Wind powered solar still

Claim 2

Apparatus for producing distilled or potable water from salt water, the apparatus comprising: inlet means for cold salt water; condenser means having walls defining a chamber which contains first heat exchanger means, said first heat exchanger means being connected to said inlet means and having an outlet from said chamber; solar still means, said still means having wall means defining a trough and also being capable of transmitting solar energy thereto, said trough receiving salt water from the outlet of said chamber which is evaporated in said still means and collected as a water condensate on said wall means, said still means also being provided with water condensate collecting means for collecting the condensate on said wall means; means for conducting water vapour from said still means to said chamber of said condenser means; brine storage means for receiving brine from said trough consequent to said evaporation, said brine storage means having electrical heating means for heating brine therein; second heat exchanger means for heating the salt water in said trough; means for withdrawing heated brine from said brine storage means and for passing same through said second heat exchanger means; wind-powered electricity generating means; electricity storage means for storing the output of said wind-powered electricity generating means, said electrical heating means being connected to said electricity storage means; and means for collecting water condensate from said condenser means and the water condensate from said collecting means in said still.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 including means for extracting air and vapour from said still means to the atmosphere.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said heating means, in said brine storage means, comprises a pair of spaced electrodes whereby said brine is heated resistively.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 5 including valve means provided between said through and said brine storage means for controlling the flow of brine to said brine storage means.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 4 including means responsive to brine concentration for automatically controlling said valve means.

Claim 7

Apparatus for producing distilled or potable water from salt water, the apparatus comprising: inlet means for cold salt water; condenser means having walls defining a chamber which contains first heat exchanger means, said first heat exchanger means being connected to said inlet means and having an outlet from said chamber; solar still means, said still means having wall means defining a trough and also being capable of transmitting solar energy thereto, said trough receiving salt water from the outlet of said chamber which is evaporated in said still means and collected as a water condensate on said wall means, said still means also being provided with water condensate collecting means for collecting the condensate on said wall means; means for extracting air and vapour from said still means to the atmosphere; means for conducting water vapour from said still means to said chamber of said condenser means; brine storage means for receiving brine from said trough consequent to said evaporation, said brine storage means having a pair of spaced electrodes for resistively heating brine therein; valve means provided between said trough and said brine storage means for controlling the flow of brine to said brine storage means; means responsive to brine concentration for automatically controlling said valve means; second heat exchanger means for heating the salt water in said trough; means for withdrawing heated brine from said brine storage means and for passing same through said second heat exchanger means; wind-powered electricity generating means; electricity storage means for storing the output of said wind-powered electricity generating means, said spaced electrodes being connected to said electricity storage means; and means for collecting water condensate from said condenser means and the water condensate from said collecting means in said still.

Claim 8

Apparatus for producing distilled or potable water from salt water, the apparatus comprising: inlet means for cold salt water; condenser means having walls defining a chamber which contains first heat exchanger means, said first heat exchanger means being connected to said inlet means and having an outlet from said chamber; solar still means, said still means having wall means defining a trough and also being capable of transmitting solar energy thereto, said trough receiving salt water from the outlet of said chamber which is evaporated in said still means and collected as a water condensate on said wall means, said still means also being provided with water condensate collecting means for collecting the condensate on said wall means; means for extracting air and vapour from said still means to the atmosphere; means for conducting water vapour from said still means to said chamber of said condenser means; brine storage means for receiving brine from said trough consequent to said evaporation, said brine storage means having a pair of spaced electrodes for resistively heating brine therein; valve means provided between said trough and said brine storage means for controlling the flow of brine to said brine storage means; means responsive to brine concentration for automatically controlling said valve means; second heat exchanger means for heating the salt water in said trough; means for withdrawing heated brine from said brine storage means and for passing same through said second heat exchanger means; wind-powered electricity generating means; electricity storage means for storing the output of said wind-powered electricity generating means, said spaced electrodes being connected to said electricity storage means; and means for collecting water condensate from said condenser means and the water condensate from said collecting means in said still.

Claim 9

Apparatus for producing distilled water from salt water comprising solar still means for evaporating salt water to form condensate therefrom, said solar still means including means for supporting a body of salt water and wall means for transmitting solar energy therethrough whereby at least a portion of the salt water body is evaporated forming water vapour which condenses upon said wall means as a condensate, means for conducting the condensate to condensate storing means, condenser means for forming further condensate from water vapour,condenser means including a condenser chamber having therein first heat exchanger means, means for introducing salt water into said first heat exchanger means, means for conducting salt water from an outlet of said first heat exchanger means to said solar still means to form the salt water body, means for conducting water vapour from said solar still into said condenser chamber whereby the latter-mentioned water vapour is condensed by said first heat exchanger means to form the further condensate, means for conducting salt water from said solar still means to salt water storing means, means for heating the stored salt water, second heat exchanger means for heating the salt water body, means for conducting heated salt water from said salt water storing means through said second heat exchanger means thereby heating the salt water body and in part forming the first-mentioned condensate, means for converting wind power into electrical energy, means for storing said electrical energy, and means for utilizing the stored electrical energy to energize said heating means.

Claim 10

Apparatus for producing distilled water from salt water comprising solar still means for evaporating salt water to form condensate therefrom, said solar still means including means for supporting a body of salt water and wall means for transmitting solar energy therethrough whereby at least a portion of the salt water body is evaporated forming water vapour which condenses upon said wall means as a condensate, means for conducting the condensate to condensate storing means, condenser means for forming further condensate from water vapour,condenser means including a condenser chamber having therein first heat exchanger means, means for introducing salt water into said first heat exchanger means, means for conducting salt water from an outlet of said first heat exchanger means to said solar still means to form the salt water body, means for conducting water vapour from said solar still into said condenser chamber whereby the latter-mentioned water vapour is condensed by said first heat exchanger means to form the further condensate, means for conducting salt water from said solar still means to salt water storing means, means for heating the stored salt water, second heat exchanger means for heating the salt water body, means for conducting heated salt water from said salt water storing means through said second heat exchanger means thereby heating the salt water body and in part forming the first-mentioned condensate, means for converting wind power into electrical energy, means for storing said electrical energy, and means for utilizing the stored electrical energy to energize said heating means.

Claim 11

The apparatus as defined in claim 7 including trough means associated with said wall means for receiving the first-mentioned condensate prior to the conduction thereof by said conducting means to said condensate storing means.

Claim 12

The apparatus as defined in claim 7 including means responsive to the concentration of the salt water departing said second heat exchanger means for controlling the flow of salt water from said solar still means to said salt water storing means.

Claim 13

The apparatus as defined in claim 7 including valve means for selectively conducting the salt water departing said second heat exchanger means to said heated salt water conducting means for subsequent recycling through said second heat exchanger means.

Claim 14

The apparatus as defined in claim 8 including valve means for selectively conducting the salt water departing said second heat exchanger means to said heated salt water conducting means for subsequent recycling through said second heat exchanger means.

Claim 15

The apparatus as defined in claim 9 including valve means for selectively conducting the salt water departing said second heat exchanger means to said heated salt water conducting means for subsequent recycling through said second heat exchanger means.

Claim 16

The apparatus as defined in claim 12 including trough means associated with said wall means for receiving the first-mentioned condensate prior to the conduction thereof by said conducting means to said condensate storing means.