FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to the unique process of utilizing Solar Energy to evaporate water from liquid effluent / waste stream generated by industries, domestic houses and municipal corporations, leading to volume reduction and zero discharge of liquid waste for disposal. Further this invention relates to the economic production of high purity water in large quantity by utilizing the latent heat released by water vapor during phase change more efficiently.

BACKGROUND

Liquid effluent / waste stream are conventionally processed for achieving zero discharge / volume reduction with known process of REVERSE OSMOSIS, MULTI STAGE FLASH EVAPORATION or with the conventional EVAPORATION & CONDENSATION method. All these above methods require huge quantity of energy by way of electricity or thermal power to evaporate water. The unique combination of utilizing Solar energy to heat liquid effluent and atmospheric air envisages the effective utilization of Solar Energy to evaporate some water from liquid effluent to saturate atmospheric air at a higher temperature, and then cool the saturated atmospheric air to condense the water vapors. The latent heat thus released is utilized for evaporating some more water from the liquid effluent at low temperature - under vacuum.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The object of this invention is to effectively utilize Solar Energy, as the main
source of energy to evaporate water from / brackish water / industrial waste stream / municipal waste stream leading to volume reduction / zero discharge of the liquid effluent / waste stream at comparatively very low cost, by maintaining a low operating cost and ensuring low initial investment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Solar energy is utilized to heat industrial waste stream / municipal waste stream for mixing in solar heated atmospheric air. Some water from liquid waste stream
will evaporate and the water vapor thus generated will get mixed into the warm atmospheric air leading to its saturation at a higher temperature. Higher the saturation temperature of atmospheric air, more latent heat would be available for generation of high purity water from industrial waste stream / municipal waste stream leading to volume reduction / zero discharge of waste stream.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

With the help of specially designed and appropriately aligned Solar Panels and Solar dish / Parabolic Solar Collectors industrial / municipal liquid waste stream is heated to more than 70 degree C. With the help of specially designed and appropriately aligned Solar Panels and Solar dish / Parabolic Solar Collectors atmospheric air is heated to more than 70 degree C. Hot industrial / municipal effluent is sprayed into the stream of warm / hot atmospheric air. Most water in the hot liquid effluent will evaporate and saturate the atmospheric air.

The saturated atmospheric air is then indirectly cooled with the same industrial waste stream / municipal waste stream / condensed water / waste water etc; in an appropriate heat exchanger cum flash evaporator / single effect evaporator to generate low pressure water vapors from the same industrial waste stream /municipal waste stream /condensed water / waste water etc.

The low pressure water vapors thus generated from industrial waste stream / municipal waste stream /condensed water / waste water shall be utilized in Multiple Effect Distillation unit / Multiple Effect Evaporation unit for generating high purity water from the same industrial waste stream / municipal waste stream /condensed water / waste water etc.

The above process for treating industrial waste stream / municipal effluent utilizing solar energy shall be conducted during daytime in the presence of sunlight. Appropriate excess quantity of industrial waste stream / municipal waste stream /condensed water / waste water etc need not be heated with solar energy and kept hot with insulation cladding for utilization when solar energy is not adequately available, since hot solar heated atmospheric air will also be not available.

Appropriate instrumentation and control systems shall be provided for normal and safe operation of the process and system.

DETAILED PROCESS DESCRIPTION: (Refer Diagram: 1)

With the help of a blower B1, solar heated atmospheric air (more than 70°C) is made to pass through equipment (E & S unit), Evaporation and Scrubbing unit, where industrial waste water / municipal effluent is sprayed into the stream of hot atmospheric air. With the help of centrifugal pump A-l industrial waste water / municipal effluent is sprayed through several nozzles No. la. Solar energy heated atmospheric air is introduced to the (E & S unit) through nozzle No. 2. Five different unit operations sequentially & simultaneously take place inside equipment (E & S unit)

• Al is the mixing zone where thorough mixing of industrial waste water /
municipal effluent and hot atmospheric air is ensured by strategic
placement of nozzles and fine atomized spraying of the liquid into the stream of hot atmospheric air.

• A2 is the quenching zone where the temperature of the hot atmospheric air is drastically lowered, from more than 60°C to near adiabatic atmospheric air saturation temperature

• A3 is the evaporation zone where some quantity of water from the industrial waste water / municipal effluent evaporates using the sensible heat that is present in the hot atmospheric air

• A4 is the saturation zone where it is ensured that the atmospheric air is now hilly saturated with water at the requisite temperature

• A5 is the separation zone where moisture laden atmospheric air is separated from industrial waste water / municipal effluent now containing suspended particulate matters

The partially industrial waste water / municipal effluent now containing suspended particulate matters leave the equipment (E & S unit) - Evaporation and Scrubbing unit through outlet No.: 3. either for recycle through nozzles No.: lb or for disposal. The moisture laden warm atmospheric air passes through outlet No.; 4 sucked through the induced draft blower B1 to enter the Single Effect Evaporator (SEE unit).

The warm moisture laden atmospheric air now enters the bank of tubes in the Single Effect Evaporator (SEE unit), through inlet No.: 5. Requisite vacuum is maintained on the shell side of the Single Effect Evaporator (SEE unit), while industrial waste water / municipal effluent is sprayed on to the top of the tubes. Industrial waste water / municipal effluent enters the Single Effect Evaporator (SEE unit) through nozzles No.: 6a and after some water in the industrial waste water / municipal effluent evaporates due to the heat and vacuum, leaves the Single Effect Evaporator (SEE unit) through outlet No.: 7 as partially concentrated industrial waste water / municipal effluent.

The evaporated low pressure water vapor leaves the Single Effect Evaporator (SEE unit) through outlet No.: 8. The cold atmospheric air now leave the Single

Effect Evaporator (SEE unit) through outlet No.: 9 to enter the Stack SI for dissipation into atmosphere through outlet No.: 10.

The evaporated low pressure water vapor leaving the Single Effect Evaporator (SEE unit) through outlet No.: 8 enters the Multiple Effect Distillation (MED unit) directly or after passing through a Mechanical Vapor Compression (MVC unit) if deemed necessary. In a typical Multiple Effect Distillation (MED unit) industrial waste water / municipal effluent is sprayed through nozzles No.: 16A, partially concentrated industrial waste water / municipal effluent is extracted through nozzles No.: 17. High purity water is generated and discharged through nozzles No.: 20.

Vacuum system VS shall maintain the required vacuum in the complete system when and where ever required by removing the non condensable gases liberated during evaporation and condensation of industrial waste water / municipal effluent.

SALIENT FEATURES OF THE INVENTION

• The invention offers a significantly economic solution, with low production cost to generate high purity water from seawater / brackish water / industrial waste stream / municipal waste stream /condensed water / waste water etc

• The invention enables less health hazard for human beings

I claim

A process for effective and efficient volume reduction / zero discharge of waste liquid like (industrial liquid waste stream, municipal effluent etc) using solar energy as the main source of energy consisting of

With the help of a blower B1, hot atmospheric air (more than 70°C) is made to pass through equipment (E & S unit), Evaporation and Scrubbing unit, where solar heated industrial waste water / municipal effluent is sprayed into the stream of hot atmospheric air. With the help of specially designed and appropriately aligned Solar Panels and Solar dish / Parabolic Solar Collectors industrial waste water / municipal effluent is heated to more than 70 degree C and sprayed into the E & S unit through nozzles lb. The partially concentrated industrial waste water / municipal effluent now containing suspended particulate matters leave the equipment (E & S unit) - Evaporation and Scrubbing unit through outlet No.: 3. The moisture laden warm atmospheric air passes through outlet No.: 4 sucked through the induced draft flower B1 to enter the Single Effect Evaporator (SEE unit). The warm moisture laden atmospheric air now enters the bank of tubes in the Sinagle, Effect Evaposato (SEE unit, though inlet No.: 5. Requisite vacuum is maintained on the shell side of the Single Effect Evaporator (SEE unit), while industrial waste water municipal effluent is sprayed on to the top of the tubes. The industrial waste water municipal effluent enters the Single Effect Evaporator (SEE unit) through nozzles No.: 6a and after some water in the industrial waste water / municipal effluent evaporates due to the heat and vacuum, leaves the Single Effect Evaporator (SEE unit) through outlet No.: 7 as partially concentrated industrial waste water / municipal effluent. The evaporated low pressure water vapor leaves the Single Effect Evaporator (SEE unit) through outlet No.: 8. The cold atmospheric air now leave the Single Effect Evaporator (SEE unit) through outlet No.: 9 to enter the Stack SI for dissipation into atmosphere through outlet No.: 10. The evaporated low pressure water vapor leaving the Single Effect Evaporator (SEE unit) through outlet No.: 8 enters the Multiple Effect Distillation (MED unit) directly or after passing through a Mechanical Vapor Compression (MVC unit) if deemed necessary. In a typical Mechanical Effect Distillation MED unit) industrial waste water / municipal effluent are sprayed through nozzles No.: 16A and partially concentrated industrial waste water / municipal effluent is extracted through nozzles No.: 17. High purity water is generated and discharged through nozzles No.: 20. Vacuum system VS shall maintain the required vacuum in the complete system when and where ever required by removing the non condensable gases liberated during evaporation and condensation of seawater / brackish water.