A method of desalinating water, including the steps of when electricity costs between a first predetermined price and a second predetermined price, fill water is pumped into a reverse osmosis desalination unit to yield desalinated permeate and saltwater having a first salinity, when electricity costs less than the first predetermined price, fill water is pumped into a reverse osmosis desalination unit to yield desalinated permeate and saltwater having a second salinity, and when electricity costs greater than the second predetermined price, pure water is flowed into a reverse osmosis unit to yield pressurized saltwater which is run through a turbine to generate electricity. The first salinity is lower than the second salinity.

Provided is a device and method of cleaning a solar panel of a solar boat using, as cleaning water, water externally introduced and compressed during operation of the solar boat. The device includes a water inlet port disposed on the front side of the solar boat, a filtration unit removing impurities from water introduced through the water inlet port during operation of the solar boat, a compression unit compressing impurities-removed water, and a spray nozzle spraying the compressed water to the solar panel.

A water-processing electrochemical reactor that comprises a cylindrical inner anode (73), an outer tubular cathode (74), an intermediate chamber between the anode (73) and the cathode (74) and being crossed by the water, an outer shell (77) surrounding the cathode (74), a water inlet (71) and a water outlet (78), and a gas inlet (80) and gas outlet (79) connected to the outer shell (77) and to the gas chamber. The cathode surrounds the inner anode (73) and is porous to gas. A gas chamber is defined between the cathode (74) and the outer shell (77). The gas chamber contains a gas comprising oxygen and is at an overpressure that forces the gas through the porous cathode (74).

The invention relates to a generator and its operation and use for generating toroidal and spatial vortices in a liquid. It comprises a rotationally symmetrical stator housing with an inlet opening and an eccentric outlet opening. It further comprises a rotor rotatably arranged in the stator housing with radially outwardly extending channels in constant fluid connection to the inlet opening. The rotor comprises a rotor disc, radially outside of the rotor with a side surface with inner notches in fluid connection to the rotor channels. The stator housing comprises a stator disc comprising a side surface with stator notches. When these notches face each other due to rotation of the rotor disc, a periodical liquid flow from the inner notches to the stator notches is formed and toroidal vortices are generated in the portioned liquid by shear stress as the portions of liquid move back and forth in the notches.

An apparatus for the mineralization of drinking water has a housing with an inlet and an outlet, a filter positioned in the housing, a container receptacle assembly affixed to or formed on the housing, a pump cooperative with the container receptacle assembly, and a manifold connected to an outlet of the pump and to an outlet of the filter. The filter is connected to the inlet of the housing and adapted to filter contaminants. The container receptacle assemblies adapted to connect with a bottle containing a mineral or supplement therein. The pump is adapted to pass the mineral or supplement in a measured amount from the bottle. The manifold is adapted to mix the mineral or supplement with the filtered water so as to discharge a mineralized drinking water through the outlet.

A desalination apparatus 12 (liquid treatment apparatus) includes a first water treatment unit 26 (liquid treatment unit) that includes a reverse osmosis membrane and in which a treated liquid is separated into a permeate that permeates the reverse osmosis membrane and a concentrate other than the permeate, a water recovery unit 28 (liquid recovery unit) that includes a reverse osmosis membrane and in which the concentrate is separated into a recovered liquid that permeates the reverse osmosis membrane and a waste liquid other than the recovered liquid, and a pressure increasing means that increases a liquid pressure of the concentrate, such that a state capable of separating into the recovered liquid and the waste liquid in the liquid recovery unit continues, and that directly feeds the concentrate from the liquid treatment unit to the liquid recovery unit.

A combined vessel comprises a stripping section for removing acid gases from a sour water stream and a direct contact heat exchanger section for heating a graywater stream in order to improve heat and mass transfer in the treatment and recycle of water streams for a gasification process.

A method of evaporating a fluid is provided. The method comprises forming a flow with toroidal vortices in the fluid, such that the fluid is exposed to alternating flow velocities and alternating pressures, thereby increasing evaporation of the fluid. A method of precipitating salt out of an aqueous solution is also provided. The method comprises forming a flow with toroidal vortices in the aqueous solution, such that the aqueous solution is exposed to alternating flow velocities and alternating pressures, thereby initiating precipitation of salts from the solution.

A method may include providing a humidification-dehumidification unit proximate one or more abandoned wells, circulating a water feed through the one or more abandoned wells, using geothermal heat in the one or more abandoned wells to heat the water feed, directing the heated water feed to the humidification-dehumidification unit, and treating the heated water feed in the humidification-dehumidification unit to provide purified water.

The invention relates to a method and device for clarifying water by means treatment of the colloidal structures contained in a liquid and/or a sludge supplied in a continuous flow at a flow rate of Q.sub.EB=V.sub.EB/hour. The flow is sprayed into a chamber under overpressure conditions in relation to atmospheric pressure, said chamber having a volume v<V.sub.EB/20, and air being injected simultaneously therein at a flow rate d.