Apparatus for desalinating salt water by membrane distillation

Abstract

An apparatus for desalinating sea water, comprising a distillation unit which includes a porous hydrophobic membrane which is pervious to steam but impervious to water, and a condensation surface arranged at a distance from the membrane, the distillation arrangement also including a first unit for heating and conducting the water to be distilled on one side of the membrane, and a second unit arranged to conduct a liquid which is colder than the water, on the side of the condensation surface remote from the membrane, distilled water being collected and drawn-off between the membrane and the condensation surface. The apparatus is characterized in that the first unit incorporates a closed pipe loop (11',12,13) which is connected in series with the warm side (10) of the distillation unit (1); in that the second unit incorporates a closed pipe loop (14,15,16) which is connected in series with the cold side (11) of the distillation unit (1); in that a drainage valve (17) is provided for drawing-off water from the pipe loop (11,12,13), of the first unit; in that there is provided a water filling valve (20) and a pipe line (23) for drawing water from the pipe loop (14,15,16) of the second unit; in that the pipe loops of respective first and second units are connected together by means of a connecting line (25); and in that a heat exchanger (50) is connected to the pipe loop (11,12,13) of the first unit for supplying energy to the water present in the pipe loop of the first unit.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.