Desalination system and method for integrated treatment of brackish concentrate and seawater
AssigneePoseidon Resources IP LLC
InventorNikolay Voutchkov
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Various embodiments described herein provide methods and apparatus for producing purified water from sea water or some other salty or brackish water source by using brackish concentrate mixed with salty water. The various embodiments also provide methods and apparatus for the treatment of toxicity of brackish concentrate, which brackish concentrate exhibits on aquatic life inhabiting the area of discharge of the brackish concentrate, as well as a method for environmentally safe disposal of brackish concentrate.
Claims55
A method for purifying water, comprising the steps of:
- mixing brackish concentrate and sea water to produce mixed water;
- and
- desalinating the mixed water at a first desalination plant to produce a permeate having a lower salt concentration than the mixed water and a concentrate having a higher salt concentration than the mixed water.
A method for purifying water, comprising the steps of:
- receiving a first salty water having a total dissolved solids concentration of less than 33,500 mg/L at a first desalination plant;
- receiving a second salty water having a total dissolved solids concentration equal to or greater than 33,500 mg/L at the first desalination plant;
- mixing the first salty water and the second salty water to produced a mixed water;
- desalinating the mixed water at the first desalination plant to produce a potable permeate having a total dissolved solids concentration that is lower than the mixed water and a concentrate having a total dissolved solids concentration that is higher than the mixed water;
- and
- outputting the concentrate through an output of the first desalination plant.
A method of producing potable water from a salty water comprising:
- providing brackish water to a first desalination plant;
- desalinating the brackish water at the first desalination plant to produce a first concentrate having a higher salt content than the brackish water and a first permeate having a lower salt concentration than the brackish water;
- providing the first concentrate to a second desalination plant;
- providing sea water to the second desalination plant;
- mixing the first concentrate with the sea water to produce a mixed water;
- and
- desalinating the mixed water at the second desalination plant to produce a second concentrate having a higher salt content than the mixed water and a second permeate having a lower salt concentration than the mixed water.
A method for disposing of concentrated salty water, comprising the steps of:
- mixing brackish concentrate and sea water concentrate to produce a mixed concentrate;
- and
- outputting the mixed concentrate to an ocean.
A desalination plant comprising:
- a first input coupled to a source of brackish concentrate;
- a second input coupled to a source of sea water;
- a mixer coupled to the first input and the second input for mixing the brackish concentrate and the sea water to produce a mixed water;
- and
- a desalination unit for desalinating the mixed water to produce a permeate having a lower salt concentration than the mixed water and a concentrate having a higher salt concentration than the mixed water.
A system for desalinating salty water comprising:
- a brackish desalination plant comprising:
- a first input coupled to a source of brackish water,
- a desalination unit for desalinating the brackish water to produce a first permeate having a lower salt concentration than the brackish water and a first concentrate having a higher salt concentration than the brackish water, and
- a first output for outputting the concentrate;
- and
- a seawater desalination plant comprising:
- a second input coupled to the first output for inputting the brackish concentrate into the second desalination plant,
- a third input coupled to a source of sea water,
- a mixer coupled to the first input and the second input for mixing the brackish concentrate and the sea water to produce a mixed water,
- a desalination unit for desalinating the mixed water to produce a second permeate having a lower salt concentration than the mixed water and a second concentrate having a higher salt concentration than the mixed water, and
- a second output coupled to an ocean for outputting the second concentrate to the ocean.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.