Activation of the water plasma of desalinated water

Abstract

A plasma-activated water PAW generation device 20 including an integrated water desalination device 24 is configured to plasma-activate the water desalinated by the integrated water desalination device 24. Here, a water plasma activation means 26 is arranged to plasma-activate the water desalinated by the water desalination means 24.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for generating plasma-activated water.

Background Art

[0002] Plasma-activated water (PAW) has been shown to have strong antibacterial activity. PAW has multiple potential application areas. One is the field of oral care, and PAW may be used for the purpose of reducing dental plaque through its antibacterial effect on dental plaque bacteria. For example, it can be used as an alternative or supplement to conventional mouthwashes. It can be integrated into oral irrigators or toothbrushes. Another area where PAW may be applied is skin disinfection, for example, to suppress the odor under the armpits.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] Since PAW must be produced immediately before use, the inventors recognize that it may be possible to produce it from tap water. The inventors have studied this idea in the laboratory.

[0004] However, in the process of this research, the inventors discovered that there is a significant difference in the antibacterial effect of PAW when comparing PAW generated from tap water and PAW generated from desalinated water. This is shown in FIG. 1, which shows the logarithmic decrease in the number of bacteria (y-axis) as a function of time (x-axis) for plasma activation applied to tap water (line 12) and desalinated water (line 14). It can be seen that the use of tap water reduces the effect of plasma activation from 10-fold to 1000-fold. Therefore, the inventors recognize that the use of tap water in a PAW generation system may not result in an optimal antibacterial effect.

[0005] Furthermore, tap water has a strong regional difference in its mineral content, which makes it very difficult to predict the quality of the generated PAW. However, if the user needs to purchase desalinated water, this reduces convenience, increases cost, and reduces efficiency (due to the additional upstream energy footprint associated with bottling, transporting, and storing commercially available distilled water).

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention is defined by the claims.

[0007] According to an example of one aspect of the present invention, a plasma-activated water (PAW) generation device is provided, which has a water desalination means for desalinating water and a water plasma activation means, and the water plasma activation means is configured to plasma-activate the water desalinated by the water desalination means.

[0008] Therefore, an embodiment of the present invention proposes integrating the water desalination means into the same device as the plasma activation device, whereby desalination of water can be directly performed prior to plasma activation. This enables the device to receive such a water source as a direct fluid input without the above-described reduction in plasma activation efficiency associated with mineral water sources (such as tap water).

[0009] In some embodiments, both the water desalination means and the water plasma activation means are integrated within the same housing.

[0010] In some embodiments, the device may further include a water inlet for receiving a source of water to be desalinated and plasma-activated.

[0011] In some embodiments, the device is configured to receive water within at least one water receiving space within the device for performing both water desalination and water plasma activation.

[0012] In some embodiments, the apparatus can further have a collection outlet for collecting the plasma-activated water. In some embodiments, the apparatus can have a collection chamber or container for holding the plasma-activated water generated by the application of the plasma activation means.

[0013] In some embodiments, the water desalination means has water distillation means for desalinating water by evaporation. Instead of distillation, other forms of water desalination such as reverse osmosis membranes can be used.

[0014] In some embodiments, the water desalination means includes a water evaporator for generating steam from the input water (water source).

[0015] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a chamber configured to receive the steam generated by such a water evaporator.

[0016] In some embodiments, the aforementioned chamber functions as both a plasma activation chamber where water reacts with the plasma-phase air and a condensation chamber for condensing the steam. In this preferred set of embodiments, the plasma activation can be activated during the condensation process, providing extremely rapid and efficient dissolution of plasma components into water, partly due to the optimal volume / surface area of the droplets. Ultra-high purity fine distilled water droplets quickly incorporate the generated reactive plasma agents. In other words, the two processes of desalination and plasma activation are woven together, and the condensation stage of distillation is combined with the plasma activation stage of PAW generation. Thus, in this embodiment of the proposed invention, there is a synergistic interaction between the desalination stage and the plasma activation stage.

[0017] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a water inlet for the user to input the water to be treated.

[0018] In some embodiments, a conduit fluidly connects the aforementioned inlet to the water evaporator.

[0019] In some embodiments, the foregoing conduit is in thermal communication with the chamber to provide heat transfer to the input water flowing through the conduit from the chamber.

[0020] Accordingly, the tube from the inlet to the evaporator functions as a heat exchanger. The cold water cools the distillation chamber as it flows to the evaporator, which reduces the energy required to heat the water and eliminates the need for active cooling.

[0021] In some embodiments, the foregoing conduit passes through the chamber and the wall of the conduit is exposed to the atmosphere within the chamber. This facilitates the thermal coupling between the flow path formed by the conduit and the interior of the chamber.

[0022] In some embodiments, the water evaporator has a boiler having a boiler chamber for holding the water to be evaporated and a heat source for heating the water to steam.

[0023] In some embodiments, the apparatus has a housing.

[0024] In some embodiments, the boiler is disposed below the chamber in the foregoing housing.

[0025] In some embodiments, the boiler is fluidly connected to the chamber such that steam in use can escape to the upper chamber for condensation.

[0026] In use, the housing is oriented with respect to gravity such that the terms "up" and "down" are with respect to the vertical axis defining the vertical of gravity in normal use.

[0027] The above arrangement is very efficient structurally. This is because during use, the housing is oriented parallel to the vertical direction of gravity, and gravity helps the input water to flow down into the boiler, and further helps the flow of condensed water from the upper region of the chamber to the lower region of the chamber. For example, this is because it can be collected in the collection region. This avoids the need for a pump to carry water. However, the use of a pump or other powered hydraulic means is a viable alternative.

[0028] In some embodiments, the apparatus has a collection outlet for collecting the condensed plasma-activated water from the chamber.

[0029] In some embodiments, the apparatus has a collection chamber for holding the plasma-activated water conveyed from the chamber through the collection outlet.

[0030] In some embodiments, the floor of the chamber is inclined towards the collection outlet. This efficiently utilizes gravity to help carry the treated water to the collection area. However, this is not essential, and instead, for example, a pump can be used to discharge water from the condensation chamber.

[0031] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes a water reservoir for holding the water to be treated.

[0032] In some embodiments, the water reservoir is positioned at a location that is gravitationally elevated relative to the evaporator during use and is connected to the boiler chamber by a conduit, enabling a continuous supply from the water reservoir to the boiler chamber through gravity flow.

[0033] In some embodiments, the apparatus has a housing, and the water desalination means and the water plasma activation means are integrated into the housing.

[0034] In other words, the two functional modules are integrated into one structural unit.

[0035] Another aspect of the present invention is a method that combines desalination of water and plasma activation. The method includes steps of receiving a source of water, desalinating the water, and plasma-activating the desalinated water.

[0036] In some embodiments, the method includes desalinating the water through distillation.

[0037] In some embodiments, both desalination and plasma activation are at least partially performed within a common chamber.

[0038] In some embodiments, when desalination includes distillation, both the condensed portion of the distilled water and plasma activation can be performed in a common chamber.

[0039] In some embodiments, the method includes evaporating the source of water to produce water vapor, which is thereby desalinated.

[0040] In some embodiments, the method includes condensing the vapor within the chamber to produce condensed water.

[0041] In some embodiments, the method includes plasma-activating the condensed water within the chamber.

[0042] The condensed water can have water droplets. A thin film that is constantly replenished by condensing droplets on a condensation surface is also beneficial for PAW generation.

[0043] In some embodiments, the source of water is tap water.

[0044] These and other aspects of the invention will become apparent from the embodiments described below and will be described with reference to the embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0046] For a better understanding of the present invention and to more clearly show its implementation method, the accompanying drawings, which are merely illustrative, are referred to.

[0047] The present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0048] It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while showing exemplary embodiments of the apparatus, system and method, are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. These and other features, aspects and advantages of the apparatus, system and method of the present invention will be more preferably understood from the following description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the drawings are merely schematic and are not drawn to scale. It should also be understood that the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to indicate the same or similar parts.

[0049] The present invention provides a plasma-activated water (PAW) generating apparatus including an integrated water desalination apparatus.

[0050] The advantage of incorporating an integrated water desalination device into the PAW generation device is that PAW generation is much more efficient when using desalinated water (as already described), and the resulting PAW has better stability and antibacterial activity. What is important in human applications (such as oral administration) is the advantage of predictability of the results of PAW, and thus the effectiveness as well as the safety can be guaranteed.

[0051] Furthermore, the advantage of using desalination beyond simple filtration (such as distillation or reverse osmosis) is that the purity of the water is increased.

[0052] The basic principle of plasma-activated water generation is outlined below.

[0053] A general introduction to the concept of plasma-activated water can be found in the paper "Plasma-Activated Water (PAW) as a Disinfection Technology for Bacterial Inactivation with a Focus on Fruit and Vegetables" by Soni, A et al.

[0054] As described in this paper, the generation of PAW uses so-called cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAPP) or non-thermal plasma. Plasma consists of a partially ionized gas and is generated, for example, by applying a high level of energy to the gas using one or more energized electrodes usually. It is composed of a variety of reactive species including excited atoms and molecules, positive and negative ions, free electrons, and irradiation. These species are highly reactive antibacterial agents. The surface or substance to be decontaminated can be directly exposed to the plasma discharge. Alternatively, plasma-activated water (PAW) effectively acts as an intermediate carrier for the plasma-generated reactive species. Ordinary water can be exposed to the plasma discharge and can be "plasma-activated". Thereafter, the water can be applied to the surface or substance to be decontaminated. PAW can be generated by discharging plasma across the water surface or by applying / injecting a plasma discharge directly into the water area.

[0055] Options for plasma sources include, for example, gliding arc discharge, corona discharge, plasma streamer bubble, dielectric barrier discharge. Dielectric barrier discharge would be the most common. In this approach, an insulating dielectric barrier separates the two electrodes where the plasma is generated. A plasma jet is a type of dielectric barrier discharge that uses a central needle electrode and one outer annular electrode and includes an additional gas flow that transports the plasma to the liquid source.

[0056] See also the paper "Interactions of plasma-activated water with biofdms:inactivation,dispersal effects and mechanisms of action" by Mai-Prochnow,A et al.

[0057] In this paper, as particularly explained in the section "How to generate PAW and regulate the aqueous RONS", the plasma activation of water can be achieved through any of three main techniques. All of them relate to the discharge of cold atmospheric plasma (CAPP) into water. The first technique is to discharge the gas-phase plasma over the surface of the liquid to be activated. The second technique is the use of a multiphase plasma discharge, in which case the plasma is ignited either in bubbles or in the gas phase but is mixed with water droplets. The third technique is the direct plasma discharge or injection in the liquid to be activated.

[0058] Any of these techniques can be applied in the context of the present invention. Perhaps the simplest approach would be the first technique of discharging the gas-phase plasma over the liquid to be activated. In the context of the present invention, this can be achieved by discharging a plasma source over desalinated water, for example over the water distillation / condensation droplets formed as the output from a water desalination means. In a preferred embodiment (detailed later), the gas-phase plasma is discharged in the condensation chamber used by the distillation means, whereby the condensed water droplets are exposed to the plasma and the droplets are plasma-activated.

[0059] Regarding the details for implementing each of the three techniques, the reader is further referred to the sections "Discharge over the Water Surface" (starting from page 2), "Multiphase Discharges" (starting from page 3), and "Direct Plasma Discharge in Aqueous Solution" (page 4) of the above-mentioned paper by Mai-Prochnow, A et al.

[0060] The inventors understand that plasma-activated water (PAW) made at home can be an attractive alternative for antimicrobial fluid applications such as mouthwash, skin cleanser, or sanitary fluid. The inventors noticed that PAW can be made at low cost from ordinary tap water. However, as already mentioned, the production efficiency of PAW from tap water is much lower than that from pure water, and moreover, tap water has a large regional difference, so there is a problem that it may vary greatly in terms of quality.

[0061] Therefore, an embodiment of the present invention attempts to solve this problem by using a tap water desalination module integrated into a PAW production device. In a preferred embodiment, a boiler part such as a small "coffee maker" is included, which enables water to be boiled into steam and the steam to condense in a plasma reaction chamber. Ultra-high purity fine distilled water droplets quickly take in the generated reactive plasma agent, and a highly active antibacterial solution is created.

[0062] Figure 2 outlines the elements of an exemplary device according to one or more embodiments of the present invention in block diagram form. Before further describing in the form of a more specific exemplary embodiment, the elements are described in summary.

[0063] A plasma-activated water (PAW) production device 20 is provided. This device has water desalination means 24. The device further has plasma activation means 26, and the plasma activation means is configured to plasma-activate the water desalinated by the water desalination means 24 during use. This results in the output of plasma-activated water (PAW) 28 from the plasma activation means.

[0064] Next, an exemplary realization of an apparatus according to a particular set of embodiments will be described using the summarized concepts of the present invention. It should be understood that not all features of this particular set of embodiments are essential to the concepts of the present invention, nor are they described to aid understanding, nor are they described to provide examples for explaining the concepts of the present invention. In this set of embodiments, the water desalination means has a water distillation means for desalinating water 22 by evaporation. However, alternative desalination techniques also exist, which are suitable for variant embodiments such as reverse osmosis membranes.

[0065] Referring to FIG. 3, based on this particular set of embodiments, the apparatus 20 has a water reservoir 32 for holding the water to be treated 22. The water reservoir can be filled with a water source 38 that is input via a fluid inlet 42. For example, the input water is cold tap water. The inlet 42 can be a main water connection point for directly receiving the supply of tap water.

[0066] Water from the reservoir 32 moves downward by the force of gravity through a conduit 46 that connects the water reservoir 32 to the chamber of the boiler 36 at the base of the apparatus. In this particular set of embodiments, the water reservoir is positioned at a gravitationally elevated position relative to the boiler 36 during use. This enables, for example, a continuous supply from the water reservoir to the boiler chamber via gravity flow. The boiler heats the water to turn it into steam. A boiler typically has a chamber for holding the water to be evaporated and a heat source for heating the water to steam. Although a boiler is mentioned here, more generally, any form of water evaporator that generates steam from an input water (water source) can be used.

[0067] Steam from the boiler 36 moves to a cooling condensation chamber 34 configured to receive the steam being generated. In the illustrated example, the boiler 36 is located below the chamber 34, and both are incorporated within a common housing that includes a water evaporator 36, the chamber 34, and a water reservoir 32. The boiler is fluidly connected to the chamber so as to allow the steam in use to escape to the upper chamber for condensation. The steam condenses to produce pure desalinated water. The resulting pure water can then be plasma-activated, for example, by the discharge of cold atmospheric pressure plasma across the pure water (for details of this technique, the reader is referred to the above description).

[0068] However, in the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 3, cold atmospheric plasma (such as plasma-phase air) is generated within the condensation chamber 34 itself or discharged into the condensation chamber 34. As a result, the single common chamber 34 functions both as a condensation chamber for condensing steam and as a plasma activation chamber where water reacts with the plasma. Since the tiny pure water droplets condense in the presence of the reactive plasma elements, the incorporation of these elements is very fast and efficient.

[0069] As described above, there are multiple techniques known in the art for generating the plasma used for plasma-activated water. One approach is to discharge a gas-phase plasma across the desalinated water. In the context of the present set of embodiments, this can be achieved by discharging a plasma source across the condensed water droplets formed as the output from the water distillation means. In a preferred embodiment, the gas-phase plasma is discharged into the condensation chamber, whereby the condensed water droplets are exposed to the plasma and the droplets are plasma-activated. The techniques for generating the plasma discharge have already been described above and are not repeated here for the sake of brevity. Typically, two electrodes are used to create a strong electric field, such as a high-frequency alternating electric field, which converts the gas into the plasma phase.

[0070] Finally, the condensed and plasma-activated droplets collect at the bottom of chamber 34 and drip into a collection chamber 52 that is in fluid connection with the interior of the condensation chamber 34 via a collection outlet 50. The user can then remove the PAW from the collection chamber 52 for use. In a preferred design, as shown in FIG. 3, the collection chamber 52 is configured such that its inlet is gravitationally lower than the outlet of the condensation chamber 34, such that the condensed and plasma-activated water can be drained by gravity flow into the collection chamber 52. However, this is not essential, and alternatively, the drainage of the condensed and plasma-activated water can be achieved via the use of one or more pumps.

[0071] Note that over time, the desalinated water residue can collect in the evaporator 36 (such as calcium carbonate scaling). This could be improved using descaling techniques and solutions already known in the field of, for example, steam irons.

[0072] In a preferred design, the input cold water to be treated 38 functions as a coolant for the distillation chamber 34 as it flows through conduit 46 to the boiler 36 in a heat exchanger design. This reduces the energy required to heat the water and eliminates the need for active cooling. An example of this arrangement is shown in FIG. 3, where conduit 46 fluidly connects the water inlet 42 to the evaporator 36 via a water reservoir 32 and passes through the chamber. Thereby, the wall of conduit 46 is exposed to the atmosphere 44 within the chamber. More generally, it is sufficient for conduit 46 to be in thermal communication with chamber 34 such that heat transfer from the chamber to the input water 38 flowing through conduit 46 is possible. For example, the conduit can wrap around the outside of the chamber and be thermally coupled to the wall of the chamber, for example. In some examples, the conduit may be split into multiple branches for this purpose.

[0073] Summarizing the above, the flow of water through the device is as follows. The device is filled at its upper part, for example, with tap water 38, which slowly drips through the heat exchanger conduit 46 and is heated while descending. After dripping into the boiler 36 chamber, it is quickly evaporated and moves as steam to the evaporation / plasma activation chamber 34. There, the steam condenses into small droplets, which quickly capture the reactive plasma compounds in the plasma-phase air supplied to the chamber 34.

[0074] The embodiment of FIG. 3 utilizes gravity for the transport of the liquid (downward) and the vapor (upward). This is a very efficient solution. However, it is noted for the avoidance of misunderstanding that other configurations are possible, especially when a pump for pumping water is added. This adds cost to the device but provides greater control.

[0075] Using the embodiments of the present invention, a very strong dose of PAW can be created in a relatively short time. The size of the device 20 can be adapted based on the desired volume of PAW generated per unit time. For certain personal care applications, the amount required for one generation session may be quite small. For example, the single-use amount of an irregular mouse wash / deodorant is about 20 ml. In this case, the device can be quite small. For example, it can have a size similar to a large deodorant can, such as a diameter of about 30 - 100 mm, for example, a diameter of 30 - 60 mm, and a height of about 200 - 250 mm.

[0076] For other functional applications, such as when used as the fluid of an oral irrigator where the required volume is quite large (for example, 500 ml), the unit needs to be large and / or the processing time may be long. For example, the PAW generation device needs to be started some time before the scheduled time of using the oral irrigator (for example, 15 minutes before). As an example, the size of the device can be larger than, for example, 150 mm × 200 mm × 250 mm, which is the size of a typical oral irrigator.

[0077] In the above-described embodiments, water desalination is achieved by means of distillation, but it should be noted that other types of water desalination means can be used instead. For example, reverse osmosis is a well-known technique in the art for producing pure desalinated water. The advantage in this case is that no water evaporator is required. However, the disadvantage is that a high-pressure pump may be required, and the membrane required for such an apparatus needs to be replaced periodically. This can add cost and inconvenience to the end user.

[0078] The concept of the present invention can also be embodied in the form of a method.

[0079] Accordingly, another aspect of the present invention is a method for plasma activation of water. The steps of an exemplary method according to one or more embodiments are outlined in FIG. 4 in the form of a block diagram.

[0080] Method 40 has a step 42 of receiving a source of water. This method further has a step 44 of desalinating the water. This method further has a step 46 of plasma-activating the desalinated water.

[0081] In some embodiments, the water is desalinated through distillation.

[0082] Of course, any of the features, options, or variations described above in relation to the apparatus aspect of the present invention can equally be applied to the method aspect of the present invention. For example, in one advantageous set of embodiments of the method of the present invention, both desalination and plasma activation are at least partially carried out within a common chamber (see FIG. 3 for an illustration of such a common chamber 34). In particular, according to one or more embodiments of this set, both the water condensation part of the distillation and the plasma activation are carried out within a common chamber. In some embodiments, the method can comprise the steps of evaporating the water to be treated into steam, where the steam is desalinated, condensing the steam within the chamber to produce condensed water, and plasma-activating the condensed water within the chamber. In some embodiments, the water-to-be-treated is tap water.

[0083] This method can be computer-controlled. For example, a controller having one or more processors is provided, which is configured to execute this method by controlling appropriate apparatus, for example, by controlling the apparatus described in any embodiment or example of the present disclosure or the apparatus according to any claim of the present application.

[0084] Another aspect of the present invention is a computer program product having code means configured such that, when executed on a processor, the processor controls an appropriate apparatus to execute the above-described method 40, for example, by controlling the apparatus described in any embodiment or example of the present disclosure or the apparatus according to any claim of the present application.

[0085] The processor can be implemented in various ways using software and / or hardware to perform the various required functions. The processor typically uses one or more microprocessors and can be programmed using software (e.g., microcode) to perform the required functions. The processor can also be implemented as a combination of dedicated hardware for performing some functions and one or more programmed microprocessors and associated circuitry for performing other functions.

[0086] Examples of circuits that can be employed in various embodiments of the present application include, but are not limited to, conventional microprocessors, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).

[0087] In various implementations, the processor can be associated with one or more storage media such as volatile and non-volatile computer memories such as RAM, PROM, EPROM, and EEPROM. The storage media may be encoded with one or more programs that perform the required functions when executed by one or more processors and / or controllers. The various storage media may be fixed within the processor or controller, or may be transportable such that one or more programs stored therein can be loaded into the processor.

[0088] Modifications to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and implemented by those skilled in the art of practicing the invention claimed in the claims upon consideration of the figures, disclosure, and appended claims. In the claims, the term "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality.

[0089] The mere fact that certain means are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these means cannot be used advantageously.

[0090] It should be noted that when the term "adapted to" is used in the claims or the specification, the term "adapted to" is intended to be equivalent to the term "configured to".

[0091] Any reference signs appearing in the claims shall not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A plasma activated water generator, A water desalination method for desalination water, It has a water plasma activation means, The water plasma activation means activates the water that has been desalinated by the water desalination means, A plasma-activated water generating apparatus in which both the desalination and the plasma activation are performed at least partially within a common chamber of the apparatus.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the water desalination means comprises a water distillation means for desalination of water by evaporation.

3. The water distillation means includes a water evaporator that generates steam from input water, The apparatus includes a chamber for receiving the steam, The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the chamber functions as both a plasma activation chamber in which water reacts with air in the plasma phase, and a condensation chamber for condensing the vapor.

4. The aforementioned device A water inlet for the user to input the water to be treated, The inlet includes a conduit that connects to the water evaporator, The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the conduit is in thermal communication with the chamber to provide heat transfer from the chamber to the input water flowing through the conduit.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the conduit passes through the chamber and the wall of the conduit is exposed to the atmosphere inside the chamber.

6. The apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the water evaporator has a boiler having a boiler chamber for holding water to be evaporated and a heat source for heating the water into steam.

7. The device has a housing, The boiler is located below the chamber within the housing, The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the boiler is fluidly connected to the chamber so as to allow the steam in use to escape to the chamber above for condensation.

8. The apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 7, further comprising a collection outlet for collecting condensed plasma-activated water from the chamber.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the floor of the chamber is inclined toward the collection outlet.

10. The apparatus further includes a water reservoir for holding the water to be treated, The apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 9, wherein the water reservoir is positioned in a position that is gravity-upward relative to the water evaporator when in use, is connected to the boiler chamber by a conduit, and continuous supply from the water reservoir to the boiler chamber is enabled through gravity flow.

11. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the apparatus has a housing, and the water desalination means and the water plasma activation means are integrated into the housing.

12. In a method for activating water with plasma, The step of receiving the water to be treated, The steps include desalting the water and The step of plasma activation of the desalinated water is also included. A method wherein the desalting step and the plasma activation step are both performed in a chamber that is at least partially common.

13. A step of evaporating the water to be treated, wherein the steam is desalinated. The process involves condensing the steam in a chamber to produce condensed water, The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of plasma-activating the condensed water in the chamber.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the water is tap water.

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