Evaporative Cooling Tower for Brine Concentration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional brine treatment systems for highly concentrated brine solutions are complex and costly, and diluted brine solutions often require removal and replacement due to rain and snow-induced dilution, which complicates maintaining the desired salt concentration for storing commercial gases and liquids.
Innovation Solution
A cooling tower system with a heat-exchange assembly and nozzles that evaporate water from a brine solution by transferring moisture from the brine to air, using a housing with an air inlet and outlet, and heat-exchange media to reduce moisture content and concentrate the brine solution, while also incorporating fans and mist eliminators to manage air flow and remove sodium chloride.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional brine treatment systems are used to remove excess water from diluted brine, then the brine solution can be returned to desired salt concentration, but the treatment systems are complicated and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical treatment systems with a natural evaporative process. The cooling tower uses air flow through fill media to evaporate water from diluted brine, concentrating it back to desired salt levels without complex mechanical equipment. This substitutes mechanical treatment with a thermal-evaporative process that is simpler and more cost-effective.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state parameters of the brine solution by controlling evaporation rate, air temperature, and humidity within the cooling tower. By adjusting these parameters, the system efficiently concentrates diluted brine to the desired salt concentration while maintaining operational simplicity.
2Manufacturing precision
If diluted brine is discarded and replaced with highly concentrated brine, then the desired salt concentration is maintained, but this complicates operations and increases cost
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of discarding diluted brine, the invention recovers it by processing it through the cooling tower system. The diluted brine is fed into the cooling tower where water evaporates, recovering the salt concentration and allowing the brine to be reused in the storage facility, thereby eliminating disposal and replacement operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling tower system performs self-service concentration of diluted brine using natural evaporation processes driven by air flow. The system requires minimal external intervention, automatically concentrating the brine to desired levels through the interaction of air flow and brine on the fill media, reducing operational complexity.
3Device complexity
If a cooling tower system with heat-exchange media is used to evaporate water from brine, then the treatment process is simplified and costs are reduced, but the system requires careful management of air flow and moisture transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling tower uses fill media as an intermediary between the brine and air. This media provides a large surface area for moisture transfer, facilitating efficient evaporation while allowing easy control of the process by adjusting air flow rates. The fill media acts as a mediator that simplifies the interaction between brine and air, making the system easier to manage.
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 system effectively evaporates water from diluted brine solutions, concentrating the brine and maintaining the desired salt concentration, thereby simplifying the treatment process and reducing costs by utilizing a more efficient and straightforward method.
Implementation Method 1
The heat-exchange media may transfer moisture from the brine solution to the air to reduce the moisture content of the brine solution
Implementation Method 2
The at least one nozzle may receive the brine solution from the brine inlet and may transfer the brine solution from the brine inlet to the heat-exchange media
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling tower for evaporating water from a brine solution is provided and may include a housing having an air inlet and a brine inlet. The cooling tower may also include a heat-exchange assembly having a heat-exchange media that suspends the brine solution and at least one nozzle in fluid communication with the brine inlet. The at least one nozzle may receive the brine solution from the brine inlet and may transfer the brine solution from the brine inlet to the heat-exchange media to allow the heat-exchange media to transfer moisture from the brine solution to air received from the air inlet to reduce the moisture content of the brine solution.