Reverse Osmosis Watermaker Heads With Integrated High-Pressure Flow Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing desalinators for recreational watercraft face challenges with space constraints, high manufacturing and assembly costs, and vulnerability of fittings and tubes due to high pressures, necessitating a compact, cost-effective, and reliable design.
Innovation Solution
A reverse osmosis desalinator with integrated flow conduits and valve systems within closure heads, using a double cylinder and piston pressure amplifier, minimizes external fittings and tubes, and employs rods for load balancing under pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If traditional desalinators with separate fittings and tubes are used, then the system can handle high pressures, but the space requirements increase and the assembly becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates flow conduits and valve seats directly into the closure heads, merging previously separate components (fittings, tubes, valves) into unified structures. This consolidation eliminates the need for multiple external fittings and tubes, reducing both space requirements and assembly complexity while maintaining high-pressure handling capability
Solution Approach 2:
The closure heads are designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: they close the cylindrical vessels, integrate flow conduits for water passage, incorporate valve seats for flow control, and provide mounting points for membranes. This multi-functionality reduces the overall number of components needed in the desalinator system
2Reliability
If multiple external fittings and tubes are used for high-pressure connections, then the system can be assembled, but the manufacturing costs increase and the system becomes more vulnerable to damage
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating flow conduits and valve seats into the closure heads as single-piece machined components, the patent eliminates numerous external fittings and tubes that would require separate manufacturing, inventory management, and assembly. This reduction in component count lowers manufacturing costs and eliminates potential failure points, thereby improving reliability and damage resistance
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and eliminates the need for vulnerable external fittings and tubes by incorporating their functions directly into the closure heads. This removal of extraneous components reduces the system's vulnerability to damage while simplifying the manufacturing process
3Reliability
If complex valve systems and flow conduits are assembled separately, then the system can be built, but the assembly time increases and the reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The integration of flow conduits and valve seats into the closure heads as pre-assembled units eliminates the need for field assembly of these critical components. This merging of components ensures proper alignment and sealing from the start, improving connection reliability while significantly reducing assembly time during installation
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 design achieves reduced space requirements, simplified assembly, lower manufacturing costs, and enhanced durability by integrating conduits and valves within heads, ensuring ease of installation and reduced damage risk.
Implementation Method 1
a pressure amplifier of the double cylinder and piston type to transform a medium-pressure water flow generated by a pump into a high-pressure flow suitable to supply the reverse osmosis membranes
Implementation Method 2
reverse osmosis membranes of a desalinator
Implementation Method 3
reverse osmosis desalinator
Data Source
Figure 1~13
Figure 7~12
AI summary
A reverse osmosis desalinator comprising a pressure amplifier of the double cylinder and piston type, a respective closure head for each cylinder, at least one reverse osmosis group with a highpressure container which is closed at the opposite axial ends by respective heads, as well as valve systems and flow conduits which are connected to the heads in order to control the pressurized water flow from and towards the pressure amplifier and the flow of product and discharge from and towards the reverse osmosis group. At least part of the flow conduits and/or of the seats of the valve systems are integrated in the heads.