# US 2009/0173617 A1 · Desalinization by evaporation from capillary material > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2009/0173617 A1 - Document ID: US20090173617A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 10/584,976 - Filed: 2005-01-11 - Published: 2009-07-09 - Earliest claimed: 2004-01-13 - Inventors: George E. Wilson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20090173617A1 ## CPC - B01D 1/0076: {Maintaining the liquid in the evaporator at a constant level} - B01D 1/04: Evaporators with horizontal tubes - B01D 1/30: Accessories for evaporators {; Constructional details thereof} - C02F 1/04: by distillation or evaporation - C02F 1/16: using waste heat from other processes - Y02A 20/124: Water desalination - Y10S 159/27: Micropores - Y10S 159/28: Porous member - Y10S 159/41: Removable units - Y10S 159/906: Wick - 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) - 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) - Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract A method and an apparatus for desalinizing raw water are disclosed. The method can include wicking the raw water into a porous material by capillary action and heating the raw water in the porous material with a heating element to form water vapor. The water vapor then can be condensed to form purified water. The apparatus can include a chamber for holding raw water, a heating element, a sheet of porous material and a chamber for collecting water vapor evaporated from the raw water in the porous material. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: wicking raw water from a raw-water source into a porous material by capillary action, where the porous material is positioned above the raw-water source and the porous material is partially submersed in the raw-water source; heating the raw water in the porous material with a heating element substantially adjacent to the porous material; evaporating water from the raw water in the porous material to form water vapor and a salt residue; collecting the salt residue on a surface of the porous material; and condensing the water vapor to form purified water. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising removing the salt residue from the porous material as salt crystals or as a substantially solid salt cake. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: adding make-up raw water to the raw-water source; and preheating the make-up raw water by transferring heat from the purified water to the make-up raw water in a heat exchanger. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising heating raw water near a surface of the raw-water source with the heating element. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: lifting the porous material away from the raw-water source; removing the salt residue from the porous material; and replacing the porous material above the raw-water source. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a turbulent vapor space above the porous material. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, where the heating element comprises a conduit and heating the raw water in the porous material comprises: increasing the pressure of the water vapor; and routing the water vapor through the conduit after increasing the pressure of the water vapor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising condensing the water vapor in the conduit while maintaining an elevated pressure in the conduit with weirs and/or float valves. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, where increasing the pressure of the water vapor comprises mixing the water vapor with steam from a boiler. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising adding make-up water to the boiler by mixing the make-up water with steam from the boiler in an injector. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, where the make-up water is a portion of the purified water. ### Claim 12 A method for providing desalinized water at remote locations, comprising: transporting a desalinization apparatus to a remote location on board an ocean vessel, where the desalinization apparatus comprises a porous material; desalinizing ocean water by absorbing the ocean water into the porous material, heating the ocean water in the porous material to form water vapor, and condensing the water vapor to form purified water; providing for removal, in substantially solid form, of salt from the ocean water; and transporting the purified water from the ocean vessel to a location on land. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, where desalinizing the ocean water comprises: increasing the pressure of the water vapor; and routing the water vapor through a conduit substantially adjacent to the porous material to heat the ocean water in the porous material. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, where desalinizing the ocean water comprises desalinizing the ocean water by a substantially all-thermal desalinization process. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, where the desalinization apparatus comprises a boiler and the method further comprises operating the boiler with bunker fuel. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, where the desalinization apparatus comprises a boiler configured to provide steam for desalinization of the ocean water and for propulsion of the ocean vessel. ### Claim 17 An apparatus, comprising: a lower chamber configured to hold raw water; a heating element extending over the lower chamber and configured to be positioned above or partially submersed in the raw water; a sheet of porous material extending over the heating element and configured to have a submersed portion in contact with the raw water and a non-submersed portion above the raw water, where the heating element is in contact with the non-submersed portion of the porous material; and an upper chamber above the sheet of porous material for collecting water vapor evaporated from raw water in the porous material. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a heat exchanger for transferring heat between purified water formed by condensing the water vapor and make-up raw water traveling to the lower chamber. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The apparatus of claim 17, where the sheet of porous material and/or the heating element is/are removable from the apparatus. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a circulation device for maintaining the water vapor in the upper chamber in a turbulent condition. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The apparatus of claim 17, where the heating element comprises a conduit configured to receive water vapor collected in the upper chamber and to transfer heat from the water vapor to the raw water in the porous material. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a vapor-recompression device for pressurizing the water vapor before the water vapor enters the conduit. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The apparatus of claim 22, where the vapor-recompression device is configured to pressurize the water vapor by mixing the water vapor with steam from a boiler. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising the boiler and an injector configured to add make-up water to the boiler by mixing the make-up water with steam from the boiler.