Large-capacity seawater desalination system

Abstract

The present invention may provide a large-capacity desalination system comprising: a nanoparticle generation device for generating fine particles by making seawater or sewage into nanoparticles; and a desalination device for recovering salt or contaminants from the fine particles generated through the nanoparticle generation device through a first filter unit and recovering water through a second filter unit, wherein a plurality of nanoparticle generation devices are horizontally arranged in parallel or arranged in an m×n matrix in a nozzle box as an outer housing of the nanoparticle generation device.

Description

Large-capacity seawater desalination system

[0001] The present invention relates to a desalination device for seawater or sewage, and more specifically, to a large-capacity desalination system in which a plurality of nozzles for atomizing liquid raw materials of charged seawater or sewage are formed as nozzle boxes in units, and a plurality of nozzle boxes are used to separate large-capacity seawater and sewage into water and salt or contamination mixed with foreign substances.

[0002] Examples of methods for separating water from liquid raw materials include conventional flash processes and seawater desalination using reverse osmosis (R / O) membranes. These methods, by separating water from seawater, release large quantities of highly concentrated brine into the ocean, posing a threat to the environment.

[0003] Japanese Patent No. 7455450 (referred to as “prior patent”), which solves this problem, proposes a method and device for efficiently obtaining fresh water with low energy consumption by charging liquid raw materials including solvent and solute and causing an electrostatic explosion phenomenon, thereby using a large amount of heat energy without consuming electrical energy.

[0004] However, in the case of the prior patent, there is a problem that the efficiency of particle generation is reduced due to the influence of electric field interference when the raw material is released into the air and an electrostatic explosion occurs, and as a result, the separation efficiency of the nanoparticle generation device is reduced.

[0005] Additionally, there was a problem of the electrodes being contaminated or corroded due to some of the raw materials attaching to the electrodes.

[0006] In addition, there was a problem that when salt particles adhered to the filter, the filter became clogged and its performance in passing water vapor quickly deteriorated, resulting in a sharp drop in desalination efficiency.

[0007] In most countries where drinking water or domestic water is in short supply, there is a great demand for devices that can desalinate large quantities of seawater or wastewater.

[0008] The present invention has solved the above-mentioned problem, and the purpose of the present invention is to provide a nanoparticle generating device that mixes raw materials charged by electrostatic induction into gas and atomizes them into nanoparticles by electrostatic explosion to generate fine particles by using the relative kinetic energy of high-pressure air supplied from the injection nozzle through a gas supply pipe when seawater or sewage induced by electrostatic induction is supplied to the injection nozzle, and then sprays the generated fine particles to the outside.

[0009] In addition, the purpose is to provide a large-capacity desalination system that can separate supplied seawater or sewage into water or salt and pollutants by forming a plurality of the above-mentioned nanoparticle generating devices as nozzle units in a nozzle box and optimizing the design and arrangement of the formed plurality of nose boxes.

[0010] To this end, the present invention can provide a large-capacity desalination system including a nanoparticle generating device that generates fine particles by nanoparticleizing seawater or wastewater, and a desalination device that recovers salt or pollutants from the fine particles generated by the nanoparticle generating device through a first filter unit and recovers water through a second filter unit, and a plurality of nanoparticle generating devices are horizontally arranged in parallel or in an m×n matrix in a nozzle box as an external housing of the nanoparticle generating device.

[0011] Preferably, the nozzle box can be modularized and assembled by arranging a plurality of modular nozzle boxes in parallel or in a stacked manner.

[0012] In another form, the present invention includes a nanoparticle generating device that generates fine particles by nanoparticleizing seawater or wastewater, and a desalination device that recovers salt or pollutants from the fine particles generated by the nanoparticle generating device through a first filter unit and recovers water through a second filter unit; and a large-capacity desalination system can be provided in which a plurality of the desalination devices are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides, large salt recovery devices are formed at the lower left and lower right, and large water recovery devices are formed at the center.

[0013] Preferably, instead of forming a large water recovery device in the center and arranging the desalination devices symmetrically on the left and right, a plurality of desalination devices may be symmetrically arranged concentrically around the large water recovery device, and a single salt recovery device may be formed in a donut or ring shape at the bottom of the desalination device.

[0014] Preferably, the large water recovery device may be provided with a spray nozzle for spraying compressed air at the top, a cooling device for liquefying water vapor, and a water tank for storing fresh water at the bottom.

[0015] Preferably, the nanoparticle generating device may include: a raw material supply unit that provides seawater or wastewater; a gas supply unit that provides gas; an electrode arranged to face the raw material supply unit; a voltage applying unit that applies voltage between a needle portion of the raw material supply unit and the electrode to form an electric field in the space therebetween; and an injection nozzle that is connected to the raw material supply unit and the gas supply unit on one side and mixes the seawater with the gas using the flow of gas provided through the gas supply unit and injects the mixture to the outside on the other side.

[0016] Preferably, the injection nozzle may include a main body having an injection hole formed on the front surface and connected to the gas supply unit through a gas supply pipe coupling hole on one side, and a raw material supply pipe coupling portion having one side coupled to the main body and forming a gas flow path when coupled to the main body, and the other side connected to the raw material supply unit.

[0017] Preferably, the raw material supply pipe coupling portion may include a coupling hollow pipe connected to a hollow portion of the raw material supply pipe through which seawater or wastewater is supplied, a first circular protrusion that contacts the front surface of the main body where the injection hole is formed and has a diameter larger than the coupling hollow pipe, and a second circular protrusion that contacts the rear surface of the main body and has a diameter larger than the coupling hollow pipe.

[0018] In addition, a cutting groove may be formed in the first circular protrusion, and a supply hole formed at the end of the raw material supply pipe joint may be formed at a predetermined distance from the injection hole to form a mixing space.

[0019] In addition, the needle portion of the injection nozzle and the raw material supply portion are configured to be spaced apart from each other, and the needle portion can be electrically grounded.

[0020] In addition, before spraying through the spray nozzle, the seawater or wastewater provided through the raw material supply unit is first atomized by applying voltage through the voltage application unit to form an electric field between the needle unit and the electrode, and charging with an electrostatic charge induced from the ground, and then turning it into nanoparticles through electrostatic explosion.

[0021] By using the flow of gas provided through the gas supply unit, the seawater or wastewater that has been atomized firstly is provided into the pressurized gas in the mixing space and is atomized secondarily,

[0022] By utilizing the vortex formed through the above-mentioned incision groove, secondary atomized seawater or sewage is atomized tertiarily, and the resulting particles can be sprayed to the outside through the injection hole.

[0023] Preferably, the first filter unit may be composed of a plurality of electrostatic filters in the shape of rods, and the second filter unit may be composed of a nanofilter.

[0024] Preferably, the method may further include a salt recovery unit that moves the plurality of electrostatic filters up and down to recover the adsorbed salt.

[0025] The present invention enables mass desalination by adjusting the number of nozzles (nanoparticle generating devices) or the number of nozzle box modules in which multiple nozzles are configured as one module in a nozzle box to match the desalination capacity and facility size.

[0026] For example, if a nozzle box module is prepared to fit the concrete structure of a location or facility, it can be conveniently installed in an assembled manner without any electric field interference.

[0027] In addition, since one unit of injection nozzles (10, 10a) can produce 500 liters of fresh water per day, one desalination facility with 100 units (10×10) can produce 50 tons of fresh water per day. However, the size constraints of the enclosed space in the case of the desalination facility may be taken into consideration.

[0028] In this way, by adjusting the number of injection nozzles, a customized production device can be provided for not only small-scale home production but also mass production at a factory level.

[0029] For example, large-scale plants are built by optimally connecting multiple modules, enabling efficient plant construction at a lower cost than conventional plants. Furthermore, desalination systems are highly reliable, have low operating costs, and can achieve efficient desalination at a low cost per ton.

[0030] The nanoparticle generating device according to the present invention can form an electric field between the needle portion of the raw material supply pipe and the electrode by applying a voltage between the needle portion and the electrode by a voltage applying portion.

[0031] In this way, when seawater or sewage induced by electrostatic induction is supplied to the injection nozzle through the feed supply pipe in a state where an electric field is formed, the relative kinetic energy of high-pressure air supplied from the injection nozzle through the gas supply pipe is used to atomize the seawater or sewage, thereby mixing raw materials charged by electrostatic induction into gas and atomizing them into nanoparticles by electrostatic explosion to generate fine particles, and the generated fine particles can be sprayed to the outside.

[0032] In addition, by using the above nanoparticle generator, seawater or sewage provided with low energy consumption can be separated into water or salt and pollutants to provide fresh water.

[0033] Through this, the problem of rapid attachment of salt particles to the filter in the conventional case, making it difficult to continuously separate the salt attached to the filter, and the problem of rapid desalination efficiency being reduced due to the filter being blocked by salt attached to the filter and the performance of allowing water vapor to pass through being reduced can be solved through the rod-shaped filter unit and the super-volatile nano-filter unit.

[0034] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram explaining the principle of a nanoparticle generating device (100) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which voltage is applied between the electrode (41) and the needle portion (23) in the nanoparticle generating device (100) of Fig. 1.

[0036] Figures 3 to 5 are cross-sectional views illustrating various arrangement designs of the electrode and needle portion in the nanoparticle generating device of Figure 1.

[0037] FIGS. 6 to 10 are a perspective view, an exploded perspective view, and a side cross-sectional view, respectively, of the nanoparticle generating device (100) of FIG. 1, a plan view and a schematic diagram of the raw material supply pipe joint (12) viewed from above,

[0038] Figures 11 to 13 are a perspective view, an exploded perspective view, and a side cross-sectional view showing a spray nozzle (10a) of another embodiment of the nanoparticle generating device (100) of Figure 1.

[0039] Figure 14 is a block diagram explaining the configuration and operating principle of a desalination device (200) using the nanoparticle generator (100) of Figure 1.

[0040] Figure 15 is a graph showing the correlation between the amount of saturated steam and temperature, which explains the physical phenomenon of steam and salt in the desalination device (200) of Figure 14.

[0041] Figure 16 is a drawing comparing the case of (a) no rod-shaped filter and (b) with rod-shaped filter in the desalination device (200) of Figure 14.

[0042] Fig. 17 is a drawing explaining the physical phenomenon of water vapor and salt in the desalination of seawater by comparing the case of (a) no rod-shaped filter and (b) with rod-shaped filter in the desalination device (200) of Fig. 14.

[0043] Fig. 18 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the desalination device (200) of Fig. 14 in more detail.

[0044] FIG. 19 is a partial cross-sectional view showing in more detail the rod-shaped filter unit (210) in the desalination device (200) of FIG. 14, each of (a) a cross-sectional view showing a configuration including the rod-shaped filter unit (210) as seen from above, (b) a side cross-sectional view showing a configuration including the rod-shaped filter unit (210) as seen from the side, and (c) a side cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the desalination device (200) including the rod-shaped filter unit (210) as a main part.

[0045] Figures 20 to 23 are drawings showing the configuration of a large-capacity desalination system (300) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] The nanoparticle generating device according to the present invention can separate a raw material including a supplied liquid and a solute dissolved in the liquid or a dispersant dispersed in the liquid into liquid particles and solute or dispersant particles through low energy consumption.

[0047] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily practice the present invention. Since the description of the present invention is merely an example for structural and functional explanation, the scope of the rights of the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described in the text. In other words, the present invention is capable of various modifications and can be implemented in various different forms, and therefore, it should be understood that the scope of the rights according to the present invention includes equivalents that can realize the technical idea.

[0048] Meanwhile, the meanings of terms described in the present invention should be understood as follows. Terms such as "first" and "second" are intended to distinguish one component from another, and the scope of rights should not be limited by these terms. For example, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, a second component may also be referred to as a first component. When a component is referred to as being "connected" to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly connected to the other component, but there may also be another component in between. On the other hand, when a component is referred to as being "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there is no other component in between. Meanwhile, other expressions describing the relationship between components, such as "between" and "immediately between" or "adjacent to" and "directly adjacent to", should be interpreted similarly.

[0049] Also, singular expressions should be understood to include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, and terms such as "include" or "have" are intended to specify the presence of implemented features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof, and should be understood as not excluding in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof. In addition, identifiers (e.g., a, b, c, etc.) for each step are used for convenience of explanation and do not describe the order of each step, and each step may occur in a different order than stated unless the context clearly indicates a specific order. That is, each step may occur in the same order as stated, may be performed substantially simultaneously, or may be performed in the opposite order.

[0050] Additionally, all terms used herein, unless otherwise defined, have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted to be consistent with their meaning within the context of the relevant technology, and should not be interpreted as having ideal or overly formal meanings unless explicitly defined herein.

[0051] Please note that the drawings are schematic and not drawn to scale. The relative dimensions and proportions of parts in the drawings may be exaggerated or reduced for clarity and convenience, and any dimensions are for illustrative purposes only and are not limiting. In addition, identical structures, elements, or components appearing in two or more drawings are designated by the same reference numerals to indicate similar features.

[0052] One embodiment of the present invention specifically illustrates an ideal embodiment of the present invention. Consequently, various modifications to the diagram are anticipated. Therefore, the embodiment is not limited to the specific form of the illustrated area, and also includes modifications to the form due to manufacturing, for example.

[0053]

[0054] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0055]

[0056] Nanoparticle generator

[0057] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of a nanoparticle generating device (100) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional diagram illustrating a state in which voltage is applied between an electrode (41) and a needle portion (23) in the nanoparticle generating device (100) of FIG. 1, and FIGS. 3 to 5 are cross-sectional diagrams illustrating various arrangement designs of the electrode and the needle portion in the nanoparticle generating device of FIG. 1.

[0058] The nanoparticle generating device (100) according to the present invention is a device that forms an electric field between a needle portion (23) and an electrode (41) by applying voltage to the raw material (21) provided through a raw material supply portion (not shown) before spraying it through a spray nozzle (10), charges it with an electrostatic charge induced from the ground, and atomizes it into nanoparticles by electrostatic explosion, thereby separating the raw material (21) into water and fine particles of each component contained in the raw material.

[0059] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, the nanoparticle generating device (100) uses a spray nozzle (10), and the spray nozzle (10) can contribute to atomizing a liquid raw material (21) using a gas such as air.

[0060] In addition, the nanoparticle generating device (100) comprises: a raw material supply pipe (22, 22b, 22c) for providing the raw material (21); a gas supply pipe (32a, 32b, 32c) for providing gas (31); an electrode (41, 41a) arranged to face the raw material supply pipe (22, 22b, 22c); and a voltage applying unit for applying a voltage between the needle portion (23, 23a, 23b, 23c) of the raw material supply pipe (22, 22b, 22c) and the electrode (41, 41a) to form an electric field (43); One side may be connected to the raw material supply pipe (22, 22b, 22c) and the gas supply pipe (32a, 32b, 32c) so that the pressurized gas (31) becomes a vortex inside the injection nozzle, and the raw material (21) charged with an electrostatically induced charge is injected from the injection nozzle (10), and then an electrostatic explosion phenomenon is caused to generate nanoparticles and generate fine particles, and the generated fine particles are injected to the outside.

[0061] Here, the needle portions (23, 23a, 23b, 23c) of the raw material supply pipes (22, 22b, 22c) are electrically grounded, and a voltage is applied between the needle portions (23, 23a, 23b, 23c) of the raw material supply pipes (22, 22b, 22c) and the electrodes (41, 41a) by the voltage applying portion, thereby forming an electric field between them. At this time, the needle portions (23, 23a, 23b, 23c) are charged with an electrostatic charge induced from the ground, and as the electrostatic explosion continues to occur, they are nano-particleized and atomized, and the generated fine particles are sprayed to the outside through the spray nozzle (10), so that the raw material (21) can be separated into fine particles of liquid and fine particles of solute or dispersed substance.

[0062] The raw material (21) is a liquid raw material including a liquid as a solvent and a solute dissolved in the liquid or a dispersoid dispersed in the liquid. The raw material (21) preferably has conductivity, but is not limited thereto. In addition, it may be a solution such as an electrolyte solution, or an emulsion, and other substances may be mixed in the solution or emulsion. In addition, the raw material (21) may include seawater or sewage, and the sewage may be a contamination containing foreign substances in a solvent, and may be various types of contaminated water such as factory wastewater and radioactive contaminated water, and is hereinafter referred to as 'sewage'.

[0063] The raw material supply pipe (22) may be made of metal such as SUS or plastic in the form of a tube such as a cylinder with an internal hollow portion. It serves as a transport passage for supplying raw material (21) provided from a supply device (not shown) such as a raw material tank through the internal hollow portion of the raw material supply pipe (22) to the spray nozzle (10). The raw material supply pipe (22) is exemplified as a cylindrical shape, but may have various shapes such as a cube (rectangular parallelepiped). In addition, the raw material supply pipe (22) is not limited to a metal material, and when it is composed of an insulator such as plastic, it is necessary to form a needle portion (23, 23a, 23b, 23c) made of a conductive material such as metal on one side or the outer surface of the raw material supply pipe (20) for charging. At this time, the needle portions (23, 23a, 23b, 23c) can induce electric charges to gather on the outer surface of the raw material supply pipe (22) when voltage is applied through the voltage application portion, and it is preferable to place them at a position facing the electrode (41). In addition, the needle portions (23, 23a, 23b, 23c) are preferably in the shape of thin needles, because they are charged and are advantageous for generating fine particles (nanoparticles or microparticles).

[0064] The gas supply pipes (32a, 32b, 32c) are in the form of a cylinder or other tube having a hollow portion inside, and the material may be metal or plastic. The gas supply pipes (32a, 32b, 32c) serve as a transport passage for supplying pressurized gas (31) provided from a supply device (not shown) such as an air compressor through the hollow portion inside to the injection nozzle (10). At this time, the provided gas (31) is preferably a pressurized gas such as high-pressure air, and the gas (31) is not limited to air, and an inert gas such as nitrogen may be provided.

[0065] The above raw material supply pipes (22, 22b, 22c) and gas supply pipes (32a, 32b, 32c) are arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval as transport passages for the supplied raw material and gas, and are supplied separately to the injection nozzle (10). For example, if we look at the process of providing raw materials in the raw material supply section, the raw material is supplied from a supply device such as a raw material tank, and while maintaining a constant pressure, the flow rate is regulated by the first flow valve and flows into the injection nozzle (10). Meanwhile, if we look at the process of providing pressurized gas (high-pressure air) to the gas supply section, the pressurized gas (31) provided from a supply device (not shown) such as an air compressor is regulated by the second flow rate valve and flows into the injection nozzle (10).

[0066]

[0067] <Particle generation and various layout designs using electrodes and needles>

[0068] Figures 3 to 5 are cross-sectional views illustrating various arrangement designs of the electrodes and needle portions in the nanoparticle generating device of Figure 1.

[0069] In the nanoparticle generating device (100, 100a, 100b, 100c) according to the present invention in FIGS. 3 to 5, the voltage applying unit applies voltage between the needle portion (23, 23a, 23b, 23c) of the raw material supply pipe (22, 22b, 22c) and the electrode (41, 41a), and is equipped with a high-voltage power supply. For example, a high voltage of 20 kV or more can be applied between the needle portion (23, 23a, 23b, 23c) of the raw material supply pipe (22, 22b, 22c) and the electrode (41, 41a).

[0070] The electrodes (41, 41a) are formed from a conductive material such as metal. The shape of the electrode (41) is not particularly limited, and various shapes such as a plate shape, a rod shape, a sphere shape, a hemisphere shape, etc. are possible, and the electrodes (41, 41a) are arranged to face parallel to the spraying direction of the raw material supply pipe (22, 22b, 22c) or the spray nozzle (10).

[0071] The needle portion (23, 23a, 23b, 23c) of the raw material supply pipe (22, 22b, 22c) is connected (grounded) to the ground (GND).

[0072] Through this, an electric field can be formed by a condenser (electrostatic coupling) while voltage is applied between the needle portion (23, 23a, 23b, 23c) of the raw material supply pipe (22, 22b, 22c) and the electrode (41, 41a).

[0073] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the production and separation of fine particles will be described in more detail using seawater as an example as a raw material (21).

[0074] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, by applying a voltage between the needle portion (23) of the raw material supply pipe (22) and the electrode (41) by the voltage applying portion, an electric field can be formed between the needle portion (23) and the electrode (41). The electric force lines of the electric field (43) formed between the needle portion (23) and the electrode (41) are indicated by the dotted lines in FIGS. 1 and 2. In this example, an electric field (43) is formed between the electrode (41) and the lower end of the needle portion (22).

[0075] When seawater raw material (21) is supplied into the hollow portion of the raw material supply pipe (22) while an electric field is formed, a charge (here, a negative charge) can be supplied to the lower portion of the surface of the needle portion (23) facing the electrode (41) by electrostatic induction.

[0076] Next, when the seawater raw material (21) that has been electrostatically induced is provided to the injection nozzle (10) through the raw material supply pipe (22), the relative kinetic energy of the high-pressure air provided from the injection nozzle (10) through the gas supply pipe (32) is used to atomize the liquid raw material. When the raw material is charged by electrostatic induction, the same electrodes are pushed together, causing a continuous electrostatic explosion, so that in the case of seawater, it is atomized into nanoparticles and then fine particles are generated, and the generated fine particles are provided through the injection hole formed in the opposite direction (or the injection target location) of the inlet of the raw material supply pipe or the gas supply pipe.

[0077] More specifically, the charged seawater raw material (21) is atomized, and fine particles (droplets) p1 of the seawater raw material (21) are generated. If the raw material (21) is seawater, the fine particles p1 become, for example, spherical due to the surface tension of the water. Since the charges in the fine particles p1 are of the same polarity ((-) charges in FIG. 1), they repel each other and gather on the surface of the spherical fine particles p1. Then, the charges of the same polarity repel each other, causing an electrostatic explosion, and becoming smaller fine particles. In this way, the charged raw material (21) is provided to the injection nozzle (10) together with the gas (31), and the electrostatic explosion is repeated in the injection nozzle (10), and is further atomized. In this process, the raw material (21) is separated into fine particles p2 made of water (H2O) and fine particles p3 made of sodium chloride (NaCl) included in the raw material (21). Particles p2 and p3 can be atomized into particles with a diameter of, for example, 10 nm or less (“nanoparticles”).

[0078] At this time, the liquid particles p2 generated through the injection nozzle (10) can be configured to be atomized and vaporized.

[0079] For example, it is known that when the vapor pressure of water exceeds atmospheric pressure, water molecules pop out from the surface of the water and change into water vapor (gas).

[0080] Here, the water particles p2 after repeated electrostatic explosions through the injection nozzle (10) are nanoparticles, for example, with a diameter of 10 nm or less. If the size of the water particles p2 is sufficiently smaller than the mean free path of oxygen and nitrogen, atmospheric pressure cannot be applied to the water particles p2. Therefore, the vapor pressure of the nanoparticleized water can be regarded as the vapor pressure in a vacuum.

[0081] Furthermore, water nanoparticles with a diameter of 10 nm have a large specific surface area, which in turn increases surface energy. As a result, the surface energy of water exceeds its surface tension (intermolecular forces), enabling evaporation of water without the need for active heating.

[0082] Therefore, it is possible to suppress the latent heat required for evaporation of water to a small level (e.g., approximately zero).

[0083] Through the nanoparticle generating device (100) according to the present invention, vaporization of water fine particles (p2) is performed by being pre-charged through the needle portion (23) of the raw material supply pipe (22) and supplied to the injection nozzle (10) to be atomized, and after the generated fine particles are sprayed from the injection nozzle (10), it has been confirmed that they can occur in an extremely short period of time, for example, at a speed between 10 cm and several tens of cm per second depending on the spraying direction of the raw material.

[0084] Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to vaporize water particles (p2) with low energy consumption by using electrostatic explosion.

[0085] Meanwhile, the fine particles (p3) of the solute or dispersed substance do not vaporize during atomization (nanoparticleization). Thus, by vaporizing one side of the fine particles p2 and p3 while not vaporizing the other, it becomes easier to recover them separately.

[0086] Meanwhile, even if the raw material (21) is not a conductive material such as seawater, if the raw material (21) is an insulator, the raw material (21) is charged in the flow path inside the supply pipe (22) in the needle part (23) of the raw material supply pipe (22), and in that state is provided to the injection nozzle (10), causing an electrostatic explosion.

[0087] Here, the surface charge (here, (-) charge) of the particles p1 to p3 illustrated in Fig. 1 is schematically represented, and the number of drawn charges does not correspond to the actual number of charges.

[0088] The needle portion (23) of the raw material supply pipe (22) is electrically connected to the ground (GND) (42). Therefore, in a charged state through the needle portion (23), an electric field is formed in FIGS. 1 and 2 (as indicated by arrow 43), and a charge (negative charge) is induced from the ground (GND) to the needle portion (23). Accordingly, while suppressing the power consumption of the voltage application portion to a low level (approximately zero), charge can be continuously supplied from the needle portion (23) to the seawater raw material (21).

[0089] Referring to Figure 1, only water and sodium chloride particles p2 and p3 are shown, but particles of other substances contained in seawater can also be produced. Furthermore, when using raw materials other than seawater, the separation into liquid particles and solute or dispersed particles is similar. For example, if the raw material is sewage containing water and heavy metals (heavy metal ions) dissolved in water, water particles and heavy metal particles can be produced. Alternatively, if the raw material is an emulsion containing water and oil, water particles and oil particles can be produced.

[0090] Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5, various arrangement designs of the electrode (41a) and the needle portion (23a, 23b, 23c) in the nanoparticle generating device (100a, 100b, 100c) of the present invention are exemplified. The nanoparticle generating device (100a, 100b, 100c) assigns the same reference numerals to the same components as the nanoparticle generating device (100) of FIG. 1, and a detailed description thereof is omitted, focusing on the differences.

[0091] In the nanoparticle generating device (100a) illustrated in Fig. 3, a ball electrode is used in the form of an electrode (41a), and the ball electrode (41a) is connected to a voltage application unit and is fixedly supported through a connecting line or support (not shown) formed on one side of an external housing (50). At this time, the needle portion (23a) is formed on the outer surface of a raw material supply pipe made of a metal material, and may be formed on the entire outer surface or a portion of the outer surface of the raw material supply pipe. In addition, the needle portion (23a) is preferably in the form of a thin needle, because this is advantageous for generating fine particles (nanoparticles or microparticles).

[0092] The above ball electrode (41a) is arranged parallel to the upper or lower portion of the needle portion (23a) of the raw material supply pipe.

[0093] Through this, by applying voltage between the ball electrode (41a) and the needle portion (23a) of the raw material supply pipe by the voltage application portion, an electric field can be formed between the needle portion (23a) and the electrode (41a). Here, the applied voltage is preferably a high voltage, and a high voltage can be applied in the range of 5 keV or more and 20 keV or less. At this time, the electric force lines of the electric field (43) formed between the needle portion (23a) and the electrode (41a) are indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3.

[0094] In the nanoparticle generating device (100b) illustrated in FIG. 4, a ball electrode is used in the form of an electrode (41a), and the ball electrode (41a) is connected to a voltage application unit and is fixedly supported through a connecting line or support (not shown) formed on one side of an external housing (50). At this time, the needle portion (23b) is connected to an insulating raw material supply pipe (22b) such as plastic, and the needle portion (23b) may be formed as a conductive material such as metal on one side of the hollow portion through which the raw material flows in the insulating raw material supply pipe (22b), and the needle portion (23b) may be coupled to the raw material supply pipe (22b) or the injection nozzle (10) through an adapter or the like, and may be fixed to one side of the external housing (50). In addition, the needle portion (23b) is preferably in a thin and fine needle shape, because it is advantageous for generating fine particles (nanoparticles or microparticles) by being charged.

[0095] In addition, the ball electrode (41a) is arranged parallel to the upper or lower portion of the needle portion (23b) of the raw material supply pipe (22b).

[0096] Through this, a voltage is applied between the ball electrode (41a) and the needle portion (23b) of the raw material supply pipe (22b) by the voltage application portion, thereby forming an electric field between the needle portion (23b) and the electrode (41a). Here, the applied voltage is preferably a high voltage, and a high voltage can be applied in the range of 5 keV or more and 20 keV or less. At this time, the electric force lines of the electric field (43) formed between the needle portion (23b) and the electrode (41a) are indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4.

[0097] In the nanoparticle generating device (100c) illustrated in FIG. 5, a ball electrode is used in the form of an electrode (41a), and the ball electrode (41a) is connected to a voltage application unit and is fixedly supported through a connecting line or support (not shown) formed on one side of an external housing (50). At this time, the needle portion (23c) is connected to an insulating raw material supply pipe (22c) such as plastic, and the needle portion (23c) may be formed as a conductive material such as metal on one side of the hollow portion through which the raw material flows in the insulating raw material supply pipe (22c), and the needle portion (23c) may be coupled to the raw material supply pipe (22c) or the injection nozzle (10) through an adapter or the like, and may be fixed to one side of the external housing (50). In addition, the needle portion (23c) is preferably in the form of a thin needle, because this is advantageous for generating fine particles (nanoparticles or microparticles). In particular, in Fig. 5, the raw material supply pipe (22c) can be formed in a curved shape or the like as an insulator, thereby providing convenience when connecting the injection nozzle (10).

[0098] In addition, the ball electrode (41a) is arranged parallel to the upper or lower portion of the needle portion (23c) of the raw material supply pipe (22c).

[0099] By applying voltage through the voltage application unit between the ball electrode (41a) and the needle portion (23c) of the raw material supply pipe (22c), an electric field can be formed between the needle portion (23c) and the electrode (41a). Here, the applied voltage is preferably a high voltage, and a high voltage can be applied in the range of 5 keV or more and 20 keV or less. At this time, the electric force lines of the electric field (43) formed between the needle portion (23c) and the electrode (41a) are indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5.

[0100]

[0101] <Spray nozzle>

[0102] FIGS. 6 to 10 are a perspective view, an exploded perspective view, and a side cross-sectional view, respectively, of the nanoparticle generating device (100) of FIG. 1, a plan view and a schematic view of the raw material supply pipe joint (12) viewed from above.

[0103] FIGS. 6 to 10 show a method in which a spray nozzle (10) in a nanoparticle generating device (100) according to the present invention uses the relative kinetic energy of a supplied pressurized gas to atomize a liquid raw material, mixing a raw material charged by electrostatic induction into a pressurized gas, and atomizing it by nanoparticleization through electrostatic explosion to generate fine particles, and spraying the generated fine particles through a spray hole (16) formed in the opposite direction (or the spray target position) of the inlet of a raw material supply pipe or a gas supply pipe.

[0104] Referring to FIGS. 6 to 10, the injection nozzle (10) according to the present invention has a body (11) that is cylindrical overall and has a hexagonal cone shape with an injection hole (16) formed on the front surface, and a raw material supply pipe coupling portion (12) that is coupled to the body (11) on one side and connected to the raw material supply pipe (22) on the other side. At this time, the main body (11) and the raw material supply pipe connecting portion (12) are cylindrical in shape overall, one side of the main body (11) is connected to the raw material supply pipe (22, 22b, 22c) through the raw material supply pipe connecting portion (12), the upper surface is connected to the gas supply pipe (32a, 32b, 32c) through the gas supply pipe connecting hole (15), the lower surface is closed, and can be sprayed only in the opposite direction to the part connected to the raw material supply pipe connecting portion (12), that is, the front surface, and the fine particles generated can be sprayed through the spray hole (16) formed on the front surface.

[0105] At this time, the gas supply pipe coupling hole (15) of the gas supply pipe (32a, 32b, 32c) and the raw material coupling hole (14) of the raw material supply pipe (22, 22b, 22c) are orthogonal to each other, and the gas supply pipe (32a, 32b, 32c) can be coupled to the injection nozzle (10) through a vertical connection portion (not shown) that is bent in the shape of the letter 'ㄱ'. Therefore, through the vertical connection portion, the raw material supply pipe and the gas supply pipe are arranged orthogonally and can spray fine particles generated in the injection direction.

[0106] At this time, it is not necessary to be orthogonal, and if the raw material supply pipe and the gas supply pipe are arranged at a predetermined angle in the two-fluid nozzle, the raw material can be injected into the fast gas and easily split when the raw material collides with the gas, thereby improving the atomization performance. For example, if the gas supply pipes (32a, 32b, 32c) and the raw material supply pipes (22, 22b, 22c) are arranged in parallel and provided, the charged liquid raw material can be provided through the raw material supply pipe while pressurized gas is provided near the injection hole (16).

[0107] That is, the supply hole (12d) formed at the end of the raw material supply pipe joint (12) is formed to be spaced apart from the injection hole (16) of the injection nozzle (10) by a predetermined distance, so that the space formed through this is supplied with the charged raw material in a state where pressurized gas is supplied to the mixing space (16a), thereby enabling the generation of fine particles. Through this, the fine particles generated in the mixing space (16a) are configured to be sprayed in the spraying direction through the injection hole (16). In addition, the raw material (21) and the gas (31) are provided in a horizontal direction to the ground, and the spraying direction of the fine particles generated from the injection nozzle (10) is also provided in a horizontal direction to the ground, but the spraying direction is opposite to the supply portion of the raw material (21) and the gas (31), so that the generated fine particles are sprayed and can be separated through the filter portion.

[0108] In addition, the injection nozzle (10) has a cylindrical body (11) having an injection hole (16) formed on the front surface, and a raw material supply pipe coupling portion (12) having one side coupled to the body (11) and the other side connected to a raw material supply pipe (22). At this time, the raw material supply pipe coupling portion (12) has a dumbbell-shaped structure that forms a gas flow path (12c) when coupled to the body (11), and has a coupling hollow pipe (12b) that is connected to a hollow portion of the raw material supply pipe through which the raw material is supplied, a first circular protrusion (13) that is in contact with the front surface of the body (11) on which the injection hole (16) is formed and has a larger diameter than the coupling hollow pipe (12b), and a second circular protrusion (12a) that is in contact with the back surface of the body (11) and has a larger diameter than the coupling hollow pipe (12b). Here, it is advantageous for injection if the diameter of the first circular protrusion (13) on the side where the injection hole (16) is formed is smaller than the diameter of the second circular protrusion (12a), but it is not limited thereto.

[0109] The first circular protrusion (13) is coupled to the front surface of the main body (11) in which the injection hole (16) is formed. The main body and the first circular protrusion have a groove / protrusion type coupling structure, but the present invention is not limited thereto. At this time, referring to FIG. 9, when cut grooves (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d) are formed in the first circular protrusion (13), and when pressurized air is introduced along the cut grooves, the introduced air rotates to form a whirlwind (vortex), which is advantageous in further atomizing the charged seawater or sewage raw material provided to the mixing space (16a). That is, as the pressurized gas rotates according to the formation of the vortex, the mixed liquid raw material (e.g., charged seawater) can be split and discharged through the injection hole (16), which is advantageous in atomization. In addition, when the cut grooves are formed in a spiral shape, the formation of a vortex can be more advantageously provided. In addition, the example shows a case where four incision grooves are formed symmetrically at 90-degree intervals, but they can be formed symmetrically in various ways, such as two or six.

[0110] The above second circular protrusion (12a) is coupled to the back of the main body (11), and a screw coupling form in which the screw portion of the second circular protrusion (12a) is coupled to the raw material coupling hole (14) of the main body (11) is illustrated, but is not limited thereto.

[0111] The mixing space (16a) of the above injection nozzle (10) is a space where the introduced liquid raw material is mixed in a state where pressurized high-pressure air is distributed to create fine particles, and the fine particles created can be sprayed by pushing them out using the high-pressure air through the injection hole (16). In addition, the size of the sprayed droplets can be determined or the uniformity of the sprayed particles can be secured depending on the ratio of the pressurized compressed air and the liquid raw material. In addition, the uniformity of the sprayed fine particles can be secured through vortex spraying through four symmetrically formed cut grooves (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d) on the first circular protrusion (13).

[0112] Accordingly, the pressurized gas (31) provided from a supply device such as a raw material tank and maintained at a constant pressure is introduced into the injection nozzle with the flow rate controlled by the first flow valve, and the pressurized gas (31) provided from a supply device (not shown) such as an air compressor is introduced into the injection nozzle with the flow rate controlled by the second flow valve. At this time, the weight ratio of the pressurized gas (31) to the liquid raw material (21) can be controlled through the first flow valve and the second flow valve to provide the size of the spray droplets, for example, the formation of fine particles of 10 nm or less. For example, if the air amount of the pressurized gas (31) is continuously increased for a certain weight of the liquid raw material (21) in the injection nozzle (10), the gas-liquid emulsion state, which is a mixed state of gas and liquid, is formed, thereby enabling the formation of even finer particle sizes. Preferably, the weight ratio (gas weight / liquid weight) of the pressurized gas (31) to the liquid raw material (21) is in the range of 0.05 or more to 0.5 or less, and more preferably in the range of 0.05 or more to 0.3 or less.

[0113] In addition, the generated fine particles can form a spray stream that spreads out in a cone shape as they move away from the two-fluid injection nozzle (10), and the spraying direction of the atomized fine particles is provided such that the spraying angle of the spray stream that spreads out in a cone shape points in a direction of ±60° with respect to the central axis (injection axis), but is not limited to the spraying angle. For example, the spraying angle of the fine particles generated in the form of a spray nozzle can be adjusted to a cone-shaped spray in the range of 0 to 60 degrees.

[0114] Additionally, the material of the injection nozzle (10) may be a metal material such as SUS or plastic.

[0115] In addition, by controlling the weight ratio of the pressurized gas and the liquid raw material, the atomization can be accelerated, and when the fluid state of the fine particles in the mixing space (16a) is increased and they flow out through the injection hole (16), a spherical liquid film is formed, and when the liquid film breaks, they are atomized into smaller droplets. For example, by setting the weight ratio (gas weight / liquid weight) of the pressurized gas (31) to the liquid raw material (21) in the range of 0.05 or more to 0.3 or less, the formation of fine particles having a size of approximately 10 nm or less of the injection droplets can be provided.

[0116] In addition, as shown in Fig. 1, the injection hole of the injection nozzle (10) can be configured to be sharp so that the charge can be well collected at the tip, or as shown in Fig. 4, the injection hole (16) of the injection nozzle (10) can be configured to be circular, and an orifice can be formed to promote pre-atomization. For example, the hole diameter of the injection hole is preferably in the range of 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm.

[0117] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a spray method using a two-fluid nozzle as the injection nozzle (10) in the nanoparticle generating device (100) of FIG. 1 according to the present invention.

[0118] Referring to Figure 10, it can be seen that stable fine particle production is achieved through internal mixing rather than external mixing of raw materials and gas. That is, in the case of two-fluid mixing of a liquid nozzle and a gas nozzle in the spraying method, the mutual position or arrangement is important, and this is related to fine particles, i.e., nanoparticle formation and fine particle production.

[0119] On the other hand, when using a spray method using a two-fluid nozzle as in the present invention, the spray nozzles (10, 10a) can be freely arranged without being restricted by the vertical arrangement or design between the liquid nozzle and the gas nozzle. That is, by electrifying seawater and supplying the electrified seawater to the two-fluid nozzle, a large amount of stable fine particles can be produced by generating fine particles with the two-fluid nozzle. When connecting the spray nozzle (10, 10a) and the raw material supply pipe (22), the connecting ring (17) can be easily inserted into the raw material supply pipe (22) to easily connect to the spray nozzle (10, 10a) and strengthen the fixing force.

[0120] FIGS. 11 to 13 are a perspective view, an exploded perspective view, and a side cross-sectional view showing a spray nozzle (10a) of another embodiment of the nanoparticle generating device (100) of FIG. 1.

[0121] Referring to FIGS. 11 to 13, the differences from the injection nozzle (10) described in FIGS. 6 to 10 will be mainly explained, and the same components will be given the same reference numerals and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0122] The injection nozzle (10a) according to another embodiment has a difference in configuration in that the front part (11a) of the main body (11) in which the injection hole (16) is formed is rounded to have a circular cross-section.

[0123] Compared to the hexagonal injection nozzle (10), the circular injection nozzle (10a) allows the charge of the raw material of the charged raw material supply pipe (22), such as charged seawater, to be uniformly radiated, and can provide stable fine particles by uniformly providing electric force lines in the formed electric field, and can ensure the uniformity of the generated fine particles.

[0124] <Seawater or sewage desalination plant>

[0125] Below, a seawater or sewage desalination device (200) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is described.

[0126] Here, the desalination device (200) according to the present invention is configured to include a nanoparticle generating device (100). Since the nanoparticle generating device (100) has been described above, a detailed description thereof will be omitted, and identical components will be given the same reference numerals and redundant descriptions will be omitted.

[0127] In addition, a desalination device that separates seawater is described as an example, but as mentioned above, the raw material is not limited to seawater and can also be applied to sewage water.

[0128] Fig. 14 is a block diagram explaining the configuration and operating principle of a desalination device (200) using the nanoparticle generator (100) of Fig. 1. Fig. 15 is a graph showing the correlation between the amount of saturated steam according to temperature, which explains the physical phenomena of steam and salt in the desalination device (200) of Fig. 14. Fig. 16 is a diagram comparing the case of (a) no rod-shaped filter and (b) with a rod-shaped filter in the desalination device (200) of Fig. 14. Fig. 17 is a diagram explaining the physical phenomena of steam and salt in the desalination of seawater, comparing the case of (a) no rod-shaped filter and (b) with a rod-shaped filter in the desalination device (200) of Fig. 14.

[0129] First, referring to Figures 14 to 17, the changes in salt and water vapor in the desalination of seawater are explained as follows.

[0130] Seawater is NaCl + Wow Cl - It exists as an ionized state. And when moisture evaporates, it can be separated into NaCl and water vapor.

[0131] As illustrated in FIG. 14, the desalination device (200) according to the present invention converts seawater supplied through the aforementioned nanoparticle generating device (100) into nanoparticles. The nanoparticleization of seawater is a method of separating seawater into NaCl and water vapor by charging seawater with an electrostatic charge induced from the ground, providing seawater charged with the electrostatic charge induced from the ground to the injection nozzle (10, 10a), and converting seawater into nanoparticles through electrostatic explosion. Here, the required energy may be the power of a compressor for supplying high-pressure air because fine particles are generated as two fluids through the injection nozzle (10, 10a) to cause electrostatic explosion.

[0132] When seawater is nano-particleized in this way, it separates into charged NaCl and water vapor.

[0133] Referring to Figure 15, water vapor exceeding the saturated vapor content releases heat (loses heat to the surroundings) and becomes fog (water droplets).

[0134] That is, it is made of nanoparticles, and the space it moves through is composed of charged NaCl particles + fog (water droplets) + water vapor.

[0135] Referring to Figures 16a and 16b, it was verified that seawater was formed into nanoparticles, separated into salt and water vapor, and that the water vapor became fog (water droplets). As illustrated in Figure 16a, when the rod-shaped filter unit (210) was not used, it was confirmed that the room was filled with salt dust when the nanoparticles were sprayed into the room.

[0136] In general, the amount of water vapor in a closed space is determined by the saturated water vapor amount and the temperature. In this method, water vapor is instantaneously formed from nanoparticles, and water vapor exceeding the saturated water vapor amount according to the temperature becomes water droplets. However, as illustrated in Fig. 16b, when water droplets are formed, they do not become saturated, so it can be seen that a large amount of fog (water droplets) exists in the space. For example, when a rod-shaped filter unit (210) is used, it can be seen that salt is recovered, and a large amount of fog (water droplets) can exist in the closed space.

[0137] Referring to Fig. 17a, it illustrates a state in which salt + water droplets + steam are blown into a frozen PET bottle without a filter unit (210) in the shape of a rod.

[0138] Referring to Fig. 17b, it can be confirmed that water droplets + steam are being emitted from a frozen PET bottle with a rod-shaped filter unit (210) that has removed salt.

[0139] Fig. 18 is a side cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the desalination device (200) of Fig. 14 in more detail. Fig. 19 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the rod-shaped filter unit (210) of the desalination device (200) of Fig. 14 in more detail, wherein (a) is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration including the rod-shaped filter unit (210) as seen from above, (b) is a side cross-sectional view showing a configuration including the rod-shaped filter unit (210) as seen from the side, and (c) is a side cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the desalination device (200) including the rod-shaped filter unit (210) as a main part.

[0140] Referring to FIGS. 18 and 19, the desalination device (200) according to the present invention collects charged NaCl through a rod-shaped filter unit (210) from the nanoparticle generating device (100) and the fine particles generated by the nanoparticle generating device (100), and installs a superhydrophobic nanofilter unit (220) in front of a drain so that fog (water droplets) passing through the nanofilter unit (220) and water vapor within the saturated water vapor amount can be recovered as water. At this time, a metal mesh (not shown) can also be attached together with the nanofilter unit (220), and the metal mesh is attached to the nanofilter unit (220) so as to be stably fixed by stably connecting it to case 2 (205) or the drain.

[0141] Note that the charged nanoparticles are separated into charged NaCl particles + fog (water droplets) + water vapor. When this happens, the charged charge is transferred to the NaCl, resulting in charged NaCl. Since water vapor has the property of releasing its charge into the air, the fog (water droplets) created from the water vapor have no charge.

[0142] By utilizing this property, only charged NaCl can be recovered through the rod-shaped filter unit (210). The rod-shaped filter unit (210) is an electrostatic filter in which static electricity is formed by applying a high voltage in advance.

[0143] Accordingly, what remains are fog (water droplets) and water vapor. Since the size of these water droplets ranges from 0.1㎛ to 30㎛, it is possible to separate them into fog (water droplets), water vapor within the saturated water vapor amount, and air (gas) by using the superhydrophobic nanofilter unit (220). In other words, the fog (water droplets) and water vapor within the saturated water vapor amount passing through the nanofilter unit (220) can be recovered as water.

[0144] Looking more closely, first, as case 1, the external housing (50) is configured to cover the nanoparticle generator (100), and its shape is exemplified as a rectangular cross-section, but is not limited thereto. At this time, the material of the external housing (50) is plastic, such as PVC resin, but is not limited thereto.

[0145] Case 2 (205) is a space in which fine particles generated from the injection nozzle (10) of the external housing (50) flow, and is connected horizontally to the external housing (50) of Case 1. In addition, at least the injection unit of the injection nozzle (10) of the nanoparticle generating device (100) may be connected to Case 2 (205), so that the external housing (50) and the second case (205) may be formed to be in communication with each other as the first case.

[0146] The internal space of case 2 (205) is formed with a rod-shaped filter section (210) having a plurality of rod-shaped electrostatic filters (212) spaced at a predetermined interval, and is a space in which fine particles generated from the injection nozzle (10) flow, and is a space in which charged NaCl, water vapor, and charged seawater droplets are mixed.

[0147] Here, the rod-shaped filter unit (210) is configured to allow gas to pass through, but not allow at least a portion of a liquid or solid solute or dispersion to pass through. As an example, when seawater is used as the raw material (21), among the fine particles generated from the raw material (21), the fine particles of water vaporize into water vapor and pass through the rod-shaped filter unit (210). On the other hand, the fine particles of sodium chloride, which is the solute, do not vaporize, but are captured by the rod-shaped filter unit (210) where static electricity is formed. This makes it possible to separately recover water and salt from the raw material (21).

[0148] For example, the rod-shaped filter (212) is a structure having a hollow portion in a cylindrical or rod-shaped form. That is, a plurality of filters (212) made of SUS material in the form of tubes or pipes can be evenly formed at a predetermined interval, and it is an electrostatic filter in which static electricity is created by applying a high voltage in advance. In addition, the cylindrical or rod-shaped filter (212) is fixed by being attached and joined to the upper plate (213) of case 2 (205) by welding or the like. In addition, the plurality of rod-shaped filters (212) are preferably made of a metal material so that charged NaCl can be attached or adsorbed, and are electrostatic filters in which static electricity is created by applying a high voltage in advance through a voltage application portion.

[0149] In addition, a salt recovery device (211) is formed on the upper side of the plurality of filters (212) and is formed by penetrating between the plurality of filters (212) and moving up and down the penetrated filters (212). Since salt is charged, it is adsorbed on the electrostatic filter, so that the salt adsorbed on the filter (212) can be easily recovered by scraping it off with a sharp blade such as a knife as the salt recovery device (211) moves up and down. In addition, a salt box (250) is provided at the bottom of the salt recovery device (211) and can be automatically or easily recovered using a conveyor. At this time, the salt recovery device (211) is manually driven or periodically moved up and down using a driving unit of a motor (not shown) to automatically recover it in the salt recovery box (250) formed at the bottom of case 2 (205).

[0150] Next, there's the remaining water vapor and fog (water droplets). Fog (water droplets) is formed when water vapor cools and becomes tiny water droplets, which do not condense easily. Fog doesn't condense because it's a collection of very small water droplets. These droplets float in the air and easily collide with each other, so they don't condense easily.

[0151] Also, since fog is a state in which water vapor in the air cools and condenses into small water droplets floating in the air, these water droplets are very light and float with the air current, so it can be said that there is little vaporization to combine with each other.

[0152] A superhydrophobic nanofilter (220) is used as a method of collecting the above fog (water droplets) and recovering it as water. In the superhydrophobic nanofilter (220), the van der Waals force is applied to capture and maintain the fog (water droplets) and condense them, thereby recovering the fog (water droplets) as water.

[0153] Fog (water droplets) are blocked by the superhydrophobic nanofilter (220) and discharged to a water recovery device (225) such as a water tank through a drain (drain pipe) formed at the bottom. In addition, water vapor becomes water as it passes through the superhydrophobic nanofilter (220) and falls, and is recovered by the water recovery device (225). In other words, fog (water droplets) passing through the nanofilter (220) and water vapor within the saturated water vapor amount can be recovered as water.

[0154] The above nanofilter unit (220) uses a nanofilter with an average particle diameter of 400 nm using the Zetta spinning method, and can be manufactured by melt-spraying using a water-repellent resin (such as polypropylene). In this way, the nanofilter using polypropylene resin does not allow water to pass through, but instead causes it to form on the filter and fall. In addition, the nanofilter unit (220) can separate sewage water by utilizing the characteristic that viruses and inorganic substances (contaminants) adhere to it while air passes through it.

[0155] Additionally, a blower (235) may be further provided to form an airflow (air current) that flows horizontally on the ground via the superhydrophobic nanofilter unit (220). For example, the blower is arranged at the horizontal end of case 2 (205). By installing the blower, fine particles or water vapor generated from the nanoparticle generator (100) can be moved to the rod-shaped filter unit (210) and the superhydrophobic nanofilter unit (220) at a higher speed, thereby enabling more efficient separation of water and salt.

[0156] At this time, ultrasonic energy is generated in the internal space of case 2 (205) through an ultrasonic cleaner (240), and the resulting vibration is transmitted to the rod-shaped filter unit (210) or nano-filter unit (220), thereby removing salt or water droplets attached to each filter and causing them to fall or be dropped into the salt box (250) or water recovery device (225) below, thereby facilitating salt recovery or fresh water desalination.

[0157] Through this, the problem of rapid attachment of salt particles to the filter in the conventional case, making it difficult to continuously separate the salt attached to the filter, and the problem of rapid desalination efficiency being reduced due to the filter being blocked by salt attached to the filter and the performance of allowing water vapor to pass through being reduced can be solved through the rod-shaped filter unit and the super-volatile nano-filter unit.

[0158] Furthermore, unlike conventional systems, the present invention eliminates the need for a liquefaction device in a cooler or chiller. This eliminates the problem of power waste due to high power consumption, while reducing desalination efficiency, as conventional systems require continuous operation of the cooler or chiller despite poor filter performance.

[0159] Figures 20 to 23 are drawings showing the configuration of a large-capacity desalination system (300) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0160] FIG. 20 and FIG. 21 are drawings showing the configuration of a nozzle box (50a, 50b) as an example of a large-capacity desalination system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0161] Referring to FIGS. 20 and 21, the nozzle box (50a) is configured as an external housing that covers the nanoparticle generating device (100). The shape of the nozzle box (50a) is exemplified as having a rectangular cross-section, but is not limited thereto. At this time, the material of the external housing (50) is plastic, such as PVC resin, but is not limited thereto.

[0162] The above nozzle box (50b) can horizontally arrange n nanoparticle generating devices (100) in parallel. In addition, the above nozzle box (50a) can be formed in a plurality of m×n matrix arrangements of the above nanoparticle generating devices (100), thereby enabling large-scale processing.

[0163] For example, a plurality of nozzle holes (m×n) can be formed in a matrix form by forming them on the front surface of the nozzle box (50a) and exposing the nozzle holes (16) of the injection nozzles (10, 10a) to the nozzle holes and joining them in close contact.

[0164] In addition, on one side of the nozzle box (50a), n ball electrodes made of metal can be arranged in parallel or in an m×n matrix as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5. In addition, the ball electrode (41a) is connected to a voltage application unit such as a high-voltage supply device (not shown) installed externally. At this time, the ball electrode (41) is fixedly supported through a connecting line or support member (51) formed on one side of the nozzle box (50a), and is connected to the high-voltage supply device through the connecting line or support member (51). In addition, a needle member is formed on one side of the inner hollow part of a seawater or sewage supply pipe to form an electric field and provide seawater or sewage in an electrified state.

[0165] Accordingly, the connecting line or support (51) can also be installed corresponding to the number of ball electrodes n or m×n, and the nozzle box can be modularized by being formed by connecting the injection nozzle, ball electrode, and needle portion.

[0166] In the nozzle boxes (50a, 50b) formed in this way, a plurality of n or m×n injection nozzles (10, 10a) can be arranged through a voltage application unit, so that as many nanoparticle generating devices as the number of injection nozzles can be arranged. In this way, by modularizing with nozzle boxes (50a, 50b), a plant facility can be formed by arranging one nozzle box module in parallel or in layers. Here, by arranging a plurality of nozzle box modules and salt recovery equipment and water recovery equipment, mass desalination becomes possible.

[0167] FIG. 22 discloses a large-capacity desalination system (300) according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which six desalination devices having a plurality of n injection nozzles and nanoparticle generating devices are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides, first to twelfth desalination devices (200a to 200f, 200a' to 200f'), and a large-scale water recovery device (350) is installed in the center.

[0168] Here, the salt recovery box on the left and the salt recovery box on the right (351) are provided at the bottom of each of the six desalination devices arranged horizontally on the left to recover salt, and one large water recovery device (350) is provided in the center.

[0169] Here, a large water recovery device (350) may be formed with a two-fluid nozzle (320) that sprays cooling water at the top, and may be equipped with a chiller (310) or cooling device to enable desalination in a large volume, and a water tank for storing fresh water may be formed at the bottom.

[0170] Fig. 23 discloses a large-capacity desalination system (300) according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which eight desalination devices (200a to 200h) having a plurality of n injection nozzles and nanoparticle generating devices are formed symmetrically and radially, and a large water recovery device (350) is installed in the center. Here, a salt recovery device may be formed in a donut or ring shape or individually at the bottom of the eight desalination devices (200a to 200h) formed radially.

[0171] In this way, the number of injection nozzles (nanoparticle generating devices) or the number of nozzle box modules that configure multiple injection nozzles into one module in a nozzle box are adjusted to match the desalination capacity and facility size, enabling mass desalination.

[0172] For example, if a nozzle box module is prepared to fit the concrete structure of a location or facility, it can be conveniently installed in an assembled manner without any electric field interference.

[0173] In addition, since one unit of injection nozzles (10, 10a) can produce 500 liters of fresh water per day, one desalination facility with 100 units (10×10) can produce 50 tons of fresh water per day. However, the size constraints of the enclosed space in the case of the desalination facility may be taken into consideration.

[0174] In this way, by adjusting the number of injection nozzles, a customized production device can be provided for not only small-scale home production but also mass production at a factory level.

[0175] For example, large-scale plants are built by optimally connecting multiple modules, enabling efficient plant construction at a lower cost than conventional plants. Furthermore, desalination systems are highly reliable, have low operating costs, and can achieve efficient desalination at a low cost per ton.

[0176] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the first and second embodiments described above, and other embodiments, and can be implemented in various other forms. Furthermore, the first and second embodiments can be combined appropriately to achieve their respective effects.

[0177] The embodiments of the present invention described above are disclosed for the purpose of illustration, and those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications, changes, and additions can be made within the spirit and scope of the present invention, and such modifications, changes, and additions should be considered to fall within the scope of the present patent claims.

[0178] <Explanation of symbols>

[0179] 100, 100a, 100b, 100c: Nanoparticle generator

[0180] 10, 10a: Injection nozzle

[0181] 21: Raw materials

[0182] 22, 22a, 22b, 22c: Raw material supply pipe

[0183] 23, 23a, 23b, 23c: Needle part

[0184] 31: Gas

[0185] 32, 32a, 32b, 32c: Gas supply pipe

[0186] 41, 41a: Electrode

[0187] 42: Earth

[0188] 43: Electric field

[0189] 50, 205: Case

[0190] 50a, 50b: Nozzle box

[0191] 200: Desalination plant

[0192] 210: Rod-shaped filter section

[0193] 211: Salt recovery device

[0194] 212: Electrostatic filter

[0195] 213: Welding

[0196] 220: Superhydrophobic filter section

[0197] 225: Water recovery device

[0198] 235: Blower

[0199] 240: Ultrasonic cleaner

[0200] 250: Salt Recovery Box

[0201] 300: Large-capacity desalination system

[0202] The present invention provides a desalination device for seawater or wastewater, and enables application of such a seawater desalination device to a large-capacity desalination system.

[0203] More specifically, a large-capacity desalination system can be provided in which a plurality of nozzle boxes are formed as units to atomize liquid raw materials of charged seawater or sewage, and a plurality of nozzle boxes are used to separate large-capacity seawater and sewage into water and salt or contamination mixed with foreign substances.

Claims

1. A nanoparticle generating device that generates fine particles by dividing seawater or wastewater into nanoparticles, A desalination device is included that recovers salt or contaminants from fine particles generated through the above nanoparticle generating device through a first filter unit and recovers them as water through a second filter unit. A large-capacity desalination system in which a plurality of nanoparticle generators are horizontally arranged in parallel or in an m×n matrix in a nozzle box as an external housing of the nanoparticle generator.

2. In paragraph 1, By modularizing the above nozzle box, A large-capacity desalination system that assembles multiple modular nozzle boxes in parallel or in stacked configurations.

3. A nanoparticle generating device that generates fine particles by dividing seawater or wastewater into nanoparticles, A desalination device is included that recovers salt or contaminants from fine particles generated through the nanoparticle generating device through a first filter unit and recovers water through a second filter unit; A large-capacity desalination system in which the above desalination devices are symmetrically arranged in multiple numbers on the left and right sides, large salt recovery devices are formed on the lower left and lower right sides, and large water recovery devices are formed in the center.

4. In paragraph 3, A large-capacity desalination system in which a large water recovery device is formed in the center and, instead of symmetrically arranging the desalination devices on the left and right sides, a plurality of desalination devices are symmetrically arranged concentrically around the large water recovery device, and a single salt recovery device is formed in a donut or ring shape at the bottom of the desalination device.

5. In paragraph 3 or 4, The above large-scale water recovery device is a large-capacity desalination system having a spray nozzle formed at the top for spraying compressed air, a cooling device for liquefying water vapor, and a water tank formed at the bottom for storing fresh water.

6. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 5, The above nanoparticle generating device is, A raw material supply unit that provides seawater or sewage; A gas supply unit that provides gas; An electrode arranged to face the raw material supply unit; A voltage application unit that applies voltage between the needle portion of the raw material supply portion and the electrode to form an electric field in the space between them; One side includes a spray nozzle connected to the raw material supply unit and the gas supply unit, mixing the seawater or wastewater with the gas using the flow of the gas provided through the gas supply unit and spraying it to the outside of the other side; The needle part of the above raw material supply unit is electrically grounded, A large-capacity desalination system in which the seawater or wastewater charged through the above-mentioned grounding state is provided to the injection nozzle, the seawater or wastewater charged with an electrostatically induced charge in the gas is mixed to cause an electrostatic explosion phenomenon, thereby generating fine particles by dividing into nanoparticles and injecting the generated fine particles to the outside.

7. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 5, The above first filter section is composed of a plurality of electrostatic filters in the shape of rods, A large-capacity desalination system, wherein the second filter section is composed of a nanofilter.

8. In paragraph 7, A large-capacity desalination system further comprising a salt recovery unit that moves the above-described plurality of electrostatic filters up and down to recover the adsorbed salt.

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