Bubble-Column Vapor Mixture Condenser
AssigneesKing Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsPrakash Narayan Govindan, Gregory P. Thiel, Ronan K. McGovern, John H. Lienhard, Mostafa H. Elsharqawy
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Abstract
In a bubble-column vapor mixture condenser, a fluid source supplies a carrier-gas stream including a condensable fluid in vapor phase. The condensable fluid in liquid form is contained as a bath in a chamber in each stage of the condenser, and the carrier gas is bubbled through the bath to condense the fluid into the bath. Energy from condensation is recovered to a liquid composition in a conduit that passes through the liquid in the stages of the condenser. The bubble-column vapor mixture condenser can be used, e.g., in a humidification-dehumidification system for purifying a liquid, such as water.
Claims28
A multi-stage bubble-column vapor mixture condenser comprising:
- a fluid source supplying a carrier gas that includes a condensable fluid in vapor phase;
- at least a first stage and a second stage of the bubble-column condenser, wherein each stage includes an inlet, an outlet and a chamber in fluid communication with the inlet and the outlet, wherein the inlet of the first stage of the bubble-column condenser is coupled with the fluid source, and wherein the outlet of the first stage is in fluid communication with the inlet of the second stage to facilitate flow of the carrier gas from the fluid source through the chamber of the first stage and then through the chamber of the second stage, wherein the condensable fluid in liquid phase fills the chambers of the first stage and the second stage such that the fluid passes through and contacts the liquid when passing from the inlet to the outlet of each stage;
- and
- a conduit that passes through the liquid in the first stage and in the second stage to recover energy from condensation in the condenser to a coolant passing through the conduit.
A humidification-dehumidification system comprising:
- a humidifier including a carrier-gas inlet and a carrier-gas outlet;
- a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, wherein the liquid inlet is coupled with a liquid source;
- and a chamber in which liquid introduced from the liquid inlet can contact a carrier gas containing a condensable fluid in vapor phase that is introduced from the carrier-gas inlet in a counterflow arrangement and in which a portion of the liquid can vaporize into the carrier gas;
- and
- a bubble-column vapor mixture condenser including at least a first stage including a carrier-gas inlet, a carrier-gas outlet and a chamber configured to contain a liquid bath in fluid communication with the carrier-gas inlet and the carrier-gas outlet, wherein the carrier-gas inlet of the condenser is in fluid communication with the carrier-gas outlet of the humidifier, and wherein the carrier-gas outlet of the condenser is in fluid communication with the carrier-gas inlet of the humidifier.
A method for condensing a fluid from a carrier-gas stream, comprising:
- bubbling a carrier-gas stream comprising a condensable fluid in vapor phase through a first bath of the fluid in liquid phase in a first stage of a bubble-column condenser, wherein the carrier-gas stream contacts the first bath, and wherein some of the fluid in vapor phase in the carrier-gas stream condenses into the first bath;
- exhausting the carrier-gas stream with a reduced content of the fluid in vapor phase from the first stage of the bubble-column condenser;
- and
- passing a coolant through a conduit that passes through the liquid-phase fluid in the first stage to recover energy from the condensation in the bubble-column condenser to the coolant passing through the conduit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.