Abstract: The air in a greenhouse is dehumidified using a direct-contact heat exchanger utilizing concentrated brine. The diluted brine produced when water vapor in the greenhouse condenses on the concentrated brine is regenerated in a fuel-fired boiler whose products of combustion, carbon dioxide and water vapor, are passed into the greenhouse. The products of combustion provide the desired level of carbon dioxide in the greenhouse; and the excess water vapor in the products of combustion as well as a significant portion of the water vapor produced by plants, growing in the greenhouse are removed by the hygroscopic concentrated brine.

Abstract: A heat exchanger according to the present invention comprises a housing for containing an upper and a lower layer of fluid, means for preventing intermixing of the two fluid, and heat transfer means for enhancing the transfer of heat between the layers. Specifically, the heat exchanger means is in form of a plurality of elongated cylinders extending into both layers, each of said cylinders containing a convective fluid. Preferably, the convective fluid is a liquid; and the preferred liquid includes water. Where the fluid in each of said upper and lower layers is a gas, the preferred orientation of the cylinders is vertical. The hotter fluid should be beneath the cooler fluid so that heat from the hotter fluid is first transferred to the liquid in the lower ends of each cylinder. The buoyancy of the heated liquid sets up convection currents which carry the heated liquid upwardly in the vertical cylinders where the heat is given up to the cooler fluid.

Abstract: Power is produced by a power plant using a salt-water solar pond comprising an upper wind-mixed layer, a halocline and a lower convective heat storage layer. The power plant includes a heat engine for utilizing heat present in the heat storage layer of the solar pond and a condenser, which preferably is cooled by liquid droplets. In accordance with a specific embodiment of the invention the power plant is positioned within the solar pond and a flash evaporator is used in the heat engine to produce steam which is supplied to a turbine connected to a generator, the heat depleted steam exiting from the turbine and being cooled by liquid droplets in a direct-contact condenser. The size of the droplets is selected such that the heat extracted in the condenser penetrates the majority of the liquid content of most of the droplets.

Abstract: A heat exchanger comprises a housing containing upper and lower layers of fluid, the upper layer being less dense than the lower layer. The large and sharp density gradient at the interface between the upper and lower layers acts to prevent mixing of the two layers. A plurality of vertically oriented tubular sleeves that are closed at each end and filled with fresh water are located in the housing such that the axial ends of each tubular sleeve are in different ones of the layers. Heat added to the liquid in the lower layer is transferred to the liquid in the upper layer through the medium of the water contained in the tubular sleeves.

Abstract: Apparatus for conditioning the air in an enclosure utilizes a primary direct contact air/brine heat exchanger in which enclosure air is contacted with brine from a reservoir for condensing water vapor in the enclosure air onto the brine to form dilute brine. A brine concentrator is provided in the form of a secondary direct contact air/brine heat exchanger in which segregated air, separate from enclosure air, is contacted with heated dilute brine from the reservoir for evaporating water from the heated dilute brine into the segregated air to form concentrated brine. The secondary heat exchanger operates to heat the brine while it is being contacted with the segregated air.

Abstract: Apparatus for conditioning air in an enclosure includes a direct contact air/brine heat exchanger constructed to exchange air in the enclosure with the direct contact heat exchanger, and a reservoir of brine. A first brine loop is established by which brine from the reservoir is exchanged with the direct contact heat exchanger for condensing water vapor in the enclosure air onto the brine to form dilute brine that flow into the reservoir. The apparatus also includes a brine boiler constructed and arranged for establishing a second brine loop in which dilute brine from the first loop is exchanged with the boiler for evaporating water from the dilute brine and producing steam. Finally, a flow control is provided for maintaining a smaller flow rate in the second loop than in the first loop.

Abstract: The air in a greenhouse is dehumidified using a direct-contact heat exchanger utilizing concentrated brine. The diluted brine produced when water vapor in the greenhouse condenses on the concentrated brine is regenerated in a fuel-fired boiler whose products of combustion, carbon dioxide and water vapor, are passed into the greenhouse. The products of combustion provide the desired level of carbon dioxide in the greenhouse; and the excess water vapor in the products of combustion as well as a significant portion of the water vapor produced by plants, growing in the greenhouse are removed by the hygroscopic concentrated brine.

Abstract: Apparatus for conditioning air in an enclosure includes a reservoir of brine, a direct contact air-brine-vapor heat exchanger, a brine evaporator, and a brine circulation system for exchanging brine between the reservoir and heat exchanger, and between the reservoir and the evaporator. The apparatus also includes a condenser operatively associated with the evaporator, a primary air circulation system constructed and arranged to exchange air between the heat exchanger and the enclosure for drying the air in the heat exchanger, and a secondary air circulation system constructed and arranged to exchange air between the evaporator and the condenser for evaporating water from the brine in the evaporator. Water vapor produced by the brine evaporator is condensed in the condenser which is constructed and arranged to transfer the heat released by condensation, which is the same as the latent heat of vaporization of water evaporated from the brine by the vaporizer, to the air in the enclosure.

Abstract: Electricity is generated in an arid environment using an open duct such as a canyon that is closed at one end and open at the other by erecting an air dam at the open end of the canyon and locating an air turbogenerator in the base of the dam. The air in the canyon is cooled by spraying water into the air as it enters the canyon, the cooled air flowing downwardly toward the base of the dam and through the turbogenerator.Preferably, the air dam is a flexible curtain, covering the outlet of the canyon, and suspension means are provided for suspending the flexible curtain at its top. The suspension means include supports built into the canyon above the top of the curtain, the support preferably being a suspension cable suspended between towers on opposite sides of the canyon such that the top of the flexible curtain is supported by support cables carried by the suspension cable.

Abstract: A heat exchanger comprises a housing containing upper and lower layers of fluid, the upper layer being less dense than the lower layer. The large and sharp density gradient at the interface between the upper and lower layers acts to prevent mixing of the two layers. A plurality of vertically oriented tubular sleeves that are closed at each end and filled with fresh water are located in the housing such that the axial ends of each tubular sleeve are in different ones of the layers. Heat added to the liquid in the lower layer is transferred to the liquid in the upper layer through the medium of the water contained in the tubular sleeves.

Abstract: An energy-saving, direct-contact parallel-flow heat exchanger includes a vertically oriented tower open at the top and bottom for defining a gas-flow conduit. A spray-head adjacent to the top of the tower sprays droplets of relatively warm brine into the air which flows downwardly in response to drag forces being exerted by the falling droplets and is compressed as a heat-exchange process takes place between the air and the droplets. The cooled droplets that fall to the bottom of the tower are collected and separated from the air. An air turbine associated with the tower produces energy in response to the downward flow of air in the tower.

Abstract: Apparatus for humidity and temperature control of the air in an enclosure comprising brine-vapor-air direct heat exchanger apparatus disposed in communication with an enclosure and a brine reservoir arranged to store brine and to be exposed to naturally occuring temperature gradients for desired conditioning of the brine. The temperature gradients may be relatively short term, such as day-night or may be longer term, such as summer-winter.

Abstract: A power plant includes a source of water, a heat exchanger having an evaporator side maintained below atmospheric pressure for converting the water to steam, and a turbine responsive to said steam for producing work and heat depleted steam. The heat exchanger also has a condenser side for receiving and condensing the heat depleted steam. The evaporator side of the heat exchanger is separated by a barrier from the condenser side. Concentrated brine from a source thereof is caused to fall in a film on the condenser side of the barrier, and water from the water source is caused to fall in a film on the evaporator side of the barrier. The heat of dilution of the film of concentrated brine, as it is directly contacted by the heat depleted steam in the condenser side of the heat exchanger, is transferred through the barrier from the condenser side to the evaporator side raising the temperature of the film of water on the evaporator side which evaporates in the reduced pressure in the evaporator.

Abstract: A starting solution is concentrated to a desired end solution by contacting the starting solution with a gaseous medium under the conditions that the heat content of the starting solution in contact with the gaseous medium is smaller than the heat content of the medium, and the duration of contacting is such that most of the solution that evaporates does so under conditions of constant enthalpy. When the starting solution is a brine, and the gaseous medium is air whose relative humidity is less than the relative humidity at the air/brine interface, the brine can be sprayed into the air to form a shower of droplets within which heat and vapor transfer take place during the transit time of the droplets in the air. When the ratio of droplets to air is sufficiently small, the heat content of the droplets is much smaller than the heat content of the air.

Abstract: A system for conditioning the air in an enclosure, such as a greenhouse, uses low grade heat contained in a liquid, e.g., condenser cooling water that is normally discharged downstream of a power plant. The system includes an indirect contact heat exchanger with a heat exchange surface having one side contacted by the fluid, and a direct contact air-brine heat exchanger associated with the enclosure including a blower for exchanging air between the enclosure and the air-brine heat exchanger. The system also includes a pump for exchanging brine between the direct contact heat exchanger and the other side of the heat exchange surface of said indirect contact heat exchanger. Thus, an efficient indirect, liquid-to-liquid heat exchange operation takes place between the brine and the low grade heated liquid; and an efficient direct, air-brine heat exchange operation takes place to heat the air in the enclosure without increasing its humidity.

Abstract: A halocline in a salt-water solar pond is protected against the effect of wind by dividing the upper portion of the pond into essentially separate cells or units that are segregated, but without hydraulically altering the operation of the pond. Specifically, a floating grid of expandable partitions is placed in the pond, so that an upper surface of each partition protrudes from the water, and the lower surface of each partition extends into the halocline, the liquid in the upper portion of each cell formed by the grid being essentially segregated. Provision is made for periodically expanding the partitions in order to flake off salt that precipitates on the partitions.

Abstract: A power plant includes a source of water, a heat exchanger having an evaporator side maintained below atmospheric pressure for converting the water to steam, and a turbine responsive to said steam for producing work and heat depleted steam. The heat exchanger also has a condenser side for receiving and condensing the heat depleted steam. The evaporator side of the heat exchanger is separated by a barrier from the condenser side. Concentrated brine from a source thereof is caused to fall in a film on the condenser side of the barrier, and water from the water source is caused to fall in a film on the evaporator side of the barrier. The heat of dilution of the film of concentrated brine, as it is directly contacted by the heat depleted steam in the condenser side of the heat exchanger, is transferred through the barrier from the condenser side to the evaporator side raising the temperature of the film of water on the evaporator side which evaporates in the reduced pressure in the evaporator.

Abstract: A heat exchanger comprises a housing containing upper and lower layers of fluid, the upper layer being less dense than the lower layer. The large and sharp density gradient at the interface between the upper and lower layer acts to prevent mixing of the two layers. A plurality of vertically oriented tubular sleeves that are closed at each end and filled with fresh water are located in the housing such that the axial ends of each tubular sleeve are in different ones of the layers. Heat added to the liquid in the lower layer is transferred to the liquid in the upper layer through the medium of the water container in the tubular sleeves.

Abstract: The wind-mixed layer of a salt-water solar pond is dynamically stabilized against wind by creating a two-layer flow regime in the wind-mixed layer. Lighter less dense water flows in one direction adjacent the surface of the pond and heavier, more dense water flows in the opposite direction beneath the lighter water. The two-layer flow regime can be created by selectively connecting the wind-mixed layer to a source of brine whose density exceeds the average density of water in the wind-mixed layer. Alternatively, the two-layer flow regime is created by selectively adding fresher water to the surface of the solar pond at the surface thereof to replace evaporation losses.

Abstract: The wind-mixed layer of a salt-water solar pond is dynamically stabilized against wind by creating a two-layer flow regime in the wind-mixed layer. Lighter less dense water flows in one direction adjacent the surface of the pond and heavier, more dense water flows in the opposite direction beneath the lighter water. The two-layer flow regime can be created by selectively connecting the wind-mixed layer to a source of brine whose density exceeds the average density of water in the wind-mixed layer. Alternatively, the two-layer flow regime is created by selectively adding fresher water to the surface of the solar pond at the surface thereof to replace evaporation losses.