Method and apparatus for economical solid-liquid separation in water-based solutions

Abstract

An array of sonic hydraulic nozzles for injecting a mixture of water with dissolved or suspended particulate into a chamber to form a continuous spray of spherical droplets. Low pressure areas form in the wakes of the droplets which promotes a phase change and evaporation upon being submerged in heat vortices created along the edges of the sonic shock waves. All dissolved and/or suspended solid particles in the mixture precipitate from the spray upon the vaporization of the water. Shortly thereafter, the particle-free vapor re-condenses into a dense water mist of substantially pure water, while releasing the excess heat captured in the evaporation vortices. The water mist then is absorbed by nucleating screens located above the nozzles. The screens concentrate the dense mist into water streams through a channel running out of the apparatus. The invention makes efficient use of the latent heat present in ambient air to supply all phase change energy requirements to affect a very low cost solid-liquid separation.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A method for separating solids dissolved or suspended in water-based solutions and recuperating reusable water and the solids comprising: 
 injecting the solution into an evaporating-condensing chamber and forming a dense spray of droplets;    whereby: 
 the droplets subsequently evaporate into vapor, thereby causing precipitation of the solids; and  
 the vapor subsequently condenses into a mist.  
   
     
     
         2 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein the solution is at ambient temperature.  
     
     
         3 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein the evaporating-condensing chamber is at ambient temperature.  
     
     
         4 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein the evaporating-condensing chamber is at ambient pressure.  
     
     
         5 . The method of    claim 1   , further comprising collecting the mist with a screen.  
     
     
         6 . The method of    claim 5   , further comprising forming streams from collected mist.  
     
     
         7 . The method of    claim 5   , wherein the screen is positioned relative to a flow direction of the solution at an angle ranging from 30 to 60 degrees.  
     
     
         8 . The method of    claim 5   , wherein the screen is positioned 30 cm from the nozzle.  
     
     
         9 . The method of    claim 5   , wherein the screen is positioned such that the screen optimally collects mist carried to the screen due to momentum gained from said injecting.  
     
     
         10 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein the evaporating-condensing chamber is a mist making chamber.  
     
     
         11 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein said injecting the solution accelerates the solution to a velocity ranging between 200 and 300 meters per second.  
     
     
         12 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein said injecting the solution is substantially vertical.  
     
     
         13 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein the droplets attain a size ranging between 30 and 100 microns.  
     
     
         14 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein the dense spray of liquid droplets occurs substantially at 30 cm from the nozzle.  
     
     
         15 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein the mist is substantially free of solids and salts and has a density ranging between 12 and 18 kg per cubic meter.  
     
     
         16 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein said injecting is continuous.  
     
     
         17 . The method of    claim 1   , whereby the droplets do not accumulate or remain in a suspension in the evaporating-condensing chamber.  
     
     
         18 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein the nozzle has an orifice with a diameter of 0.75 to 1.25 mm.  
     
     
         19 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein said injecting occurs at a rate ranging between 0.20 to 1.5 liters per minute.  
     
     
         20 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein the solution is selected from seawater, brackish water and mineralized water with high salt content.  
     
     
         21 . The method of    claim 1   , whereby the solids separated have sizes greater than 1 micron.  
     
     
         22 . An apparatus for separating solids dissolved or suspended in water-based solutions and recuperating reusable water and the solids comprising a nozzle configured to generate a stream of liquid droplets that evaporate, promoting precipitation of the solids, then re-condense.  
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of    claim 22   , said nozzle having an orifice with a diameter ranging between 0.75 and 1.23 mm.  
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of    claim 22   , said nozzle being adapted to eject the stream at a rate ranging between 0.2 and 1.5 liters per minute.  
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of    claim 22   , said nozzle being adapted to eject the stream at a rate ranging between 0 and 235 kg per hour.  
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of    claim 22   , wherein said nozzle propels the stream at a velocity ranging between 80 and 300 m/s.  
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of    claim 26   , wherein the droplets have a size ranging between 30 and 100 microns.  
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of    claim 22   , further comprising an open-ended evaporation-condensation chamber adapted to receive said stream.  
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of    claim 22   , further comprising a plurality of other nozzles configured similar to said nozzle, said nozzle and said other nozzles being disposed in concentric arrays.  
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of    claim 22   , said nozzle being adapted to generate a low-pressure region along a wake of the droplets.  
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of    claim 22   , further comprising a screen positioned relative to said nozzle for absorbing or condensing mist.  
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of    claim 31   , wherein said screen is constructed from partially oriented yarn nylon polyamide.  
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of    claim 31   , wherein said screen has microscopic diabolo-type holes therein.  
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of    claim 31   , further comprising a second screen configured similar to said screen, said screen and said second screen defining a predetermined distance.  
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of    claim 31   , further comprising a second screen configured similar to said screen, said screen and said second screen defining a predetermined angle.  
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of    claim 35   , said screen and said nozzle defining a distance of 30 cm.  
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of    claim 35   , wherein said screen has a total surface area of 10 square meters.  
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of    claim 35   , the predetermined angle ranging between 30 and 60 degrees relative to a projection line of the stream.  
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of    claim 31   , further comprising a channel adapted to receive fluid from said screen.  
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of    claim 22   , further comprising a particle distributor/collector beneath said nozzle for receiving precipitated particles.