§
Luxuse
Patent Intelligence
Sign In
← Back to Patent Explorer
US3675436A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Desalination process

Assignee: STRUTHERS SCIENT AND INTERN CO
•
Filing: 1970-02-25
•
Granted: 1972-07-11
•
Expires: 1990-02-25
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract The freeze desalination of sea water is accomplished using the refrigeration potential released during the regassification of liquified natural gas. Sea water feed is cooled in an ice melter and feed cooler to near freezing, the feed is mixed with cold brine, and the feed is passed to a crystallizer wherein ice crystals are formed by direct contact with a refrigerant which has been cooled by the evaporation of the liquid natural gas. Ice crystals are separated from a slurry led from the crystallizer and the ice crystals are fed into the ice melter and feed cooler in which a refrigerant in a closed cycle condenses to melt ice and evaporates to cool feed. Fresh water is separated from condensed refrigerant in the ice melter and feed cooler. Refrigerant is stripped from the fresh water and brine passing from the system. In the crystallizer, gaseous refrigerant emerging from the feed is condensed by liquid refrigerant spraying into a tray suspended above the feed.

Inventors

  • 👤 Neophytos Ganiaris

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-27 22:14
CPC Classifications
F; F17; F17C; F17C9/00; F17C9/02; F17C9/04; C; C02; C02F; C02F1/00; C02F1/22; C02F2103/00; C02F2103/08; F17C2221/00; F17C2221/03; F17C2221/032; F17C2221/033; F17C2221/035; F17C2223/00; F17C2223/01; F17C2223/0146; F17C2223/0153; F17C2223/0161; F17C2227/00; F17C2227/03; F17C2227/0337; F17C2227/0341; F17C2227/0348; F17C2227/0351; F17C2227/0367; F17C2227/0388; F17C2227/0393; F17C2260/00; F17C2260/03; F17C2260/031; F17C2260/032; F17C2265/00; F17C2265/05; Y; Y02; Y02A; Y02A20/00; Y02A20/124

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim 24 words
The process according to claim 1 wherein in step (d) the feed is mechanically agitated for mixing with the slurry in the crystallization zone.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 63 words
The process according to claim 1 with the additional step of storing liquid refrigerant, refrigerant from storage being recirculated through the heat exchanger in step (b) and refrigerant from storage being sprayed into the crystallizer in step (e), sprayed and condensed refrigerant withdrawn from the crystallizer being partly introduced into the crystallization zone and being partly recirculated for further cooling in step (f).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 21 words
The process according to claim 3 wherein, in step (i) ice is melted to cool incoming feed used in step (c).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 96 words
The process according to claim 4 wherein step (i) comprises the steps of (j) introducing the ice onto first plates in a closed container of a melter-cooler having a liquid refrigerant therein, (k) introducing feed onto second plates in the container, the liquid refrigerant vaporizing on contact with the feed on the second plates anD condensing to melt ice on the first plates, and (l) decanting melted ice from liquid refrigerant and withdrawing the melted ice from the container, liquid refrigerant flowing in the container onto the second plates to contact and cool feed on vaporizing.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 35 words
The combination according to claim 5 wherein in step (h) part of the brine is recycled by being mixed with feed in step (c), and the remainder of the brine is passed from the system.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 27 words
The combination according to claim 6 wherein the melted ice in step (l) is stripped of refrigerant and the brine in step (h) is stripped of refrigerant.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 56 words
The process according to claim 7 wherein the refrigerant of steps (b), (d), (e) and (f) is n-butane, the n-butane being sprayed into the vapor span of the crystallizer at a temperature below 20*F. in step (e), the temperature of the n-butane introduced into the crystallization zone being within 5*F. of the temperature of the feed.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 28 words
The combination according to claim 8 wherein the refrigerant in the melter-cooler is n-butane, the melter-cooler at an equilibrium pressure and temperature of about 16 psia at 34*F.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US2975607A Cited
US3070969A Cited
US3046752A Cited
US3251192A Cited
US3240024A Cited
US3204419A Cited
US3478531A Cited
US3535210A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1975-07-11 1976-01-10 1976-07-11 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1979-07-11 1980-01-10 1980-07-11 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1983-07-11 1984-01-10 1984-07-11 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag