Method and apparatus for solidifying a polar substance
AssigneeABB Schweiz AG
InventorsJaroslav Hemrle, Christos Stamatopoulos, Dimos Poulikakos, Tanmoy Maitra
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Abstract
A method for solidifying a polar substance, in particular water, is presented which comprises the steps of: providing a coolable, hydrophobic, preferably super-hydrophobic, condensation surface within an interior of a container; partially filling the container with a polar substance, preferably in liquid form, and an immiscible additive, preferably in liquid form, so that the condensation surface remains at least partially unsubmerged; cooling the hydrophobic condensation surface to a temperature Tcond below a solidification temperature Tsolid of the polar substance; and removing solidified polar substance from the container.
Claims25
A method for solidifying a polar substance, comprising the steps of
- a) providing a cooler with a hydrophobic condensation surface located thereon, the hydrophobic condensation surface being within an interior of a container,
- b) partially filling the container with
- i) a polar substance, and
- ii) an immiscible additive,
- iii) so that the condensation surface remains at least partially unsubmerged,
- c) cooling an unsubmerged portion of the hydrophobic condensation surface with the cooler to a temperature Tcond below a solidification temperature Tsolid of the polar substance, wherein Tcond is −8° C. or below,
- d) removing solidified polar substance from the container;
- wherein
- e) at the solidification temperature Tsolid of the polar substance, the immiscible additive is volatile.
An apparatus for solidifying a polar substance, comprising
- a) a container, said container comprising
- i) a supply volume for containing the polar substance in liquid form,
- ii) an evaporation volume for retaining evaporated substance from the supply volume,
- iii) a hydrophobic condensation surface located on a cooler within the evaporation volume,
- b) the cooler cooling an unsubmerged portion of the hydrophobic condensation surface to a temperature Tcond below a solidification temperature Tsolid of the polar substance, wherein Tcond is −8° C. or below,
- c) a removal arrangement for removing solidified polar substance from the container,
- d) wherein the hydrophobic condensation surface is oleophilic.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.