Water Production System by Condensation

Abstract

The present invention according to at least one aspect describes the production of water by condensation of air humidity using a lower than ambient temperature cooling system to collect water into a suitable reservoir. A machine cools stainless steel tubing with use of the glycol cooling media at 5° C. flowing inside the tube. Outside of the stainless steel tube, fans create differences in temperatures so that the humidity can condensate and turn into water, which then flows into a reservoir at the bottom of building. Minerals can be added or naturally produced by having the water flow in a lake or other reservoir and can again re filter or use reverse osmosis for drinking purpose. A system of compressors can be used for cooling the glycol inside the tube. The electricity used by these compressors is provided by either grid electricity or by renewable resources.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 61/975,242, filed Apr. 4, 2014, entitled Water production system by condensation, which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present application relates to the production of water from the air.

2. Statement of the Problem

In many places in the world, there is a shortage of potable water due to human consumption or to drought. Due to increase in population, during the next fifty years there will likely be WAR over WATER. Currently in the state of California, US water reservoirs are drying up due to successive droughts and to high human consumption. This situation has caused a lot of problems for the farmer in the form of a lack of water for irrigation and even for water for drinking. Such a discovery of a new source of water reserves will help resolve a lot of problem related to the shortage of water.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention according to at least one aspect describes the production of water by condensation of air humidity using a lower than ambient temperature cooling system to collect water into a suitable reservoir.

A machine according to the present invention cools stainless steel tubing with use of the glycol cooling media at 5° C. flowing inside the tube. Outside of the stainless steel tube, fans create differences in temperatures so that the humidity can condensate and turn into water, which then flows into a reservoir at the bottom of building. Minerals can be added or naturally produced by having the water flow in a lake or other reservoir and can again re filter or use reverse osmosis for drinking purpose. Each tube is preferably about 100 meters long and has the ability to produce within 24 hours approximately 120,000 kilos of water. A system of compressors can be used for cooling the glycol inside the tube. The electricity used by these compressors is provided by either grid electricity or by renewable resources.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of at least one aspect of the invention according to first embodiment A.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of at least one aspect of the invention according to first embodiment B.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a layout of machine size for refrigerator and condensator.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view of a layout of one set of water producers.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view of a layout of various sets of water producers to make a 200 meter long system.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Earlier designed systems used steam to generate purified water and did not provide a good yield. That is, the steam purified water output will be equal to the water input without any gain.

Therefore the inventor has designed a new system that can produce water utilizing condensation. The invented machine cools 316 stainless steel tubing with use of the glycol cooling media at 5° C. flowing inside the tube. Outside of the stainless steel tube, blowing fans create differences in temperatures so that the humidity can condensate and turn into water, which then flows into a reservoir at the bottom of building.

The same concept for water condensation can be used with refrigerator, i.e., a refrigeration cycle, using different temperatures to obtain the water.

The design using 316 stainless tube is used for pharmaceutical production, therefore production of drinkable (“potable”) water is possible. As for irrigation, ongoing studies are analyzing the lack of minerals in the produced water. Regardless, minerals can be added or naturally produced by having the water flow in a lake or other reservoir and can again re filter or use reverse osmosis for drinking purpose.

Production of water: Each tube is about 100 meters long and has the ability to produce within 24 hours approximately 120,000 kilos of water. If we build 100 tubes of 100 meters, we could produce 12,000,000 kilos of water

Design Structure: A building 200 meters in length, 100 meters wide and 15 meters in height, housing 100 tubes of 316 pharmaceutical grade stainless steel of 200 meters in length. Underneath all of these 100 tubing, a water catcher flowing down to the end of the tube is used to get down to the Reservoir below to retain water made/captured during the process. Excessive production of water can be sold to Water Company.

A system of compressors can be used for cooling the glycol inside the tube. The electricity used by these compressors is provided by either grid electricity or Rain, Sun, Wind and Water electricity power station (under U.S. patent application 61/847,646) that can be placed on the top of this “water production by condensation” system housing.

1. Requirement for Water Produced:

Use the Water Maker to make water from air by Air-cooling Refrigerator System for daily life use:

------ Washing/bathing

(------ If add special filter to the outlet, the water will be drinkable)

2. Pre-Conditions of Design:

Each different areas has its own climate, a key influent element to the design of Water Maker. Here, defining the pre-conditions of the design:

A> Environmental relative humidity: 40%, Temperature: 15-35° C. (inlet T)

B> Mechanical dew point temperature set at 0° C.

C> Air dry bulb temperature is unified set at 0° C. (outlet T)

D> Goal value of water out-put: 1 ton/hour

Water Out-put at different Temperature Table
Air-Inlet conditional values	Air-Outlet conditional values
	R	Dew-	Water		Air		R	Dew-	Water		Water
Temp.	Humidity	point	content	Enthalpy	density	Temp.	Humidity	point	content	Enthalpy	Out-put
° C.	%	° C.	kg/kg	kcal/m3	kg/m3	° C.	%	° C.	kg/kg	kcal/m3	kg/h
15	40%	1.15	0.0042	7.5062	1.2155	0	100%	0	0.0038	2.9168	97.24
20	40%	6.01	0.0058	9.9818	1.1905	0	100%	0	0.0038	2.9168	476.20
25	40%	10.47	0.00794	12.7443	1.169	0	100%	0	0.0038	2.9168	967.93
30	40%	14.94	0.0107	15.8824	1.1479	0	100%	0	0.0038	2.9168	1,005.90
35	40%	19.38	0.0142	19.4993	1.1269	0	100%	0	0.0038	2.9168	1,007.90

Explanation:

As to the same relative humidity, the higher Temperature/water content, then the higher water out-put.

Based on the above list, set the goal water out-put at 1000 kg/h, then the machine power and air quantity are as flowing table shows in the following table:

Water Maker Data	Power
	Water		Refrigerating		consumption/
	out-put	Air flow	Out-put	Power	unit water
C. Temp.	kg/h	m3/h	Kw	kW	kW/kg
15° C.	1000	2,056,766	11056	1754	1.95
20° C.	1000	419,991	3476	971	0.78
25° C.	968	200,000	2302	770	0.63
30° C.	1006	127,000	1929	758	0.59
35° C.	1008	86,000	1670	758	0.59
Note:
The power is of main machine; do not include the pumps and fans.

3. Conceptual Design (Max Unit)

3.1 Proposal A: (Standard Equipment)

FIG. 1. Diagram of Proposal A

Adopt the max standard refrigerator, evaporator and condensator according to required refrigerating out-put value (see above table), and chose glycol as cooling medium,

One Set Equipment Specification:

a. Electrical Power: 4900 kW 380V50 Hz

b. Water out-pout:

Condensator
	C.	R
	Temperature	Humidity	Water Out-put
	15° C.	40%	1000 kg/h
	20° C.	40%	1500 kg/h
	25° C.	40%	2000 kg/h
	30° C.	40%	2500 kg/h
	35° C.	40%	3305 kg/h

c. Per set water maker layout:

• • L×W×H: 61 m×21 m×3.5 m

3.2 Proposal B (Non-Standard Equipment)

FIG. 2. Diagram of Proposal B

Connect the refrigerator outlets to condensator inlet directly (without evaporator), for fully use the refrigerating medium,

One Set Equipment Specification:

a. Electrical Power: 4900 kW 380V50 Hz

The water out-put:

b. Water Out-put

	C.	R
	Temperture	Humidity
	15° C.	40%	2000 kg/h
	20° C.	40%	2000 kg/h
	25° C.	40%	2300 kg/h
	30° C.	40%	3000 kg/h
	35° C.	40%	3500 kg/h

c. Per set water maker layout:

• • L×W×H: 61 m×21 m×3.5 m

3.3 Proposal C (for 200 m-Long Area):

200 m-Long Equipment Specification:

	Standard	Non-Standard
	Machine (A)	Machine (B)
Electric	380 V		15729	15729
Power	50 Hz
Water	C.	R			kgs/hour
out-put	Temper-	Humid-
	ature	ity
	15° C.	40%	3214	6428	kgs/hour
	20° C.	40%	4821	6428	kgs/hour
	25° C.	40%	6248	7392	kgs/hour
	30° C.	40%	8035	9642	kgs/hour
	35° C.	40%	10622	11249	kgs/hour
Layout L × W × H (m):	200 m × 22.5 m × 3.5 m
	(see: the attached file:
	200 m-long water maker
	layout.jpg)
Note:
The three proposals do not include pools, the size of which should be determined by the customer; and should not include the foundation, that should be designed according to local geologic conditions.

4. Proposal Evaluation:

• • A. If the customers' climate temperature is more less than 15° C., or humidity is more less 30%, then the larger the water maker power requirements, the higher the price of each set.
    • ------ Suggestion: Do not use water maker to get water from air!!

B. Compare Proposals:

	Proposal A	Proposal B
	1. Design	Easy	Complex
	2. Manufacture	Easy	Complex
	3. Installation	Easy	Complex
	4. Power consumption/unit water	High	Low
	5. Water out-put Qty./hour	Less	More
	6. Environmental suitability	Normal	better
	7. Cost	High	Low
	8. Layout (per set)	similar	similar

5. For Different Customers' Requirement for Water Output:

According to the customers' water output speed, local temperature and humidity, supply relative quantity of the Water-Maker system. For example:

• • Requirement: Water out-put: 20 tons/hour for 20° C. and 40%
  • Solution: 14 sets of standard Water Makers
    • (Proposal A per set: 14 refrigerator+14 evaporator+1 condensator)
  • or
  • 10 sets of non-standard Water Makers
    • (Proposal B per set: 14 refrigerator+1 condensator)

Diagram layouts of design:

FIG. 3. Layout of machine size for refrigerator and condensator.

FIG. 4. Layout of one set of water producer.

FIG. 5. Layout of various sets of water producers to make a 200 meter long system.

While this invention has been described as having a preferred design, it is understood that it is capable of further modifications, uses and/or adaptations of the invention following in general the principle of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within the known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains and as maybe applied to the central features hereinbefore set forth, and fall within the scope of the invention and the limits of the appended claims. It is therefore to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the sole embodiment described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A method of production of water from the environment, comprising:

providing a structure for elevating a number of elongated tubes;

providing a reservoir at the end of the tubes to catch water flowing through said tubes;

cooling the tubes;

blowing air across the tubes;

generating water in the form of condensate in the tubes from the humidity in the air surrounding the tubes.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the structure is a building housing the tubes and wherein the tubes are at least 100 meters long.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wherein the tubes are cooled by a refrigerant to less than 5° C.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wherein the tubes are cooled by a glycol to less than 5° C.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wherein the tubes are 316 stainless steel tubes.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wherein the tubes are at least 100 meters in length.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wherein the tubes are at least 200 meters in length.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wherein the reservoir is a natural body of water.

9. The method according to claim 1, including adding minerals to the water in the reservoir by reverse osmosis to create potable water.

10. The method according to claim 1, including cooling the glycol by compressors energized by renewable energy sources.

11. A method of production of water from the environment, comprising:

providing a housing for retaining a number of elongated tubes with a first portion of the tubes higher than a second portion of the tubes;

cooling the tubes to less than 5° C.;

generating an air flow across the tubes to create condensate in the tubes from the environment surrounding the tubes;

providing a reservoir at the second portion of the tubes to catch generated condensate flowing through said tubes.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the wherein the tubes are cooled by a glycol to less than 5° C.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the cooled tubes capture at least 120,000 kilos of condensate from the environment per day.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the cooled tubes capture at least 120,000 kilos of condensate from the air in a twenty four hour period.