# US 11,306,009 B2 · Membrane distillation device with bubble column dehumidifier > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,306,009 B2 - Document ID: US11306009B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/137,018 - Filed: 2018-09-20 - Published: 2020-03-26 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2018-09-20 - Assignees: King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals - Applicants: King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals - Inventors: Atia Esmaeil Khalifa; Mohamed A. Antar; Suhaib M. Alawad - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11306009B2 ## CPC - C02F 1/447: {by membrane distillation (distillation and evaporation without the use of membranes C02F1/04)} - B01D 3/16: Fractionating columns in which vapour bubbles through liquid (packing elements B01J19/30, B01J19/32) - B01D 5/003: {within column(s)} - B01D 5/006: {with evaporation or distillation} - B01D 61/3641: {comprising multiple membrane distillation steps} - B01D 61/366: {Apparatus therefor} - B01D 2311/06: Specific process operations in the permeate stream - B01D 2311/2699: Drying - B01D 2313/26: Specific gas distributors or gas intakes - B01D 2313/902: Integrated cleaning device - C02F 1/02: by heating (methods of steam generation F22B; preheating boiler feed-water or accumulating preheated boiler feed-water F22D) - C02F 2103/08: Seawater, e.g. for desalination - C02F 2201/002: Construction details of the apparatus - C02F 2209/02: Temperature - Y02A 20/124: Water desalination - Y02A 20/131: Reverse-osmosis - 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 ## Abstract A desalination device may comprise: a membrane distillation module comprising a water feed chamber, a carrier gas (CG) chamber, and a hydrophobic microporous membrane configured to separate the water feed chamber and the CG chamber; and a bubble column dehumidifier comprising a bubble column inlet, a bubble column gas outlet, and a product outlet, wherein the MD module allows water vapor to translocate to the CG chamber, but not liquid water, and wherein the water feed each chamber has comprises a water feed inlet and a water feed outlet, wherein the CG chamber comprises a CG chamber inlet and CG chamber outlet, wherein the CG chamber outlet is upstream of and connected to the bubble column dehumidifier, and wherein the CG chamber inlet is downstream of and connected to the bubble column dehumidifier so as to cycle a carrier gas through the CG chamber and the bubble column dehumidifier. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A desalination device, comprising: a membrane distillation module comprising a water feed chamber, a carrier gas chamber, and a hydrophobic microporous membrane configured to separate the water feed chamber and the carrier gas chamber; and a bubble column dehumidifier comprising a bubble column inlet, a bubble column space defined by walls of the bubble column dehumidifier, a liquid extraction material present in the bubble column space into which carrier gas from the bubble column inlet bubbles, a dehumidifier space above the liquid extraction material, a bubble column gas outlet, and a product outlet, wherein the bubble column further comprises a plurality of laterally overlapping plate baffles disposed on the walls of the bubble column dehumidifier and are submerged in the liquid extraction material, wherein the plate baffles are configured to alternately direct the carrier gas through the liquid extraction material in opposite directions laterally at each successive plate baffle, wherein the membrane distillation module is configured to pass water vapor from the water feed chamber through the hydrophobic microporous membrane to the carrier gas chamber without passing liquid water from the water feed chamber to the carrier gas chamber, wherein the water feed chamber comprises a water feed inlet and a water feed outlet, wherein the carrier gas chamber comprises a carrier gas chamber inlet and a carrier gas chamber outlet, wherein the carrier gas chamber outlet is upstream of and connected to the bubble column dehumidifier, wherein the carrier gas chamber inlet is downstream of and connected to the bubble column dehumidifier so as to cycle the carrier gas through the carrier gas chamber and the bubble column dehumidifier, and wherein the membrane distillation module and the bubble column dehumidifier form a closed cycle carrier gas operation system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the bubble column inlet comprises nozzles and/or a sparger, such that the carrier gas is split into bubbles upon entering the bubble column dehumidifier, optionally passing through a pressurized gas chamber before passing through the nozzles and/or a sparger. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The device of claim 2, wherein the nozzles and/or sparger are configured to release the bubbles of the carrier gas at a base of the bubble column dehumidifier. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The device of claim 2, wherein the nozzles and/or sparger are configured to release the bubbles of the carrier gas within the liquid extraction material at a height in a range of from 33 to 67% of a height of the liquid extraction material in the bubble column dehumidifier. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further comprising: a cooler comprising a cooler outlet, configured to feed coolant through the bubble column dehumidifier. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The device of claim 5, wherein the cooler further comprises a cooler inlet, configured to receive returning coolant from the bubble column dehumidifier, in a cooling cycle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the bubble column dehumidifier comprises a dehumidifier baffle within the dehumidifier space above the liquid extraction material, into which the carrier gas from the bubble column inlet bubbles, the baffle, the dehumidifier space, and the liquid extraction material being within the bubble column dehumidifier. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The device of claim 7, wherein the dehumidifier space further comprises a vapor trap, which is configured to be cooled downstream of the liquid extraction material. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further comprising: a heater, upstream of the carrier gas chamber inlet; and a feed pump, upstream of the carrier gas chamber inlet and downstream of the heater. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the bubble column inlet is configured to bubble the carrier gas into the bubble column dehumidifier in a direction orthogonal to gravity. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the bubble column inlet is configured to bubble the carrier gas into the bubble column dehumidifier in a direction parallel to gravity. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the carrier gas chamber outlet is led through the water feed chamber upstream of the bubble column dehumidifier. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, comprising two or more of the membrane distillation modules, arranged in series. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, comprising two or more of the membrane distillation modules, arranged in parallel. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) A method of desalinating water, the method comprising: feeding saline water through the water feed inlet of the desalination device of claim 1 to the water feed chamber; contacting the saline water with a hydrophobic microporous membrane to separate water vapor from the saline water; passing the carrier gas in dry, cool form through the carrier gas chamber inlet and through the carrier gas chamber contacting the membrane on a surface opposite the water feed chamber to obtain a humidified gas including the carrier gas and the water vapor; passing the humidified gas through the bubble column dehumidifier to condense desalinated water and restoring the carrier gas to dry, cool form; recycling the carrier gas in dry, cool form to the carrier gas chamber; and collecting the desalinated water, wherein the humidified gas enters the bubble column dehumidifier through nozzles and/or a sparger configured to bubble the humidified gas through purified water. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising: heating the saline water downstream of and/or within the water feed chamber. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the carrier gas comprises air, H2, He, N2, Ar, or a mixture of any of these. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising: pressurizing the carrier gas between the bubble column gas outlet and the carrier gas chamber.