Processes and systems suitable for purifying or otherwise treating liquids to remove contaminants therein, including but not limited to contaminated water, to permit reclaiming, recycling, and reuse of the liquids. Such a process and system entails the use of a cascading distillation system that evaporates a liquid from the feedstock and then condenses and collects a more purified form of the liquid. The cascading distillation system can be operated to selectively process the feedstock through any of a series of vessels at which different amounts and/or contaminants may be removed from the feedstock.

Embodiments of the invention are directed toward a novel pressurized vapor cycle for distilling liquids. In some embodiments of the invention, a liquid purification system is revealed, including the elements of an input for receiving untreated liquid, a vaporizer coupled to the input for transforming the liquid to vapor, a head chamber for collecting the vapor, a vapor pump with an internal drive shaft and an eccentric rotor with a rotatable housing for compressing vapor, and a condenser in communication with the vapor pump for transforming the compressed vapor into a distilled product. Other embodiments of the invention are directed toward heat management, and other process enhancements for making the system especially efficient.

A method of desalinating an aqueous composition includes forming a hetero-azeotrope mixture by combining the aqueous composition with an entrainer, the aqueous composition including at least one salt, and subjecting the hetero-azeotrope mixture to distillation at a distillation temperature of less than the boiling temperature of the aqueous composition for an operating distillation pressure, resulting in separating the hetero-azeotrope mixture into a distillation bottoms liquid and a multi-phase condensate. The method includes recovering the multi-phase condensate having an entrainer-rich phase and an aqueous phase, the aqueous phase comprising desalinated water, and removing a portion of the aqueous phase from the multi-phase condensate to recover the desalinated water. Systems for conducting the method of desalinating an aqueous stream are also disclosed.

An atmospheric water generation system (20) comprising a casing (22); a water condensing heat exchanger (62) located in the casing to receive ambient air from an air inlet (42); a chiller unit (80) located in the casing to provide the water condensing heat exchanger (62) with a chilled coolant; and an electronic control system (500) configured to: monitor one or more characteristic parameters of the ambient air outside and nearby the casing (22), and start the water generation on the basis of the monitored value (AT, AH, AP) of said one or more air characteristic parameters.

Systems and methods for generating liquid water include multiple atmospheric water generation devices adapted to produce liquid water from atmospheric humidity, during periods of off-peak power demand, and used in conjunction with a turbine. The turbine is usable to simultaneously provide power to the devices, while the air intake thereof is used to move air associated with the devices, enabling a generally continuous supply of atmospheric air to be processed while reducing the accumulation of heat associated with the devices.

Plant and process for separation of sulfur-containing components, H.sub.2S, COS and mercaptans from methanol which is used as absorbent within the Rectisol process by hot regeneration of the methanol laden in the absorption and an additional step for separation of the mercaptans from the methanol by stripping.

A water production system with a thermal separation device that defines a cold region and a hot region, a fluid-air heat exchanger located remotely from the thermal separation device and exposed to air, and a fluid circulation loop that thermally connects the cold region of the thermal separation device to the fluid-air heat exchanger so as to cool the fluid-air heat exchanger and condense water from ambient air to produce water pure enough so that with further treatment it can be made potable. Also disclosed are filtration and dispensing features that are appropriate for a potable water supply.

A method is disclosed for recovering a useful gas from a gas mixture including a useful gas and at least one secondary gas. The gas mixture is first compressed and transferred into a pressure vessel where cooling occurs. Then, from the pressure vessel, a secondary-gas containing gas phase is removed and condensed useful gas is transferred into a purification vessel. In the purification vessel, the condensed useful gas is then purified. A plant is disclosed for recovering a useful gas from a gas mixture. Finally, the use of a plant for carrying out a method for recovering a useful gas from a gas mixture is disclosed.

A plant growing system using water extracted from air, the system which has a Peltier element connected to a power supply and includes a heat dissipating member and a cooling member to collect condensate by condensing moisture in the air. The plant growing system includes: a mixing part having a storage tank and a nutrient supply tank, the storage tank into which condensate obtained from the air is introduced and stored, and the nutrient supply tank which is connected to the storage tank so that a predetermined amount of nutrients is supplied through a nutrient control valve; an atomizer having one side connected to a compressor whose opening and closing is controlled by an injection valve, the atomizer being connected to the mixing part via a pipe so that a solution flows and is then stored in the atomizer.

The invention relates to a mechanical vapour compression (MVC) desalination arrangement having a low compression ratio, with latent-heat exchangers having a high latent-heat exchange coefficient, with a temperature gradient between primary vapour and secondary vapour of approximately 1° C. or less, a compression ratio of 1.11 or less, high vapour volume, low overheating and a low-temperature saline solution to be desalinated, which arrangement allows industrial desalination with less specific energy per unit of desalinated water and is coupled to 100% renewable off-grid energy sources.