WATER PURIFICATION SYSTEM AND DISTILLATION UNIT

Abstract

The invention relates to a water purification system and distillation unit.

The water purification system (3) comprises an input section (31) for providing water (21), in particular tap water, to a distillation unit (1), and said distillation unit (1) for producing distilled water. Said distillation unit comprises an evaporation section (12) for evaporating said water (21) and producing steam (23), and a condensation section (14) for at least partly condensing said steam (23), producing distilled water. The system further comprises a first admixing unit (32), in particular a cartridge, which is arranged and configured in such a way that it is enabled for admixing compounds, in particular minerals, to said distilled water, producing enriched distilled water, and an output section (33) for dispensing said enriched distilled water. Said evaporation section (12) is provided by a heatable side (101) of a first Peltier effect device (10) and said condensation section (14) is provided by a coolable side (102) of said first Peltier effect device (10).

Claims

1. Water purification system (3), comprising an input section (31) for providing water (21), in particular tap water, to a distillation unit (1), said distillation unit (1) for producing distilled water, comprising an evaporation section (12) for evaporating said water (21) and producing steam (23), and a condensation section (14) for at least partly condensing said steam (23), producing distilled water, a first admixing unit (32), in particular a cartridge, which is arranged and configured in such a way that it is enabled for admixing compounds, in particular minerals, to said distilled water, producing enriched distilled water, and an output section (33) for dispensing said enriched distilled water, characterized in that said evaporation section (12) is provided by a heatable side (101) of a first Peltier effect device (10) and said condensation section (14) is provided by a coolable side (102) of said first Peltier effect device (10).

2. Water purification system (3) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a second admixing unit (34) arranged downstream of said condensation section (14), wherein said second admixing unit (34) is configured in such a way that it is enabled for admixing ingredients to said distilled water and/or to said enriched distilled water.

3. Water purification system (3) according to claim 2, characterized in that said second admixing unit (34) is suitable to admix ingredients retained in an ingredient capsule, said second admixing (34) unit comprising a capsule positioning element to position and in particular to fix said ingredient capsule during an admixing process.

4. Water purification system (3) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a first cooling unit (35) suitable for transferring thermal energy from said distilled water and/or said steam (23) to an air flow, said first cooling unit (35) being arranged downstream of said condensation section (14) and upstream of said output section (33).

5. Water purification system (3) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a second cooling unit (36) having a second Peltier effect device (361) with a heatable and/or coolable heat transfer surface (362), said second cooling unit (36) being arranged downstream of said condensation section (14) and upstream of said output section (33); said heat transfer surface being suitable for transferring thermal energy to and from said distilled water and/or said enriched distilled water.

6. Water purification system (3) according to claim 5, characterized in that it comprises a first tank (37) for storing said distilled water and/or said enriched distilled water, said first tank (37) being arranged downstream of said condensation section (14), wherein said second cooling unit (36) is arranged and configured in such a way that it is enabled to increase and decrease, in particular decrease, the water temperature in said first tank (37).

7. Water purification system (3) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least one first sensor (86) for the determination of total dissolved solids, said first sensor (86) being arranged upstream of said output section (33), and/or that it comprises a second sensor (88) for determining a liquid level inside the evaporation section (12).

8. Water purification system (3) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises an adsorption unit for the adsorptive removal of compounds, wherein in particular said adsorption unit is integrated in said first admixing unit (32).

9. Water purification system (3) according to claim 1, characterized in that said distillation unit (1) is a distillation unit (1) according to at least one of the claims 10-15.

10. Distillation unit (1), comprising a first Peltier effect device (10) having i. a heatable side (101), providing an evaporation section (12) for evaporating a raw liquid (20), producing a gas phase (22), ii. a coolable side (102), providing a condensation section (14) for partly condensing said gas phase (22), producing a two-phase mixture (24) comprising distilled liquid (26) and said gas phase (22), and a heat exchanging section (16) to preheat said raw liquid (20) prior to evaporation, characterized in that said heat exchanging section (16) is arranged and configured in such a way that thermal energy is transferable from said two-phase mixture (24) to said raw liquid (20), preheating said raw liquid (20) while at least partly condensing said gas phase (22) comprised in said two-phase mixture (24).

11. Distillation unit (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that said heatable side (101) comprises a heat transfer element (120), in particular enlarging the surface area of said heatable side (101), which is arranged and configured in such a way that a thermal interaction between said heatable side (101) and said raw liquid (20) can be established.

12. Distillation unit (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that said heat exchanging section (16) is thermally connected with said condensation section (14) so that said gas phase (22) comprised in said two-phase mixture (24) can at least partly be condensed inside said condensation section (14).

13. Distillation unit (1) according to claim 11, characterized in that said heat transfer element (120) comprises a coating (121) manufactured from at least one coating material chosen from the following: fluoropolymer; silicon aluminum oxynitride; metal oxides, in particular aluminum oxide; silicon dioxide; furan resins; titanium oxide.

14. Distillation unit (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that a connecting element (18) is arranged between said evaporation section (12) and said condensation section (14) for realizing a flow path between said sections (12, 14); wherein said flow path is located essentially outside the volume enclosed by said distillation unit (1).

15. Distillation unit (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that a connecting element (18) is arranged between said evaporation section (12) and said condensation section (14) for realizing a flow path between said sections (12, 14); wherein said flow path is located essentially inside the volume enclosed by said distillation unit (1) and, in particular, said flow path runs essentially perpendicular to the plane of said first Peltier effect device (10) and/or crosses said plane essentially in the center of said distillation unit (1).

Description

[0117] The invention is further illustrated and characterized by the following figures that show certain examples from which further embodiments and advantages can be drawn. These figures are meant to illustrate the invention but not to limit its scope.

[0118] FIG. 1 shows a partially cutaway perspective view of a water purification system according to the invention,

[0119] FIG. 2 shows a back view of the same water purification system,

[0120] FIG. 3 shows a cross section of a distillation unit according to the invention, and

[0121] FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of a purification process as performed in a water purification system according to the invention.

[0122] FIG. 1 shows the water purification system 3 comprising an input section 31, realized as raw water tank 44 which is T-shaped in side view and covered by a lid 62. On the back of said input section 31 a first admixing unit 32 is arranged and on its front, a waste water tank 72 is arranged, covered by another lid 62. The distillation unit 1 is positioned on the left hand side above a heat transfer zone of the first cooling unit 35 which is surrounded by an air inlet/outlet 61, creating an air flow channel. A first tube 65 is arranged between evaporation section 12 (not shown) of the distillation unit 1 and the waste water tank 72, which is positioned behind another lid 62, in order to remove the produced concentrate periodically, which is controlled via the valve 70 within said first tube 65.

[0123] The ready-to-use product is dispensed with the output section 33. Manual starting of the dispensing of enriched distilled water is possible using the input unit 40, realized as knobs on the interface 42. Several knobs provide functions such as dispensing predefined amounts of distilled enriched water and/or dispensing a definable amount of distilled enriched water. LEDs (not shown) comprised in said interface 42 serve as output unit for displaying information.

[0124] On the top of the left hand side, the first tank 37 is located for storing the enriched distilled water. It is arranged around the second admixing unit 34 and covered by another lid 62. In front of the main module of the water purification system 3, a drip tray 64 is positioned.

[0125] The housing 60 that surrounds most of the functional modules is partially cutaway in this view for a better visibility.

[0126] In the back of the water purification system 3, shown in FIG. 2, the first admixing unit 32 is visible on the left hand side. It is realized as a multi-use cartridge connected to a cartridge changing mechanism 80. Behind said cartridge the raw water tank 44 is positioned. Said cartridge is connected to the first cooling unit 35 (not shown in this view) and to the first tank 37 via a second tube 66 and a third tube 67, respectively. A fourth tube 68 connects the distillation unit 10 with the raw water tank 44 (both not shown in this view).

[0127] A fan 74 for producing an air stream is shown. Said air stream takes up waste heat from the second cooling unit 36 and the first cooling unit 35 in a counter-current principle. Behind the fan 74, cooling fins 76 are visible which are connected to the second cooling unit 36 are visible. Said second cooling unit 36 is located in a box above the fan 74 and is used for transferring waste heat from the second side of the second Peltier effect device 361. Said second side is typically used to dissipate the heat that is generated while cooling the heat transfer surface 362 in order to refrigerate said enriched distilled water.

[0128] On the right hand side, the power supply unit 78 is located

[0129] FIG. 3 shows a cross section of the distillation unit 1 comprising the first Peltier effect device 10 with a heatable side 101 and a coolable side 102. Said first Peltier effect device 10 is arranged between two chambers defined as the evaporation section 12, positioned on the upper side, and the condensation section 14, positioned on the lower side. The small horizontal gap arranged below the condensation section 14 is the heat exchanging section 16 for preheating the raw liquid 20 prior to evaporation. Thus, the heat exchanging section 16 is thermally connected with both the coolable side 102 and the condensation section 14.

[0130] After preheating, the raw liquid 20 is led to said evaporation section 12. It is evaporated producing a gas phase 22 which is led to the condensation section 14 via the connecting element 18. Said connecting element 18 is located inside the volume enclosed by said distillation unit 1 and runs perpendicular to the plane of said first Peltier effect device 10, crossing said plane in the center of said distillation unit 1. In the condensation section 14, a two-phase mixture 24 is produced which comprises distilled liquid 26 and said gas phase 22.

[0131] Said two-phase mixture 24 leaves the condensation section 14 on the upper right and is led to the first cooling unit (not shown).

[0132] The heatable side 101 comprises a heat transfer element 120 enlarging its surface area, with a food-safe coating 121 which surrounds all parts of said heat transfer element 120 which may get into contact with liquid. The coolable side 102 comprises a second heat transfer element 50.

[0133] FIG. 4 shows the flow paths from the raw water 21 in the raw water tank 44 serving as input section 31 to the final enriched distilled water with additional ingredients which can be dispensed from the output section 33.

[0134] The raw water 21 is pumped to the distillation unit 1 with a first pump 82. It enters the preheating section 16 to be preheated by excess heat of the two-phase mixture inside the adjacent condensation section 14. The preheated raw water 21 is led to the evaporation section 12 to be evaporated. Steam 23 is produced. A second sensor 88 is located inside said evaporation section 12 for determining and controlling the liquid level inside said evaporation section 12 by controlling said first pump 82. A concentrate line 90 connects the evaporation section 12 with the waste water tank 72.

[0135] Produced steam 23 is led to the condensation section 14 where heat is transferred to the coolable side 102 (not shown) of the Peltier effect device 10 and to the raw water 21 inside the preheating section 16. A two-phase mixture comprising water and steam is produced. Said mixture is led to the first cooling unit 35 where the remaining comprised steam is condensed to distilled water. Excess heat is transferred to an air flow with the help of a fan 74. The produced warm distilled water is led to the first admixing unit 32 where minerals are added in order to produce purified drinking water which is led to the first tank 37. Attached to said first tank 37 is a cooling circuit comprising a second cooling unit 36 with a second Peltier effect device 361 comprising a heat transfer surface 362 and a second side which is again thermally connected to an air flow produced by a fan 74. With this cooling circuit, the water temperature inside the first tank 37 can be controlled. A first sensor 86 for the determination of total dissolved solids is arranged in a tubing near the first tank 37 to control the distillation process.

[0136] The tempered water is pumped to the second admixing unit 34 where flavouring ingredients are added by means of a second pump 84. It is led to the output section 33. The first tank 37 further comprises a fluid connection to the waste water tank 72 in the form of an overflow 89.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0137] distillation unit 1 [0138] first Peltier effect device 10 [0139] heatable side 101 [0140] coolable side 102 [0141] evaporation section 12 [0142] heat transfer element 120 [0143] coating 121 [0144] condensation section 14 [0145] heat exchanging section 16 [0146] connecting element 18 [0147] raw liquid 20 [0148] water 21 [0149] gas phase 22 [0150] steam 23 [0151] two-phase mixture 24 [0152] distilled liquid 26 [0153] water purification system 3 [0154] input section 31 [0155] first admixing unit 32 [0156] output section 33 [0157] second admixing unit 34 [0158] first cooling unit 35 [0159] second cooling unit 36 [0160] second Peltier effect device 361 [0161] heat transfer surface 362 [0162] first tank 37 [0163] input unit 40 [0164] interface 42 [0165] raw water tank 44 [0166] second heat transfer element 50 [0167] housing 60 [0168] air inlet/outlet 61 [0169] lid 62 [0170] drip tray 64 [0171] first tube 65 [0172] second tube 66 [0173] third tube 67 [0174] fourth tube 68 [0175] valve 70 [0176] waste water tank 72 [0177] fan 74 [0178] cooling fins 76 [0179] power supply unit 78 [0180] cartridge changing mechanism 80 [0181] first pump 82 [0182] second pump 84 [0183] first sensor 86 [0184] second sensor 88 [0185] overflow 89 [0186] concentrate line 90