Abstract
The invention produces pure fluids and transports fluids using renewable energy integrated into the purification process and maximize energy efficiency by utilizing simple machines, gravity, and buoyancy combined with different proven state of the art water purification and membrane systems.
The invention requires no real estate in some embodiments and in other embodiments can also locate in very dense populated areas on land to provide decentralized services.
Claims
1. A structure with means for entry of an impure fluid uses ambient hydrostatic pressure at various depths acting on the impure fluid as an energy source and uses gravitational potential energy converted into mechanical energy in an air space within the structure as another energy source routes the impure fluid through filtration and separation technology to produce streams of fluid with a variety of dissolved solids and routes the streams of fluid to fall within the air space to transfer kinetic energy to machines before exiting the structure where buoyancy further supplies energy to move the streams of fluid to different locations including but not limited to elevated pumped storage thereby delivering both purified fluid such as water and useful energy such as electricity;
2. In combination according to claim 1 the structure is submerged within a body of water with or without impurities on land in a lake or man-made reservoir or the like or in a sea or ocean;
3. In combination according to claim 1 the gravitational potential energy converted into mechanical energy in the air space powers machinery such as pumps, generators, and compressors that radiate wasted energy in the form of heat in their processes that is redirected to filtration and separation machines and other machinery to reduce the demands of another source of energy;
4. Air compressor exhaust and other radiated heat is applied especially but not limited to Multi-stage Flash, Vapor Compression, and Multi-Effect Flash fluid purification technologies to remove or reduce energy and power consumption;
5. In combination according to claim 1 a variety of filtration and separation technology using evaporation, membrane filtration, nano filtration, bacterial filtration, and similar technologies are positioned to send the streams of fluid with higher concentrations of dissolved solids for further processing or immediate discharge back into the body of water at varying depths and in different directions so that the concentrated streams of fluid are diluted prior to being discharged back into the body of water so that the stream of fluid easily dilutes back into normal concentration leaving the ambient ecosystem intact without harm;
6. In combination according to claim 1 the structure when submerged in the body of water is an ocean or sea with living ecosystems will be completely enveloped in a perimeter barrier system in a geometrical configuration that allows the flow of fluid such as seawater inside the barrier system with a velocity and suction equal to or less than the ambient natural flow and the barrier system restricts and filters large organisms and particulate matter without trapping living organisms against the barrier system;
7. In combination according to claim 1 buoyant objects that generate buoyant energy are placed in the streams of fluid contained in conduit outside of the structure pumped up from a greater depth to different locations accelerate the streams of fluid upward and buoyant objects engage machines that transfer the buoyant energy to generate mechanical energy to power machinery such as pumps, compressors, generators, and the like to move the streams of fluid to different locations;
8. In combination according to claim 1 actuated valves open and close streams of fluid in conduit parallel to the streams of fluid being pumped upward in a manner so that hydrostatic pressure can be released in different sections of the conduit to eliminate the need for additional structural support and material without disrupting the constant flow of the streams of fluid;
9. In combination according to claim 1 the streams of fluid being pumped upward that would naturally experience more hydrostatic pressure the higher the streams of fluid ascend will have bypasses and pressure release point junctions;
10. In combination according to claim 1 and according to claim 3 an air compressor is used for the airlock system and the hydraulic system that enables entry and exit from the fluid body to the air space and the air compressor exhaust heat is used for filtration and separation technology using heat to remove dissolved solids from fluids as in Multi-Stage Flash, Multi-Effect Flash and Vapor Compression technology and the like;
11. In combination according to claim 1 pump inlets are positioned at varying depths so that the greater the depth of the pump inlet the lower the power requirements for the pump to access the hydrostatic pressure from the fluid body to push the impure water into a pump that delivers the impure water into membrane filtration technology that uses pressure as the force to separate dissolved solids from the fluid;
12. In combination according to claim 1 finer membranes that remove more dissolved solids are positioned at varying depths so that the greater the depth the greater the hydrostatic pressure is applied from the fluid body to filter more impurities out of the impure fluid;
13. In combination according to claim 1, claim 6, claim 7, and claim 8 the streams of fluid combined with the actuated valves, bypasses, and pressure release junctions have conduit directed up hills, mountains, and various appropriate elevated locations powered by buoyant objects that deposit fluid such as desalted potable water into reservoirs and tanks where the streams of fluid are stored for use and the streams of fluid also become hydroelectric power batteries for future generation as hydropower is captured when the streams of fluid flow down towards end users.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 is a high level overview showing the fluid states and the primary embodiment of a structure submerged in an impure fluid.
[0015] FIG. 2 is a cutaway view of a few levels of a structure underwater
[0016] FIG. 3 is another embodiment of a structure on land
[0017] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of some primary equipment and an embodiment of a gravity hydropower plant
[0018] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of an air compressor heat recovery schematic applied to fluid purification
[0019] FIG. 6 illustrates brine management
[0020] FIG. 7 is another embodiment of a structure with integrated gravity power
[0021] FIG. 8 is an overview of the brine disposal and impingement and entrainment environmental protection
[0022] FIG. 9 Is an embodiment of a conduit system using both buoyancy and gravity for power
[0023] FIG. 10 Is an embodiment of a conduit system using valves for pressure management
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] A structure S FIG. 1, structure S2 FIG. 3, or structure S3 FIG. 7 submerged in an ocean or any fluid containing dissolved solids Fluid.sub.Impure or in any fluid body Fluid.sub.Body FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 maintains an internal normal sea level pressure P.sub.0 removes the dissolved solids using renewable energy supplied by hydrostatic pressure and gravity to deliver drinking water or purified water Fluid.sub.purified suitable for beneficial use.
[0025] The structure S FIG. 2 contains a fluid purification technology Pure.sub.Tech like reverse osmosis and multi-stage flash desalination equipment with for example means for entry O.sub.1 of a fluid containing dissolved solids Fluid.sub.Impure that uses lower hydrostatic pressure Hydrostatic.sub.Low closer to surface level Fluid.sub.surface and higher hydrostatic pressure Hydrostatic.sub.High so that means for entry O.sub.1 has hydrostatic pressure Hyd+, means for entry O.sub.2 Hyd++, and means for entry O.sub.3 Hyd+++as an energy source that increases the energy efficiency of the fluid purification technology Pure.sub.Tech.
[0026] In another embodiment FIG. 3 structure S2 is set on land and the fluid containing dissolved solids Fluid.sub.Impure might also be sewage or some industrial chemical.
[0027] In FIG. 4 an example of the principal standard machinery is depicted in an exploded view with pumps P, air compressors AC, generators G and very simple and common mechanical energy transfer devices such as levers, turbines, or pulleys ETD can all be incorporated to use the force of gravity and the mass of the purified water Fluid.sub.purified-gravitational potential energy after discharge from the fluid purification technology Pure.sub.Tech to convert into mechanical energy to drive pumps P, spin generators G, and rotate air compressors AC. FIG. 4 is not intended in any way to limit the invention and cogeneration of energy to the purified water Fluid.sub.purified or any other purified liquid is also claimed. Although not depicted in FIG. 4 dissolved solids and highly concentrated impure fluids are mass that can be used to produce additional energy.
[0028] FIG. 5 cutaway from FIG. 4 illustrates air compressors AC.sub.1, AC.sub.2, and AC.sub.3 exhaust discharges AC.sub.Ex1, AC.sub.Ex2, and AC.sub.Ex3 deliver gas typically over 200 F. temperature hot gas via air compressor exhaust lines EX.sub.Line1, EX.sub.Line1, and EX.sub.Line3 into an insulated manifold Md that distributes the heat to be applied especially but not limited to Multi-stage Flash, Vapor Compression, and Multi-Effect Flash fluid purification technologies Pure.sub.Tech to remove or reduce energy and power consumption.
[0029] In FIG. 6 fluid purification technologies Pure.sub.Tech filtration and separation technology using evaporation, membrane filtration, nano filtration, bacterial filtration, and similar technologies are positioned to send the streams of fluid with higher concentrations of dissolved solids for further processing Brine.sub.R or immediate discharge Brine.sub.D back into the body of water at varying depths such as Hyd+ and Hyd++ and in different directions so that the concentrated streams of fluid are diluted prior to being discharged back into the body of water so that the stream of fluid easily dilutes back into normal concentration leaving the ambient ecosystem intact without harm;
[0030] FIG. 7 shows another embodiment structure S3 where the buoyant objects 16 in air are heavy and fall by the force of gravity engaging different mechanical energy transfer devices ETD in an air space with internal normal sea level pressure P.sub.0.
[0031] FIG. 8 shows the structure submerged in an ocean or sea with living ecosystems will be completely enveloped in a perimeter barrier system B.sub.1 surrounds all of the different embodiments of structures in a geometrical configuration so that there is sufficient volume of water coming into all of the inlets but living organisms and large particles or debris are kept out of the system. A more outer perimeter barrier system B.sub.2 allows the flow of seawater inside the barrier system with a velocity and suction equal to or less than the ambient natural flow and the barrier system restricts and filters large organisms and particulate matter without trapping living organisms against the barrier system. The diluted brine Brine.sub.D piping extends outside of both perimeter barrier system B.sub.1 and perimeter barrier system B.sub.2 perimeters to distribute diluted brine outside of the perimeters at different depths and directions far away from intake systems. The combination of the barriers create a very robust insurance that water life will never be allowed near machinery and the geometrical configuration takes into account the amount of suction that is created that might trap organisms.
[0032] The formulas for fluid flow 1), 2), and 3) in FIG. 8 show that creating a single path for water to flow inside on the top and the bottom of the perimeter barrier systems produces a suction velocity of two miles per hour that is much less suction and velocity than the currents flowing around the structure and perimeters.
[0033] A conduit C FIG. 9 is placed below the surface level Fluid.sub.surface in a fluid body Fluid.sub.Body normally the ocean and can equally be located on land comprising two or more paths with one path containing fluid F and another path containing a gas G that is normally air with one end lower than the other end has machinery M that transfers buoyant energy when a buoyant object 16 floats up D.sub.Float and captures energy from gravity as the buoyant object 16 falls down D.sub.Fall to drive pump P or to power other important machinery or to generate electricity or other uses that will become apparent pumps fluid onto Land up D.sub.Float a Hill, incline, mountain, or any elevated location to a reservoir R or other end destination.
[0034] Fluid F may remain stationary as a platform to float the buoyant objects 16 if an additional pipeline of fluid is positioned next to the conduit or fluid F may be pumped up D.sub.Float at the discretion of the operator.
[0035] The buoyant objects 16 return into conduit C inside path G to fall while machinery M transfers gravity energy into mechanical kinetic energy to drive the pumps P or the energy can be used as needed.
[0036] Hydrostatic pressure of fluids is dependent on the fluid density and height of the column. Illustrated FIG. 10 is a partial view containing only two connected sections of a much longer conduit C making a transition from the ocean Fluid.sub.Body onto Land up a Hill into reservoir R.
[0037] To control the hydrostatic pressure in path F and pneumatic pressure in path G a series of valves operate independently in a coordinated manner. The embodiment in FIG. 10 is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way. The valves open and close independently but in a coordinated manner eliminate pressure transferring arbitrarily from a section of the conduit C to another section of the conduit C. The valves eliminate potentially catastrophic failure due to a pressure buildup if the conduit C has a very large vertical distance from beginning to end. The valves also enable higher gas pressure to be inside of lower sections of conduit C so that the internal pressure and the external pressure do not put unnecessary stress on the conduit C material.
[0038] In FIG. 10 path G valves are open and closed; AirValve.sub.1 is open, is AirValve.sub.2 is closed, AirValve.sub.3 is open, AirValve.sub.4 is closed, AirValve.sub.5 is open, is AirValve.sub.6 is closed, AirValve.sub.7 is closed, and AirValve.sub.8 is open. The hydrostatic pressure decreases when the conduit C ascends up D.sub.Float to lower depth so the internal pressure in path G is regulated to mimic the hydrostatic pressure.
[0039] In FIG. 10 path F valves are open and closed; H2o Valve.sub.1 is closed, is H20 Valve.sub.2 is open, H2o Valve.sub.3 is closed, H2o Valve.sub.4 is open, H2o Valve.sub.5 is closed, is H2o Valve.sub.6 is open, H2o Valve.sub.7 is open, and H2o Valve.sub.8 is closed. The hydrostatic pressure decreases when the conduit C ascends up D.sub.Float to lower depth so the internal pressure in path G is regulated to mimic the hydrostatic pressure.
[0040] Only a pair of sections of the conduit C are illustrated because the sections are virtually the same and all functions transfers from one section of conduit C to another. The mechanical energy transfer machinery M is a simple machine is not intended to be limited to the illustrated embodiment.
