Reverse-osmosis apparatus for producing fresh water from seawater
OwnerFernand Lopezinventor
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Abstract
The invention concerns a fresh-water producing apparatus to be immersed in a marine medium and of the type comprising at least one reverse-osmosis selective semi-permeable membrane. This apparatus comprises three stages: a fresh-water stage consisting of collecting means for the produced chamber provided with a semi-permeable membrane placed between this chamber and the fresh-water collecting means; and, a third stage comprising a mobile piston and an hermetic chamber having a gaseous atmosphere. The piston is designed to enter in variable depth the high-pressure chamber by one side having an effective area s and comprising an opposite side with an effective area S exceeding the area s and arranged to be at the pressure of the marine medium.
Claims28
A reverse-osmosis fresh water from seawater system adapted for being submersed in a marine medium, comprising:
- (a) fresh-water collecting means;
- (b) a high-pressure chamber adapted for containing seawater therein;
- (c) an hermetic chamber;
- (d) a semi-permeable membrane positioned in said high-pressure chamber and adapted for reverse-osmosis separation of fresh water from seawater and having a fresh water side in fluid communication with fresh water collecting means and a salt water side immersible in salt water containable in said high-pressure chamber;
- (e) pressure application means associated with said hermetic chamber and in pressure communication with said high-pressure chamber for applying pressure to seawater containable therein whereby fresh water flows through said semi-permeable membrane to said fresh water collecting means thereby;
- and
- (f) valve means in fluid communication with said marine medium and said high pressure chamber for filling said high-pressure chamber with seawater.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.