Microwave fluid heating and distillation method

Abstract

A microwave energy emitter (108) is positioned in a chamber within a vessel (106) that is transparent to microwave energy absorption that is further surrounded by a microwave reflective means to reflect the waves back into the vessel. The vessel (106) encloses a material that absorbs microwave energy through molecular vibration of its molecules. An inlet path (116) and outlet path (112) is provided for the material to flow in and out of the vessel upon predetermined conditions. Heated material can be condensed via a condensing means (124) into a collection vessel (120). A controller means (126) is provided to send control signals to switching means for controlling the material flow and receiving sensing signals for decision means.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of patent application Ser. No. 11/051,672, filed Feb. 5, 2005, which claimed the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/586,675, filed Jul. 9, 2004, both of these previous applications herein incorporated by reference. This application is directed to similar subject matter in my co-pending patent application, application Ser. No. 11/051,671.

The claims as filed in patent application Ser. No. 11/051,672, from which this application is a continuation, are herein incorporated by reference.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable

SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

I have invented a new apparatus, machine, and method for the heating of fluids via microwave frequencies induced into the material to be heated. The process began by trying to invent a better water distiller and purification system than the current one I am using at home. The unit I currently utilize for home has electrodes in a boiling chamber and the electrodes corrode because of the impurities in the water that supplies the house. This started me thinking how I might create a unit that would not have components that corrode because of the corrosive action of water in contact with metallic parts. To attempt a cure for this problem with the current home unit that is now being used I have installed several water conditioning units in front of it, including carbon filters and reverse osmosis filters. However this water is more “aggressive” and the units' electrodes seem to break down more rapidly and had more failures. The water purification process of the machine with electrodes heating the water is comparatively slow with the machine taking 24 hours or more to make 8 gallons of water and power intensive. The distilled water made is used mainly for drinking and cooking, as the replenishment times are prohibitively slow for other high volume usages.

Since I did not want the process to involve corrosion it seemed to me that a new way of boiling or heating water was necessary. I knew that a microwave oven could boil water but after doing the research found out that microwave ovens create “super heated water” and that boiling or steaming water was a problem in a microwave oven. I also did not want to cause microwaves to be injected into a cavity with another container in the cavity, as this seems to be a waste of power and efficiency because of the difference in the cavity geometries. This method has been utilized in U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,968 Armstrong, U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,857 Armstrong, U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,939 Martin, U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,133 Le Viet, and other patents mentioned in my patents examined further in this document. I then had the idea of building the antenna into the middle of the cavity, which held the fluid to be heated with the cavity being the wave-guide. The concept of having a remote antenna inserted into a vessel is mentioned in U.S. Pat. No. 6,175,104 Greene et al. The problem with the '104 patent is that the antenna, or emitting device, is in direct contact with the fluid to be heated. As a result of using a material that was transparent to the microwaves I could design and build a device that can have an antenna physically isolated from the cavity for water heating, be in the middle of it, and cause the fluid to be heated without any direct contact by using the cavity as a wave guide/resonance chamber. This also causes the material or fluid surrounding the cavity into which the antenna or microwave emitting device is located to be evenly irradiated by the microwaves.

Others have proposed building microwave fluid heaters with their design entailing the conventional use of a microwave generator device located off to one side of the cavity or built into the side of the cavity, as in U.S. Pat. No. DES 293,128 Karamian, U.S. Pat. No. DES 293,368 Karamian, U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,968 Armstrong, U.S. Pat. No. 4,671,951 Masse, U.S. Pat. No. 4,671,952 Masse, U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,133 Le Viet, U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,969 Le Viet, U.S. Pat. No. 4,417,116 Black, U.S. Pat. No. 5,387,780 Riley. They typically use wave-guides to direct the microwaves from the source into the cavity containing the water or fluid to be heated or steamed. This invention uses the direct output from the microwave source or antenna to heat the fluid.

Another problem with heating water in a microwave is the super heated water problem. That is, water will heat to over the boiling temperature of water at sea level of 100° C. without boiling, or going into steam. As pointed out in the article Ask a Scientist, Chemistry Archive, SuperHeated Water, by the USA Department of Energy, obtained from the internet, water heated in a microwave in a cup will superheat the water, but will not cause it to steam. A boiling point must be established for other water molecules to boil. From the above article “Boiling begins at a temperature when the vapor pressure of a liquid equals the ambient atmospheric pressure that is above the pool of liquid. However, you WILL NOT have boiling water if there are no sites for the vapor (within the liquid) to nucleate (grow) from.

Good nucleating sites are scratches, irregularities and other imperfections inside the cup, mug, or in your case the Pyrex.” Thus, when a fork is put into a cup, the super heated water then explosively boils and steams vigorously. This is also a problem with very smooth glass, such as a pyrex bowl, and presents a technical barrier to be solved in the invention that I have outlined using a pyrex boiling/wave guide chamber. One solution is to make the pyrex chamber side walls uneven and rough, while another solution is causing the fluid or matter in the chamber to be stirred by an internal force, such as a fan, or an external stimulation, such as an ultrasonic transducer or even low frequency waves, or a device that rotates when the electric field is applied due to EMF forces. This is a problem when trying to heat a fluid to a boiling point and above to produce vapor or steam. It further helps the thermal distribution through out the mixture by causing a stirring of the mixture that will even out the heating throughout the fluid or material being heated.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION-OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

This invention is superior to, or has advantages over other microwave fluid heaters, in that the microwave based device presented herein has one or more of the following attributes: The microwave generator is surrounded by the medium to be heated and does not have any power loss due to coupling through wave guides delivering the microwaves to the medium to be heated;

• It is very inexpensive to build;
• It reduces power consumption by large efficiencies;
• It can be scaled in size from very small to very large;
• It heats the medium to be heated very quickly;
• It can be used to purify water or other fluids inexpensively;
• The microwave generator can be replaced quickly and inexpensively to renew the efficiency of the unit;
• It can generate extremely pure water essentially free of contaminates;
• It can adapt its efficiency to the medium it is trying to heat;
• It reduces pollution;
• It can be used to heat water or other fluids;
• It can be made small enough to be portable;
• It is one of only a few viable ways to destroy estrogenic contaminates in water;
• The microwaves directly irradiate the source, destroying bacteria and viruses that are susceptible to the wave length of the microwaves and the heat of the fluid;
• This invention allows the material to surround the microwave source and be more evenly radiated than other invention.

In this invention various advantages are realized and the inventor presents inventions that accomplish various objects. For example, it is one of the objects of the invention to provide a containment vessel that has a material holding cavity. The containment vessel includes a chamber defined by structure formed of microwave transparent material with the chamber structure protruding into the cavity of the containment vessel through a surface of the containment vessel. This configuration provides physical isolation of the interior of the chamber from the material holding cavity of containment vessel.

Another object of the invention is to have the containment vessel be a microwave wave-guide.

It is another object of the invention to have the material holding cavity of the containment vessel and the chamber structure homogenous and continuous.

Another object of the invention is to present a containment vessel with an exterior and interior surface, and a layer of microwave reflective material is carried on the exterior surface of the containment vessel.

One more object of the invention is to provide apparatus comprising a containment vessel having a chamber formed of a microwave transparent material. The chamber structure protrudes into a material holding cavity of the containment vessel and this structure includes a microwave generator having an antenna connected to it. The antenna is positionable in the chamber structure

It is also an object of the invention to have the containment vessel be a microwave wave-guide.

Another object of this invention is to provide apparatus and a method for producing a distillate.

The preferred embodiments of the invention presented here are described below in the specification and shown in the drawings. Unless specifically noted, it is intended that the words and phrases in the specification and the claims be given the ordinary and accustomed meaning to those of ordinary skill in the applicable arts. If any other special meaning is intended for any word or phrase, the specification will clearly state and define the special meaning. In particular, most words commonly have a generic meaning. If I intend to limit or otherwise narrow the generic meaning, I will use specific descriptive adjectives to do so. Absent the use of special adjectives, it is my intent that the terms in this specification and claims be given their broadest possible, generic meaning.

Likewise, the use of the words “function,” “means,” or “step” in the specification or claims is not intended to indicate a desire to invoke the special provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112, Paragraph 6, to define the invention. To the contrary, if the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112, Paragraph 6 are sought to be invoked to define the inventions, the claims will specifically state the phrases “means for” or “step for” and a function, without also reciting with such phrases any structure, material or act in support of the function. Even when the claims recite a “means for” or “step for” performing a function, if they also recite any structure, material or acts in support of that means or step, then the intention is not to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112, Paragraph 6. Moreover, even if the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112, Paragraph 6 are invoked to define the inventions, it is intended that the inventions not be limited only to the specific structure, material or acts that are described in the preferred embodiments, but in addition, include any and all structures, materials or acts that perform the claimed function, along with any and all known or later-developed equivalent structures, material or acts for performing the claimed function.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

I have included six drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of the invention used in a water distillation system;

FIG. 2 is an illustration of a holding vessel showing an antenna chamber in a broken line presentation;

FIG. 3 is a pictorial isometric view of a magnetron;

FIG. 4 is an illustration of the holding vessel positioned on a microwave generator source (magnetron) and the antenna inserted into the antenna chamber in the fluid holding vessel;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation illustration of a working model of the invention

FIG. 6 is another illustration from a different viewpoint of a working

model of the invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The principle of microwave generators, sources and amplifiers are well understood and documented. Also understood is the principle of heating substances with microwaves as evidenced by the current popularity of the microwave oven in modem society. Briefly, microwaves in microwave ovens cause the water in the inserted matter to vibrate at a resonant frequency (that is, their bonds) and cause the molecules to become “excited.” This causes the water molecules to “bump” into each other and cause heating because of the collisions of the water molecules. This is why the substance being cooked or heated will become hot from the inside out and continue to heat even after the microwave energy source has been turned off.

Microwave ovens are typically a square enclosure made of metal that reflect microwaves back into the formed cavity and have a microwave generator coupled to the enclosure through a wave-guide that directs the microwaves into the oven. This arrangement can cause hot spots in the heating of substances in the cooking cavity at the nodes of the microwave frequency lengths, so the microwaves are either “stirred” or the substance is rotated to intersect at different spots in the substance where the nodes occur. The hot spots are also caused by the geometry of the material to be heated being at different distances from the microwave source and the microwave distribution pattern from the source and the wave-guide. Furthermore, the typical microwave generator can become very hot, so a fan is used to cool the generator (of which one typical generator is called a magnetron manufactured by LG, having model number 2M213-240GPo). There are many manufactures of magnetrons and microwave generators. These microwave generator devices are usually set for only one frequency, somewhere between 2.4 and 2.6 GHZ. It has been determined by others that this is the best frequency to cook foods, however other frequencies are understood to be better for other materials and substances depending upon the materials, needs and requirements. For instance, an article at http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mmicrowave2.html, A Staff Report by the Straight Dope Science Advisory Board, points out that 10GHz is better for heating water molecules alone, that is water molecules not bound in another substance. For the sake of this disclosure it is understood that when a frequency is mentioned for a microwave generator the microwave generator can use other frequencies than the one mentioned depending upon the application and the material to be subjected to the microwave generator frequency. Also, that the material heated can be a fluid, a solid, a vapor, or plasma depending upon the application and desired results.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, the water, fluid, or material to be heated is connected via input pipe 102 to a solenoid switched valve 100. This description will start with the invention in a startup state and then describe a complete cycle using the purification of water as the example. It is contemplated, as stated above, that material to be processed can be “fluid material,” or other “material.” While this description is directed to demonstrating a batch processing technique and method, it should be understood that it could also be adapted to a continuous processing process. Microprocessor 126, which also can be a solid state controller, state sequencer, PROM, or other signal processor/determiner, processes the signal from level sensor 114 in collection holding vessel 120 and second level sensor 146 in microwave containment vessel generally 122 and determines that water should be made. (In this example water will be used, but should be considered a subset of fluids and materials that can be processed this way.) In an embodiment of the invention the apparatus comprises a signal processor/determiner 126 having at least one signal input 150 and a first level sensor 160 in communication with the signal processor/determiner 126 through a first 150 of the at least one signal inputs. The level of material in the fluid holding vessel 106 of the microwave containment vessel, generally 122, is sensed by the first level sensor 160 and is communicated to the signal processor/determiner 126 by the first 150 of the at least one signal inputs. Signal processor/determiner microprocessor 126 generates a signal to solenoid switched valve 100 via signal line 161, which opens the solenoid switched valve 100 and allows the material to flow into microwave containment vessel generally 122, more specifically into the fluid holding vessel 106, via entry port 105 in lid or cap 104 until second level sensor 146 via signal line 148 generates a signal to microprocessor 126 that the fluid holding vessel 106 is full. Microprocessor 126 then generates a signal via signal line 161 to solenoid switched valve 100 to close and causes the material flow into microwave containment vessel 122, more specifically into the fluid holding vessel 106, to cease. Microwave containment vessel 122 consists of fluid holding vessel 106, lid or cap 104, second level sensor 146, first level sensor 160, exit port 107 for the steam, an entry port 105, and outer shell or microwave reflector 144. The microwave containment vessel 122 can furthermore include a provision for a material stirrer 162 and a temperature sensor (not shown). The temperature sensor would be to monitor the temperature of the water actively (not shown). Material holding cavity or fluid holding vessel 106 is made of material that is transparent to the frequency of the microwaves being generated and can take the pressures and temperatures of the materials being heated and in contact with the interior surface of the fluid holding vessel 106. Because of the cycling of the cold water and the subsequent heating into hot water that occurs this material should be resistant to temperature cycling. This type of material can be Pyrex glass or other glass or material that fulfills these requirements. Pyrex, a trademark of Coming Glass, is the trademark name for any class of heat and chemical resistant glass of different compositions depending on the needs and requirements of strength, weight, temperature cycling, smoothness, and other mechanical and reliability requirements. Pyrex® glass was developed by the Corning® Glass Company and was labeled Coming 7740. It is lead free and labeled a borosilicate type of glass. It was developed for its ability to withstand thermal shock created by sudden shifts in temperatures and its strength. Pyrex glass typically has a composition that has high resistance to strong acids or alkalis. The strain point is 510° C., annealing point of 560° C., and softening point of 821° C. makes it applicable to high heat applications. The typical composition is 80.6% SiO₂, 4% NaO₂, 13.0% B₂O₃, 2.3% A1₂O₃, and 2.3% K₂O.

Another Corning® glass, Coming® Vycor® 7913 would also be a contender to use for the fluid holding vessel 106.

Because of its composition and lack of any hydrocarbons in its formula, pyrex glass is “transparent” to microwave energy. That is, the glass does not absorb a significant amount of energy, if any, into its bonds of matter from the microwaves penetrating its matter and passes the microwaves through its matter. The usual heating of Pyrex glass in a microwave operation is in the contact of the fluid or matter that is held within and in contact with its surface and the temperature flow from the heated matter to the glass containment vessel.

In addition to glass, glass that can withstand a cycle of heating and cooling, one embodiment being Pyrex, it is contemplated that other materials for making the fluid holding vessel of the microwave containment vessel 122 are possible. These include plastic material, carbon fiber material or ceramic material. The antenna chamber 123 could be glass, Pyrex in one embodiment, but alternative materials include plastic material or carbon fiber.

Pyrex is a good candidate for the holding vessel 106 because it is a smooth surfaced glass that has no pores and absorbs nothing so when it is cleaned it will not contain or transmit viruses or bacteria, nor will the surfaces be attacked by viruses or bacteria to scar the surfaces. However, because of these qualities, it does not contain a boiling point on its surface that can be used to start the water boiling process. Thus, a boiling point would be advantageous to be introduced into the fluid holding vessel 106 in some manner. One solution would be to cause the surface of the interior of the fluid holding vessel 106 to be roughened, causing boiling points. Another solution is causing the shape of the fluid holding vessel 106 to be irregular. That will cause nucleation sites due to the geometry of the vessel. Another solution would to have a material stirrer causing the fluid or matter to be stirred by material stirrer 162. Material stirrer 162 is a motor, shaft and propeller. The motor would be on the outside of the holding vessel 106 while the shaft may penetrate the outer shell or microwave reflector 144 and the holding vessel 106 and the propeller of the material stirrer is on the inside of the holding vessel 106. Another solution would to use a magnetic stirrer that is moved around by the introduction of a magnetic field. Another solution would be to have a device that is sensitive to microwaves and becomes excited and moves around when the microwaves are impinging upon it when the microwave source is emitting microwaves into the fluid containment vessel 106. A still further embodiment is to have the boiling point provided by a device carried in the fluid holding vessel 106.

As seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, in one embodiment of the invention the material holding vessel 106 is clear of any internal obstructions.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, fluid holding vessel 106 is shaped so that an antenna chamber 123 is formed in the fluid holding vessel for the insertion of an antenna 108. The antenna 108 can be directly connected to the microwave generator 110 or be remotely connected to it via a co-axial cable for transmitting the energy from the source 110 to the antenna 108. Furthermore, antenna 108 can be of the length and size that is determined to be best for the usage. For instance, and as an example, the antenna 108 can be a quarter wave, half wave, full wave, or a multiple of the wavelength of the antenna. The antenna length is dependent upon the frequency used for the microwave generator source. For a 2.5 Ghz microwave, the quarter wavelength is 1.1232 inches, for the half wave it is 2.2464 inches, and the full wavelength is 4.4928 inches. For a 10Ghz signal the quarter wavelength is 0.2808inches, the half wave is 0.5616 inches, and the full wave is 1.1232 inches. These configurations, or previous examples, would give the best transfer of energy into the material in the fluid holding vessel 106. However, the antenna length is not limited to the above examples for the working of the embodiment, as stated in the ending paragraph of this disclosure. In one embodiment, the fluid holding vessel 106 should be designed such that the distance from the antenna to the microwave reflector 144 is exactly a multiple of the wavelength distance, however other multiples of the wavelength of the antenna can be used. For example, if a quarter wave antenna were used, it would be beneficial to use a quarter wave, half wave, full wave, or some other multiple of the wavelength distance to the reflector 144. The microwave antenna 108 can also be designed to be a microwave diode operating at a predetermined frequency, of which the output is sent to a power amplifier that then sends the amplified signal to the antenna 108.

FIG. 5 is a pictorial representation of the apparatus of the invention. In this figure a microwave transformer and capacitor 140 receives electrical power from a power source, represented by the current supply 166 which is connected to a transformer and capacitor 140. The output of the microwave transformer is transmitted by signal line 142 to the microwave source 110 as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. A microwave reflector 144 is positioned around the fluid holding vessel 106, an edge surface thereof shown in FIG. 5 and more completely shown, without the microwave reflector 144 in position, in FIG. 4. The microwave reflector in FIGS. 5 and 6 is a generally cylindrical body, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, it is a metallic can having a bottom with a hole cut in the bottom to accommodate the microwave antenna 108 which passes through the microwave reflector 144 and into the chamber 123 of the holding vessel 106. The top portion of the generally cylindrical microwave reflector 144 has been cut, folded down, and formed such that a portion of the cylindrical microwave reflector 144 is positioned over the top of the holding vessel 106 as seen in FIGS. 5 and 6. As noted in FIGS. 5 and 6, the reflector 144 is in close proximity to the surface fluid holding vessel 106 and substantially follows the outline of fluid holding vessel 106.

FIG. 6 is another view of the device shown in FIG. 5. In this figure the fluid holding vessel 106 is shown located in the microwave reflector 144 and the bent-over top of the reflector is clearly seen. The transformer and capacitor 140, the transformer being 140a and the capacitor being 140b in this figure, is connected to the microwave source 110 by means of the wires show as line 142. A metal strap may connect the transformer and the microwave source.

Microwave reflector 144 should be designed such that the material used reflects the microwave energy not absorbed by any of the water molecules back into the water for further absorption. The microwave reflector or outer shell 144 would be made of metal. Thin film coatings, one preferred embodiment of the microwave reflector or outer shell 144, are made of layers of metallic materials and could be utilized by coating the outer surfaces of the fluid holding vessel 106. The thin film coatings should be optimized for the best reflection of the microwaves back into the fluid holding vessel 106 itself. The microwave reflector 144 needs to be connected to a ground so that no microwaves can escape the microwave containment vessel 122 around the apparatus. This should also apply to the microwave generator source 110 and microwave antenna 108. One of the advantages of a thin film coating on the fluid holding vessel 106 is that it can follow and be suited to the geometry of the fluid holding vessel 106. Such thin film coating would also be durable and lightweight. A physical vapor deposition process, a chemical vapor deposition process, or any other method that is suitable to the task could be used to apply thin film coatings to the fluid holding vessel 106.

An embodiment of the invention would have a method whereby the microwave source 110 and the antenna 108 can be removed or swung out of the way to gain access to fluid holding vessel 106 in order to facilitate the removal of the holding vessel 106 for maintenance. Furthermore, fluid-holding vessel 106 can be made to unscrew or disconnect from the lid or cap 104 for replacement if necessary.

A boiling point on the surface of the material holding cavity 106 is mentioned above. Another embodiment of a boiling point may be formed by shaping the surface of the fluid holding vessel (also known as the material holding cavity, the holding vessel, or the material holding vessel) 106 of the microwave containment vessel 122 as an irregular shape causing nucleation sites.

At this point in the water processing cycle, when the microprocessor 126 has determined that the water in the fluid holding vessel 106 is at the “full” level the microprocessor will generate a signal on signal line 128 that causes relay 134 to switch the power on to microwave source transformer and capacitor 140 to energize the microwave generator 110 and emit microwaves via antenna 108 through the antenna chamber 123 walls and cause the water inside the fluid holding vessel 106 to be heated. Also, in one embodiment of the invention as shown in FIG. 1, at this time the water stirrer 162 is operated by relay 138 via power line 164.

Water is heated above its boiling point and turns into steam, whereby the steam exits the fluid holding vessel 106 by exit port 107, through line 112 and enters the condensation coil 124. The coils of tubing 124 can either be cooled by blowing air across them or by using the incoming water to cool the condensing coil 124. Also, the coil 124 can be made out of copper, stainless steel, plastic, ceramic, etc. It is in this condensation coil 124 that steam is converted back to water and the water is now directed through line 113 into collection holding vessel 120. It would be advantageous, but not necessary, to have a charcoal filter in line 113 between the condensation coil 124 and the collection holding vessel 120.

The microprocessor 126 is continually checking level sensor 114, second level sensor 146 and first level sensor 160 to determine if the operation of processing fluid material, such as water in this example, should be stopped at anytime. When level sensor 114 indicates that holding vessel 120 is full, then no further distilling operations will take place until level sensor 114 indicates that the level of water in the holding vessel is below the level sensed by level sensor 114 and needs more water to fill the collection holding vessel 120 up to the level of level sensor 114. In an alternative embodiment, instead of level sensors a mechanical float can be used.

Also, microprocessor 126 will control the process of distilling water until such time that first sensor level 160 indicates via signal line 150 that fluid in the fluid holding vessel 106 has been evaporated. In such an occurrence, the microprocessor 126 will send a signal via line 128 and turn relay 134 off, which in turn, stops the power to the microwave transformer and capacitor 140 which then stops microwave source 110 to stop emitting microwaves. It will also stop material stirrer 162 from turning, however it would be advantageous to have material stirrer 162 keep turning for a predetermined amount of time. This can be caused by either an external circuit, another and separate relay from the microprocessor 126, or by the motor and capacitor connected to the stirrer 162.

When the process is actively boiling and distilling water, the microprocessor 126 can monitor the rate of evaporation and/or collection in the different vessels. By varying the frequency of the microwave source and using the above information the microprocessor can determine what is the best frequency for the best efficiency of the system and self-adjust to this frequency on a predetermined basis. Thus the system can be a self-adjusting system for the maximum efficiency by using feedback.

Furthermore, when the microprocessor 126 has processed a predetermined number of “water boils” from the fluid holding vessel 106 the microprocessor 126 can initiate a cleaning cycle for cleaning the fluid holding vessel 106. The microprocessor does this by instructing the system to fill the microwave containment vessel 122, heating the contents to a certain temperature, and then causing this heated water to be discharged through line or exit port 152 into a waste water line 156 controlled by solenoid 154 that is further controlled via line 158 from microprocessor 126.

Another embodiment of the invention could have another valve (not shown) on the line 112 that could be controlled by the microprocessor 126. It would also have another entry port (not shown) that would go to an external holding vessel (not shown). Microprocessor 126 could then open the extra entry port that leads to external holding vessel that would contain a substance that is used to clean the fluid holding chamber 106 on a predetermined basis. The microprocessor 126 would notify the user that they should pour a substance into the external holding vessel when necessary. The microprocessor 126 would close entry port 116 and the extra entry port and exit port 112 and heat the liquid to a predetermined heating point to clean the fluid holding chamber 106. After a predetermined amount of time microprocessor 126 would open the entry port 116 and then after another predetermined time it would open exit port 152 to flush the system. After this cleansing of the fluid holding vessel the microprocessor would signal the system to begin the cycle of purifying water.

Another embodiment of this invention could have the fluid holding vessel 106 shaped in the form of a sphere with a chamber formed therein rather than a cylinder shape as shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 4. Any shape can be used that is suitable and the shape of the fluid holding vessel is not constrained to the above-mentioned shapes.

The microwave containment vessel 122 may comprise a microwave guide or microwave reflector 144 that comprises a layer of microwave reflective material on fluid holding vessel 106. In one embodiment fluid holding vessel 106 has an exterior surface 121 and an interior surface 125 and the layer of microwave reflective material is carried on the exterior surface 121 of the fluid holding vessel 106 but not on the surface area of the antenna cavity 123 where the antenna 108 emits microwaves as this would prevent microwaves from the microwave antenna 108 from reaching the contents of the fluid holding vessel 106.

In addition to the microwave containment vessel 122 by itself as described above, this application teaches an apparatus which comprises a fluid holding vessel 106 having a chamber 123, the chamber 123 structure formed of a microwave transparent material as described above. The chamber 123 protrudes into a material holding cavity 131 (a “cavity” being an unfilled space within a mass and/or a space that is surrounded by something) of the fluid holding vessel 106. The apparatus may also include a microwave generator 110 with an antenna 108 connected to the microwave generator 110. The antenna 108 is positionable in the antenna chamber 123 and the antenna chamber 123 provides physical isolation between the antenna 108 and the material holding cavity 131 of the fluid holding vessel 106.

In one embodiment the apparatus described immediately above comprises a heating device and the material holding cavity 131 of the containment vessel 122 contains material. The apparatus or device is capable of heating the material in the material holding cavity 131 of the containment vessel.

In another embodiment of the invention a method and apparatus for producing a distillate is contemplated. In this method for producing a distillate the apparatus for carrying out the acts of producing a distillate comprises providing a containment vessel 122 having a material holding cavity 131 (or material or fluid holding vessel 106) for containing material. The fluid holding vessel 106 of the microwave containment vessel 122 has a chamber 123. This chamber 123 provides physical isolation from the cavity 131 of the fluid holding vessel 106. The chamber 123, is formed of a microwave transparent material and the chamber 123 extends through a surface of the fluid holding vessel 106 and into the material holding cavity 131 of the fluid holding vessel 106. The apparatus further comprises a microwave generator 110 with an antenna 108 associated with the microwave generator 110. The antenna 108 is positionable in the chamber 123 of the fluid holding vessel 106, the chamber 123 providing physical isolation between the antenna and the material holding cavity of the containment vessel. The apparatus also comprises a condensation coil 124 in communication with the fluid holding vessel 106. Distillate is collected in a holding vessel 120, which is in communication with the condensation coil 124. The apparatus may also include a signal processor/determiner, which could be a microprocessor, with at least one signal input, a first level sensor in communication with the signal processor/determiner through a first of the at least one signal inputs whereby the level of material in the material holding cavity of the containment vessel is sensed by the first level sensor and is communicated to the signal processor/determiner by the first of the at least one signal inputs.

Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.

DRAWINGS—REFERENCE NUMERALS

• 100 solenoid switch
• 102 input pipe
• 104 lid or cap
• 105 entry port
• 106 fluid holding vessel
• 107 exit port
• 108 microwave antenna
• 109 wall
• 110 microwave source or microwave generator
• 112 line
• 113 line
• 114 level sensor
• 116 entry port
• 118 extra entry port
• 120 collection holding vessel
• 121 exterior surface
• 122 microwave containment vessel
• 123 antenna chamber
• 124 condensation coil
• 125 interior surface
• 126 microprocessor/controller or signal processor/determiner
• 128 signal line
• 130 signal line
• 131 material holding cavity
• 132 power line
• 134 relay
• 136 external holding vessel
• 137 exterior surface of antenna chamber
• 138 power line
• 139 interior surface of antenna chamber
• 140 transformer & capacitor
• 142 signal line
• 144 microwave reflector or outer shell
• 146 second level sensor
• 148 signal line
• 150 first signal input
• 152 exit port
• 154 solenoid
• 156 waste water line
• 158 signal line
• 160 first level sensor
• 161 signal line
• 162 material stirrer
• 164 power line

Claims

1. In a microwave distillation apparatus, the microwave distillation apparatus comprising:

a material holding vessel defining an enclosure;

a microwave emitting antenna;

an antenna chamber providing physical isolation for the microwave antenna from the material holding vessel, the antenna chamber protruding into the material holding vessel, the antenna chamber substantially transparent where the chamber surrounds the microwave emission area of the microwave emitting antenna;

a microwave reflector on a surface of the material holding vessel, whereby substantially all of the emitted microwaves are first passed through the area of the enclosure of the material holding vessel before striking a reflecting or absorbing surface of the apparatus.

2. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the antenna chamber protrudes vertically into the material holding vessel.

3. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the surface of the material holding vessel comprises an exterior surface and the microwave reflector is on the exterior surface of the material holding vessel.

4. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the material holding vessel is clear of any internal obstruction.

5. The invention in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

the material holding vessel having a wall with an exterior surface and an interior surface defining a cavity;

the microwave reflector on the exterior surface of the material holding vessel wall; and

the distance between the antenna and the microwave reflector is a multiple of the wavelength of the emitted microwaves from the microwave emitting antenna.

6. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the length and size of the microwave emitting antenna is a multiple of the wavelength of the antenna.

7. The invention in accordance with claim 6 wherein the microwave emitting antenna is a half wavelength antenna.

8. The invention in accordance with claim 6 wherein the microwave emitting antenna is a full wavelength antenna.

9. The invention in accordance with claim 6 wherein the microwave emitting antenna is a 1/128 wavelength antenna.

10. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the microwave emitting antenna best for a particular use is less than a half wave length antenna.

11. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the microwave emitting antenna is greater than a quarter wave length antenna.

12. In a microwave distillation apparatus including a microwave emitting antenna, a microwave containment vessel comprising:

a microwave transparent material holding vessel with a wall defining a cavity;

an antenna chamber for receiving the microwave emitting antenna and providing isolation from the cavity of the material holding vessel, the antenna chamber being transparent to microwaves and protruding through the material holding vessel wall;

a microwave reflector in close proximity to and substantially following the outline of the exterior surface of the material holding vessel; and

the distance between the antenna and the microwave reflector is substantially a multiple of the wavelength of the microwaves emitted from the microwave emitting antenna.

13. The invention in accordance with claim 12 wherein the length and size of the microwave emitting antenna is a multiple of the wavelength of the antenna.

14. The invention in accordance with claim 13 wherein the microwave emitting antenna is a half wave length antenna.

15. The invention in accordance with claim 13 wherein the microwave emitting antenna is a full wave length antenna.

16. The invention in accordance with claim 13 wherein the microwave emitting antenna is a 1/128 wave length antenna.

17. The invention in accordance with claim 13 wherein the microwave emitting antenna is less than a half wave length antenna.

18. The invention in accordance with claim 13 wherein the microwave emitting antenna is greater than a quarter wave length antenna.

19. A method of producing a distillate comprising the acts of:

providing a containment vessel having a material holding cavity with an interior surface and an antenna chamber formed of a microwave transparent material, the antenna chamber extending through a surface of the microwave containment vessel and into the material holding cavity;

providing material in the material holding cavity;

providing a microwave source coupled to a microwave antenna that is placed in the antenna chamber of the microwave containment vessel;

providing a microwave reflector beyond the interior surface of the material holding cavity;

activating the microwave source to cause the microwave antenna to emit microwaves to heat the material in the material holding cavity;

continuing to heat the material in the material holding cavity to generate vapor;

passing the vapor through a condensation coil in communication with the containment vessel; and

cooling the vapor to form the distillate.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

providing a holding vessel in communication with the condensation coil; and

collecting the distillate in the holding vessel.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

a signal processor/determiner having at least one signal input,

a first level sensor in communication with the signal processor/determiner through a first of the at least one signal inputs,

whereby the level of material in the material holding cavity of the microwave containment vessel is sensed by the first level sensor and is communicated to the signal processor/determiner by the first of the at least one signal inputs.