Distillation: processes – separatory – With measuring – testing or inspecting
Patent
1991-05-15
1994-02-15
Manoharan, Virginia
Distillation: processes, separatory
With measuring, testing or inspecting
202160, 202167, 202176, 202181, 202193, 202196, 203 2, 203 4, 203 10, 203 22, 203 27, 203DIG8, 392402, B01D 342, C02F 102
Patent
active
052863514
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to water distilling devices, and more particularly to water distillers which recover waste heat.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Residential water distillers have gained in popularity as a result of an increased concern about drinking water quality. By far, the most common type of residential distiller is the counter-top design generally shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,052,267 to McFee. Counter-top distillers, while inexpensive to purchase, consume large amounts of energy which is exhausted into the atmosphere. In the case of air conditioned homes, not only is the energy exhausted to the atmosphere wasted, but additional energy is also needed to cool the house. In order to minimize the energy dissipated into the room, there have been efforts to develop a water distiller which is cooled by tap water, which can then be poured down a drain. An example of such a water cooled distiller is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,342,625 to Dennison. Water distillers of both water and air cooled designs are relatively inefficient, since large amounts of waste heat are a necessary by-product of the distilling operation.
There have been efforts over the years to utilize waste heat generated from water distilling systems. U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,789 to Bjorklund discloses a combined water distiller/hot water heater, where the latent heat of evaporation released during the condensation process is used to heat hot water. U.S. Pat. No. 4,549,936 to Erickson discloses a rather complex distillation system which is attached to a hot water heater and uses a pair of pumps to generate a sub-atmospheric pressure region to cause the heated hot water to boil in the distiller without supplemental heating. U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,550 to Warren discloses a multi-chamber water distiller which generates atmospheric pressure waste water which is dumped down the sink drain or used as hot water for washing purposes.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The water distiller and distillation method of the present invention utilizes the waste heat generated during the distillation process to preheat hot water for a hot water heater. The distiller includes a heat storage tank, an evaporator tank having a water inlet, a heater and a steam outlet, and a first and second heat exchanger located within the heat storage tank. Water is boiled within the evaporator tank and the steam generated is cooled in the first heat exchanger providing distilled water and transferring the latent heat of condensation to the heat storage tank. The second heat exchanger has an inlet and an outlet, and water to be supplied to the hot water heater is circulated therethrough to be preheated as a result of absorbing energy from within the heat storage tank.
The preferred embodiment of the apparatus includes a reservoir for storing distilled water and appropriate level sensors in the reservoir and the heat storage tank to enable the apparatus to automatically operate, supplying distilled water on an as needed basis, and capture and storing the waste heat in the heat storage tank until such time as the conventional hot water system releases energy by supplying hot water to a consuming device.
OBJECTS, FEATURES AND ADVANTAGES OF INVENTION
One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a hot water distilling device which can be used in conjunction with a conventional hot water heater to recover energy which is normally wasted.
Another object of the present invention is to preheat water supplied to the hot water heater inlet while maintaining the water pressurized and totally isolated from the atmosphere.
Yet another object of the present invention is to increase the effective capacity of a hot water heater used in conjunction therewith.
Yet another object of the present invention is to isolate the heat storage tank from the conventional hot water heater, eliminating the problem of driving the hot water heater tank temperature above its preset upper limit, thereby creating temperatures and pressures higher than desired. Conversely, allowing the dis
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Manoharan Virginia
Terrill Designs, Inc.
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