1
FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
The Patents Rules, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See section 10 and rule 13)
1. FRESH WATER-GENERATING APPARATUS
2.
1. (A) ONEWORLD CORPORATION
(B) Japan
(C) 7-24, Tatsumiminami 4-chome, Ikuno-ku, Osaka-shi,
Osaka 5440015 Japan
2. (A) ITO Tomoaki
(B) Japan
(C) 2-3-104, Shiginonishi 4-chome, Joto-ku, Osaka-shi,
Osaka 5360014 Japan
The following specification particularly describes the
invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.
2
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001]
The present invention relates to a fresh-water generating
apparatus for purifying, inter alia, seawater, sludge water,
oily water, and industrial waste water.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002]
In the past, systems of heating and evaporating seawater
and then cooling the water to obtain fresh water have been
common as methods for purifying, inter alia, seawater, and
multi-stage flushing systems have been used in which the water
is distilled under reduced pressure in order to improve
heating efficiency, and a large number of depressurizing
chambers are combined in a practical plant (Patent Document
1). The salt concentration of the generated fresh water is
low at approximately less than 5 ppm, and fresh water can be
generated in large quantities.
[0003]
In recent years, a system has been employed in which
seawater is passed under pressure through a type of filtering
membrane known as a reverse-osmosis membrane (a so-called RO
membrane), and the salt in the seawater is condensed and
removed to strain out freshwater, for which a large plant is
constructed that exceeds 10,000 tons per day. An RO membrane
requires higher pressure for filtration with higher salt
concentrations in the seawater or with lower desired salt
3
concentrations in the freshwater, and various membranes of
complicated structures, known as hollow fiber membranes and
spiral membranes, have been proposed to withstand this
pressure (Patent Document 2). A turbine pump, a plunger pump,
or another high-pressure pump is used to increase pressure.
[Prior Art Documents]
[Patent Documents]
[0004]
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No.
10-71320
[Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent No. 4113568
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
[Problems the Invention Is Intended to Solve]
[0005]
However, with the multi-stage flushing system described
above, although large quantities of fresh water can be
generated, the quality of the seawater is not inspected, and a
problem with this system has been that heating efficiency is
very poor and large amounts of energy are required. A problem
with a system that uses an RO membrane has been that because a
pump is used to increase pressure, the amount of fresh water
generated is only about 5% from seawater and only about 10%
from sludge water or oily water. Moreover, because the RO
membrane can become clogged, either periodic maintenance must
be performed to undo the clogging by reverse pressurization,
or the RO membrane itself must be replaced as appropriate.
4
Another problem with these prior-art systems has been that
including maintenance costs, it is costly to construct and
operate a fresh water-generating plant, and high costs are
inevitable even considering cost against fresh watergenerating
efficiency.
[0006]
In view of this, the applicant's purpose is to provide a
fresh-water generating apparatus that does not require large
amounts of heating energy as in the past, that can generate
fresh water at room temperature, and that, which a simpler
configuration, does not incur high installation costs
including maintenance expenses.
[Means for Solving the Aforementioned Problems]
[0007]
To solve the problems described above, the present
invention is configured as follows. Specifically, a freshwater
generating apparatus according to a first aspect of the
present invention is characterized by comprising: a first
storage tank in which seawater, sludge water, oily water,
industrial waste water, or another stored liquid is
accommodated; a first water-absorbing base material of which a
lower end is impregnated with the stored liquid of the first
storage tank; a blowing means for blowing air at an upper-end
side of the first water-absorbing base material; a second
water-absorbing base material for causing water vapor
vaporized and blown out from the upper-end side of the first
5
water-absorbing base material by the air blown by the blowing
means to adsorb and condense on the upper-end side, the second
water-absorbing base material being designed so that the
condensed water droplets drip down from a lower-end side; a
second storage tank in which the condensed water dripping down
from the second water-absorbing base material is stored; a lid
for closing an upper space of the first and second storage
tanks; and a guide pipe of which one end communicates with the
upper space of the second storage tank of the lid to exhaust
the air blown from the blowing means, and the other end
communicates with the upper space of the first storage tank
and with an intake side of the blowing means to form a
circulation path for the blown air.
[0008]
In a fresh-water generating apparatus according to a
second aspect, the first and second water-absorbing base
materials are configured from synthetic zeolite of which each
hole diameter of a porous structure is formed to the size of a
water molecule.
[0009]
In a fresh-water generating apparatus according to a
third aspect, the first and second water-absorbing base
materials are configured from nanocarbon of which each hole
diameter of a porous structure is formed to the size of a
water molecule.
[0010]
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In a fresh-water generating apparatus according to a
fourth aspect, the first and second water-absorbing base
materials are configured from a fabric having excellent water
absorbency.
[0011]
In a fresh-water generating apparatus according to a
fifth aspect, the first and second water-absorbing base
materials are connected at an upper adjacent surface on which
the base materials are disposed, and are formed integrally in
the shape of an upside-down letter U.
[0012]
A fresh-water generating apparatus according to a sixth
aspect is configured such that an air cooler is installed,
compressed air being supplied to the air cooler, and cold air
jetted from the air cooler is supplied to the second storage
tank while hot air exhausted from the air cooler is supplied
to the intake side of the blowing means.
[0013]
A fresh-water generating apparatus according to a seventh
aspect is configured such that the stored liquid is stored in
the first storage tank with the level of the liquid lowered as
much as possible.
[0014]
A fresh-water generating apparatus according to an eighth
aspect is configured such that suspended inside the second
storage tank are a plurality of metal fin-like members for
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causing water vapor accumulating in the second storage tank to
condense.
[Effect of the Invention]
[0015]
With the fresh-water generating apparatus according to
the present invention, the lower end of the first waterabsorbing
base material is immersed in, inter alia, seawater
stored in the first storage tank, and the interior of this
water-absorbing base material is impregnated only with
moisture from the, inter alia, seawater stored in the first
storage tank. The moisture impregnating the first waterabsorbing
base material is sequentially vaporized and blown
out as water vapor by the air blown by the blowing means.
[0016]
When the vaporized water vapor is blown out along with
the blown air from the first water-absorbing base material,
this water vapor reaches the second water-absorbing base
material where it is adsorbed within the second waterabsorbing
base material, the water vapor then sequentially
releases heat and condenses while continuing to impregnate the
base material, and the vapor becomes fresh water droplets
which drip down from the lower-end side of the base material
into the second storage tank. When the blown air itself
continues to pass through the second water-absorbing base
material, the temperature rises due to the water vapor
condensation, the air is dried and exhausted through the guide
8
pipe, and the air is refluxed to the intake side of the
blowing means.
[0017]
The air refluxed to the intake side of the blowing means
is blown to the first water-absorbing base material as dry air
higher in temperature than before going through this
circulation cycle; therefore, the water impregnating the
substrate is caused to vaporize more than the previous time,
and the condensed fresh water is caused to be stored in the
second storage tank.
[0018]
Thus, only moisture is vaporized from, inter alia, the
seawater stored in the first storage tank between the first
and second water-absorbing base materials, the vaporized water
vapor condenses, and fresh water is continually stored in the
second storage tank, whereby fresh water generation can be
carried out at room temperature.
[0019]
The apparatus configuration can be easily achieved by
using, as the water-absorbing base materials, synthetic
zeolite or nanocarbon developed by the applicant and having
each hole diameter of a porous structure formed to the size of
a water molecule, and a fabric having excellent water
absorbency can be substituted in order to achieve an even
simpler configuration. A yet even simpler configuration can
be achieved if the first and second water-absorbing base
9
materials are connected at an upper adjacent surface on which
the base materials are disposed, and are formed integrally in
the shape of an upside-down letter U.
[0020]
If the configuration is such that a so-called ultra-low
temperature air generator, which is an air cooler, is
installed, compressed air being supplied to the air cooler,
and cold air jetted from the air cooler is supplied to the
second storage tank while hot air exhausted from the air
cooler is supplied to the intake side of the blowing means,
then air refluxing to the intake side of the blowing means is
blown as warm air of an even higher temperature to the first
porous water-absorbing base material, vaporization is further
facilitated, ultra-low temperature air is supplied into the
second storage tank, the temperature of the second waterabsorbing
base material decreases, further facilitating water
vapor condensation, and the efficiency of fresh water
generation can be increased.
[0021]
Additionally, the efficiency of heat transfer to the
stored liquid itself is ensured to not decrease by
appropriately replenishing the stored liquid so that the
stored liquid is stored in the first storage tank with the
level of the liquid lowered as much as possible, and if a
plurality of metal fin-like members are suspended within the
second storage tank, the water vapor is condensed on the fin10
like members as well when the water vapor accumulating within
the second storage tank is cooled by the cold air; therefore,
the efficiency of fresh water generation can be further
increased.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022]
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the
overall configuration of a fresh-water generating apparatus.
FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an
example in which first and second water-absorbing base
materials are formed as being integrated together.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0023]
An embodiment of the present invention is described below
with reference to the drawings.
[0024]
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the
overall configuration of a fresh-water generating apparatus.
In this diagram, a first storage tank 1, in which seawater,
sludge water, oily water, or another stored liquid 4 is
stored, and a second storage tank 2, adjacent to the storage
tank 1, are set up next to each other. In the bordering side
of the storage tank 1 that is adjacent to the storage tank 2,
a first porous water-absorbing substrate 3, which serves as a
water-absorbing base material of which each hole diameter of
the porous structure is formed to the size of a water
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molecule, is suspended from a lid 5 provided so as to close
off an upper space of the storage tank 1 and the storage tank
2, and the lower end portion thereof is immersed in the stored
liquid 4 stored in the storage tank 1. A blower 6 for blowing
air at the upper side of the first porous water-absorbing
substrate 3 not immersed in the stored liquid 4 is installed
on the inner front wall surface of the lid 5.
[0025]
In the bordering side of the storage tank 2 that is
adjacent to the storage tank 1, a second porous waterabsorbing
substrate 7, which serves as a water-absorbing base
material of which each hole diameter of the porous structure
is formed to the size of a water molecule, is suspended from
the lid 5 in a position of facing the first porous waterabsorbing
substrate 3, so that the lower end of the second
porous water-absorbing substrate 7 leads into the storage tank
2. An exhaust port 8 is formed in the inner rear wall surface
of the lid 5 closing the second storage tank 2 side, and a
guide pipe 10 is provided to the exhaust port 8, the guide
pipe 10 passing above the lid 5 and communicating with an
intake port 9 provided to the aforementioned blower 6 side.
[0026]
The aforementioned first and second porous waterabsorbing
substrates 3, 7 are made from synthetic zeolite of
which each hole diameter of the porous structure is formed to
the same diameter as a water molecule, by baking for a long
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period of time under strict temperature control using a
specially constructed baking furnace, developed by the
applicant and capable of heating to single-degree accuracy in
a high-temperature range of 800 to 2000°C. When immersed in
the stored liquid, the substrates function so as to be able to
instantly adsorb only water molecules in the porous portions,
and when the substrates have adsorbed water vapor, the
substrates can exhibit the function of condensing the water
vapor and extracting the vapor as distilled water. A
nanocarbon material or a fabric or the like woven to water
molecule diameters can also be used as water-absorbing base
materials exhibiting the same functions.
[0027]
The fresh water-generating function of the fresh-water
generating apparatus configured as above shall be described.
Because the lower end of the first porous water-absorbing
substrate 3 is immersed in the stored liquid 4 stored in the
storage tank 1, only the moisture in the stored liquid 4
instantly impregnates entirely through the porous waterabsorbing
substrate 3. The blower 6 continues to blow air
(shown by the arrows in the diagram) at the front-surface side
of the first porous water-absorbing substrate 3, and the
moisture continually impregnating the substrate 3 is therefore
sequentially vaporized and blown out as water vapor (shown by
the dashed-line arrows in the diagram) from the reversesurface
side of the substrate 3.
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[0028]
The water vapor thus blown out reaches the front surface
of the second porous water-absorbing substrate 7 suspended on
the second storage tank 2 side, impregnates the second porous
water-absorbing substrate 7, sequentially releases heat and
condenses while impregnating the substrate, and becomes fresh
water droplets (shown by the white empty arrows in the
diagram) which drip down from the lower-end-side of the
substrate 7; thus, fresh water is stored in the storage tank
2.
[0029]
The blown air itself, exhausted from the exhaust port 8
provided to the rear inner wall surface of the lid 5 closing
the storage tank 2, is blown through the guide pipe 10 out to
the intake port 9 provided to the aforementioned blower 6, and
the air thus refluxes. The blown air itself at this time
rises in temperature due to the heat released by the
condensation of the water vapor, and becomes drier air.
[0030]
Air that has refluxed to the intake port 9 side of the
blower 6 is blown to the first porous water-absorbing
substrate 3 as dry air higher in temperature than before going
through this circulation cycle; therefore, the water
impregnating the substrate 3 is caused to vaporize more than
the previous time, only moisture continues to be efficiently
absorbed from the stored liquid 4 in the storage tank 1, the
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vaporized water vapor is adsorbed on the second porous waterabsorbing
substrate 7, and the water condenses and continues
to drop in greater amounts into the storage tank 2. If the
amount of the stored liquid 4 decreases, the liquid is
replenished into the storage tank 1 from a supply channel (not
shown), and the liquid is taken out through an inlet channel
(not shown) when the fresh water stored in the storage tank 2
increases.
[0031]
When only moisture is extracted from the stored liquid 4
in the storage tank 1 due to this fresh water-generating
process, salt or the like remains as residue in the storage
tank 1 in the case of seawater, of sludge in the case of
sludge water and various oils in the case of oily water, and
these residues are recovered and disposed by post-treatment so
as not to incur a load on the environment.
[0032]
The fresh-water generating apparatus according to the
present invention, as described above, has a very simple
apparatus configuration which draws up only moisture from a
stored liquid 4 in a storage tank 1 between first and second
porous water-absorbing substrates, vaporizes the moisture by
blowing air, causes the vaporized water vapor to adsorb and
condense, and stores the vapor in a storage tank 2, by using
porous water-absorbing substrates capable of instantly
adsorbing moisture, the substrates being made of synthetic
15
zeolite baked from a special component blend developed by the
applicant and having each hole diameter of a porous structure
formed to the same diameter as a water molecule. The freshwater
generating apparatus according to the present invention
can thereby efficiently generate fresh water at room
temperature without requiring large amounts of heating energy
and with no need to replace the substrates themselves. The
amount of fresh water generated can be controlled merely by
adjusting the amount of air blown in a blowing means, and a
basic apparatus configuration for an ordinary storage tank can
therefore be actualized in a very simple manner and at low
cost.
[0033]
In the above example, the apparatus can have a simpler
configuration if the first and second porous water-absorbing
substrates 3, 7 are connected at an upper adjacent surface and
formed integrally in the shape of an upside-down letter U, as
shown in FIG. 2. In this case, the lower end of the first
porous water-absorbing substrate 3 should be formed shorter
than the lower end of the second porous water-absorbing
substrate 7, in consideration for tube capillarity.
[0034]
Though not illustrated, if the configuration is such that
a so-called ultra-low temperature air generator, which is an
air cooler, is installed, compressed air being supplied to the
air cooler, and cold air jetted from the air cooler is
16
supplied to the storage tank 2 while hot air exhausted from
the air cooler is supplied to the intake side of the blower 6,
then air refluxing to the intake side of the blower 6 is blown
as warm air of an even higher temperature to the first porous
water-absorbing substrate 3, vaporization is further
facilitated, ultra-low temperature air is supplied into the
storage tank 2, the temperature of the second porous waterabsorbing
substrate 7 decreases, further facilitating water
vapor condensation, and the efficiency of fresh water
generation can be increased.
[0035]
Furthermore, the efficiency of heat transfer to the
stored liquid 4 itself is ensured to not decrease by
appropriately replenishing the stored liquid so that the
stored liquid 4 is stored in the storage tank 1 with the level
of the liquid lowered as much as possible, and if a plurality
of metal fin-like members (not shown) are suspended within the
second storage tank 2, the water vapor accumulating in the
storage tank 2 is also condensed on the fin-like members when
the interior of the storage tank 2 is cooled by the cold air;
therefore, the efficiency of fresh water generation can be
further increased.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0036]
As described above, drinkable water can be obtained if
heating and ozone treatment are carried out on, and minerals
17
added to, fresh water generated from seawater. Even with
contaminated water contaminated with arsenic or the like, the
contaminant can be removed to obtain drinkable water.
Furthermore, with industrial waste water as well, with which
biochemical oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand are
problems, if waste water treatment is performed using the
present apparatus, problem-free waste water can be achieved,
and waste water treatment can be performed on dyes and other
dye water made similarly transparent.
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST
[0037]
1 First storage tank
2 Second storage tank
3 First porous water-absorbing substrate
4 Stored liquid
5 Lid
6 Blower
7 Second porous water-absorbing substrate
8 Exhaust port
9 Intake port
10 Guide pipe
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WE CLAIM:
[Claim 1]
A fresh-water generating apparatus, characterized by
comprising:
a first storage tank in which seawater, sludge water,
oily water, industrial waste water, or another stored liquid
is accommodated;
a first water-absorbing base material of which a lower
end is impregnated with the stored liquid of the first storage
tank;
a blowing means for blowing air at an upper-end side of
the first water-absorbing base material;
a second water-absorbing base material for causing water
vapor vaporized and blown out from the upper-end side of the
first water-absorbing base material by the air blown by the
blowing means to adsorb and condense on the upper-end side,
the second water-absorbing base material being designed so
that the condensed water droplets drip down from a lower-end
side;
a second storage tank in which the condensed water
dripping down from the lower-end side of the second waterabsorbing
base material is stored;
a lid for closing an upper space of the first and second
storage tanks; and
a guide pipe of which one end communicates with the upper
space of the second storage tank of the lid to exhaust the air
19
blown from the blowing means, and the other end communicates
with the upper space of the first storage tank and with an
intake side of the blowing means to form a circulation path
for the blown air.
[Claim 2]
The fresh-water generating apparatus according to claim
1, wherein the first and second water-absorbing base materials
comprise synthetic zeolite of which each hole diameter of a
porous structure is formed to the size of a water molecule.
[Claim 3]
The fresh-water generating apparatus according to claim
1, wherein the first and second water-absorbing base materials
comprise nanocarbon of which each hole diameter of a porous
structure is formed to the size of a water molecule.
[Claim 4]
The fresh-water generating apparatus according to claim
1, wherein the first and second water-absorbing base materials
comprise a fabric having excellent water absorbency.
[Claim 5]
The fresh-water generating apparatus according to any of
claims 1 to 4, wherein the first and second water-absorbing
base materials are connected at an upper adjacent surface on
which the base materials are disposed, and are formed
integrally in the shape of an upside-down letter U.
20
[Claim 6]
The fresh-water generating apparatus according to any of
claims 1 to 5, wherein an air cooler is installed, compressed
air being supplied to the air cooler, and
cold air jetted from the air cooler is supplied to the
second storage tank while hot air exhausted from the air
cooler is supplied to the intake side of the blowing means.
[Claim 7]
The fresh-water generating apparatus according to any of
claims 1 to 6, designed such that the stored liquid is stored
in the first storage tank with the level of the liquid lowered
as much as possible.
[Claim 8]
The fresh-water generating apparatus according to any of
claims 1 to 7, wherein suspended inside the second storage
tank are a plurality of fin-like members for causing water
vapor accumulating in the second storage tank to condense.