a volume of water vapor from said untreated water, and captunng and condensing said volume of water vapor It is preferable that the vacuum be no less than 15 mm Hg or else the water will freeze The oscillating electπcal charge preferably operates at 15 volts root mean square ("RMS") of direct current and is applied between two or more electrodes However, the desired effect may be obtained with any current provided its RMS is at least one volt In a preferred embodiment, the electπc current is oscillated at a frequency of 2 6 gigahertz with a minimum effective frequency of at least 0 9 gigahertz

In a preferred embodiment, a body of untreated water containing impunties is drawn into a container before the oscillating electπc charge is applied the container is partially submerged in a body of untreated water containing impunties and having a base completely submerged in the body of untreated water, an opening in the base permits the circulation of the untreated water between the container and the untreated body of water One problem that required resolution duπng the development of this invention was the thermal dispaπties between the untreated water and the resultant freshwater When a significant vacuum is applied to the untreated water, it begins to freeze At the same time, the resultant water vapor must cool in order to condense into a liquid A collecting chamber receiving the water vapor via a vapor pipe from the container has a common wall to the container permitting thermal dispanties between said container and said collecting chamber to equalize Thus, both the latent heat energy of the body of water containing impunties and the heat from the recently condensed water vapor warms the cold, untreated water drawn to the top of the container and subjected to the vacuum The common wall may be constructed of a non-insulating fluid impermeable matenal It is also preferable that the container be partially submerged in the body of water containing impunties An opening in the base of the container permits the circulation of water between the container and the body of water As freshwater is extracted, the remaining salts and impunties are dissolved into the body of water, thereby preventing harmful levels of bπne effluent or toxins to concentrate over an extended period of time

A funnel may be utilized to facilitate the condensation of the vapor as its exists the vapor pipe. The condensed freshwater then falls into the collecting chamber

It is anticipated that increasing the total freshwater output of this invention may be achieved by employing a plurality of individual units operating simultaneously While each unit may require a separate oscillating electnc charge, they may share a common vacuum source, thereby providing a more efficient and economical operation

In an alternate embodiment, sonic displacement may be utilized to displace the water molecules In this embodiment, a sonic wave oscillating at a frequency of at least 0 9 gigahertz, rather than the electric charge, is applied to the untreated water The molecular effect is the same However, utilizing an electnc charge is preferable as sonic film transducers are less durable when subjected to continued high frequency operation

An advantage of the invention is that desalination may be achieved at a lower cost than previously known methods by lowenng the energy level required to minimal amounts Another advantage of this invention is that the process is achieved ithout raising the temperature of the untreated solutions, whether it is seawater, river water, waste water, or the like By processing the water without the use of heat, harmful chemicals and undesirable substances are not vaponzed into the atmosphere, thereby providing a substantial benefit to the environment Another advantage of this invention is its ability to provide potable water from seawater without creating environmental damage from the bπne effluent common to other known methods

Another advantage of this invention is its particular adaptability for communities near saltwater Saltwater often contaminates freshwater aquifers as those aquifers are depleted The current invention may be utilized directly off the coast of these communities, thereby providing a relatively limitless supply of needed freshwater with minimal energy requirements and low environmental impact

These and other important objects, advantages, and features of the invention will become clear as this descπption proceeds

The invention accordingly compnses the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts that will be exemplified in the descnption set forth hereinafter and the scope of the invention will be indicated m the claims

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed descnption, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention FIG. 2 is an overhead elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the oscillating device according to the invention

FIG. 2a is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the oscillating device according to the invention

FIG. 3 is perspective view of a plurality of individual desalination units operating simultaneously off a beach.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Refernng initially to FIG. 1, it will there be seen that an illustrative embodiment of the present invention is denoted by the reference number 10 as a whole

A container 130 is partial submerged in a body of untreated water 140 The contamer 130 has an opening 105 in its base which permits the circulation of the untreated water between the container 130 and the body of untreated water 140 Water is draw up into the contamer 130 from the body of untreated water 140 At the top of the container, an oscillating device 110 applies an oscillating electnc charge to the surface of the untreated water The electπc charge is provided by a voltage source 150 and the oscillations are prov ided by an oscillator 160 coupled to the oscillating device 1 10 A vapor pipe 170 provides a pathway from the contamer to a collecting chamber 100 A vacuum pump 15 applies a vacuum to the collecting chamber 100 through a v acuum hose 20 The resulting vacuum is achieved within the container 130 through the vapor pipe 170

The oscillating device 1 10 displaces the molecular bonds between the water molecules, thereby vaponzing the water in the container 130 The oscillator 160 preferably operates at a frequency of 2 6 gigahertz The resultant vapor is drawn through the vapor pipe and exits through an opening 180 to the collecting chamber 100 Preferably, the resultant vapor strikes a funnel 80 as it falls through the opening 180, thereby condensing into liquid form of freshwater 70 A solenoid switch 190 affixed to an inner side of the collecting chamber 100 detects when the water level reaches a predetermined mark and a sump pump 60 then draws the freshwater 70 out an effluent pipe 50 for distπbution as potable water

It should be noted that in a preferred embodiment, the container 130 and the collecting chamber 100 share at least one common wall able to transfer heat energy Thermal dispaπties between the untreated water and the resultant freshwater exist when a significant vacuum is applied to the water The resultant freshwater begins to warm and the untreated water drawn to the top of the container begins to freeze Therefore it is preferable to fashion a common wall between the container 130 and collecting chamber 100 so that the latent heat energy of a natural body of water and heat from the recently condensed water vapor warm the untreated water drawn to the top of the container and subjected to the vacuum The common wall may be constructed of a non-insulating fluid impermeable matenal

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the oscillating device 1 10 adapted for use with an electπc charge In the illustrated embodiment, a first half 212 and a second half 214 have opposite electπcal charges A convoluted gap 210 provides a pathway for vapor production as oscillations in the electnc charge displace the hydrogen bonds between the water molecules As an alternative embodiment, sonic displacement may be utilized to displace the water molecules In this embodiment, a sonic frequency oscillating at a frequency of at least 0 9 gigahertz, rather than the electnc charge, is applied to the untreated water The molecular effect is the same However, utilizing an electnc charge is preferable as sonic film transducers are less resistant to continued high frequency operation FIG. 2a shows a perspective view of the oscillating device 1 10 fitted to an end of the vapor pipe 170

FIG. 3 illustrates an intended use of the invention for high freshwater output from a coastal body of water In the illustration an array 230 of the distillation units are suspended between floating barges 220 A freshwater pipe 240 provides a conduit from the coastal body of water to an inland population While each unit may require a separate oscillating electπc charge, they may share a common vacuum source, thereby providing a more efficient and economical operation

It will be seen that the objects set forth above, and those made apparent from the foregoing descnption, are efficiently attained and since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matters contained in the foregoing descnption or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the geneπc and specific features of the invention herein descnbed, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween Now that the invention has been descnbed,

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS

1 A method of distillation compπsing the steps of applying a vacuum to a v olume of untreated water containing impunties, applying an oscillating electnc charge to said untreated water thereby producing a volume of water vapor from said water, captunng and condensing said volume of water vapor

2 The method of distillation as in claim 1 , wherein said vacuum applied is at least 15 mm Hg

3 The method of distillation as descnbed in claim 1 , wherein said oscillating electπc charge is at least one volt root mean square The method of distillation as in claim 1 , wherein said electnc charge is oscillated at a frequency of at least 0 9 gigahertz The method of distillation as in claim 1 , wherein said volume of untreated water containing impunties is drawn into a container before said oscillating electric charge is applied, said container being partially submerged in a body of untreated water containing impunties and having a base completely submerged in said body of untreated water, an opening in said base permitting the circulation of said untreated water between said container and said body of untreated water The method of distillation as in claim 5, further compnsmg the steps of collecting said water vapor in a collecting chamber, said collecting chamber have a common wall to said container permitting thermal dispanties between said container and said collecting chamber to equalize The method of distillation as in claim 6, wherein said water vapor is transfeπed from said container to said collecting chamber via a vapor pipe The method of distillation as in claim 1 , wherein said oscillating electπcal charge is achieved by applying a direct current between two or more electrodes The method of distillation as in claim 7, wherein water vapor exiting said vapor pipe stπkes a funnel before condensing in said collecting chamber 0 The method of distillation as in claim 5, wherein a plurality of containers each utilize a separate oscillating electπcal charge but share a common vacuum source 1 A method of distillation compπsing the steps of applying a vacuum to a volume of untreated water containing impunties, applying an oscillating sonic wave to said untreated water thereby producing a volume of water vapor from said water, captunng and condensing said volume of water vapor The method of distillation as in claim 1 1, wherein said vacuum applied is at least 15 mm Hg The method of distillation as in claim 1 1, wherein said sonic wave is oscillated at a frequency of at least 0 9 gigahertz The method of distillation as in claim 1 1, wherein said volume of untreated water containing impunties is drawn into a container before said oscillating electnc charge is applied, said container being partially submerged in a body of untreated water containing impunties and having a base completely submerged in said body of untreated water, an opening in said base permitting the circulation of said untreated water between said container and said body of untreated water The method of distillation as in claim 14, further compπsing the steps of collecting said water vapor in a collecting chamber, said collecting chamber have a common wall to said container permitting thermal dispaπties between said container and said collecting chamber to equalize The method of distillation as in claim 15, wherein said water vapor is transferred from said container to said collecting chamber via a vapor pipe The method of distillation as in claim 16, wherein water vapor exiting said vapor pipe strikes a funnel before condensing in said collecting chamber The method of distillation as in claim 15, wherein a plurality of containers each utilize a separate oscillating sonic wave but share a common vacuum source