An efficient flash evaporation water purification system located at a hydrocarbon well site. An internal combustion engine uses hydrocarbon fuel from the well and drives a pump to pressurize production water from the well. The engine also generates thermal energy used to preheat the production water
An efficient flash evaporation water purification system located at a hydrocarbon well site. An internal combustion engine uses hydrocarbon fuel from the well and drives a pump to pressurize production water from the well. The engine also generates thermal energy used to preheat the production water. An electrical generator is also driven by the engine to produce electrical power for the water purification system, as well as produce AC power for off-site consumers.
대표청구항▼
1. A water purification system for processing an aqueous liquid from a hydrocarbon well, comprising: said water purification system located at a site of the hydrocarbon well and having an input for receiving the aqueous liquid from the hydrocarbon well;the aqueous liquid is coupled to the input of t
1. A water purification system for processing an aqueous liquid from a hydrocarbon well, comprising: said water purification system located at a site of the hydrocarbon well and having an input for receiving the aqueous liquid from the hydrocarbon well;the aqueous liquid is coupled to the input of the water purification system without prior pretreatment thereof to remove particulate matter and entrapped gasses in solution;a separation container for processing the aqueous liquid to remove at least some organic and inorganic components therefrom to provide a processed aqueous liquid;a heater for heating the processed aqueous liquid, said heater using only a hydrocarbon fuel from a hydrocarbon fuel source at the well site, said hydrocarbon fuel used for combustion in said heater to provide thermal energy to heat the processed aqueous liquid;an expansion chamber having a nozzle;a pump for pumping the heated processed aqueous liquid through the nozzle of the expansion chamber to flash evaporate the water from the heated processed aqueous liquid into steam;an electrical generator for generating electricity;an engine for driving said electrical generator, said engine using the hydrocarbon fuel from the hydrocarbon fuel source; andwhereby the water purification system operates autonomously at the well site without requiring said preprocessing of the aqueous liquid from the hydrocarbon well and without requiring fuel to be transported to the well site and used by the heater and the engine. 2. The water purification system of claim 1, wherein said engine comprises one of an internal combustion engine or a turbine engine. 3. The water purification system of claim 1, wherein one hydrocarbon component separated from the aqueous liquid in said separation container comprises hydrocarbon vapors, said separation container including a nozzle for spraying the aqueous liquid into said separation container to facilitate separation of the hydrocarbon vapors from the aqueous liquid. 4. The water purification system of claim 3, wherein said nozzle is adapted to spray said aqueous liquid as a mist into said separation chamber to thereby separate entrapped gasses from said aqueous liquid. 5. The water purification system of claim 3, further including a return duct for carrying volatile vapors from said separation chamber to said heater. 6. The water purification system of claim 1, further including a condenser for condensing the steam into a purified form of water. 7. The water purification system of claim 6, wherein said engine comprises a steam turbine driven by said steam, and said electrical generator is driven by said steam turbine for generating electricity. 8. The water purification system of claim 1, wherein said engine comprises an internal combustion reciprocating engine supplied with natural gas from said hydrocarbon well. 9. The water purification system of claim 1, wherein thermal energy generated by said engine is used to preheat the aqueous liquid from said hydrocarbon well. 10. The water purification system of claim 1, wherein said engine generates thermal energy, and further including a conduit for coupling the thermal energy generated by said engine to heat a liquid processed by said water purification system. 11. The water purification system of claim 10, wherein said engine includes a block with a liquid circulating therein, and the liquid circulating in said engine block is used to heat the liquid processed by said water purification system. 12. The water purification system of claim 1, further including electrical control circuits for controlling operation of said water purification system, and further including an AC/DC converter for converting the AC electricity from said electrical generator to a DC voltage for use by said electrical control circuits. 13. The water purification system of claim 1, further including a rotating paddle in said separation container to rotate the aqueous liquid therein and form a vortex, and further including a floating collector floating at a bottom of the vortex to collect liquids lighter in weight than water and to remove the lighter-than-water liquids from the separation chamber. 14. The water purification system of claim 13, further including a preheater for preheating the aqueous liquid, and including a nozzle in said separation container for spraying the preheated aqueous liquid toward an outer surface of the separation container, whereby separation of water from the rotating preheated aqueous liquid in said separation chamber is facilitated. 15. The water purification system of claim 14, wherein said aqueous liquid is preheated by excess thermal energy generated by said water purification system. 16. The water purification system of claim 1, wherein said expansion chamber nozzle includes a nozzle member that is spring biased to a closed position, but said nozzle member is opened by the pressure by which said pump pumps the heated processed aqueous liquid through said nozzle. 17. The water purification system of claim 1, wherein said water purification system is contained so that volatile gasses are extracted from the aqueous liquid and incinerated by a burner. 18. The water purification system of claim 1, wherein said water purification system includes apparatus to processes the aqueous liquid to produce drinkable water, and said separation container produces wastes, and wherein said water purification system heats the aqueous liquid sufficiently to kill bacteria when producing the drinkable water and the wastes, said water purification system using thermal energy to kill the bacteria without using chemicals to kill the bacteria. 19. A water purification system for processing an aqueous liquid from a hydrocarbon well, comprising: said water purification system being portable and movable for well site to well site without being disassembled;said water purification system located at a site of the hydrocarbon well and having an input for receiving the aqueous liquid from the hydrocarbon well without pretreatment thereof to remove particulate matter and embedded gasses;a preheater for preheating the aqueous liquid from the hydrocarbon well, said preheater using excess thermal energy generated by said water purification system;a separation container having a nozzle therein for spraying the preheated aqueous liquid to facilitate removal of volatile gasses therefrom to provide a degassed aqueous liquid that collects at a bottom of the separation container, and the preheated aqueous liquid collected at the bottom of the separation container releases gasses due to the elevated temperature of the preheated aqueous liquid, said separation container including a gas discharge outlet from said separation container;a heater for heating the degassed aqueous liquid, said heater using a hydrocarbon fuel from a hydrocarbon fuel source at the well site, and said heater using the volatile gasses discharged from the discharge outlet of said separation container as a fuel, the fuels used for combustion in said heater providing thermal energy to heat the degassed aqueous liquid;an expansion chamber having a nozzle;a pump for pumping the heated degassed aqueous liquid through the nozzle of the expansion chamber to flash evaporate water from the heated degassed aqueous liquid;an electrical generator for generating electricity;an engine for driving said electrical generator, said engine using the hydrocarbon fuel from the hydrocarbon fuel source; andwhereby the water purification system operates autonomously at the well site without requiring said preprocessing of the aqueous liquid from the hydrocarbon well and without requiring fuel to be transported to the well site for the heater and the engine. 20. The water purification system of claim 19, wherein said preheater heats the aqueous liquid to a temperature of 200 degrees F. or greater, and said separation container is held at a positive pressure with respect to atmospheric pressure. 21. The water purification system of claim 19, further including a rotating paddle in said separation container for swirling the aqueous liquid to form a central vortex to collect liquids lighter in weight than water at a center of the separation container, and a floating liquid removal mechanism floating in the vortex to remove the lighter-than-water liquids. 22. A method of operating a water purification system for processing an aqueous liquid from a hydrocarbon well, comprising: transporting the water purification system as one or more units to a site of the hydrocarbon well, and connecting the water purification system units together so that liquids to be processed can flow between the connected water purification system units;preheating the aqueous liquid from the hydrocarbon well and spraying the preheated aqueous liquid into a separation container to separate gasses therefrom to provide a degassed aqueous liquid, and extracting the gasses from the separation container;using gas from a gas source at the well site to generate thermal energy to heat the degassed aqueous liquid produced by the separation container;pressurizing the heated degassed aqueous liquid and flashing water in the heated degassed aqueous liquid into steam;condensing the steam to provide a purified form of water; andusing gas from the gas source to drive an engine to drive an AC generator to generate electrical power used by control circuits that control operation of the water purification system. 23. The method of claim 22, further including a transmission line for coupling AC power generated by said AC generator to off site consumers of the AC power. 24. The method of claim 22, further including reducing the cost of purifying the aqueous liquid from the hydrocarbon well into the purified form of water by selling the AC power generated by said AC generator to consumers. 25. The method of claim 22, further including using thermal energy from said engine to heat a liquid processed by the water purification system. 26. The method of claim 22, further including adding no chemicals to the aqueous liquid prior to preheating thereof.
연구과제 타임라인
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
이 특허에 인용된 특허 (32)
Streetman Foy, Apparatus and method for generating energy.
Topper Robert T. (103 Buckingham Ave. Trenton NJ 08618), High efficiency water distillation apparatus using a heat pump system and process for use thereof.
Davis, Randall J.; Noll, Jr., Charles F., Steam generation apparatus and associated control system and methods for providing a desired injection pressure.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.