Solar-powered continuous distillation assembly having efficient heat recovery

A distillation assembly (1) which, with the aid of solar energy (2), continuously evaporates a feed liquor (4), comprising:

• at least one feed container (3) containing the feed liquor (4) and at least one distillate container (5) for collecting a distillate, wherein the at least one feed container (3) and the at least one distillate container (5) are in thermal contact with each other, wherein the at least one feed container (3) and the at least one distillate container (5) each have a cross-section selected from the group consisting of circular, oval, elliptical, triangular, and polygonal, and wherein the at least one feed container (3) and the at least one distillate container (5) each have a surface allowing for heat transfer, evaporation, and condensation of the feed liquor (4);
• at least one compressor (7) for compressing a vapor, the vapor being produced as a result of boiling the feed liquor (4) by concentrating solar energy (2) and by negative pressure, into the at least one distillate container (5), wherein the vapor condenses in the at least one distillate container (5) and wherein vaporization enthalpy and thermal energy are returned to the feed liquor (4) via the thermal contact;
• at least one feed line (8) for feeding the feed liquor and at least one discharge line (9) for discharging the feed liquor (4);
• at least one discharge line (10) for discharging the distillate (6);
• and
• valves (23, 26) and/or pumps (22) for controlling the feed and discharge of the feed liquor,
• wherein the distillation assembly (1) is located in a double-walled evacuated tube (13),
• wherein the double-walled evacuated tube (13) comprises a translucent outer tube (14) and a translucent inner tube (15),
• wherein the double-walled evacuated tube (13) either is a container (5) for the distillate (6) or the double-walled evacuated tube (13) is light absorbing by being coated with a solar radiation absorbing layer and serves as a feed container (3) for the feed liquor (4),
• wherein said translucent tubes (14, 15) have layers which reduce reflection of the solar energy (2) and reflect infrared radiation of the distillation assembly, and
• wherein, outside an area which is struck by the solar energy (2), the double-walled evacuated tube (13) is mirrored to provide additional thermal insulation.

A distillation assembly (1) which, with the aid of solar energy (2), continuously evaporates a feed liquor (4), comprising:

• at least one feed container (3) containing the feed liquor (4) and at least one distillate container (5) for collecting a distillate, wherein the at least one feed container (3) and the at least one distillate container (5) are in thermal contact with each other, wherein the at least one feed container (3) and the at least one distillate container (5) each have a cross-section selected from the group consisting of circular, oval, elliptical, triangular, and polygonal, and wherein the at least one feed container (3) and the at least one distillate container (5) each have a surface allowing for heat transfer, evaporation, and condensation of the feed liquor (4);
• at least one compressor (7) for compressing a vapor, the vapor being produced as a result of boiling the feed liquor (4) by concentrating solar energy (2) and by negative pressure, into the at least one distillate container (5), wherein the vapor condenses in the at least one distillate container (5) and wherein vaporization enthalpy and thermal energy are returned to the feed liquor (4) via the thermal contact;
• at least one feed line (8) for feeding the feed liquor and at least one discharge line (9) for discharging the feed liquor (4);
• at least one discharge line (10) for discharging the distillate (6);
• valves (23, 26) and/or pumps (22) for controlling the feed and discharge of the feed liquor and the distillate;
• additional feed and discharge lines through which cleaning, disinfecting, and/or rinsing liquids are fed to the distillation assembly (1);
• physical devices for cleaning the distillation assembly (1), selected from the group consisting of ultrasound and vibration devices;
• sound generators selected from the group consisting of piezo crystals and vibrator devices are installed in the distillation assembly (1) and at the at least one feed line (8) for feeding the feed liquor (4), the at least one discharge line (9) for discharging the feed liquor (4), and the at least one discharge line (10) for discharging the distillate (6);
• at least one pig for checking and cleaning interior walls of tubular components of the distillation assembly (1);
• and
• a splash guard (21), selected from the group consisting of a labyrinth, a sieve, and a wire mesh, and at least one filter (24), selected from the group consisting of an activated carbon filter, a microfilter, an ultrafilter, and a nanofilter, are installed in the at least one feed container (3) of the feed liquor (4) which remove or reduce undesirable impurities which are present in the vapor of the feed liquor,
• wherein at least one part of the distillation assembly (1) is made of corrosion-resistant metals and/or plastics,
• wherein the at least one part is coated with polytetrafluoroethylene, or is nanotechnologically treated with carbon nanotubes, in order to prevent or reduce scale and/or biological contamination by organisms, and/or the at least one part is surface-treated and/or coated in order to prevent boiling distortion and/or to promote condensation.