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US 4,046,534 AGranted
Method for recovering fresh water from brine
OwnerJames B. Maguire, Sr.inventor
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Abstract
A process is disclosed for recovering fresh water from brine which includes introducing brine, which has been inoculated with a predetermined number of ice nuclei and is at about its freezing temperature, into an elongated crystal growth zone which is supplied with refrigerant along the brine flow path at a graduated rate such that more refrigerant is supplied toward the outlet of the crystal growth zone than near the inlet. Ice crystals are separated from the resulting brine-ice slurry, and the ice crystals are washed with fresh water before being melted to recover fresh water.
Claims9
A process for recovering fresh water from brine comprising:
- A. cooling brine to about the freezing temperature,
- B. maintaining two, batch nucleus-forming zones,
- C. inoculating the brine with a predetermined number of nuclei of ice crystals, alternately from said two nucleus-forming zones,
- D. passing the inoculated brine through an elongated crystal growth zone from an inlet at one end thereof to an outlet at the other end thereof,
- E. supplying refrigerant to the crystal growth zone along substantially the entire path of flow of inoculated brine through the crystal growth zone at a rate such that the brine temperature in the crystal growth zone is from about 0.2.degree. to about 3.0.degree. F. lower than the equilibrium freezing point of the brine at that point in the flow path, whereby crystal growth is effected substantially without the formation of nuclei,
- F. passing the resultant brine-ice mixture from the outlet of the crystal growth zone to a separation zone wherein ice crystals are separated from brine,
- G. washing the separated ice crystals with fresh water, and
- H. recovering fresh water from the ice crystals.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.