Brine dispersal system
AssigneeOceanWell Co.
InventorRobert A. Bergstrom
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Abstract
A desalination brine dispersal system for a submerged seawater desalination apparatus, the seawater desalination apparatus having submerged components comprising distillation equipment, evaporation equipment or separation membranes; one or more pumps; and a brine removal conduit. The brine removal conduit receives brine from the desalination apparatus, and has an upwardly-directed length and at least one fluid outlet that is at a lesser depth than the desalination apparatus components. They system disperses brine into seawater without causing pooling of brine on the seafloor, can avoid the formation of concentrated, high shear brine plumes, and can disperse brine into seawater over a wide area well away from the brine removal conduit.
Claims26
A desalination brine dispersal system for a submerged seawater desalination apparatus, the seawater desalination apparatus having submerged components comprising distillation equipment, evaporation equipment or separation membranes;
- one or more pumps;
- and a brine removal conduit;
- wherein the desalination apparatus rests upon or is anchored to a seafloor, and the brine removal conduit has:
- a) at least one fluid introduction point that receives brine from the submerged desalination apparatus;
- b) an upwardly-directed length beyond the fluid introduction point;
- and
- c) at least one fluid outlet that is at a lesser depth than such desalination apparatus components and disperses brine into seawater without causing pooling of brine on the seafloor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.