The present invention relates to a system and method for evaporation and condensation with particular but not exclusive application in distillation of water, waste water treatment and desalination process. The system comprises of plurality of evaporation frame (4), condensation frame (3) and preheat frame (6). Plurality of frames may be combined to form a stack. Plurality of stacks together form a unit, plurality of such units may be combined to form a multistage evaporation and condensation system.

A water desalinator that employs the use of solar concentration, evaporation and humidification, mimicking the natural hydrological cycle in a closed, modular vessel to produce freshwater from salt, brackish, brines and seawater, and a concentrate stream for further processing. Feed water is received and stored in a basin. Surface humidity is generated by the evaporation of basin water. A lens is used to focus sunlight, tracked the suns path based on biomimicry of a sunflower, on a thermal conductor. The thermal conductor has a rounded side-profile and generates a variable temperature across its radius. Water is pumped from the basin to a sprinkler head to be dripped or sprayed on the thermal conductor to generate water vapour. This water vapour consequently mixes with the air in the reaction vessel to increase system humidity. Humid air is removed from the reaction vessel and condensed in a condenser. Accordingly, the salinity concentration of input water is reduced from the output of the reaction vessel. Multiple reaction vessels or concentrators may be used in tandem to achieve improved performance.

This disclosure concerns a system and a method for removing dissolved solids from liquids. Specific implementations concern desalinating water. The system may comprise a blower, such as a thermal fan/compressor, configured to atomize a solid-bearing liquid to produce a hot, humid gas containing dissolved solids; a gas-solid separator configured to receive hot, humid gas containing entrained dissolved solids from the blower to separate the solids from the humid gas and to transmit the humid gas with solids removed through an exit port; a heater configured to heat the hot, humid gas received from the exit port of the gas-solid separator; and a condenser configured to receive heated humid gas from the heater and to condense solids-free liquid therefrom. The thermal fan/compressor may comprise a plurality of nozzles with outlets positioned adjacent atomization apertures across which a solid-bearing liquid flows and through which gas exiting the nozzles passes.

An interconnected open-pore 2.5D Cu/CuO foam-based photothermal evaporator capable of achieving a high evaporation rate of 4.1 kg m.sup.-2 h.sup.-1 under one sun illumination by exposing one end of the planar structure to air is disclosed. The micro-sized open-pore structure of Cu/CuO foam allows it to trap incident sunlight, and the densely distributed blade-like CuO nanostructures effectively scatter sunlight inside pores simultaneously. The inherent hydrophilicity of CuO and capillarity forces from the porous structure of Cu foam continuously supply sufficient water. Moreover, the doubled working sides of Cu/CuO foam enlarge the exposure area enabling efficient vapor diffusion. The feasible fabrication process and the combined structural features of Cu/CuO foam offer new insight into the future development of solar-driven evaporators in large-scale applications with practical durability.

A hybrid system and a method for hybrid desalination and crystallization of seawater is provided. The hybrid system includes a reverse osmosis unit configured to separate the seawater from dissolved solids, generate a first quantity of purified water, and generate a second quantity of wastewater. The hybrid system also includes a pressure exchanger configured to lower a pressure of the second quantity of wastewater to atmospheric pressure. The hybrid system further includes a laser induced shock wave crystallizer configured to trigger nucleation of the dissolved salts in the second quantity of wastewater, expel a third quantity of wastewater having a second concentration of dissolved salts, and expel a fourth quantity of salt crystals. The hybrid system also includes a collection vat for receiving the salt crystals. The hybrid system further includes a high pressure pump configured to recycle the third quantity of wastewater back to the reverse osmosis unit.

Apparatuses for removal of solids from water comprising a heater for heating an immiscible liquid (IL), a humidifier having porous sheets allowing direct contact between the IL and water, thereby separating the solids by evaporating the water into cool dry air flowing past the porous sheets, and a dehumidifier comprising porous sheets that allow direct contact between the cool IL and hot moist air flowing past the porous sheets, thereby condensing fresh water from the moist air. Also disclosed are methods for removal of solids from water by heating an IL, distributing the IL to porous sheets in a humidifier, distributing water with dissolved solids to the porous sheets, separating the solids from the water by evaporating the water into dry air flowing past the porous sheets, and condensing fresh water by flowing the moist air past porous sheets in a dehumidifier having cool IL distributed to the porous sheets.

The apparatus described herein uses a disc wafer-type rotor featuring channels disposed around its circumference and around the interior circumference of the rotor housing specifically to induce cavitation. The channels are shaped to control the size, oscillation, composition, duration, and implosion of the cavitation bubbles. The rotor is attached to a shaft which is driven by external power means. Fluid pumped into the device is subjected to the relative motion between the rotor and the device housing, and exits the device at increased temperature. The device is thermodynamically highly efficient, despite the structural and mechanical simplicity of the apparatus. Such devices accordingly provide efficient, simple, inexpensive, and reliable sources of distilled potable water for residential, commercial, and industrial use, as well as the separation and evaporation of other liquids.

A device (1) for distributing mineralized water, said device comprising: an inlet (3), for loading water from an external source (100); a distillation unit (2), connected to the inlet (3) and configured to provide a distillation of an amount of water at least partially through heating, wherein said distillation unit (2) in turn comprises, or is operatively connected to, at least an heater (4) configured for providing heat in an amount sufficient to heat the amount of water at least up to a boiling temperature; a water distributor (5) configured for transferring a predetermined amount of distilled water (D) extracted from the distillation unit (2), to a removable container (10), the water distributor (5) being provided with an outlet nozzle or aperture (6) configured to face in use on said container (10); a mineralization unit (7) interposed between the distillation unit (2) and the outlet nozzle or aperture (6), said mineralization unit (7) being configured for accessing the inner cavity of a disposable capsule (20), containing a mineralized fluid solution or powder (M) in said cavity, for extracting at least part of said mineralized fluid solution or powder (M) from the capsule (20) and/or being configured for emptying the capsule (20) from the mineralized fluid solution or powder (M), and transferring at least part of the mineralized fluid solution or powder (M) from the capsule (20) to the water distributor (5); the device, optionally through the water distributor (5), being configured to mix the mineralized fluid solution or powder (M) with the predetermined amount of distilled water (D) transferred by the water distributor (5) to the removable container (10).

An apparatus for the desalination of sea water through vapour compression distillation, comprising a thermally insulated container element (12) inside which at least two cages (14) are arranged, comprising at least one block (16) consisting of stacked elements comprising layers of condensing chambers (17) and evaporation interspaces (19) intervalled with respect to each other, at least two low pressure compressors (18), said container element being modular, the apparatus comprising at least one tank (22) for heating the supply saline water, at least one further tank (24) for collecting condensed water, means (25) for supplying thermal energy at the at least one supply tank (22) and further means (26) for supplying thermal energy at the container element (12), one or more heat exchangers (20) of the counterflow type for preheating the supply sea water and in connection with the concentrated saline water purges (40), with the condensed fresh water (42), with the vapour purges (44 and 44), with the at least one tank (22), with the at least one further tank (24) and with the source of sea water (41).

A water vapor distillation system. The system includes a water vapor distillation device configured to receive a volume of source water from a fluid source and produce distillate, the device comprising: a concentrate flow path comprising a concentrate output; a distillate flow path comprising a distillate output; at least one source proportioning valve; a first heat exchanger comprising at least a portion of the distillate flow path; a second heat exchanger including at least a portion of the concentrate flow path, wherein the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger in fluid flow communication with the fluid source; a distillate sensor assembly in communication with the distillate flow path and located downstream the first heat exchanger, the distillate sensor assembly configured to generate a distillate temperature measurement; and a controller configured to control the source proportioning valves, the controller configured to: receive the distillate temperature measurement; determine the difference between a first target temperature and the distillate temperature measurement; and split the source water from the fluid source between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger based on the difference between the first target temperature and the distillate temperature measurement.