Mobile autonomous device for producing fresh water from air at sea

Abstract

The invention relates to devices for producing fresh water from ambient atmospheric water vapour and can be used for producing fresh water, preferably on natural water bodies. A mobile autonomous device for producing fresh water from air at sea is characterized in that it comprises a barge, the bilge of which has a tank disposed therein for storing fresh water from a rain chamber, and pipes which pass through the barge and the rain chamber and are connected in a ring via storage tanks, a circulating pump and a cooler which is disposed at depth in the sea and is attached to the barge by cables, wherein the rain chamber is connected by an air duct to a thermal collector via a fan; disposed between the thermal collector and the rain chamber are a compressor and an expansion valve of a heat pump, the pipes of the heat pump being disposed in the rain chamber and the thermal collector; mounted in proximity to the thermal collector is an electric power generator that is rotated by an underwater turbine which is rotated by kinetic energy from an underwater sea current; and the device is further equipped with a control system, wherein the barge is designed to be capable of changing position relative to the sun to ensure optimal positioning of the thermal collector toward the sun.

Description

[0001] A mobile, autonomous device for producing fresh water from air at sea

[0002] The invention relates to devices for obtaining fresh water from water vapor contained in the surrounding atmospheric air, and can be used to obtain fresh water in a natural reservoir.

[0003] A device is known for obtaining fresh water from air (RU 2715847 C1, 03.03.2020), using the cold of the water layers of a natural reservoir, for example the sea, including a fan with an air duct, a heat exchanger lowered into the water, a pipe with a pump for pumping fresh water from a fresh water vessel, installed on a vessel, characterized in that the heat exchanger is made multi-channel with expanders attached to its two ends, connected to the air duct, and the heat exchanger covers the underwater part of the vessel's hull with the formation of left and right branches relative to its bow and consists of a system of metal tubes having outlets in the middle part of the heat exchanger for collecting fresh water into a receiving vessel from its left and right branches.

[0004] Regarding this device, it should be noted that it uses the temperature difference between the outside sea air and the water temperature beneath the vessel to generate fresh water. Therefore, it will operate when this difference exceeds the required value, which is not always the case, only on hot days with high outside temperatures. This is because the temperature in the upper layers of the sea (the depth at which the vessel's bottom is submerged) changes only slightly. Furthermore, it will slow the vessel down, which is associated with a significant loss of energy (fuel).

[0005] A device for producing fresh water is known (RU 2117734 C1, 20.08.1998), comprising a pipeline lowered into the deep layers of a reservoir (sea) and a tank communicating with it, located in the surface layer of warm water with a temperature of T2 and connected to this water layer through a bottom opening. An air duct with freely open inlet and outlet openings is located above the water surface in the tank, the first of which is located above the second. The lower wall of the air duct, inclined towards the pipeline, serves as a partition between a cooling zone located below the partition and filled with running cold water, and a condensation zone above the partition within the air duct. An axial vane pump and an axial fan are additionally installed in the pipeline-tank system and in the air duct, respectively.Water moves from the deep layers through the pipeline and tank due to the outflow of cold, denser water from the tank into the warmer, less dense water in its surface layer. The pipeline and tank system operates as a communicating vessel due to hydrostatic forces from the surrounding water. Air moves through the duct due to its cooling and increased density upon contact with the cooling baffle. Condensation of water vapor deposited on the upper, non-wetted surface of the baffle is collected in a freshwater vessel.

[0006] The proposed device has significant performance limitations:

[0007] Pumping water through a pipe from the sea's depths to level 2 with a pump requires a significant amount of energy—the energy consumed by the pump is proportional to the total mass of water being lifted. The depths from which water is lifted are 50-100 meters. At sea, without its own source of cheap energy, the cost of obtaining fresh water will be high.

[0008] - The same problem is related to the volume of incoming air through pipe 7 due to the fan. The incoming air has ambient temperature with a humidity of approximately 8-20 g / m3. To obtain even a small volume of fresh water, say 1 ton, it is necessary to pass a volume of at least 50,000 m3 of air, and this is when the dew point in pipe 6 is reached, which can be achieved in the device for a short period (at midday during daytime with a temperature above 25 degrees Celsius). At lower temperatures, evaporation will occur instead of condensation.

[0009] A device for obtaining water from atmospheric air is known (RU 2782080 C1, 21.10.2022), comprising a housing including an electric motor with a fan, a heat exchanger, a refrigerator and a water tank, characterized in that the housing of the device is made in the form of cylindrical functional sections of equal diameter, upper, middle, lower and a water tank section, coaxially connected to each other into a single unit by means of threaded connections, wherein the electric motor with a fan and the heat exchanger located under them, which is a heater made in the form of a radiator, are located in the upper section, on the top of which a coarse filter for cleaning atmospheric air is mounted, the refrigerator, which is a cooling radiator filled with a coolant, and a conical warm air duct located above it, are located in the middle section, provided in the upper part with openings for the outlet of cooled air, and a spherical water collector is located in the lower section,equipped with a conical insert with holes, installed in the lower part of the water collector in the center of the latter and connected to a water filter, while the lower section is equipped with a drain valve with a filter and a liquid level sensor with a relay and an indicator.

[0010] The device utilizes a typical heat pump mechanism with unique heat exchanger design features. It is mobile and portable. The main challenge is that water production requires an external energy source, which will be used to heat the air and cool the refrigerator surface to produce condensate.

[0011] A device for extracting fresh water from atmospheric air is known (RU

[0012] 2592116 C1, 20.07.2016), comprising a moisture collection container made of a lightweight material in the form of a surface of rotation, an aerostat lifting the container, characterized in that the moisture collection container is made of several containers sequentially located one above the other with a socket and an upper lid, in the lower part each container contains a cylindrical springy corrugated insert, the base of each container is fixed to the lid of the container located below, in all containers in the lid on the side there is an outlet with a check valve allowing air to escape to the outside, in the lower part of all containers on the bottom at the edge there is an additional inlet opening connecting the adjacent containers located one above the other, in the lower container the inlet opening is connected to the outside air, and all inlet openings end with a side tube that discharges air so that it moves clockwise, around the circumference,along the inner surface of the corrugated insert, the opening of the side tube has a check valve that does not allow air to pass in the opposite direction, in the center of the lid there is a central opening for passing air into the container installed above, from the upper container, air from the central opening comes out, above the central openings there are drippers made of foil, the plates of which are parallel to the axis of symmetry, under the drippers there are funnel-shaped water collectors with tubes passing along the axis of symmetry along the containers, under the lower container there is a common tray, made in the form of a socket, facing the expanded part downwards and resting on a lattice base attached to the surface, the surface of the lattice base is equipped with a common water collector.

[0013] An aerostat is used to lift a device for obtaining fresh water. The device is designed to constantly oscillate, creating a rotating air flow (the Ranque effect) with a temperature difference.

[0014] However, to obtain a usable volume of water, it is necessary to pass large air flows (millions of cubic meters) at high humidity (above 60%). A device of this size would have significant windage and would tear off either the retaining cables or the lightweight material (polypropylene) from which it is made. Simultaneous use of thousands of such devices is not economically feasible.

[0015] From non-patent literature, for example, from the article by Evdulov O. V. et al., Model of a plant for obtaining fresh water from atmospheric air, Bulletin of the Dagestan State Technical University. Technical sciences,

[0016] 2019, vol. 46, no. 4, pp. 19-31, a design for a device for obtaining fresh water from atmospheric air is known. The device consists of an open-topped tank immersed in a body of seawater so that its walls extend beyond the surface, preventing splashes from the waves from entering the tank. Inside the tank is a through-flow duct for seawater, located between two opposite walls of the tank and positioned so that one end of the duct is at the surface of the water, and the other below, with an inclination of 20-45°. The duct has a triangular cross-section, the base of which faces the bottom of the tank, and the apex of which faces the surface of the water. The length of the triangle's base is less than the width of the tank in the direction perpendicular to the duct's placement. The angle between the lateral edges of the triangle is between 90-140°. A solar energy concentrator is mounted above the duct on a special holder at the focal length.A wave energy converter, designed, for example, in the form of a "Salter duck," is placed in the immediate vicinity of the upstream end of the duct in seawater. The wave energy converter is attached externally to the side of the tank using a fastening device. A freshwater vessel is located at the bottom of the tank. Floats ensure that the vessel remains at the water's surface. The vessel is placed in the water and secured in the desired position using clamps. Once the vessel is submerged, seawater will begin to flow through the duct due to its tilt at the appropriate angle under the influence of gravity. The seawater will cool the duct in general and, in particular, its upper surface, thereby creating a zone of moisture condensation. The continuous movement of seawater through the duct is ensured by the wave energy converter, which ensures a constant injection of seawater into the duct from the surface.A solar energy concentrator placed above the duct using a holder will provide additional heating of the air above the upper surface of the duct, which will make it possible to intensify the process of condensation of fresh water.

[0017] It utilizes the temperature difference created by the heating of moist air by sunlight and the temperature of seawater. The system is extremely low-power and will operate only during peak solar activity because:

[0018] - solar energy is fickle,

[0019] - the temperature of the water below the sea surface is not cold enough.

[0020] The closest analogue is the device disclosed in the WO application.

[0021] 2023201252 Al (UNIV ILLINOIS) 10 / 19 / 2023. A known device is presented as a system for producing fresh water, the system comprising: an inlet device located above the surface of the ocean or sea for capturing moisture-saturated air; and a condenser in fluid communication with the inlet device for condensing liquid water from the moisture-saturated air captured by the inlet device, wherein the inlet device is located in a vertical position above the surface of the ocean or sea or can be moved to a vertical position above the surface of the ocean or sea, where the moisture flux in the moisture-saturated air is at or above a predetermined value.

[0022] The disadvantages of the prototype lie in its design features:

[0023] The structure has a huge windage area. The kinetic energy of the wind will overturn it even in a light wind of 5 m / s, generating 90,307,500 joules in 60 seconds, and in a moderate wind of 7 m / s, the energy will be 247,803,780 joules.

[0024] - The description lists all possible methods for obtaining fresh water, but the use of the most commonly used method of cooling the temperature in the condenser room is apparently not provided, since the only equipment listed is a fan and a pump, and the main device of the heat pump is the compressor.

[0025] The technical problem that the claimed invention is aimed at solving is to overcome the shortcomings of previously known designs, as well as to ensure autonomy, mobility, and a technically simple design of the device.

[0026] The technical result of the claimed invention consists of a technically simplified design, complete autonomy, environmental friendliness, mobility (easy geographical movement), the possibility of remote control for maintenance, and durability, since the moving components are located on deck - beyond the harmful effects of sea salts.

[0027] The technical result is achieved in that a mobile autonomous device for obtaining fresh water from air at sea contains a barge, in the hold of which there is a tank - an accumulator of fresh water coming from a rain chamber, through the barge and the rain chamber there pass pipes connected in a ring through accumulators, a circulation pump and a refrigerator located at a depth of the sea, and secured to the barge by means of cables, while the rain chamber is connected by an air duct through a fan with a heat collector, between the heat collector and the rain chamber there is a compressor and a throttle of the heat pump, the pipes of which are placed in the rain chamber and the heat collector, an electric generator is installed at the heat collector, rotating due to an underwater turbine, which rotates due to the kinetic energy of an underwater sea current, in addition, the device is equipped with a control system,moreover, the barge is designed with the ability to change its position in relation to the sun to ensure the most advantageous positioning of the heat collector to the sun.

[0028] The heat collector pipe that lifts water can be insulated.

[0029] The refrigerator, installed deep inside to cool the incoming warm water faster, has a branching system of pipes.

[0030] The heat collector, with water located at the bottom, is designed with shelves filled with water to further increase the humidity of the incoming air. The top of the heat collector is transparent to allow additional heating from the sun and the installed rotating reflector through the transparent top and side walls.

[0031] The rain chamber is equipped with a mesh curtain to change the air pressure in the rain chamber by lowering and raising it.

[0032] Inside the rain chamber, a shaft is installed in the outlet air flow, the rotation of which creates pulsating air pressure, increasing the density of droplets in the air and condensation of water.

[0033] The cold air exiting through the openings 35 is used to cool the ceiling of the rain chamber due to its passage in the space between the ceiling of the rain chamber and the external insulated roof of the rain chamber pipe 13.

[0034] A two-level open system of communicating vessels ensures the rise of cold water from the depths and the continuous operation of the rain chamber.

[0035] A system of pipes with a circulation pump and storage tanks allows water to be circulated in a closed loop, lowering warm water and raising cold water to the surface from depths of up to 700 meters or more, depending on the required temperature. This is accomplished with minimal energy consumption (lifting water by a circulation pump by 3-10 meters) allows water to be raised from any depth without additional energy consumption.

[0036] Fig. 1 shows a general view of the cold water lifting system and the refrigerator; valves (not shown in the figure) are installed on the storage tanks, where 1 and 3 are pipes; 2 and 4 are storage tanks, 5 is a refrigerator, 6 is a circulation pump, and 7 are cables.

[0037] Fig. 2 shows 3 - an insulated pipe for raising water, 5 - a refrigerator, 8 refrigerator pipes, 9 - a wheel for draining water from the refrigerator.

[0038] In Fig. 3 is shown the side view of the device on the barge, where 1 and 3 are pipes; 2 and 4 are accumulators, 5 is a refrigerator, 6 is a circulation pump, 7 are cables, 10 is a rain chamber, 11 is a fan, 12 is a heat collector, 14 is a fresh water accumulator, 15 is an electric power generator, 16 is an underwater turbine, 17 is a barge. The arrow shows the direction of air movement. In Fig. 4 is shown a top view of the device on the barge, where: 2 and 4 are accumulators; 6 is a circulation pump; 10 is a rain chamber; 13 are pipes designed for the outlet of dry cold air from the rain chamber; 15 is an electric power generator; 17 is a barge, 18 is the outlet of the underwater turbine shaft, 19 are two compressors of the heat pump.

[0039] Fig. 5 shows the external appearance of the rain chamber, where: 2 - accumulators, 3 - pipe with raised water, 4 - accumulator, 10 - rain chamber, 11 - fan, 13 - dry air outlet pipes, 19 - heat pump compressor, 20 - insulated box, 21 - condensate pipe, 33 - pipe to the fan from the heat collector.

[0040] Fig. 6 on the left drawing shows section B - - - B is an example of a rain chamber section B, where 10 is the roof of the rain chamber, 22 is a pipe with cold water, 24 is a vertical metal mesh, 25 is a curtain made of metal mesh, 26 is a shaft for raising / lowering the curtain, 27 is the ceiling of the rain chamber, 32 is a shaft for the air turbine, 35 are rectangular openings for the outlet of dry air coming out of the rain chamber, 36 is a hollow space.

[0041] The right figure in Fig. 6 shows section A - - - A, where 10 is the roof of the rain chamber, 22 is the cold water pipe, 21 is the heat pump pipe. 23 are metal fins that increase the air cooling surface and the volume of water condensation.

[0042] Fig. 7 shows a turbine and a shaft for regulating the output air flow, where 27 is a plane that is the ceiling of the working room of the rain chamber, 28 is an air turbine (a Savonius turbine is shown), 29 is a braking shaft, 30 is a gearbox, 31 is a gear shift handle, 32 are bearing supports holding the rotating shafts, 35 are rectangular openings for the outlet of dry air coming out of the rain chamber.

[0043] Fig. 8 shows a section of the rain chamber at the level of the first level of cooling pipes made in the form of a coil, where 2 is the accumulator, 10 is the rain chamber, 21 is the heat pump pipe, 22 is the cold water pipe, 26 is the curtain shaft.

[0044] In Fig. 9 the general diagram of the heat pump used is highlighted, where 19 is the heat pump compressor, 21 is the cold pipe, 37 is the throttle, 34 is the hot pipe.

[0045] In Fig. 10 a side view of the heat collector is shown, where 12 is the heat collector, 17 is the barge, 33 is the pipe to the fan, 34 are the pipes (hot) of the heat pump condenser, 36 are the shelves with water, 37 is the water, 38 is the tank with sea water, 39 is the filter, 40 is the water after the filter, 41 is the water pipe, 42 is the electric heating element, 43 is the pipe for the intake of atmospheric air.

[0046] In Fig. 11 a view of the heat collector from above, where 12 is the heat collector, 17 is the barge deck, 33 is the pipe to the fan, 36 are the shelves with water, 42 is the electric heating element, 43 is the pipe for air, 44 is the additional passage for air.

[0047] Fig. 12 shows a view of the turbine underwater, where 15 is the electric generator, 16 is the underwater turbine, 17 is the barge.

[0048] Fig. 13 shows a barge with a solar reflector and three anchors, where 48 are anchors, 46 is a rotating bracket, 47 is a rectangular mirror reflector of solar light.

[0049] Fig. 14 shows a variant of the device configuration.

[0050] Barge 17 in Fig. 3 is the base on which the proposed device is assembled. A tank 14 for storing fresh water coming from a rain chamber 10 is located in the barge's hold. Pipes 1 and 3, connected in a ring through accumulators 2 and 4, a circulation pump 6, and a refrigerator 5 located at sea depth, pass through barge 17 and the rain chamber 10. Rain chamber 10 is connected by an air duct through a fan 11 to a heat collector 12. An electric generator 15 is installed next to the heat collector 12; it is rotated by an underwater turbine 16, driven by the kinetic energy of an underwater sea current.

[0051] Fig. 1 shows a diagram of water circulation in a system of pipes 1 and 3 with a refrigerator 5. The given system of pipes is filled with fresh water or sea water filtered through fine filters (for example, polypropylene 5 microns and 1 micron) and is designed to maintain constant circulation of water in it. Fig. 1 shows two interacting U-shaped systems of pipes. The first U-shaped system consists of pipe 1 with its accumulator 2 in the upper part, a refrigerator 5 and a second pipe 3 with its accumulator 2 in the upper part. The upper level of the system corresponds to level B - B, and its lower level C - C. Accumulators 2 are metal boxes with a lid in which air valves are installed, limiting the evaporation of water, but not impeding the movement of air in both directions during pressure drops - an open system of water circulation is constructed. According to the Law of Communicating Vessels, the water level in such a system of pipes always equalizes.The second U-shaped system is highlighted in brown - the lower level A - A and the upper level C - -.

[0052] - C. Consists of: a pipe from the circulation pump 6 to the storage tank 4; storage tank 4; a pipe from storage tank 4 to storage tank 2; pipe 3. The working water level in the system is set at level C - - - C, which corresponds to empty storage tank 2; pipe 1 and

[0053] Pipe 3 is 80-90% filled with water in storage tank 2. A technical air release valve is installed on storage tank 4, which is necessary when filling the system with water and releasing accumulated gases. Refrigerator 5 is shown attached to cables 7, which are used for lowering / raising and supporting refrigerator 5.

[0054] The refrigerator 5 in Fig. 2, located at depth, is made of metal (preferably stainless steel), which allows cooling the water entering the pipes 8 to the temperature of the water existing at a given depth. The pipes are fastened together for strength with a metal grid, shown in Fig. 2 in the background. Pipes 1 and 3 are made of an elastic material, possibly, but not necessarily, reinforced. For example, a carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (polyethylene), which facilitates the process of lowering / raising the refrigerator 5. The difference in water pressure inside the pipes and outside (in the sea) does not exceed the height of the water column C - C and B - B. Water enters through pipe 1 and flows out of the refrigerator through pipe 3. The refrigerator 5 is suspended from the barge by cables 7 in Fig. 3, which allow the refrigerator to be lowered, raised and held. Also in Fig. 2 shows a round handle 9 that opens the tap to drain the water when lifting the refrigerator 5. This is necessary in case of its possible failure and lifting the refrigerator for its maintenance.A cable is wound around the handle (several turns), when this cable is pulled (this cable is not shown in other drawings), the handle turns and opens a valve for automatic water discharge, facilitating the lifting of the refrigerator and pipes 1 and 3.

[0055] Fig. 4 shows a view of the barge from above. Visible are the location of the storage tank 2 of pipe 1; the circulation pump 6; the storage tank 4 for water from the storage tank 2 of pipe 3; the rain chamber 10; the pipe 13 designed for the outlet of dry air from the rain chamber; two compressors 19 of the teapplloooooo pump shown in Fig. 9; the fan 11 pumping moist hot air through an insulated air duct from the heat collector 12 into the rain chamber 10. The outlet of the shaft 18 of the underwater turbine 16, connected by a gearbox to the generator 15, which generates electric power. Fig. 5 shows the external appearance of the rain chamber 10. The storage tank 2 is shown, designed for collecting cold water coming from the depths of the sea through pipe 3. Water from the storage tank 2 is fed into the rain chamber 10 and flows into the storage tank 4 on the left below. Condensate flows down into pipe 21 from below, which then enters fresh water storage tank 14 (Fig. 3).Hot and humid air is drawn into the fan via pipe 33, which then enters insulated box 20. Box 20 shares a wall with the rain chamber. Adjustable longitudinal slits are located along this wall, allowing hot air from box 20 to flow under pressure into the rain chamber. By varying the size of these slits, the volume of air supplied to the rain chamber can be distributed. Cooled and dry air exits the rain chamber through pipes 13 (there may be a single pipe, or an outlet from the attic 36 (Fig. 6) without a pipe is also possible). Also shown is compressor 19 of the heat pump (Fig. 9).

[0056] Fig. 6 shows an example of a rain chamber 10, in which the moist hot air coming from the heat collector 12 is cooled to the "Dew Point." On the left is a section of the chamber 10 along section B - B, where pipe 22 with cold water and vertical metal mesh 24 connecting pipe 22 at its different levels on a common vertical are highlighted. Pipe 22 exits the storage tank 2 of pipe 3 and snakes along a horizontal level, then passes to a lower level, and so on to storage tank 4. Alternative pipe connections are also possible, for example, parallel ones, ensuring a shorter water movement from storage tank 2 of pipe 3 to storage tank 4.

[0057] Shown is an attic 36, an isolated space between the roof of the chamber 10 and the ceiling of the room with a pipe 22. At the end of the chamber 10, in its upper part, rectangular openings 35 are made for the outlet of dry air leaving the rain chamber. The outlet openings 35 are equipped with the design of Fig. 7. A shaft 26 is installed under the ceiling of the chamber, on which a fine metal mesh 25 is wound, which can completely cover the entire transverse space of the chamber. The diameter of the rectangular openings in the mesh varies from 3 mm to 8 mm, depending on the size of the rain chamber. In addition to condensation, the mesh provides resistance to the air flow coming out of the openings 35. The lower part of the mesh is attached to a weighted metal rod. By rotating the shaft 26, it is possible to raise and lower the mesh 25, winding it onto the shaft 26, which increases or decreases the resistance to the passing air flow. In the right figure of Fig. 6 shows a section A - - - A of chamber 10 with pipe 22 at its various horizontal levels.Here passes pipe 22 with cold water coming from pipe 3. Metal fins 23, shown in Fig. 6 on the right side of the figure, are installed around the pipes, increasing the air-cooling surface and the volume of water condensation. Pipes 21 of the heat pump in Fig. 9 are shown similarly. These pipes also have metal fins for water condensation.

[0058] The air flow (shown by the thick dashed arrow) enters the rain chamber 10 from the heat collector 12 from right to left through the box 20.

[0059] Fig. 7 shows the system for regulating the air outlet flow as air passes from the internal workspace (the room with cold pipes) of the rain chamber 10 into the attic cavity 36. Here, plane 27 is the ceiling of the workspace of the rain chamber. Two rectangular openings 35 into the workspace of chamber 10 are shown; a third identical opening 35 is not shown—it is regulated from outside the chamber by opening and closing a conventional damper.

[0060] An air turbine 28 (a Savonius turbine is shown) is installed above the first opening. Under the pressure of the outgoing air, it rotates and drives the rotor of an electric generator (not shown in the figure; it should be located on the left side of the figure, behind the support bearing). The electrical energy from this generator can be used for any technical needs in the device's external power system.

[0061] Above the second opening, a braking shaft 29 is installed, holding back the outgoing air flow. Braking the outgoing air flow allows to increase the pressure in the working area of ​​the rain chamber, which increases the condensation of water and shifts the Dew Point upward (increases the temperature) see Table 3. Shaft 29 has an angular cavity, which freely passes air while it is located above cavity 35. The rotation speed of shaft 29 is not high (for example, 0.5 - 20 revolutions per minute) and is regulated by a transmission box 30 of torque from turbine 28 and has several gears (by analogy with a car or a bicycle) with a gear shift handle 31. Handle 31 has an outlet outside the rain chamber 10. To the left of turbine 28 and to the right of shaft 29 are bearing supports holding rotating shafts 32. To protect against air pressure, they can be closed with deflecting planes - not shown in Fig. 7. In Fig. 8 shows the location of the top row of cold water pipes 22.Cold water comes from the accumulator 2 of the pipe 3, twists like a snake along the upper horizontal level and goes (bottom right) to a lower level, etc. One serpentine-shaped descending pipe 22 is provided, but it could well be a plurality of parallel pipes passing through the rain chamber 10. Two cooling pipes 21 of the upper level of the heat pump are shown here (Fig. 9). The shaft 26 for the metal mesh curtain is located at the end of the rain chamber 10.

[0062] Fig. 9 shows a general diagram of a typical heat pump used in refrigeration units. The left side contains evaporator pipes 21—the cooling portion of the heat pump—and the right side contains condenser pipes 34—the heating portion of the pump. Between them is a refrigerant compressor 19 and a throttle 37. The refrigerant, entering from pipe 21 into compressor 19, is compressed to high pressure (e.g., 10-30 bar) and heated to a predetermined temperature, moving through pipe 34, where it heats up. The refrigerant then, having transferred heat through pipe 34 to an external consumer, moves through throttle 37 into the cavity of pipe 21, where it is cooled to low temperatures (possibly below freezing). Cooling is associated with a sharp decrease in pressure in pipe 21.

[0063] Fig. 10 shows a heat collector 12, which is designed to heat the air coming from outside and additionally saturate it with water vapor. Collector 12 is a closed space (container) with a transparent glass top (and possibly a side part), allowing direct sunlight to penetrate to heat the interior. The glass covering is heat-insulating - a vacuum glass unit. All walls of the heat collector are heat-insulated. The bottom of collector 12 is filled with water, completely covering the pipe for removing hot and humid air 33 from the collector into the rain chamber. Pipe 33 has a bend in the upper part of the collector for taking air from this part of the container. The bottom of collector 12 has a dielectric, waterproof (for example, quartz) base, in which heaters are located: an electric heating element 42, receiving electricity from a generator 15 and a condenser 34 coming from the heat pump (Fig. 9. Outside air enters the collector through pipe 43.The air flow directions are shown by thick, intermittent arrows. In the upper interior section of collector 12 (closer to the upper, transparent solar surface), shelves 45 with water are located, where the water is heated by direct sunlight. The interior of the shelves is painted black for improved heating. Additionally, rectangular sheets of synthetic fabric can hang from the outside of the shelves; these sheets are kept constantly moist, as they are continuously moistened by water supplied from the shelf via drip irrigation through small holes in the edge of the shelf. This significantly increases the total area of ​​water evaporation in the chamber. If necessary, the lower portion of the fabric can be weighted with a metal rod sewn into the lower edge of the fabric, significantly reducing the amplitude of fabric oscillation under the influence of the air flow. Alternatively, the fabric can be secured to the shelf in a metal frame.

[0064] A tank 38 containing seawater is located outside the collector. This water, passing through a filter 39, is purified and collected at the bottom of tank 38. Water 40 from the bottom of the tank flows through water pipes 41 into the tanks of shelves 45 and the lower part of collector 37. This water automatically replenishes the shelves and the lower part of the collector as they evaporate and the water level drops below a predetermined level (similar to a toilet cistern). Pipe 41 has a branch with an independent valve (not shown) extending downward and designed to drain water during maintenance of the heat collector.

[0065] Fig. 11 shows a top view of the manifold. The number of shelves 45 and their arrangement depend on the manifold's dimensions. They increase the total area for water evaporation and raise the air humidity. An additional air inlet 44 is shown, entering through the duct from the heated housings of compressors 19 and fan 11. Air enters through inlets 35 and 44 passively, due to the vacuum created in the manifold by the air flow drawn through pipe 33.

[0066] Fig. 12 shows a turbine rotating under the influence of a sea current and transmitting torque to an electric generator 15.

[0067] Fig. 13 shows a variant of mounting three similar devices on a barge, each with a common thermal collector and a common tank for collecting fresh water from rain chambers. A large rectangular mirror-like solar reflector 47 is mounted next to the thermal collector, providing additional sunlight to the collector. The reflector is controlled by a rotating bracket 46, which is driven by a motor and directs sunlight onto the collector, following the movement of the sun. The barge is secured with three anchors 48 along the sea current, indicated by blue arrows from right to left. The tail anchor holds the barge downstream, while two anchors in the bow allow the barge to rotate up to 45 degrees in either direction, depending on which anchor is tightened and which is loosened. This is necessary to orient the thermal collector toward the sun for greater solar energy production.If necessary, the barge can be installed with a 180-degree turn, since there is a bow anchor in the bow section and two side anchors in the tail section.

[0068] Fig. 14 shows options for using three rain chambers 10 and one heat collector and an option for a multi-level construction of rain chambers, heat collectors and several underwater turbines.

[0069] The device is equipped with a control system.

[0070] The device's control system includes sensors for monitoring the status of the device's technical components, process status sensors, and a video surveillance and alert system. Provision is made for controlling the barge's position relative to the sun (Fig. 13) to maximize solar energy harvesting. This is achieved by a system of six anchor cables—three at the barge's bow and three at the tail. By tightening and loosening the cables, the desired barge position relative to the sun can be achieved. Subsea turbine 16 operates independently of the barge's position. Solar energy is additionally obtained from reflector 47, mounted on controllable bracket 44.

[0071] All main elements of the device are equipped with an electronic control system, these are:

[0072] - sensors for monitoring the water level in storage tanks, shelves and the bottom of the collector;

[0073] - water temperature sensors in pipes (at the inlet of pipe 1 and outlet of pipe 3),

[0074] - air temperature and humidity sensors in the rain chamber (a line of sensors is installed 10 cm from the ceiling of the rain chamber) and the heat collector (at the air inlet into pipe 33 and in the center of the collector);

[0075] - measurement of voltage, current and rotation speed of the electric generator motor and fan;

[0076] - temperature of compressor housings, fan and electric generator; - turbine rotation speed;

[0077] - speed of sea current;

[0078] - And others.

[0079] The device's control system continually addresses the challenge of producing a constant, large volume of fresh water with minimal dependence on changing external conditions. Let V be the volume of fresh water produced. Then the key analyzed metrics used to control water production will be: Where

[0080] F is the function sign,

[0081] T в- outside air temperature, φ в - outside air humidity, - air temperature in the heat collector (vector), - air humidity in the heat collector (vector), - air temperature in the rain chamber (vector), - air humidity in the rain chamber (vector), - temperature of heaters 23 and 34, - temperature of cooling pipes 20 and 21, | - wind flow speed at the entrance to pipe 33, - position of the barge relative to the sun (vector), position of the sun. - temperature of pipe 1 - temperature of pipe 3. - temperature of the refrigerator. operating mode of the circulation pump. - water levels in the accumulators (vector), water level in pipe 1, operating characteristics of the compressors, fan and generator (vectors). The word "vector" means that this indicator characterizes a series of several numbers. Analysis of these indicators allows for continuous monitoring of the device's operating status and effective control. The volume of fresh water produced depends primarily on the temperature and humidity of the outside air. Depending on the velocity of hot and humid air entering the rain chamber through pipe 33, the dew point front may shift deeper into the chamber, changing the volume of fresh water produced. The position of the dew point also depends on the temperature inside the rain chamber, which is adjusted by the heat pump, and the temperature of pipe 21, which can drop to below freezing depending on the refrigerant used. A shift of the dew point deeper into the rain chamber reduces the volume of water produced, while an increase in the velocity of the incoming air flow increases the volume of water produced.By effectively managing the unit's key parameters, increasing the temperature and humidity of the incoming air can significantly increase freshwater production capacity (see Table 2). Technically, optimizing the unit's operation is straightforward, as all dependencies are known and easily controlled. Depending on the season, external temperature, and geographical conditions, dampers, transmission speeds, and electrical parameters are manually adjusted. All necessary recommendations are provided in the manual and do not require highly skilled technicians to operate the unit on the barge. All basic operating parameters are accessible remotely and can be monitored from the mainland.

[0082]

[0083] Table 2. Maximum moisture content in the air depending on temperature.

[0084] Example of the device operation.

[0085] The process of obtaining fresh water from air involves artificially creating conditions in the rain chamber 10 for the rapid formation of water condensate, which settles on surfaces with a lower temperature when the air temperature reaches the "Dew Point" temperature (see Table 1). Hot and humid air is supplied to the rain chamber 10, which meets the cold surface of plate heat exchangers and metal pipes cooled by water lifted from the depths of the sea. The temperature of the metal surfaces is below the "Dew Point" temperature, which cools the air in the rain chamber and promotes condensation. The air temperature in the middle and low latitudes varies on average between +12°C and +40°C, and the water temperature in the deep sea fluctuates between

[0086] +5°С t- + 10°С, with high humidity at the level of 70-80%.

[0087] Table 1. Dependence of Dew Point on temperature and humidity.

[0088] To lift cold water (cold) from the depths of the sea and deliver it to the rain chamber 10, a two-level closed-loop open pipe system is used (Fig. 1): pipes 1 and 3, a refrigerator 5, and intermediate storage tanks 2 and 4, as well as a circulation pump 6, designed to ensure the movement of water along the ring of pipes. This is analogous to a house's heating network, where water is used to heat the house and moves in a closed circuit under the pressure of a circulation pump, heating in the furnace and cooling in the house, thereby heating it. In our device, water also moves in a circle, only it transfers not heat, but cold, lifting it from the depths of the sea and moving in a circle. To ensure the movement of water, it is sufficient to lift it with circulation pump 6 from level C-C to level B-B.

[0089] Fresh water (filtered water is also possible) is poured into the system of pipes 1, 3 and 5, which allows to extend the operating time of both the pipes themselves and pump 6. Water fills the entire system of pipes to a specified base level C - C see Fig. 1. In this case, storage tank 4 is completely filled, storage tank 2 of pipe 1 is empty, storage tank 2 of pipe 3 is filled to 80-90%. Air from storage tank 4 is released through a technical valve installed in the cover of the storage tank (not shown in Fig. 1).

[0090] Next, when pump 6 is turned on, water from storage tank 4 enters storage tank 2 of pipe 1, from where it immediately enters pipe 1 and creates increased pressure throughout pipe 1, which moves the water further through refrigerator 5 and replenishes the water in pipe 3, equalizing the water levels in both pipes 1 and 3 to the base level C - C, its excess returns to storage tank 4. Both storage tanks 2 have automatic air valves in their upper parts, which reduce water evaporation and ensure the release and intake of excess air pressure generated by water movement, completely simulating the operation of an open system. The speed of water movement in the system depends on the height of the discharged water (maximum - the difference between levels B - B and C - C), the diameter of pipes 1 and 3 (the diameters of pipes 1 and 3 may differ), the total mass of water in the pipes, the immersion depth of the refrigerator, the diameter of cooling pipes 8 and the speed mode of pump 6.Thus, the constant lifting of water by pump 6 to the height of the level difference B - B and C - C ensures the continuous movement of water in a closed circuit and a constant flow of cold water from the depth of the refrigerator into the rain chamber. In Fig. 1, the chamber is shown schematically by a single pipe between storage tank 4 and storage tank 2 of pipe 3.

[0091] Pipes 1 1 3 are made of flexible polymer material (for example, polyethylene), which facilitates the process of lowering / raising the refrigerator 5. Pipe 3, lifting cold water to the surface, is thermally insulated to better maintain the temperature of the cold water. The accumulator of pipe 3 is also thermally insulated. The metal refrigerator 5, in a laminar calm underwater current, can be attached to pipes 1 and 3 as shown in Fig. 2. In case of a higher current velocity and turbulence, it is possible to horizontally arrange pipes 8, increase the weight of the pipes or reduce the number of pipes 8 to 2 or 3 and increase their length with an additional suspension of weight to the cables 7 holding the refrigerator or installing a weather vane to maintain the orientation of the refrigerator under water (weather vanes can additionally be installed on cables 7 connected by a crossbar). Cold water, entering the rain chamber 10 through pipe 3, moves through a pipe 22 of a smaller diameter (Fig.6, which has metal fins (heat exchanger plates) to increase the air cooling surface and collect condensate. Furthermore, all levels of pipe 22 are vertically connected by a metal mesh 24, which also collects condensate. This entire structure allows the temperature of the hot, moist air entering the rain chamber 10 to be reduced to the dew point. The resulting condensate flows to the bottom of chamber 10 and then moves down the slope into fresh water tank 14. The rain chamber has a sufficient slope (approximately 5-7 degrees) for water to flow through the drain at the end of the chamber.

[0092] Next to the rain chamber is a heat collector 12 (Figs. 3, 4 and 10), designed to additionally heat and humidify the incoming outside air. Air is forced into the rain chamber from the heat collector 12 by the rotation of the fan motor 11 (Fig. 3), which draws the moist hot air from the heat collector 12 through the insulated air duct 33 into the rain chamber. In the heat collector 12, the water on the shelves 45 is heated by sunlight passing through the upper glass covering. Water evaporation from the shelves 45, from the damp fabric sheets hanging from the shelves 45, and from the bottom of the collector, blown by a constant intense air flow, additionally increases the air humidity in the collector 12. Water 40 (Fig. 10, replenishing the evaporated water, comes from the accumulator 38 through the filter 39 through the pipes 41. At the bottom of the collector, heaters 34 from the heat pump Fig. 9 and a heating element 42 from the electric generator 15 Fig. are mounted in a waterproof ceramic coating.4, which can heat the water at the bottom of the collector to temperatures ranging from 30°C to 90°C, significantly increasing the humidity in the collector. When the outside temperature drops (in the evening and at night, when there is no sunlight), the glass cover of the thermal collector is covered with insulation with a built-in electric heater on the glass side to maintain the temperature on the glass surface. The temperature in the heater is maintained 7-10 degrees lower than the temperature inside the thermal collector.

[0093] In addition to drawing in outside air through pipe 43, air enters manifold 12 via duct 44 from the constantly operating and heating housings of compressors 36 of the heat pump and fan 11. This further cools the motors and ensures their continuous operation. Air is forcibly drawn through channels 43 and 44 due to the vacuum created in manifold 12 by fan 11, which continuously draws moist air from the manifold and increases water evaporation. The directions of air movement are shown by thick double arrows in Fig. 11.

[0094] Air from the heat collector 12 enters the box 20 of Fig. 5 through the air duct 33. In the box 20, on the side of the rain chamber, along the entire length of the box 20, there are adjustable (manually) slots from which air enters the rain chamber 10. The hot and humid air entering the rain chamber cools in the rain chamber to the dew point temperature and condenses on the surface of the pipes 22 and 21; the foil-covered walls of the rain chamber; the metal plates of the pipes and the metal meshes that are located along the rain chamber. The pipes 21 of the cooling part of the heat pump of Fig. 6 are located in the rain chamber along their outer walls. The outer walls of the rain chamber are thermally insulated and covered with foil from the inside.

[0095] At the end of the rain chamber 10 in Fig. 6, on the upper left, there is a gap 35, designed to allow dry, cold air to exit upward into space 36. This air then exits through pipe(s) 13 in Fig. 5. This allows for additional cooling of the roof of the rain chamber, which improves its performance. At the same place, at the end of the chamber 10, up to gap 35, a fine-mesh metal mesh 25 in Fig. 6 can be placed, also designed to collect condensate and to resist the moving air flow, which increases the pressure in the rain chamber 10 and increases the rate of formation of water condensate. The mesh 25 is wound on a shaft 26 and can be either lowered or raised by being wound on shaft 26.

[0096] The air moves through the rain chamber under the pressure of the air constantly coming from the box 20 in Fig. 5. Having discharged the condensate, the air, after passing the entire length of the rain chamber, exits dry through the openings 35 in Fig. 6 into the attic space 36. In the process of its exit through the first opening 35, it rotates the air turbine 28, which allows the generator (not shown), the rotor of which is connected to the shaft of the turbine 28, to generate electrical energy. The air exits through the second opening not constantly. The air exit time is regulated by the volume of the recess in the body of the shaft 29. The body of the shaft 29 periodically blocks the air exit, which increases the air pressure inside the rain chamber and raises the Dew Point up by several degrees (depending on temperature conditions) see Table 3 and increases the condensation of moisture. The opening of the gap for the air exit is proportional to the angle of the recess made in the shaft 29 for the air exit. The speed of rotation of the shaft 29 is controlled manually by the handle 31 of the gearbox, which is brought outward.The pressure inside the rain chamber is controlled by changing the speed of air supply from fan 11, the degree of overlap of the rain chamber with mesh 25, and the speed and size of the recess in shaft 29 (Fig. 7). Increasing the pressure increases condensation in the rain chamber.

[0097] Electricity for the entire freshwater production system is supplied by generator 15, whose rotor is driven by underwater turbines. The underwater turbines are driven by the kinetic energy of underwater currents. Electricity can also be supplied by a fuel-fired generator or, during the day, by solar panels, but this entails additional ongoing costs.

[0098] A system of pipes with a circulation pump and storage tanks allows water to be circulated in a closed loop, lowering warm water and raising cold water to the surface from depths of up to 700 meters or more, depending on the required temperature. This is accomplished with minimal energy consumption (lifting water by a circulation pump by 3-10 meters) allows water to be raised from any depth without additional energy consumption.

[0099] Another advantage of the proposed device is that cold water from the depths supplies the rain chamber with cold, and a fan draws hot air from the thermal collector into the rain chamber, dramatically lowering the dew point temperature of the incoming air and forming condensation. A heat pump is installed in the rain chamber and thermal collector, which also lowers the temperature in the rain chamber pipes and raises the water temperature in the thermal collector, thereby increasing both the air temperature and humidity in the thermal collector. The device operates 24 hours a day, without external power, using only the kinetic energy of sea currents (an underwater turbine).

Claims

Invention formula 1. A mobile autonomous device for obtaining fresh water from air at sea, characterized in that it contains a barge, in the hold of which is located a tank - an accumulator of fresh water coming from a rain chamber, through the barge and the rain chamber there pass pipes connected in a cooler through accumulators, a circulation pump and a refrigerator located at a depth of the sea, and secured to the barge by means of cables, while the rain chamber is connected by an air duct through a fan with a heat collector, between the heat collector and the rain chamber there is a compressor and a throttle of the heat pump, the pipes of which are placed in the rain chamber and the heat collector, an electric generator is installed at the heat collector, rotating due to an underwater turbine, which rotates due to the kinetic energy of an underwater sea current, in addition, the device is equipped with a control system,moreover, the barge is designed with the ability to change its position in relation to the sun to ensure the most advantageous positioning of the heat collector to the sun, 2. The device according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the pipe 3 from the refrigerator 5, lifting water from the depth, is made insulated.

3. The device according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the refrigerator, installed at a depth for faster cooling of incoming warm water, has several parallel pipes.

4. The device according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the heat collector with water located at the bottom is made with shelves with water to further increase the humidity of the incoming air.

5. Device ppoo pp.. 1, characterized in that the upper part of the heat collector is made transparent for additional heating through the transparent top and side walls from the sun and from the installed rotating reflector.

6. The device according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the rain chamber is equipped with a mesh curtain for changing the air pressure in the rain chamber by lowering and raising it.

7. The device according to paragraph 1, characterized in that a shaft is installed inside the rain chamber in the outlet air flow, due to the rotation of which a pulsating air pressure is created, increasing the density of droplets in the air and condensation of water.

8. The device according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the cold air exiting through the openings 35 is used to generate electricity by installing an air turbine 28.

9. The device according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the two-level open system of communicating vessels ensures the lifting of cold water from the water depths and the continuous operation of the rain chamber.

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