# US 10,479,701 B2 · Production of ultra-high-density brines using transiently-operated desalination systems

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- Number: US 10,479,701 B2
- Document ID: US10479701B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/967,273
- Filed: 2018-04-30
- Published: 2019-01-03
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2015-05-21
- Assignees: Gradiant Corporation
- Applicants: Gradiant Corporation
- Inventors: Prakash Narayan Govindan; Maximus G. St. John; Steven Lam; Mark Zaloudek; Karim M. Chehayeb; Samar Shah
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10479701B2

## CPC

- C02F 1/10: by direct contact with a particulate solid or with a fluid, as a heat transfer medium
- B01D 3/16: Fractionating columns in which vapour bubbles through liquid (packing elements B01J19/30, B01J19/32)
- B01D 3/346: {the gas being used for removing vapours, e.g. transport gas}
- B01D 17/02: Separation of non-miscible liquids
- B01D 17/0205: {by gas bubbles or moving solids}
- C02F 1/08: Thin film evaporation
- C02F 1/5236: {using inorganic agents}
- C02F 1/5245: {using basic salts, e.g. of aluminium and iron}
- C02F 1/66: by neutralisation; pH adjustment (for degassing C02F1/20; using ion-exchange C02F1/42; for flocculation or precipitation of suspended impurities C02F1/52; for removing dissolved compounds C02F1/58)
- C02F 5/02: Softening water by precipitation of the hardness
- C02F 1/52: by flocculation or precipitation of suspended impurities {(C02F1/463 takes precedence)}
- C02F 2001/007: {Processes including a sedimentation step}
- C02F 2001/5218: {Crystallization}
- C02F 2101/101: {Sulfur compounds}
- C02F 2101/12: Halogens or halogen-containing compounds
- C02F 2101/32: Hydrocarbons, e.g. oil
- C02F 2101/322: {Volatile compounds, e.g. benzene}
- C02F 2101/325: {Emulsions}
- C02F 2103/08: Seawater, e.g. for desalination
- C02F 2103/10: from quarries or from mining activities
- C02F 2301/046: Recirculation with an external loop
- Y02A 20/124: Water desalination
- Y02P 70/10: Greenhouse gas [GHG] capture, material saving, heat recovery or other energy efficient measures, e.g. motor control, characterised by manufacturing processes, e.g. for rolling metal or metal working
- 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)
- Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

Systems and methods related to desalination systems are described herein. According to some embodiments, the desalination systems are transiently operated and/or configured to facilitate transient operation. In some embodiments, a liquid stream comprising water and at least one dissolved salt is circulated through a fluidic circuit comprising a desalination system. In some embodiments, a portion of the desalination system (e.g., a humidifier) is configured to remove at least a portion of the water from the liquid stream to produce a concentrated brine stream enriched in the dissolved salt. In certain cases, the concentrated brine stream is recirculated through the fluidic circuit until the concentrated brine stream reaches a relatively high density (e.g., at least about 10 pounds per gallon) and/or a relatively high salinity (e.g., a total dissolved salt concentration of at least about 25 wt %). In certain embodiments, additional salt is added to the concentrated brine stream to produce an ultra-high-density brine stream (e.g., a brine stream having a density of at least about 11.7 pounds per gallon). Some aspects relate to a system that is configured to promote energy efficiency by recovering heat from the recirculated concentrated brine stream upon discharge from the fluidic circuit.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for producing a concentrated brine stream, comprising:
supplying a liquid stream comprising water and a dissolved salt at an initial concentration to a fluidic circuit comprising a humidifier, wherein the humidifier removes at least a portion of the water from the liquid stream to produce a concentrated brine stream comprising water and the dissolved salt at a second concentration higher than the initial concentration of the liquid stream; and
recirculating the concentrated brine stream through the fluidic circuit to remove at least a portion of the water from the concentrated brine stream, forming a recirculated concentrated brine stream comprising water and the dissolved salt at a third concentration higher than the second concentration of the concentrated brine stream;
wherein, during the recirculating, an amount of solid salt is produced within the fluidic circuit.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the solid salt comprises NaCl.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the solid salt comprises NaBr, CaBr2, MgBr2, KBr, NaNO3, Ca(NO3)2, and/or Mg(NO3)2.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the humidifier is a bubble column humidifier.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the humidifier is a packed bed humidifier.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the humidifier is fluidly connected to a dehumidifier, wherein the dehumidifier produces a stream comprising substantially pure water.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6, wherein the dehumidifier is a bubble column condenser.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising treating the concentrated brine stream and/or the recirculated concentrated brine stream to remove an amount of a sulfate and/or a carbonate.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising pre-treating the liquid stream to remove at least a portion of at least one scale-forming ion from the liquid stream prior to supplying the liquid stream to the fluidic circuit.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method according to claim 9, wherein the at least one scale-forming ion comprises Mg2+, Ca2+, Sr2+, and/or Ba2+.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method according to claim 9, wherein the at least one scale-forming ion comprises CO32−, HCO3−, SO42−, HSO4−, OH−, and/or a dissolved silica anion.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising pre-treating the liquid stream to remove at least a portion of a suspended and/or emulsified immiscible phase from the liquid stream prior to supplying the liquid stream to the fluidic circuit.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method according to claim 12, wherein the suspended and/or emulsified immiscible phase comprises oil and/or grease.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising pre-treating the liquid stream to remove at least a portion of suspended solids from the liquid stream prior to supplying the liquid stream to the fluidic circuit.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising pre-treating the liquid stream to remove at least a portion of volatile organic material (VOM) from the liquid stream prior to supplying the liquid stream to the fluidic circuit.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising pre-treating the liquid stream to adjust or maintain the pH of the liquid stream prior to supplying the liquid stream to the fluidic circuit.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the concentrated brine stream is supersaturated brine.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the amount of solid salt comprises salt crystals.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein, during a first period of time, salt crystals are formed, and during a second period of time, the salt crystals are dissolved.