IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0785033
(2007-04-13)
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등록번호 |
US-7485234
(2009-02-03)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
|
출원인 / 주소 |
- Marine Desalination Systems, LLC
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
1 인용 특허 :
14 |
초록
▼
Desalination apparatus based on porous restraint panels fabricated from a number of different layers of metal, thermoplastic, or other substances are used as sophisticated heat exchangers to control the growth of gas hydrate. The gas hydrate is produced after infusion of liquid hydrate-forming mater
Desalination apparatus based on porous restraint panels fabricated from a number of different layers of metal, thermoplastic, or other substances are used as sophisticated heat exchangers to control the growth of gas hydrate. The gas hydrate is produced after infusion of liquid hydrate-forming material into water to be treated, which liquid hydrate-forming material can also be used to carry out all the refrigeration necessary to cool seawater to near the point of hydrate formation and to cool the porous restraint panels. Hydrate forms on and dissociates through the porous restraints. The composite restraint panels can also be used in gaseous atmospheres where, for instance, it is desired to remove dissolved water.
대표청구항
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I claim: 1. A method for desalinating or otherwise purifying water to be treated using a hydrate-forming material (HFM), comprising: introducing water to be treated into an enclosure containing one or more Hydrate Asymmetric Restraint Technology ("HART") modules, each of said HART modules including
I claim: 1. A method for desalinating or otherwise purifying water to be treated using a hydrate-forming material (HFM), comprising: introducing water to be treated into an enclosure containing one or more Hydrate Asymmetric Restraint Technology ("HART") modules, each of said HART modules including one or more HART restraint panels, with pores extending from one major surface of each restraint panel to an opposite major surface of each restraint panel, and an internal chamber; in a first cooling process, cooling the water to be treated generally within the enclosure to a first temperature that is slightly above a temperature at which hydrate of said HFM would form at pressure conditions existing within the enclosure, said first cooling process being effected by introducing HFM into the water to be treated within the enclosure with the HFM expanding or vaporizing/expanding upon being introduced into the water to be treated, the introduction of said HFM being regulated so as to yield said first temperature; in a second cooling process, cooling water to be treated that is generally adjacent to the HART restraint panels to a second temperature at which hydrate of said HFM forms at the pressure conditions existing within the enclosure whereby hydrate of said HFM forms within the pores of said HART restraint panels, said second cooling process being effected by refrigerating the HART restraint panels and sufficient hydrate being formed to fill and essentially seal the pores of the HART restraint panels; causing downstream portions of the hydrate within the pores of the HART restraint panels to dissociate, thereby releasing purified water and HFM into the internal chambers of the HART modules; and removing the purified water from the enclosure. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said enclosure is located at depth within a body of water and the pressure conditions within the enclosure are created by the weight of water above the enclosure. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein HFM is delivered to the enclosure in liquid form by allowing HFM to flow from a self-pressurizing surface-level supply of HFM to the enclosure. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said enclosure comprises a pressure vessel and the pressure conditions within the enclosure are created by pumping. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein said enclosure comprises a pressure vessel and the pressure conditions within the enclosure are created by vaporization of liquid-form HFM as it is introduced into the water to be treated. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein said enclosure comprises a pressure vessel and the pressure conditions within the enclosure are created by pumping and by vaporization of liquid-form HFM as it is introduced into the water to be treated. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein said HFM is introduced into said water to be treated in liquid form and said first cooling process occurs as said HFM vaporizes and expands within the water to be treated. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein sufficient amounts of HFM are introduced into the water to be treated to establish and maintain saturation levels of HFM within the water to be treated within the enclosure. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein said HFM is introduced into said water to be treated in gaseous form and said first cooling process occurs as said HFM expands within the water to be treated. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein sufficient amounts of HFM are introduced into the water to be treated to establish and maintain saturation levels of HFM within the water to be treated within the enclosure. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein said HART restraint panels are refrigerated by means of cooled liquid refrigerant circulating internally within cooling galleries within the HART restraint panels. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein said HART restraint panels are refrigerated by means of HFM passing internally through cooling galleries within the HART restraint panels. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein HFM is introduced into the cooling galleries in liquid form and vaporizes internally within the HART restraint panels. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein HFM within each of the cooling galleries vaporizes across a refrigerant distribution member from liquid HFM supply sides of the cooling galleries to gas sides of the cooling galleries. 15. The method of claim 12, further comprising recovering HFM that has passed internally through the HART restraint panels and also introducing the recovered HFM into the water to be treated. 16. The method of claim 1, further comprising recovering the HFM released into the internal chambers of the HART modules and recycling the recovered HFM in further cycles of desalination or purification. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising introducing supplemental water to be treated into the enclosure to compensate for the purified water that has been removed from the enclosure and/or to compensate for enhanced salinity residual brine that has been evacuated from the enclosure. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein said supplemental water to be treated is introduced into the enclosure on a generally continuous basis. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein said supplemental water to be treated is continuously introduced into the enclosure at intervals. 20. The method of claim 18, wherein said supplemental water to be treated is constantly introduced into the enclosure. 21. The method of claim 16, further comprising conducting said further cycles of desalination or purification until residual salinity within the enclosure reaches a predetermined enhanced level of salinity, then evacuating said enclosure of the enhanced salinity water and replacing it with new water to be treated. 22. The method of claim 1, further comprising recovering HFM from the purified water and reusing the recovered HFM in further cycles of desalination/purification. 23. The method of claim 1, further comprising recovering the HFM released into the internal chambers of the HART modules in gaseous form and mixing the gaseous recovered HFM with water to be treated within the enclosure. 24. The method of claim 1, wherein the HART restraint panels are refrigerated by HFM and HFM is recovered in gaseous form after being used to refrigerate the HART restraint panels, said method further comprising mixing the gaseous recovered HFM with water to be treated within the enclosure. 25. The method of claim 1, wherein the HART restraint panels are refrigerated by HFM and HFM is recovered in gaseous form after being used to refrigerate the HART restraint panels (a first recovery source) and further wherein HFM released into the internal chambers of the HART modules is recovered in gaseous form (a second recovery source), said method further comprising mixing the gaseous recovered HFM from both recovery sources with water to be treated within the enclosure. 26. A method for desalinating or otherwise purifying water to be treated using a hydrate-forming material (HFM), comprising: introducing water to be treated into an enclosure containing one or more Hydrate Asymmetric Restraint Technology ("HART") modules, each of said HART modules including one or more HART restraint panels, with pores extending from one major surface of each restraint panel to an opposite major surface of each restraint panel, and an internal chamber; introducing HFM into the water to be treated within the enclosure; cooling water to be treated that is generally adjacent to the HART restraint panels to a temperature at which hydrate of said HFM forms at pressure conditions existing within the enclosure whereby hydrate of said HFM forms within the pores of said HART restraint panels, sufficient hydrate being formed to fill and essentially seal the pores of the HART restraint panels; causing downstream portions of the hydrate within the pores of the HART restraint panels to dissociate, thereby releasing purified water and HFM into the internal chambers of the HART modules; and removing the purified water from the enclosure; wherein said cooling is effected by refrigerating the HART restraint panels by passing HFM through cooling galleries extending internally throughout said HART restraint panels. 27. The method of claim 26, wherein said enclosure is located at depth within a body of water and the pressure conditions within the enclosure are created by the weight of water above the enclosure. 28. The method of claim 27, wherein HFM is delivered to the enclosure in liquid form by allowing HFM to flow from a self-pressurizing surface-level supply of HFM to the enclosure. 29. The method of claim 26, wherein said enclosure comprises a pressure vessel and the pressure conditions within the enclosure are created by pumping. 30. The method of claim 26, wherein said enclosure comprises a pressure vessel and the pressure conditions within the enclosure are created by vaporization of liquid-form HFM as it is introduced into the water to be treated. 31. The method of claim 26, wherein said enclosure comprises a pressure vessel and the pressure conditions within the enclosure are created by pumping and by vaporization of liquid-form HFM as it is introduced into the water to be treated. 32. The method of claim 26, wherein HFM is introduced into said water to be treated in liquid form and cooling of water to be treated generally within said enclosure occurs as the liquid HFM vaporizes within the water to be treated. 33. The method of claim 32, wherein sufficient amounts of HFM are introduced into the water to be treated to establish and maintain saturation levels of HFM within the water to be treated within the enclosure. 34. The method of claim 26 wherein HFM is introduced into said water to be treated in gaseous form and cooling of water to be treated generally within said enclosure occurs as the gaseous HFM expands within the water to be treated. 35. The method of claim 34, wherein sufficient amounts of HFM are introduced into the water to be treated to establish and maintain saturation levels of HFM within the water to be treated within the enclosure. 36. The method of claim 26, wherein HFM is introduced into the cooling galleries in liquid form and vaporizes internally within the HART restraint panels. 37. The method of claim 36, wherein HFM within each of the cooling galleries vaporizes across a refrigerant distribution member from liquid HFM supply sides of the cooling galleries to gas sides of the cooling galleries. 38. The method of claim 26, further comprising recovering HFM that has passed internally through the HART restraint panels and also introducing the recovered HFM into the water to be treated. 39. The method of claim 26, further comprising recovering the HFM released into the internal chambers of the HART modules and recycling the recovered HFM in further cycles of desalination or purification. 40. The method of claim 39, further comprising introducing supplemental water to be treated into the enclosure to compensate for the purified water that has been removed from the enclosure and/or to compensate for enhanced salinity residual brine that has been evacuated from the enclosure. 41. The method of claim 40, wherein said supplemental water to be treated is introduced into the enclosure on a generally continuous basis. 42. The method of claim 41, wherein said supplemental water to be treated is continuously introduced into the enclosure at intervals. 43. The method of claim 41, wherein said supplemental water to be treated is constantly introduced into the enclosure. 44. The method of claim 39, further comprising conducting said further cycles of desalination or purification until residual salinity within the enclosure reaches a predetermined enhanced level of salinity, then evacuating said enclosure of the enhanced salinity water and replacing it with new water to be treated. 45. The method of claim 26, further comprising recovering HFM from the purified water and reusing the recovered HFM in further cycles of desalination/purification. 46. The method of claim 26, further comprising recovering the HFM released into the internal chambers of the HART modules in gaseous form and mixing the gaseous recovered HFM with water to be treated within the enclosure. 47. The method of claim 26, wherein HFM is recovered in gaseous form after being used to refrigerate the HART restraint panels, said method further comprising mixing the gaseous recovered HFM with water to be treated within the enclosure. 48. The method of claim 26, wherein HFM is recovered in gaseous form after being used to refrigerate the HART restraint panels (a first recovery source) and further wherein HFM released into the internal chambers of the HART modules is recovered in gaseous form (a second recovery source), said method further comprising mixing the gaseous recovered HFM from both recovery sources with water to be treated within the enclosure.
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