Water purification apparatus
AssigneesE. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company, Design Technology and Irrigation
InventorsMark Christopher Tonkin, Mark Andrew Young, Olaf Norbert Kirchner
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Abstract
The present invention relates to the use of a hydrophilic membrane to provide by the process of pervaporation through the membrane water suitable for agricultural irrigation, industrial use, hydrating or rehydrating of food or agricultural or pharmaceutical compositions. The present invention also relates to a water purification apparatus which includes the hydrophilic membrane, comprising one or more layers of hydrophilic polymers, to purify water which may contain suspended or dissolved impurities and solids, including but not limited to seawater, brackish water and other kinds of polluted water.
Claims35
A water purification apparatus comprising a water source and a hydrophilic membrane comprising one or more layers,
- wherein said water source contains water and at least one of a suspended solid, a dissolved solid, a pollutant, a salt, and a biological material,
- wherein said hydrophilic membrane allows the water to pass through the membrane as a vapor, said hydrophilic membrane preventing the at least one suspended solid, dissolved solid, pollutant, salt, and biological material from passing through the hydrophilic membrane,
- further wherein said hydrophilic membrane permits a differential transfer of water vapor across said membrane at a rate of at least 70 g/m2/24 h.
A humidity augmenting apparatus for providing moisture to an airspace of an enclosed chamber comprising a water source and a hydrophilic membrane comprising one or more layers,
- wherein said water source contains water and at least one of a suspended solid, a dissolved solid, a pollutant, a salt, and a biological material,
- wherein said hydrophilic membrane allows the water to pass through the membrane and be emitted as vapor into an airspace of an enclosed chamber, said hydrophilic membrane preventing the at least one suspended solid, dissolved solid, pollutant, salt, and biological material from passing through the hydrophilic membrane.
A process for controlling humidity of an airspace in an enclosed chamber, comprising:
- providing a water source containing water and at least one of a suspended solid, a dissolved solid, a pollutant, a salt, and a biological material,
- providing a water delivery system to an enclosed chamber, said water delivery system comprising a hydrophilic membrane comprising one or more layers, wherein said hydrophilic membrane prevents the at least one suspended solid, dissolved solid, pollutant, salt, and biological material from passing through the hydrophilic membrane, said water being permitted to pass through the hydrophilic membrane as water vapor, wherein said hydrophilic membrane has a differential transfer rate of water vapor across the hydrophilic membrane of at least 70 g/m2/24 h;
- and
- introducing the water source to the water delivery system, wherein the water passes through the hydrophilic membrane to the enclosed chamber depending on the humidity of the chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.