US3933600A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for desalinization of water
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1974-05-17
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Granted: 1976-01-20
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Expires: 1994-05-17
Abstract
Abstract Water containing dissolved salt, e.g., sea water, is desalinized by vaporng a part thereof by direct contact with a flame within a closed vessel, e.g., by introducing the water as a spray into a closed vessel onto the flame, removing a gaseous mixture of vaporized water and combustion products, and condensing the water in the mixture within a condenser, while withdrawing unvaporized residual water, enriched in salt, from the bottom of the vessel at a rate to maintain a pool thereof in the vessel. Preferably a branch stream of the feed water, heated as by heat exchange with the vapors in the condenser, is sprayed into a second vessel which is operated at reduced pressure and may be unheated, to vaporize a part of the branch stream, low pressure being maintained by (a) discharging the vapor into the suction of a jet pump to which the gaseous mixture from the first vessel is supplied as high-pressure fluid, and (b) discharging the unvaporized liquid from the second vessel downwardly through a hydraulic leg and supplying the liquid from the bottom of the leg to the suction of another jet pump to which the liquid discharged from the first vessel is supplied as high-pressure liquid.
Inventors
- 👤 Adiel Y. Dodge, deceased
- 👤 executrix by Dorian Dodge Crocker
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 12:29
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01D; B01D1/00; B01D1/16; B01D1/14; C; C02; C02F; C02F1/00; C02F1/02; C02F1/04; C02F1/10; Y; Y02; Y02A; Y02A20/00; Y02A20/124; Y10; Y10S; Y10S203/00; Y10S203/11
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
244 words
Process of desalinizing water which comprises the steps of: injecting saline water as a spray substantially free of solid particles into a closed vaporization zone; burning fuel within the zone to form a flame positioned to directly contact the injected water to thereby vaporize a part of the water while collecting in the lower part of said zone a remainder of unvaporized water having a higher salt content than the injected water; ejecting from the zone a mixture of water vapor and gaseous combustion products; condensing water from the withdrawn mixture; and ejecting the remainder having increased salt content from the zone; injecting saline water as a spray into a second vaporization zone at a temperature above 130° F., the second zone being maintained at subatmospheric pressure, and thereby vaporizing a part of the water while collecting a residue of unvaporized water having increased salt content as a pool in the lower part of the second zone; discharging the residue from the second zone downwardly through a column of water to produce at the bottom of said column a pressure greater than than the pressure within the second zone and controlling the discharge so as to maintain said pool within the second zone; withdrawing vaporized water from the second zone; maintaining the first-mentioned zone at a superatmospheric pressure; and raising the pressure of vapor withdrawn from the second zone by eduction by using the mixture ejected from the first-mentioned zone as the driving gas.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
244 words
Process of desalinizing water which comprises the steps of: injecting saline water as a spray substantially free of solid particles into a closed vaporization zone; burning fuel within the zone to form a flame positioned to directly contact the injected water to thereby vaporize a part of the water while collecting in the lower part of said zone a remainder of unvaporized water having a higher salt content than the injected water; ejecting from the zone a mixture of water vapor and gaseous combustion products; condensing water from the withdrawn mixture; and ejecting the remainder having increased salt content from the zone; injecting saline water as a spray into a second vaporization zone at a temperature above 130° F., the second zone being maintained at subatmospheric pressure, and thereby vaporizing a part of the water while collecting a residue of unvaporized water having increased salt content as a pool in the lower part of the second zone; discharging the residue from the second zone downwardly through a column of water to produce at the bottom of said column a pressure greater than than the pressure within the second zone and controlling the discharge so as to maintain said pool within the second zone; withdrawing vaporized water from the second zone; maintaining the first-mentioned zone at a superatmospheric pressure; and raising the pressure of vapor withdrawn from the second zone by eduction by using the mixture ejected from the first-mentioned zone as the driving gas.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
A process according to claim 1 including the step of raising the pressure of the residue discharged from the second vessel by eduction by using the residue ejected from the firstmentioned zone as the driving liquid.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
251 words
Apparatus for the desalinization of water which comprises: a closed first flash vessel having an inlet pipe for injecting preheated saline water as a spray and a burner for forming a flame and vaporizing a portion of the injected water; first means in an upper part of the first vessel for ejecting therefrom water vapor and combustion gas from the burner; condenser means connected to the ejecting means for condensing vapor from the ejected vapor and combustion gases a liquid outlet beneath the burner for discharging from the first vessel residual unvaporized liquid having an increased salt content, the outlet means including flow-control means responsive to the level of the residual liquid to maintain the liquid as a pool; a second closed flash vessel having a second inlet pipe for injecting saline water as a spray into a second vessel; second means in an upper part of the second vessel for withdrawing water vapor therefrom; jet pump means connected at its suction intake to the second withdrawing means and at its pressure intake to the first ejecting means, the outlet of the jet pump means being connected to eject water vapor and gas from the first vessel and vapor from the second vessel to the condenser means; a liquid outlet in a lower part of the second vessel connected to a vertically elongated hydrostatic leg; and flow-control means responsive to the level of unvaporized liquid in the second vessel for maintaining a pool of the unvaporized liquid within the second vessel.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
251 words
Apparatus for the desalinization of water which comprises: a closed first flash vessel having an inlet pipe for injecting preheated saline water as a spray and a burner for forming a flame and vaporizing a portion of the injected water; first means in an upper part of the first vessel for ejecting therefrom water vapor and combustion gas from the burner; condenser means connected to the ejecting means for condensing vapor from the ejected vapor and combustion gases a liquid outlet beneath the burner for discharging from the first vessel residual unvaporized liquid having an increased salt content, the outlet means including flow-control means responsive to the level of the residual liquid to maintain the liquid as a pool; a second closed flash vessel having a second inlet pipe for injecting saline water as a spray into a second vessel; second means in an upper part of the second vessel for withdrawing water vapor therefrom; jet pump means connected at its suction intake to the second withdrawing means and at its pressure intake to the first ejecting means, the outlet of the jet pump means being connected to eject water vapor and gas from the first vessel and vapor from the second vessel to the condenser means; a liquid outlet in a lower part of the second vessel connected to a vertically elongated hydrostatic leg; and flow-control means responsive to the level of unvaporized liquid in the second vessel for maintaining a pool of the unvaporized liquid within the second vessel.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus according to claim 3 including jet pump means having a low-pressure inlet connected to the bottom of the hydrostatic leg and a high-pressure inlet connected to the residual liquid outlet of the first vessel.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
58 words
Apparatus according to claim 4 including a supply pipe for the saline water including flow-inducing means, the supply pipe being connected to flow cold saline water through the condenser means in heat exchange with the ejected vapor and combustion gases for said preheating of the water and being connected to supply saline water to the second inlet pipe.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the supply pipe is connected additionally to supply said preheated saline water to the inlet pipe of the first vessel.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said spray is produced by means disposed within the first vessel and connected to the inlet pipe for spraying the injected water through the flame.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
40 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein the burner includes means for emitting a flat flame extending over a major part of the surface of the pool of residual liquid, and wherein the spray means is situated above said flame.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1979-01-19 | 1979-07-21 | 1980-01-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1983-01-19 | 1983-07-21 | 1984-01-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1987-01-19 | 1987-07-21 | 1988-01-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |