# US 10,118,835 B2 · Methods and apparatuses for water purification

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- Number: US 10,118,835 B2
- Document ID: US10118835B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/733,842
- Filed: 2013-01-03
- Published: 2013-07-11
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2012-01-11
- Assignees: Huei Meng Chang
- Applicants: Yee Chun Lee; Narayan D Raju; Huei Meng Chang; Ah Beng Tan
- Inventors: Yee Chun Lee; Narayan D Raju; Huei Meng Chang; Ah Beng Tan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10118835B2

## CPC

- C02F 1/043: {Details}
- B01D 1/04: Evaporators with horizontal tubes
- B01D 1/14: with heated gases or vapours {or liquids} in contact with the liquid
- B01D 1/22: by bringing a thin layer of the liquid into contact with a heated surface {(B01D1/065 takes precedence)}
- B01D 1/24: to obtain dry solids
- B01D 1/28: with vapour compression
- B01D 1/284: {Special features relating to the compressed vapour}
- B01D 1/305: {Demister (vapour-liquid separation)}
- B01D 5/006: {with evaporation or distillation}
- B01D 1/2818: {Cleaning of the vapour before compression, e.g. demisters, washing of the vapour}
- F28D 1/0246: {heat-exchange elements having several adjacent conduits forming a whole, e.g. blocks}
- Y02W 10/33: using wind energy
- Y02W 10/37: using solar energy
- C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes)
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general)
- Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT

## Abstract

An apparatus for generating purified liquid from an input liquid, comprises, an evaporation chamber, wherein the evaporation chamber is flooded with the input liquid; and a condensation chamber having channels, wherein the channels are disposed in the input liquid, wherein liquid-saturated gases are generated from the input liquid in the evaporation chamber, wherein the liquid-saturated gases are guided into a first end of the channels, and wherein the purified liquid is outputted at a second end of the channels.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus for generating purified liquid from an input liquid, comprising,
an evaporation chamber, wherein the evaporation chamber is flooded with the input liquid and wherein the evaporation chamber generates saturated gases;
a condensation chamber having multiple internal partition channels disposed in the input liquid, wherein the multiple internal partition channels comprise a first group of channels and a second group of channels, wherein the second group of channels are perforated to allow the input liquid to flood the second group of channels, wherein the channels of the first group and the second group of channels are interlaced such that each one of the channels of the first group is surrounded by the input liquid, and the purified liquid is outputted at a second end of the first group of the channels;
a compressor operatively connected to the evaporation chamber to receive saturated gases from the evaporation chamber, wherein the compressor pressurizes the saturated gases to generate supersaturated gases, wherein the compressor is operatively connected to the first group of channels of the condensation chamber, wherein the compressor outputs the supersaturated gases to the first group of channels of the condensation chamber via a first end of the first group of the channels of the condensation chamber;
a bubble generator configured to recirculate a portion of the liquid and gases of the condensation chamber and the evaporation chamber, wherein the bubble generator is configured to permeate the input liquid with percolating gas bubbles which are adapted to form hanging bubbles beading right below a heat exchange surface of the evaporator chamber; and
a P-trap channel comprising a first end operatively connected to the condensation chamber and a second end operatively connected to the bubble generator disposed in the evaporation chamber, wherein the P-trap channel and the bubble generator are configured to recirculate a portion of the saturated gasses from the condensation chamber to the evaporation chamber.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the walls of the channels are heat exchange walls and wherein latent heat is transferred between the input liquid and the channels via the walls of the channels and a beading of the gas bubbles on a bottom of the heat exchange walls.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the condensation chamber is an array of panels and wherein each of the panels has multiple ones of the channels.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the multiple ones of the channels are aligned in a row along the respective panel.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the perforated channels comprise sealed ends to prevent the input liquid from flooding a plurality of non-perforated channels of the condensation chamber.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the channels are tubes.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the channels are tubes, each having spacers, wherein the tubes are grouped together, and wherein the input liquid flows in between the tubes.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein a radial center of each of the tubes is equidistant to the radial center of adjacent tubes.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the compressor has an inlet and an outlet, wherein the compressor receives the saturated gases via the inlet and wherein the supersaturated gases are expelled to the first group of the channels via the outlet.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the pressure in the condensation chamber exceeds the pressure in the evaporation chamber.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a sediment chamber, wherein the sediment chamber is operatively connected to the evaporation chamber for allowing heavier particles in the liquid to settle in the sediment chamber.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the sediment chamber has a digitally controlled pump for pumping the particles from the sediment chamber.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the sediment chamber has various interconnected height levels to allow for different particle concentrations at each of the interconnected height levels.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an electrostatic precipitator operatively connected to the evaporation chamber to purify the saturated gases provided by the evaporation chamber.

### Claim 15

An apparatus for generating purified liquid from an input liquid, comprising,
an evaporation chamber, wherein the evaporation chamber is flooded with the input liquid;
a condensation chamber comprising an array of panels, wherein each of the panels has multiple channels aligned in a row along a respective panel, and wherein the multiple channels of the panel array comprise a first group of channels and a second group of channels, wherein the second group of channels are perforated to allow the input liquid to flood the second group of channels, wherein the channels of the first group and the second group of channels are interlaced such that each one of the channels of the first group is surrounded by the input liquid, and the purified liquid is outputted at a second end of the first group of the channels;
a compressor having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the compressor is operatively connected to the evaporation chamber to receive saturated gases from the evaporation chamber, wherein the compressor is operatively connected to the first group of channels of the condensation chamber, wherein the compressor outputs supersaturated gases from a pressurization of the saturated gases to the first group of channels of the condensation chamber via a first end of the first group of the channels of the condensation chamber,
wherein the saturated gases are generated from the input liquid,
wherein the compressor pressurizes the saturated gases to generate supersaturated gases,
wherein the supersaturated gases are expelled to a first end of the channels via the outlet,
wherein the purified liquid is outputted at a second end of the first group of the channels,
wherein a plurality of walls of the channels are heat exchange walls, and
wherein latent heat is transferred between the input liquid and the channels via the walls of the channels;
a bubble generator configured to recirculate a portion of the liquid and gases of the condensation chamber and the evaporation chamber, wherein the bubble generator is configured to permeate the input liquid with percolating gas bubbles which are adapted to form hanging bubbles beading right below a heat exchange surface of the evaporator chamber; and
a P-trap channel comprising a first end operatively connected to the condensation chamber and a second end operatively connected to the bubble generator disposed in the evaporation chamber, wherein the P-trap channel and the bubble generator are configured to recirculate a portion of the saturated gasses from the condensation chamber to the evaporation chamber.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising,
a sediment chamber operatively connected to the evaporation chamber; and
an electrostatic precipitator to purify the saturated gases operatively connected to the evaporation chamber,
wherein ends of the second group of the channels are sealed to prevent the input liquid from flooding the first group of the channels,
wherein the channels are substantially aligned in a horizontal direction,
wherein the P-trap channel connects the evaporation chamber to the condensation chamber,
wherein the pressure in the condensation chamber exceeds the pressure in the evaporation chamber,
wherein the sediment chamber is connected to the evaporation chamber for allowing heavier particles in the liquid to settle in the sediment chamber,
wherein the sediment chamber has a digitally controlled pump for pumping the particles from the sediment chamber, and
wherein the sediment chamber has various interconnected levels to allow for different particle concentrations at each of the interconnected levels.

### Claim 17

An apparatus for generating purified liquid from an input liquid, comprising,
an evaporation chamber, wherein the evaporation chamber is flooded with the input liquid;
a condensation chamber comprising multiple channels, wherein the channels are tubes, wherein the multiple channels comprise a first group of channels and a second group of channels, wherein the second group of channels are perforated to allow the input liquid to flood the second group of channels, wherein the channels of the first group and the second group of channels are interlaced such that each one of the channels of the first group is surrounded by the input liquid, and the purified liquid is outputted at a second end of the first group of the channels;
a compressor having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the compressor is operatively connected to the evaporation chamber to receive saturated gases from the evaporation chamber, wherein the compressor is operatively connected to a first group of channels of the condensation chamber, wherein the compressor outputs supersaturated gases to the first group of channels of the condensation chamber via a first end of the first group of the channels of the condensation chamber,
wherein the channels are submerged in the input liquid,
wherein the saturated gases are generated from the input liquid,
wherein the compressor receives the saturated gases via the inlet,
wherein the compressor pressurizes the saturated gases to generate supersaturated gasses,
wherein the supersaturated gases are expelled to a first end of the first group of the channels via the outlet,
wherein the purified liquid is outputted at a second end of the channels,
wherein a plurality of the walls of the first group of channels are heat exchange walls,
wherein latent heat is transferred between the input liquid and the channels via the walls of the channels,
wherein the tubes each have spacers,
wherein the tubes are grouped together, and
wherein the input liquid flows in between the tubes; and
a bubble generator configured to recirculate a portion of the liquid and gases of the condensation chamber and the evaporation chamber, wherein the bubble generator is configured to permeate the input liquid with percolating gas bubbles which are adapted to form hanging bubbles beading right below a heat exchange surface of the evaporator chamber; and
a P-trap channel comprising a first end operatively connected to the condensation chamber and a second end operatively connected to the bubble generator disposed in the evaporation chamber, wherein the P-trap channel and the bubble generator are configured to recirculate a portion of the saturated gasses from the condensation chamber to the evaporation chamber.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising,
a P-trap channel operatively connected to the evaporation chamber and the condensation chamber for recirculating the portion of the saturated gases;
a sediment chamber operatively connected to the evaporation chamber; and
an electrostatic precipitator operatively connected to the evaporation chamber to purify the saturated gases provided by the evaporation chamber,
wherein a radial center of each of the tubes are equidistant to the radial center of adjacent tubes,
wherein the channels are substantially aligned in a horizontal direction,
wherein a portion of the saturated gases in the condensation chamber are recirculated via a bubble generation mechanism to the evaporation chamber,
wherein the P-trap channel connects the evaporation chamber to the condensation chamber,
wherein the pressure in the condensation chamber exceeds the pressure in the evaporation chamber,
wherein the sediment chamber is connected to the evaporation chamber for allowing heavier particles in the liquid to settle in the sediment chamber,
wherein the sediment chamber having a digitally controlled pump for pumping the particles from the sediment chamber, and
wherein the sediment chamber has various interconnected levels to allow for different particle concentrations at each of the interconnected levels.