Coaxial Distillation Device with Self-Cleaning Auger
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current water distillation units are bulky, require manual operation, are inefficient in energy use, and fail to effectively remove all contaminants, leading to a lack of appeal in taste due to mineral removal.
Innovation Solution
A compact, self-contained liquid distillation device with a coaxial configuration that includes a rotating paddle/auger for automatic cleaning and efficient heat transfer, using a ceramic valve for controlled operation and adding flavor/minerals to purified water, reducing energy consumption and eliminating manual cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual cleaning is used to remove mineral deposits, then the distillation chamber can be cleaned, but labor time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element automatically cleans the distillation chamber by heating it to a temperature that dissolves mineral deposits, eliminating the need for manual disassembly and cleaning. The system uses its own operational heat to perform the cleaning function, and the cleaned water flushes away dissolved deposits during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs cleaning during the distillation cycle by heating the chamber to dissolve deposits before they accumulate to problematic levels. This preliminary cleaning action prevents the need for intensive manual cleaning later.
2Reliability
If activated carbon filter is used to capture contaminants, then water purification improves, but the filter becomes saturated and requires manual replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element automatically cleans the distillation chamber by heating it to a temperature that dissolves mineral deposits, eliminating the need for manual disassembly and cleaning. The system uses its own operational heat to perform the cleaning function, and the cleaned water flushes away dissolved deposits during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the temperature parameter during operation to facilitate self-cleaning. By periodically heating the chamber to a higher temperature, mineral deposits are dissolved and removed, maintaining cleaning effectiveness without manual intervention.
3Reliability
If distillation process is used to purify water, then contaminants are removed, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system combines the cleaning function with the distillation operation. The heating element serves dual purposes: purifying water through distillation and cleaning the distillation chamber by dissolving mineral deposits. This merging of functions reduces overall energy consumption by eliminating separate cleaning cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating element operates continuously during distillation to both purify water and maintain a clean distillation chamber. The cleaning action occurs continuously during the heating phase, ensuring no energy is wasted on separate cleaning operations.
4Reliability
If distillation is used to remove minerals, then pure water is produced, but taste appeal decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system selectively removes contaminants while preserving beneficial minerals through controlled distillation. The heating element's temperature and duration are optimized to vaporize impurities while retaining essential minerals in the condensed water, maintaining both purity and taste appeal.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device provides pure, cost-effective, and flavorful water with reduced energy consumption, capable of scaling for various applications, including household and industrial use, while maintaining a compact design and automatic maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
The distillation process involves heating the water to produce steam
Implementation Method 2
a heating element, which heats the liquid in the distillation chamber at least to a boiling point of the liquid
Implementation Method 3
followed by a cooling or condensing of the steam to yield pure water
Implementation Method 4
a condenser...cooled by a blower...condense distilled vapors of the liquid inside the condenser
Implementation Method 5
a blower...moves environmental air along the condenser to cool the condenser
Implementation Method 6
turns the rotator about the central axis at a speed sufficient to form liquid inside the distillation chamber into a film coating the interior surface
Implementation Method 7
The rotator may be in the form of a paddle, an auger, and/or a brush that directly or indirectly contacts the interior cylindrical surface of the distillation chamber and cleans the surface
Implementation Method 8
A valve controller selectively actuates the valve to fluidically connect the ports to the distillation chamber in a given sequence
Data Source
AI summary
A multiple application recycling and purification device has a coaxial core that is horizontally oriented, non-rotating, cylindrical distillation chamber. The enhanced, completely coaxial configuration continuously cleans the entire distillation chamber and spreads a thin film of liquid to enhance distillation and positively aid in the removal of remaining contaminants. Through a timed and positioned valve, the device removes and purges lower-temperature contaminants. Timed valves and sensors control all phases of the distillation to provide a coaxially integrated, stand-alone, adaptable, scalable and maintenance free distillation unit that self-monitors, self-cleans and economically functions to produce the pure distilled liquid, e.g., water. This device can be modified to purify any numerous array of liquids and can be scaled to produce any amount of purified liquids for either household, commercial, or industrial applications.