Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080237025 | CLOSE-COUPLED VAPOR-COMPRESSION DISTILLER - A distiller that employs a rotary heat exchanger uses a centrifugal compressor to impose a pressure difference between the distiller's evaporation and condensation chambers. The compressor's diffuser is provided on the rotary heat exchanger to rotate with it, and the force applied to the diffuser by the vapor that the diffuser slows helps drive the rotary heat exchanger's rotation. Additionally, the compressor is so closely coupled to the heat exchanger that the vapor speed at the condensation chamber's entrance is at least an eighth of the peak vapor speed in the compressor, and the entrance area can therefore be small enough to simplify the task of sealing it. | 10-02-2008 |
20080237026 | Blade-type-heat-exchanger distiller with inter-blade passages - The heat transfer surfaces of a vapor-compression-type distiller's rotary heat exchanger are provided by a plurality of “blades” that extend radially outward from the rotary heat exchanger's axis of rotation and have interior surfaces that define respective narrow constituent condensation chambers. The blades' outer surfaces transfer heat of vaporization to a liquid to be purified, and the distiller's compressor draws the resultant vapor in, compresses it, and feeds the resultant pressurized vapor at one axial end into the blades' interior condensation chambers, where it surrenders the heat of vaporization to the interior blade surfaces and condenses. Passages formed in adjacent blades' elongated walls provide fluid communication between the constituent condensation chambers in such a manner that together they form a manifold from which condensate from all the blades can be withdrawn from any of them. | 10-02-2008 |
20090242380 | Rotary-Heat-Exchanger Flow Control - A rotary heat exchanger includes an evaporation chamber in which sprayers spray a feed liquid to be purified onto the surfaces of heat-exchange members, which heat it and cause some of it to evaporate. The remaining, un-evaporated feed liquid is collected by a rapidly spinning sump, from which scoops skim the spinning sump liquid and direct it back to the sprayers. To make the rate at which feed liquid is supplied to the heat exchanger match that at which the sprayed liquid evaporates, a regulator bases its control of a flow-controlling valve's flow resistance on the internal pressure that prevails in one of the scoops. | 10-01-2009 |
20100294644 | HEAT EXCHANGER - A heat exchange system heats an influent liquid. The heat exchange system includes a plurality of heat exchanger modules arranged in a stacked configuration. Each of the heat exchanger modules includes a housing and three flow paths separated by heat transfer elements in the housing. Liquids flowing through two of the flow paths transfer heat through the heat transfer elements to influent liquid flowing through a flow path therebetween. The housing includes two opposed cover members on opposite sides of the heat transfer element and the flow paths. The heat exchange system also includes a support structure for supporting the plurality of heat exchanger modules. The support structure includes support elements engaging the cover members of the heat exchanger modules at opposite ends of the stacked configuration. Internal pressure on the cover members resulting from liquids in the flow paths is transferred to the support structure to inhibit outward deformation of the cover members. | 11-25-2010 |
20100294645 | COMBINED SUMP AND INLINE HEATER FOR DISTILLATION SYSTEM - A distillation system for distilling influent liquid includes a counterflow heat exchanger for receiving and heating the influent liquid. A heater is coupled to the counterflow heat exchanger for receiving the influent liquid from the counterflow heat exchanger and heating the influent liquid. An evaporation unit is coupled to the heater and to a sump for receiving the influent liquid from the heater and for receiving liquid from the sump and forming a vapor from at least a portion of the influent liquid and the liquid received from the sump. The evaporation unit returns unevaporated liquid to the sump. A condensation unit is coupled to the evaporation unit for forming a condensate from vapor received from the evaporation unit. The condensation unit is coupled to the counterflow heat exchanger for transferring the condensate to the counterflow heat exchanger. The heater simultaneously heats the liquid in the sump and the influent liquid received from the counterflow heat exchanger. | 11-25-2010 |
20120037488 | Distiller - A distiller including an evaporator having at least one evaporation surface for evaporating liquid into vapor. At least one movable liquid applicator assembly has a wiper applicator which can move over the at least one evaporation surface, for wiping and applying a thin even film of the liquid on the at least one evaporation surface for evaporation. | 02-16-2012 |
20120312521 | Beverage Cooling Device - A fluid cooling apparatus includes a first cooling portion have a first series of cooling elements with first cooling surfaces. A second cooling portion can have a second series of cooling elements with second cooling surfaces. The second cooling portion can be removably nested together with the first cooling portion such that the first and second cooling surfaces of respective first and second series of cooling elements can be positioned adjacent to each other with gaps therebetween to form cooling cavities for cooling fluid introduced into the cooling cavities. | 12-13-2012 |
20140332365 | Distiller - A distiller including an evaporator having at least one evaporation surface for evaporating liquid into vapor. At least one movable liquid applicator assembly has a wiper applicator which can move over the at least one evaporation surface, for wiping and applying a thin even film of the liquid on the at least one evaporation surface for evaporation. | 11-13-2014 |
20150075967 | SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING WATER AND GENERATING ELECTRICITY, RANKINE - A distilling device having a vapor compression distiller. The vapor compression distiller can include a reservoir for receiving liquid for distillation. Evaporation surfaces can receive the liquid and evaporate the liquid into evaporated vapor for subsequent condensing. Condensing surfaces can receive the vapor and condense the vapor into distillate. A compressor can deliver the vapor to the condensing surfaces. The distilling device can also include an engine that produces heat. A boiler can be heated by the heat from the engine for producing a working vapor. A vapor turbine can be driven by the working vapor. The vapor turbine can be mechanically coupled to the compressor for mechanically driving the compressor, thereby reducing electrical power needs of the vapor compression distiller. | 03-19-2015 |