US 10,766,793 B2Granted

Damping plate sand filtration system and wave energy water desalination system and methods of using potable water produced by wave energy desalination

AssigneeMurtech, Inc.

InventorsRobert C. Murtha, Jr., Michael E. McCormick

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Abstract

A potable water producing system for disposition at a salt water body and methods of producing potable water are provided. The system includes a wave energy conversion system (AWECS) and a portable filtration system. The AWECS forms a floating articulated barge having an onboard desalination system including reverse osmosis membranes. The filtration system is a sand filter residing on a damping plate submerged in the salt water body and filters the adjacent salt water for providing filtered salt water to the onboard desalination system. Wave action on the articulated barge provides energy to pump and pressurize the filtered salt water from the sand filter to the reverse osmosis membranes to produce potable water. The wave action on the articulated barge effects shaking of the reverse osmosis membranes, thereby rendering them self-cleaning. The potable water can be used for various applications, e.g., bottling, replenishing aquifers, ground and/or aquifer remediation, irrigation, etc.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A method for producing a pressurized water source from a body of salt water having waves, said method comprising:

providing an articulated barge system adapted for flotation on the body of water having waves, said barge system including at least two barges that articulate with respect to each other and which are hinged together wherein one of said at least two barges comprises one damping plate positioned thereunder and submerged in the body of salt water;
anchoring said articulated barge system in the body of salt water;
positioning a sand filter on said damping plate for filtering water drawn from the body of water into said filter, said filter comprising a porous bag arranged for holding the sand on said damping plate;
providing an onboard desalination system which includes reverse osmosis membranes;
positioning at least one pump to straddle a gap between said at least two barges and coupling said at least one pump to be in fluid communication with said filter;
allowing said at least two barges to articulate in response to the action of the waves which converts energy of the waves into driving said at least one pump to cause said at least one pump to draw in water from said body of salt water through said filter and to form said pressurized water source from said filtered water;
and
conveying said pressurized filtered water through said reverse osmosis membranes for producing potable water from said filtered salt water.

5 more elements

A method for producing a pressurized water source from a body of water having waves, said method comprising:

providing an articulated barge system adapted for flotation on the body of water having waves, said barge system including at least two barges that articulate with respect to each other and which are hinged together;
anchoring said articulated barge system in the body of water;
positioning a filter on a bed in the body of water for filtering water drawn from the body of water into said filter, said filter comprising a footprint that reduces impact on the bed;
positioning at least one bi-directional pump to straddle a gap between said at least two barges and coupling said at least one bi-directional pump to be in fluid communication with said filter;
and
coupling a flow rectifier to said at least one bi-directional linear pump to produce a unidirectional water flow of filtered water and to deliver said unidirectional flow of filtered water;
and
allowing said at least two barges to articulate in response to the action of the waves which converts energy of the waves into driving said at least one bi-directional pump to cause said at least one bi-directional pump to draw in water from said body of water through said filter and to form said pressurized water source from said filtered water.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/185,851Filed 9 Nov 2018 · division
Priority: 5 Jul 2012
Published: US 2019/0077682 A114 Mar 2019
Granted: 8 Sep 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification36 codes

C02F 1/441
By dialysis, osmosis or reverse osmosis: by reverse osmosis
B01D 61/025
Reverse osmosis; Hyperfiltration ; Nanofiltration: reverse osmosis; Hyperfiltration
B01D 65/08
Accessories or auxiliary operations, in general, for separation processes or apparatus using semi-permeable membranes: prevention of membrane…
B63B 35/44
Vessels or similar floating structures specially adapted for specific purposes and not otherwise provided for: floating buildings, stores,…

Family

Application61/668,213Us provisional application · filed 5 Jul 2012
Application13/929,171Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 27 Jun 2013
Application14/037,684Parent of this continuation · filed 26 Sep 2013
Application62/028,895Us provisional application · filed 25 Jul 2014
PCT/US2014/056243Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 18 Sep 2014
Application15/409,075Parent of this division · filed 18 Jan 2017
US 2019/0077682 A1Pre-grant publication · published 14 Mar 2019
US 10,155,678 B2Parent of this division
Application15/023,791Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 10,029,927 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
Application15/409,075Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 8,778,176 B2Parent of this continuation
Application15/023,791Parent of this continuation
US 8,784,653 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
Application14/037,684Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2014/0008306 A1Published application
US 2014/0158624 A1Published application
US 2016/0236950 A1Published application
US 2017/0129788 A1Published application
US 10,766,793 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.