GB2524752A

GB2524752A - Solar powered water purifier

Info

Publication number: GB2524752A
Application number: GB1405792.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Steven Thomas Barson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-03-31
Filing date: 2014-03-31
Publication date: 2015-10-07
Also published as: GB201405792D0

Abstract

A solar powered distillation apparatus comprising a heating panel 1 which is supplied water 3 from a reservoir 2. Water passing through a heating pipe 10 is boiled and exits as steam via pipe 4. The steam is allowed to condense and exit via an outlet 6. In a preferred embodiment the water is condensed by travelling through a heat exchanger pipe 5 located in the reservoir 2, thus serving to pre-heat water in the reservoir as the steam condenses. The pipe 10 is angled so that the water entry 12 from the reservoir is lower than the exit 11 from the pipe 10, with steam and boiling water rising towards exit 11 into the pipe 4. The level of water in reservoir 2 may be maintained by a header tank 8. Water entering the pipe 10 may pass through a filter 13, and the pipe 10 may have removable ends 14 to allow cleaning.

Description

I

Solar powered water purifier.

Background of invention.

This invention relates to a device which uses a solar panel or panels to puri' or desalinate water through distillation by boiling contaminated waler and condensing the steam and collecting the boiled water and condensate.

There are already systems which run water across solar water heating panels to heat and therefore purifiv water, The shortfall with these systems is that they do not boil and condense the contaminated water and therefore do not ifilly kill all bacteria or remove all contaminants. Also the heat used to purify the water is largely lost and therefore has a reduced efficiency.

Summary of the invention,

Thc invcntion relates to thc mcans of purifying watcr through a process of boiling and distillation by passing possib'y contaminated water through a s&ar therm& water heating panel, The boikd water and steam passes through a heat exchanger ocated in the tank holding the contaminated waler Ihereby preheat it and increasing the efficiency of the apparalus.

Detailed description of the preferred embodiment

This invention win now be described solely by way of examp'e and with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 shows an evacuated tube type solar water heating pane' I although it is acknowledged that a flat plate or other types of solar panels could be used, A pipe 10 passes along the top of the pand to collect the heat from the evacuated tubes, for the purpose of clarity this pipe will be referred to as *the manifold'. A reservoir 2 contains water 3. A pipe 4 exiting in a generally upwards direction from the end of the manifold, and Lhe end of pipe 4 terminating at point 6 after having passed through a heat exchanger located within tank 2, The water from the reservoir flows through into the manifold 10 of the solar paneL equilibrium is reached when the level of the water in pipe 4 is the same level of the water in reservoir. Thc solar panel heats the water in the manifold. As the water boils the stcam passes up pipe 4 and condenscs in the hcat exchanger 5 to exit at point 6 as distilled water where it may be collected in a suitable receptacle or fed into a water delivery or plumbing system. As the water boils away and leaves the system via pipe 4, it is replaced by water entering the manifold from the reservoir, Figure 2 shows a similar embodiment, except that the reservoir 2 is fed by a header tank 8, The level of the water in the reservoir 2 may be kept at the dcsired level by means of a ball cock type valve 7. although it is recoguised that other automatic or manual valves may be used. The benefit of this embodiment is that the invention will operate larg&y unmanned and the upper tank 8 may be filled without disturbing the operation of the device. Another alternative (not shown) is that rather than tilling tank 2 by tank 8 via valve 7, valve 7 could be connected to a pressunsed mains water supph' to reguhite the water entering tank 2, In all examples it is preferred that the level of the water 3 in the reservoir 2 is not higher than point 9 which is the highest point on the exiting pipe 4. This is to ensure that the water cannot simply pour through the manifold 10, without boiling. It has been found that some of the water passes up the pipe 4 in the form of steam and some in the form of boiling water is pushed out by the vigorous action of the boiling process.

Inclining the manifold 10 having the exit end 11 higher than the reservoir entry end 12 has been found to be advantageous over having the manifold level or declined. This is due to the stratification of the water in the manifold. Cold water sinks and hot water rises, therefore this creates a process where the cold water enters the manifold from the reservoir and as the water heats up it rises lowards the exiL end where it boils off This is desirable as it improves the circulation of the steam through the device and prevents steam Mowing back into the reservoir or a circulation of hot water flowing back into the reservoir.

A filter 13 is desirable to prevent larger particulates from entering the manifokl.

Removable ends to the manifold 14 arc desirable to allow rodding to clear blockages or brushing to remove the bufid up of dirt and salts left behind during the evaporation process.

Claims

Claims.1. A device which consists of a solar heating panel to boil water and a reservoir containing a heat exchanger to both supply water to the solar panel and to condense and cool the boiled water exiting the solar panel.
2. A devicc according lo claim 1 where the solar panel is angled so the end of thc solar panel receiving the cool water is lower than the end where the hot water exits.
3. A device according to claim 1 or 2 where thc reservoir is fed by a header tank.
4. A device according to claim 1 or 2 where the reservoir is fed by a mains water supply.
5. A device according to claim I or 2 where the heat exchanger is positioned in the header tank.