GB2450081A

GB2450081A - Solar distillation machine

Info

Publication number: GB2450081A
Application number: GB0711063A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan Young
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-06-11
Filing date: 2007-06-11
Publication date: 2008-12-17
Also published as: GB0711063D0

Abstract

A solar seawater distillation machine has a main heating chamber K containing a shallow layer of seawater. A plurality of lenses C are provided in a top layer for concentrating, focusing and directing the sun's rays onto an element H, the lower part of which is submerged in the water to conduct the heat to the water and create vapour. A fan S is provided to assist the transportation of the vapour to a condensing location. Preferably the lenses are sphere shaped and rotatable in order to track the position of the sun; further they may be moved to high or low positions by use of a hydraulic housing unit Q. Pre-heating tanks T may be used comprising lenses housed in a top layer directing sun's rays to heat absorbing circulation pipes which deliver heated water to the main tank. Additionally a biodiesel water boiler may be provided before the first pre-heating tank. Pipes distributing hot water vapour to the condensing locations may be provided with magnified solar heat boosters attached at intervals to keep the vapour hot and prevent condensation in the pipes.

Description

Solar Seawater Distillation Machine gund This invention relates to

distilling large amount of seawater fast with using an intensified heat source.

Statement of invention

When distilling large amounts of seawater quickly this can consumes lots of energy and this can mean lots of cost in fuel or energy bills.

AdvantaRes To over Come this problem, the present invention proposes, magnifying the sun's rays to concentrate the heat energy given off by hot the sun direct onto a large element that covers a large surface area, placed in a shallow bath of seawater for fast heat distribution and fast evaporation for affective distillation production, using magnifying fennel lenses shaped like a sphere; that are able to move very much like an eye ball for accurate and effective sun position tracking.

The advantages of the invention are there is very little cost of running the machine, as the machine only uses solar energies however for maximum output blo-diesel can be used to heat seawater prior to the sun rising. The other advantages are you can produce large quantities of ph neutral clean water from the sea that can be used for lots of things.

An example of the invention will now be described by referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 shows a full side view of the Solar seawater distillation machine; and Figure 2 shows a close up side view of the main heating chamber; and Figure 3 shows a close up front view of the main heating chamber; and Figure 4 shows a full bird's eye view of the Solar seawater distillation machine including the optional biodiesel pre-sun rise seawater heater; and Figure 5 shows a full 3 dimensional view of the Solar seawater distillation machine; and Figure 9 shows a close up of the extraction pipes with heat boosters; and Figure 6 shows a close up front view of a preheating tank; and Figure 7 shows a close up front view of a preheating tank hand drawn; and Figure 8 shows a 3 dimensional view of a preheating tank.

Detailed Description

(Figure 4) Shows the biodiesel boiler (D) this heats the seawater prior to sunrise in order to take the temperature of the seawater to optimum level before sunrise for maximum distillation output throughout sun light hours.

(Figure 4 & 5) The next stage is when the sun rises and the bio-diesel boiler is switched off ready for the sun's rays to take over powering the machines function. The three preheating tanks (A, B and C) are reduced in size the largest being the first and the smallest being the last, this is to gradually build the heat of the seawater before entering the main heating chamber. The seawater passes from tank to tank using gravity to power to transfer through insulated pipes (I); and in (figure 1) the water is topped up as required through use of a water pump (0) directly into the largest preheating tank (T).

(Figure 4 & 5) You will notice in that the preheating tanks (A, B & C) are smaller than the main heating chamber but they still use the same magnified methods.

(Figure 6 and 7) You can see large circulation pipes (G) that circulates the seawater constantly keeping the water hot and the two middle pipes are slightly raised to compensate the distance of the sun rays form the curve in the curved smoked plastic top housing layer (B) and the two middle pipes. The curved smoked top layer (B) houses the sphere shaped fennel lenses (A) this curved housing (B) can be moved higher or lowered for accurate sun ray magnification to maximise the concentration of the sun's rays (F displays the magnified sun rays) on to the circulation pipe (G) with hydraulic lifters (I).

(Figure 6 and 7) Because in the curved housing layer (B) can be adjusted and moved; there is a flexible corrugated Mylar material (E) totally sealing all around by connecting to the curved housing layer (B) and the main body of the tank (H) to trap heat for optimum temperatures for maximum heat absorption.

(Figure 6 and 7) You will also see that the sphere shaped fennel lenses (A) can be adjusted north, south, east and west directions (they move like an eye ball dose) for optimum sun ray magnification (F displays the magnified sun rays) depending on the suns position at the time of year and the time of day; using rubber wheels (C & D) to move them automatically or manually.

You can see how a preheating tank looks three dimensionally in (figure 8).

(Figures 4 and 5) The seawater is keep to a high temperature inside the three preheating tanks you see this in (A, B and C) before entering the main heating chamber. Once the ready hot seawater enters the main heating chamber (K) through an insulated pipe (I) the level is controlled with a ball cock stop tap device that stops the water level getting to high.

(Figure 1 & 2) The idea behind the main heating chamber is that the ready hot seawater is spread out over a large surface area heated by a large element (D, H & I) that covers and is submerged into shallow seawater for the final boiling process for effective and fast vaporisation.

(Figure 1 & 2) The water vapour is trapped in the vapour cavity (M) this will direct the clean water vapour out into (figure 4, 5 & 9) the water vapour T-junction box (G) then the vapour is blown out through heat boosted extraction pipes (H) with a vacuum caused by fan blowers (F) this pushes the hot water vapour out through the extraction pipes with heat boosters attached (H), (figure 9) displays the solar heat boosted water vapour extraction pipe up close.

To explain the main heating chamber in more detail using (figure 1, 2 & 3) you will see that (A) is the top curved smoked plastic top layer and like the preheating tanks this smoked cur'ed plastic houses the sphere shaped fennel lenses (C) and this curved housing layer can be raised higher and lowered through the aid of hydraulic shafts (Q).

(Figure (1, 2 & 3) Again heat is contained with (P) a strong flexible corrugated Mylar heat reflecting materials which totally seals to create a cavity (N) where a build up of heat takes place between the top curved magnifying layer and the surface of the element. Again the sphere shaped lenses (C) can be moved north, south, east and west by using rubber wheels for manual or automatic adjustment (Figure 3, R). This is to help the magnified sun's rays (B) to be collected and concentrated through the lenses at optimum level depending on the suns position for maximum heat absorption direct onto the elements surface (D) throughout day light hours. If you look at (figure 3) you can see that the element surface (D) is curved also this is to compensate for the distance between the curve in the smoked plastic housing above and the curved element for accurate magnification.

(Figure 1, 2 & 3) The element has three areas; the surface area which comes into contact with magnified sun rays which conducts the heat directly onto (E), then middle part (H) conducts the heat downwards into the submerged lower part of the element (I) that heats the seawater to boiling point for effective evaporation.

(Figure 1, 2 & 3) The water vapour is then sucked out of the vapour cavity (M) through (F) by a vacuum created by fans blowing air (5) as the water level (G) drops it is kept at the same desired level (G) topped up by the input pipe which is controlled by a stop cock device (L) to avoid over filling and is filled with ready hot seawater from the preheating tanks (T) to minimise energy loses. The underside of the main heating tank (K) is thermal insulated to prevent heat energy loses. The greenhouse cavity (N) will not allow any water vapour to enter to avoid clouding of the magnified sun rays.

Claims

Claims 1. High powered fast seawater distillation machine that uses

concentrated magnified heat from the sun rays which is directed and conducted through an element, into a shallow tank of distributed seawater for fast boiling so effective seawater vaporisation can take place and a fan blown assisted vacuum transportation of the vapour to the condensing locations.
2. A magnified solar efficient element heating device that can manually or automatically track and flow the suns position and be adjusted for optimum magnification, through using manoeuvrable sphere shaped lenses, held and move into a high or low position by a hydraulic adjustable curved smoked plastic housing unit.
3. Distributing hot water vapour through vacuumed extraction pipes with magnified solar heat boosters attached at intervals to keep vapour hot for easy transportation to the required condensing location.
4. A solar energy efficient machine to purify and distil seawater in large quantities, for agriculture, desert regeneration in the third world and the control of rising sea levels.
5. Seawater distillation method using a four stage magnified solar energy heating process, intensifying the sun's rays with sphere shaped rotatable fennel lenses to follow suns path.
6. A fast high powered seawater distillation machine that can produce large quantities of ph neutral clean purified drinkable water to help aid areas of the third world with clean or water shortage problems.