Liquid Pumps with Hermetically Sealed Motor Rotors

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are directed toward a novel pressurized vapor cycle for distilling liquids. In an embodiment of the invention, a liquid purification system is revealed, including the elements of an input for receiving untreated liquid, a vaporizer coupled to the input for transforming the liquid to vapor, a head chamber for collecting the vapor, a vapor pump with an internal drive shaft and an eccentric rotor with a rotatable housing for compressing vapor, a condenser in communication with the vapor pump for transforming the compressed vapor into a distilled product, and an electric motor with motor rotor and magnets hermetically sealed within the fluid pressure boundary of the distillation system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for distilling a liquid in a liquid vapor distillation system comprising:
 preheating liquid in a sump;   vaporizing the liquid in the sump to form a vapor in a head chamber;   compressing the vapor;   condensing the compressed vapor into a distilled liquid product;   post-treating the distilled liquid product comprising using a pulsatile pump, pumping additive into the distilled liquid product.   
     
     
         2 . A method of distilling a liquid according to  claim 1 , wherein the pumping additive further comprising pumping a volume of the additive into a holding volume of liquid and mixing the additive with the liquid before pumping the liquid containing the additive into the distilled liquid product. 
     
     
         3 . A method of distilling a liquid according to  claim 1 , wherein the additive is at least one selected from the group consisting of a sugar-based additive, an acid, and a mineral. 
     
     
         4 . A method of distilling a liquid according to  claim 1 , wherein the additive is at least one selected from the group consisting of a nutrient, a vitamin, a stabilized protein, and a fat. 
     
     
         5 . A method of distilling a liquid according to  claim 1 , wherein the additive is a taste additive. 
     
     
         6 . A method of distilling a liquid according to  claim 1 , wherein post-treating comprising exposing the distilled liquid product to UV light. 
     
     
         7 . A method of distilling a liquid according to  claim 1 , wherein the post-treating comprising measuring a physical property of the liquid. 
     
     
         8 . A method of distilling a liquid according to  claim 7 , wherein measuring a physical property of the liquid selected from the group consisting of measuring pH, measuring conductivity, measuring hardness, and measuring a concentration of a component in the liquid. 
     
     
         9 . A method of distilling a liquid according to  claim 1 , further comprising pre-treating the untreated liquid using at least one pre-treatment method. 
     
     
         10 . A method of distilling a liquid according to  claim 1 , further comprising coupling a clean-burning generator to the liquid vapor distillation system wherein the clean-burning generator produces electric power to power the liquid vapor distillation system. 
     
     
         11 . A method of distilling a liquid according to  claim 10 , further comprising directing the exhaust of the clean-burning generator to an intake liquid for heating of the intake liquid. 
     
     
         12 . A method of distilling a liquid according to  claim 1 , further comprising: measuring total dissolved solvent in a blowdown liquid from the vaporized liquid from the sump; and wherein the total dissolved solvent is above a prescribed level, adjusting a source feed rate of liquid to the sump. 
     
     
         13 . A method for distilling a liquid in a liquid vapor distillation system comprising:
 preheating liquid in a sump;   vaporizing the liquid in the sump to form a vapor in a head chamber;   compressing the vapor;   condensing the compressed vapor into a distilled liquid product;   diverting a blowdown stream from the head chamber for maintaining a constant liquid level in the head chamber; and   post-treating the distilled liquid product comprising pumping additive into the distilled liquid product using a pumping mechanism comprising:
 pumping a volume of the additive into a holding volume of liquid and mixing the additive with the liquid before pumping the liquid containing the additive into the distilled liquid product. 
   
     
     
         14 . A method of distilling a liquid according to  claim 13 , wherein pumping additive onto the distilled liquid product further comprising using a pulsatile pump. 
     
     
         15 . A method of distilling a liquid according to  claim 13 , wherein the additive is at least one selected from the group consisting of a nutrient, a vitamin, a stabilized protein, and a fat. 
     
     
         16 . A method for distilling a liquid in a liquid vapor distillation system comprising:
 coupling a clean-burning generator to the liquid vapor distillation system wherein the clean-burning generator produces electric power to power the liquid vapor distillation system;   directing the exhaust of the clean-burning generator to an intake liquid for heating of the intake liquid;   preheating intake liquid in a sump;   vaporizing the intake liquid in the sump to form a vapor in a head chamber;   compressing the vapor;   condensing the compressed vapor into a distilled liquid product;   maintaining a liquid level in the head chamber sufficient to permit both purification of the vapor and damping of local turbulence; and   diverting a blowdown stream from the head chamber for maintaining a constant liquid level in the head chamber.   
     
     
         17 . A method of distilling a liquid according to  claim 16 , further comprising post-treating the distilled liquid product. 
     
     
         18 . A method of distilling a liquid according to  claim 17 , wherein post-treating the distilled liquid product further comprising adding additive into the distilled liquid product. 
     
     
         19 . A method of distilling a liquid according to  claim 18 , wherein adding additive into the distilled liquid product further comprising pumping additive into the distilled liquid product. 
     
     
         20 . A method of distilling a liquid according to  claim 19 , wherein pumping additive onto the distilled liquid product further comprising using a pulsatile pump. 
     
     
         21 . A method of distilling a liquid according to  claim 18 , wherein the pumping additive further comprising pumping a volume of the additive into a holding volume of liquid and mixing the additive with the liquid before pumping the liquid containing the additive into the distilled liquid product. 
     
     
         22 . A method of distilling a liquid according to  claim 18 , wherein the additive is at least one selected from the group consisting of a sugar-based additive, an acid, and a mineral. 
     
     
         23 . A method of distilling a liquid according to  claim 18 , wherein the additive is at least one selected from the group consisting of a nutrient, a vitamin, a stabilized protein, and a fat. 
     
     
         24 . A method of distilling a liquid according to  claim 18 , wherein the additive is a taste additive. 
     
     
         25 . A method of distilling a liquid according to  claim 17 , wherein post-treating comprising exposing the distilled liquid product to UV light. 
     
     
         26 . A method of distilling a liquid according to  claim 17 , wherein the post-treating comprising measuring a physical property of the liquid. 
     
     
         27 . A method of distilling a liquid according to  claim 26 , wherein measuring a physical property of the liquid selected from the group consisting of measuring pH, measuring conductivity, measuring hardness, and measuring a concentration of a component in the liquid. 
     
     
         28 . A method of distilling a liquid according to  claim 16 , further comprising pre-treating the untreated liquid using at least one pre-treatment method. 
     
     
         29 . A method of distilling a liquid according to  claim 16 , further comprising: measuring total dissolved solvent in a blowdown liquid from the vaporized liquid from the sump; and wherein the total dissolved solvent is above a prescribed level, adjusting a source feed rate of liquid to the sump.