# US 9,517,950 B2 · Water purification systems and methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,517,950 B2 - Document ID: US9517950B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/025,705 - Filed: 2013-09-12 - Published: 2014-03-20 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2012-09-14 - Applicants: Kevin E. Munro - Inventors: Kevin E. Munro - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9517950B2 ## CPC - C02F 1/441: {by reverse osmosis} - B01D 61/10: Accessories; Auxiliary operations - C02F 1/14: using solar energy - B01D 2313/365: Electrical sources - C02F 2103/08: Seawater, e.g. for desalination - C02F 2201/009: Apparatus with independent power supply, e.g. solar cells, windpower or fuel cells - Y02A 20/212: Solar-powered wastewater sewage treatment, e.g. spray evaporation - C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes) - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE ## Abstract Systems, components, and methods for water purification are described. In an example, a system may comprise an array of light-focusing elements, a heat exchanger device, a turbine generator, or other components and can be configured to use a source of light (e.g., sunlight) to filter water from a water source and to generate electricity. The electricity may be looped back into the system to further produce filtered water. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A solar-powered water processing system, comprising: a reverse osmosis filter coupled with a water intake and configured to receive water from a water source through the water intake and to produce filtered water by filtering the water: an array of light-focusing elements configured in an arrangement to produce light in a focused beam, wherein the array of light-focusing elements comprises lenses coated with electrochromic film layers, each of the lenses coated with an electrochromic film layer, wherein the electrochromic film layers are configured to controllably darken; a heat exchanger device located in the vicinity of the focused beam, the heat exchanger being coupled with the reverse osmosis filter to receive a portion of the filtered water and configured to heat the portion of the filtered water by using the light in the focused beam to produce steam; a turbine generator coupled with the heat exchanger and configured to produce electricity from the steam; a battery configured to store a portion of the electricity; and an electrical distribution panel coupled with the turbine generator and configured to distribute the electricity to a plurality of elements, the plurality of elements comprising the battery and the reverse osmosis filter, wherein, based on the electricity being produced, the electrical distribution panel is configured to start powering the reverse osmosis filter from the turbine generator. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising the water intake, and wherein the water intake is a seawater intake. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the water source comprises a freshwater reserve source. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a salt bath coupled with the reserve osmosis filter system such that brine from the osmosis filter system is directed into the salt bath. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a pressure relief device coupled with the turbine generator, the pressure relief device further coupled with a condenser. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the light-focusing elements comprise at least one Fresnel lens. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the array of light-focusing elements is arranged in a dome shape. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger comprises a plurality of pipes in parallel so as to absorb light from the focused beam of the array of light-focusing elements. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a condenser and a fresh water storage, wherein the condenser is configured to receive a portion of the steam after the steam having being used to produce the electricity and to condense the portion of the steam to produce fresh water, and wherein the fresh water storage is configured to store the produced fresh water. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the reverse osmosis filter is further configured to produce a brine from the water received from the water source through the water intake. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the array of light-focusing elements comprises a plurality of lenses each of the plurality of lenses coated with electrochromic film layers, wherein the electrochromic film layers are configured to controllably darken. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the array of light-focusing elements comprises a plurality of lenses arranged in a geodesic dome.