Forward osmosis with an organic osmolyte for cooling towers
AssigneeHydration Systems, LLC
InventorsJohn R. Herron, Upen J. Bharwada, Isaac V. Farr
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Abstract
A system is described in which a cooling tower is operated with a solution of a non-volatile organic molecule osmolyte and water. Makeup water for the tower is provided by forward osmosis using the fluid as the draw solution for the extraction of water from feeds which require dewatering or from low value available water.
Claims13
A method for cooling hot process fluid, comprising:
- (a) conveying through a first side of a heat exchanger the hot process fluid, and conveying through a second side of the heat exchanger an organic osmolyte solution which absorbs heat from the hot fluid;
- (b) conveying the organic osmolyte solution to a cooling tower;
- (c) diluting the organic osmolyte solution with water produced by a forward osmosis element, to produce diluted osmolyte solution;
- and
- (d) conveying diluted osmolyte solution through the second side of the heat exchanger.
A forward osmosis system for use with a heat exchanger and a cooling tower using an organic osmolyte solution as cooling tower water, the system comprising a forward osmosis membrane element for diluting a stream of organic osmolyte solution exiting the cooling tower.
A cooling tower system comprising:
- (a) a heat exchange loop comprising:
- a heat exchanger having a first side and a second side, and
- a first conduit for conveying hot process fluid through the first side of the heat exchanger;
- (b) a cooling tower;
- (c) a second conduit for conveying an organic osmolyte solution through the second side of the heat exchanger into the cooling tower;
- (d) a forward osmosis membrane element for producing dilute organic osmolyte solution;
- (e) a third conduit for conveying concentrated organic osmolyte solution exiting the bottom of the cooling tower to the forward osmosis membrane element;
- and
- (f) a fourth conduit for conveying diluted organic osmolyte solution exiting the forward osmosis membrane element to the second side of the heat exchanger.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.