Abstract: In accordance with particular embodiments, a desalination system includes a plurality of evaporators. The plurality of evaporators includes at least a first evaporator and a last evaporator. The plurality of evaporators are arranged in cascading fashion such that a concentration of salt in a brine solution increases as the brine solution passes through the plurality of evaporators from the first evaporator towards the last evaporator. The desalination system also includes a plurality of heat exchangers. An input of each evaporator is coupled to at least one of the plurality of heat exchangers. The system also includes a vapor source coupled to at least one of the plurality of evaporators.
Type:
Application
Filed:
August 17, 2011
Publication date:
August 9, 2012
Applicants:
TERRABON ADVE, LLC, The Texas A&M University System
Inventors:
Mark T. Holtzapple, George A. Rabroker, Li Zhu, Jorge H.J. Lara Ruiz, Somsak Watanawanavet
Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention, a jet ejector method includes providing a primary jet ejector having a primary inlet stream, coupling one or more secondary jet ejectors to the primary jet ejector such that all of the jet ejectors are in a cascaded arrangement, bleeding off a portion of the primary inlet stream and directing the portion of the primary inlet stream to the secondary jet ejector that is closest to the primary jet ejector in the cascaded arrangement, and directing a motive fluid into the secondary jet ejector that is farthest from the primary jet ejector in the cascaded arrangement. The method further includes, at each secondary jet ejector, receiving at least some of the portion of the primary inlet stream and at least some of the motive fluid to create respective mixtures within the secondary jet ejectors, and at each secondary jet ejector, directing at least a portion of the respective mixture to adjacent jet ejectors in the cascaded arrangement.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 10, 2008
Date of Patent:
May 31, 2011
Assignees:
Terrabon Adve, LLC, The Texas A&M University System
Inventors:
Mark T. Holtzapple, Gary P. Noyes, George A. Rabroker