The present disclosure is drawn to an example evaporation panel, which can include an evaporation shelf that is laterally elongated and horizontally oriented and can include an upper surface and a lower surface. A second evaporation shelf can also be included that is laterally elongated and positioned in parallel beneath the evaporation shelf. The second evaporation shelf can have a second upper surface. The evaporation panel can further include a support column between the first evaporation shelf and the second evaporation shelf. The support column can include a plurality of stacked and spaced apart evaporation fins oriented in parallel with the evaporation shelf.

A wastewater evaporative separation system can include an evaporation panel assembly and a wastewater delivery system. The evaporative panel assembly can include at least 10 individual evaporation panels laterally joined together and fluidly coupled to a body of wastewater. The evaporation panel assembly can be configured for receiving wastewater from the body of wastewater and evaporating water therefrom as the wastewater cascades down the evaporation panel assembly and contaminants generally become more concentrated. The wastewater delivery system can be associated with the body of wastewater and can include a fluid directing assembly delivering wastewater from the body of wastewater to an upper portion of the evaporation panel assembly.

The present disclosure evaporation panel systems including a plurality of evaporation panels. The evaporation panels can include a plurality of evaporation shelves that are laterally elongated, vertically stacked, spaced apart from one another, and horizontally oriented; and a plurality of vertical support columns positioned laterally along the plurality of evaporation shelves to provide support and separation to the plurality of evaporation shelves. The evaporation panels can also include a plurality of female-receiving openings which are individually bordered by two evaporation shelves and two support columns; and a plurality of male connectors positioned at lateral ends of both the first evaporation panel and the second evaporation panels. The first evaporation panel and the second evaporation panel can be orthogonally connectable via the male connectors of the first evaporation panel and the female-receiving openings of the second evaporation panel.

The present invention relates to a desalination and/or purification device, a desalination and/or purification carbon membrane, and a method of desalinating and/or purifying a liquid by using such a desalination and/or purification device. In various illustrative embodiments, a desalination and/or purification device is provided, the desalination and/or purification device comprising a carbon membrane body comprising a carbon surface, and a structure of microchannels and/or nanochannels at least partially permeating the carbon membrane body and ending at openings at the carbon surface, a liquid transportation structure extending at least partially through the carbon membrane body without being exposed at the carbon surface, and a condenser arranged above the carbon membrane body. The liquid transportation structure is arranged and configured to supply the structure of microchannels and/or nanochannels of the carbon membrane body with a liquid to be desalinated and/or purified and the structure of microchannels and/or nanochannels of the carbon membrane body may be an at least two-level disordered network of channels.

A railway bogie includes one or more operative components for the operation of the railway bogie and an impact guard protecting the one or more operative components from flying debris. The impact guard is made of a high density polyethylene (HDPE). The railway bogie can be used in Jacobs bogies of multiple units operating under wintery conditions.

A solar still that collects and focuses sunlight to convert to steam filthy water and condense the steam in a versatile multipurpose cube casing; the solar still's cube casing is also a building block to build horizontal or vertical structures while simultaneously purifying water; the Gigacubes solar still also builds floating structures, all while cleaning itself with the sun's heat, storing the clean water, heating air or water, and seamlessly interfacing with additional blocks; it performs these tasks while purifying water, providing flotation to a community, and cleaning itself; the Gigacubes solar still also grows plants and entire gardens with soil to provide a low maintenance source of local organic fresh produce in areas that would not otherwise be hospitable to plants on account of being devoid of clean or fresh water.

A solar vapor generator system and method are provided. In some embodiments, the system has near perfect energy conversion efficiency in the process of solar vapor generation below room temperature. Remarkably, when the operation temperature of the system is below that of the surroundings, the total vapor generation will be higher than the upper limit that can be produced by the input solar energy.

Evaporation panel securing system can include first and second evaporation panels, and a security fastener to secure a male connector (first evaporation panel) within a female-receiving opening (second evaporation panel) in an orthogonally joined orientation, for example. The evaporation panels can include a plurality of evaporation shelves that are laterally elongated, vertically stacked, spaced apart from one another, and horizontally oriented; a plurality of vertical support columns positioned laterally along the plurality of evaporation shelves to provide support and separation to the plurality of evaporation shelves; a plurality of female-receiving openings individually bordered by two evaporation shelves and two support columns; and a plurality of male connectors positioned laterally at ends of the plurality of evaporation panels, wherein the male connectors of the first evaporation panel are releasably joinable with female-receiving openings of the second evaporation panel.

A fluid contact tray (10) for a fractionation column (1), in particular a vapor-liquid contact tray suitable for the use in an offshore fractionation column, comprises: a tray deck (12) comprising an active mass transfer surface (20) suitable for contacting two fluids (l, g) of different densities, wherein the active mass transfer surface (20) comprises one or more orifices (18) for the passage of a fluid/gas (g), and wherein at least two at least partially radially extending separation walls (22-1, 22-2, 22-3, 22-4) and/or at least one separation weir (42) are arranged on the active mass transfer surface (20), which divides the active mass transfer surface (20) into at least two sections (24-1, 24-2, 24-3, 24-4), an annular channel (26) suitable for collecting fluids/liquids (l), which is arranged at the peripheral area of the active mass transfer surface (20) and at least partially embraces the mass transfer surface (20), a central downcomer (34) for collecting and discharging a fluid/liquid (l) from the annular channel (26), wherein the central downcomer (34) has the form of a hollow body with an opening (36) in the bottom section thereof being suitable for the distribution of liquid vertically downwardly, and wherein the central downcomer (34) is non-rotatably fixed at the fluid contact tray (10), and at least one conducting means (40) for transferring fluid collected in the annular channel (26) from the annular channel (26) to the central downcomer (34). This fluid contact tray (10) is in particular useable for offshore applications, such as for a fractionation column located on a FLNG or FPSO vessel.

A liquid desalination, distillation, disinfection, purification, or concentration system by repeatedly re-using thermal energy is provided. Thermal heat source can be solar, fossil fuel, or low grade heat discharged from industrial systems. Multiple thermally insulated and isolated stages of vaporization-condensation chambers can be connected to enhance production yield. Vapor is generated by direct heating of liquid and flash evaporation. Vapor generated is condensed in condenser cooled by intake liquid. Counter circulating intake liquid will be heated by released latent heat from vapor. Externally provided thermal energy will accumulate and be re-used in the system. Vaporization and condensation process will be continuously re-cycled to enhance production yield. The system can be configured to support flexible deployment in various configurations and in different locations, including direct floating installation on water surface.