초록
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Embodiments of the invention are directed toward a novel pressurized vapor cycle for distilling liquids. In an embodiment of the invention, a liquid purification system is revealed, including the elements of an input for receiving untreated liquid, a vaporizer coupled to the input for transforming the liquid to vapor, a head chamber for collecting the vapor, a vapor pump with an internal drive shaft and an eccentric rotor with a rotatable housing for compressing vapor, a condenser in communication with the vapor pump for transforming the compressed vapor...
Embodiments of the invention are directed toward a novel pressurized vapor cycle for distilling liquids. In an embodiment of the invention, a liquid purification system is revealed, including the elements of an input for receiving untreated liquid, a vaporizer coupled to the input for transforming the liquid to vapor, a head chamber for collecting the vapor, a vapor pump with an internal drive shaft and an eccentric rotor with a rotatable housing for compressing vapor, a condenser in communication with the vapor pump for transforming the compressed vapor into a distilled product, and an electric motor with motor rotor and magnets hermetically sealed within the fluid pressure boundary of the distillation system.
대표
청구항
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1. A method for distilling a liquid in a liquid vapor distillation system comprising: preheating liquid in a sump;vaporizing the liquid in the sump, through an evaporator, to form a vapor to fill a head chamber, the evaporator comprising a plurality of parallel evaporator tubes, each tube having a first open end in communication with the sump and a second open end in communication with a head chamber;compressing the vapor by rotating the vapor in a vapor pump using an internal drive shaft and eccentric rotor with a rotatable housing an electric motor hav...
1. A method for distilling a liquid in a liquid vapor distillation system comprising: preheating liquid in a sump;vaporizing the liquid in the sump, through an evaporator, to form a vapor to fill a head chamber, the evaporator comprising a plurality of parallel evaporator tubes, each tube having a first open end in communication with the sump and a second open end in communication with a head chamber;compressing the vapor by rotating the vapor in a vapor pump using an internal drive shaft and eccentric rotor with a rotatable housing an electric motor having motor rotor and motor magnets hermetically sealed within a liquid pressure boundary of the vapor pump;condensing the compressed vapor into a distilled liquid product;post-treating the distilled liquid product;maintaining a liquid level in the head chamber sufficient to permit both purification of the vapor and damping of local turbulence; anddiverting a blowdown stream from the head chamber maintaining a constant liquid level in the head chamber. 2. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 1, further comprising pre-treating the untreated liquid using at least one pre-treatment method. 3. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 1, further comprising regulating an internal pressure of a condenser. 4. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 3, further comprising maintaining a super-atmospheric pressure. 5. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 1, further comprising coupling a clean-burning generator to the liquid vapor distillation system wherein the clean-burning generator produces mainly CO.sub.2, N.sub.2 and water as exhaust. 6. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 5, further comprising directing the exhaust to an intake liquid for pre-treatment acidification and heating of the intake liquid. 7. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 1, further comprising using the eccentric rotor having a multiplicity of vanes separated by chambers, each chamber having an intake hole and an exit hole. 8. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 1, further comprising eliminating entrained liquid droplets from the vapor. 9. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 1, further comprising using a heat exchanger for receiving liquid from an input wherein heat from at least one source is exchanged with the input liquid. 10. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 9, further comprising exchanging heat with the liquid in a heat exchanger from the at least one source including a product stream, a blowdown stream, system waste heat, vapor pump waste heat, exhaust heat, and an external heat source. 11. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 1, further comprising priming the liquid vapor distillation system before start-up with a minimal amount of liquid. 12. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 1, further comprising wherein the post-treating the distilled liquid product comprising adding an additive to the liquid. 13. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 12, wherein the additive is at least one selected from the group consisting of a sugar-based additive, an acid, and a mineral. 14. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 12, wherein the additive is at least one selected from the group consisting of a nutrient, a vitamin, a stabilized protein, and a fat. 15. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 1, wherein the post-treating includes measuring a physical property of the liquid. 16. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 15, wherein measuring a physical property of the liquid selected from the group consisting of measuring pH, measuring conductivity, measuring hardness, and measuring a concentration of a component in the liquid. 17. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 1, further comprising: measuring total dissolved solvent in a blowdown liquid from the vaporized untreated liquid; and wherein the total dissolved solvent is above a prescribed level, adjusting a source feed rate of untreated liquid. 18. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 1, wherein the post-treating comprising exposing the distilled liquid product to ultraviolet light whereby potability of the distilled liquid product is maintained. 19. A method for distilling a liquid in a liquid vapor distillation system comprising: preheating liquid in a sump;vaporizing the liquid in the sump, through an evaporator, to form a vapor to fill a head chamber, the evaporator comprising a plurality of parallel evaporator tubes, each tube having a first open end in communication with the sump and a second open end in communication with a head chamber;compressing the vapor by rotating the vapor in a vapor pump using an internal drive shaft and eccentric rotor with a rotatable housing an electric motor having motor rotor and motor magnets hermetically sealed within a liquid pressure boundary of the vapor pump;condensing the compressed vapor into a distilled liquid product;post-treating the distilled liquid product; andcoupling a clean-burning generator to the liquid vapor distillation system wherein the clean-burning generator produces mainly CO.sub.2, N.sub.2 and water as exhaust. 20. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 19, further comprising directing the exhaust to an intake liquid for pre-treatment acidification and heating of the intake liquid. 21. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 19, further comprising pre-treating the untreated liquid using at least one pre-treatment method. 22. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 19; further comprising regulating an internal pressure of a condenser. 23. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 22, further comprising maintaining a super-atmospheric pressure. 24. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 19, further comprising maintaining a liquid level in the head chamber sufficient to permit both purification of the vapor and damping of local turbulence. 25. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 24 further comprising diverting a blowdown stream from the head chamber for maintaining a constant liquid level in the head chamber. 26. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 19, further comprising using the eccentric rotor having a multiplicity of vanes separated by chambers, each chamber having an intake hole and an exit hole. 27. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 19, further comprising eliminating entrained liquid droplets from the vapor. 28. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 19, further comprising using a heat exchanger for receiving liquid from an input wherein heat from at least one source is exchanged with the input liquid. 29. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 28, further comprising exchanging heat with the liquid in a heat exchanger from the at least one source, wherein the at least one source selected from the group consisting of a product stream, a blowdown stream, system waste heat, vapor pump waste heat, exhaust heat, and an external heat source. 30. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 19, further comprising priming the liquid vapor distillation system before start-up with a minimal amount of liquid. 31. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 19, further comprising wherein the post-treating the distilled liquid product comprising adding an additive to the liquid. 32. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 31, wherein the additive is at least one selected from the group consisting of a sugar-based additive, an acid, and a mineral. 33. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 31, wherein the additive is at least one selected from the group consisting of a nutrient, a vitamin, a stabilized protein, and a fat. 34. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 19, wherein the post-treating includes measuring a physical property of the liquid. 35. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 34, wherein measuring a physical property of the liquid includes measuring at least one selected from the group consisting of pH, conductivity, hardness, and a concentration of a component in the liquid. 36. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 19, further comprising: measuring total dissolved solvent in a blowdown liquid from the vaporized untreated liquid; and wherein the total dissolved solvent is above a prescribed level, adjusting a source feed rate of untreated liquid. 37. A method of distilling a liquid according to claim 19, wherein the post-treating comprising exposing the distilled liquid product to ultraviolet light whereby potability of the distilled liquid product is maintained. 38. A method for distilling a liquid in a liquid vapor distillation system comprising: preheating liquid in a sump;vaporizing the liquid in the sump, through an evaporator, to form a vapor to fill a head chamber, the evaporator comprising a plurality of parallel evaporator tubes, each tube having a first open end in communication with the sump and a second open end in communication with a head chamber;compressing the vapor by rotating the vapor in a vapor pump using an internal drive shaft and eccentric rotor with a rotatable housing an electric motor having motor rotor and motor magnets hermetically sealed within a liquid pressure boundary of the vapor pump;condensing the compressed vapor into a distilled liquid product; andpost-treating the distilled liquid product,wherein the post-treating the distilled liquid product comprising adding an additive to the liquid, andwherein the additive is at least one selected from the group consisting of a sugar-based additive, an acid, and a mineral. 39. A method for distilling a liquid in a liquid vapor distillation system comprising: preheating liquid in a sump;vaporizing the liquid in the sump, through an evaporator, to form a vapor to fill a head chamber, the evaporator comprising a plurality of parallel evaporator tubes, each tube having a first open end in communication with the sump and a second open end in communication with a head chamber;compressing the vapor by rotating the vapor in a vapor pump using an internal drive shaft and eccentric rotor with a rotatable housing an electric motor having motor rotor and motor magnets hermetically sealed within a liquid pressure boundary of the vapor pump;condensing the compressed vapor into a distilled liquid product; andpost-treating the distilled liquid product,wherein the post-treating the distilled liquid product comprising adding an additive to the liquid, andwherein the additive is at least one selected from the group consisting of a nutrient, a vitamin, a stabilized protein, and a fat.