Claims
- 1. A desalinization method for removing salt from sea water, said desalinization method comprising, in combination, the steps of:
- positioning a filter and separator means for filtering sea water and separating salt from the filtered sea water at a first predetermined location at a substantial distance below the surface of a body of sea water, said filter and separator means including a housing defining a fluid flow path, an inlet to said fluid flow path, an exit from said fluid flow path, and a desalinated sea water outlet located between said inlet and said exit, said inlet, said exit and said desalinated sea water outlet being in communication with said fluid flow path, said separator means further including at least one membrane separating salt from the sea water;
- flowing sea water filtered by the filter in a controlled flow through said housing along said fluid flow path between the inlet and exit, said controlled flow maintained at the head pressure of said body of sea water at said first predetermined location;
- establishing communication between the inlet, the exit, the desalinated sea water outlet and said body of sea water while said separator means is at said first predetermined location and pressurizing said fluid flow path with the head pressure of said body of sea water to force sea water through said at least one membrane and through said desalinated sea water outlet;
- removing salt from the sea water forced through said at least one membrane and through said desalinated sea water outlet to produce at least partially desalinated sea water at said desalinated sea water outlet;
- maintaining a pressure at said desalinated sea water outlet which is less than the head pressure of said body of sea water at said first predetermined location to promote flow of sea water through said desalinated sea water outlet and said at least one membrane; and
- transporting the at least partially desalinated sea water from said desalinated sea water outlet to a predetermined discharge location by pumping the at least partially desalinated sea water from said first location to said predetermined discharge location.
- 2. The method according to claim 1 including the additional step of accumulating a quantity of at least partially desalinated sea water in a chamber under the surface after the at least partially desalinated sea water exits from said desalinated sea water outlet and before transport thereof to said second predetermined location, said transporting step including pumping said at least partially desalinated sea water from said chamber to said discharge location,while applying vacuum at the desalinated sea water outlet.
- 3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said first predetermined location is at least about 461 meters below the surface of a body of sea water.
- 4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said separator means includes a plurality of membranes for separating salt from the sea water, said flowing step comprising flowing sea water seriatim along a surface of each of said plurality of membranes during the step of removing the salt from the sea water.
- 5. The method according to claim 4 wherein sea water is forced through each of said membranes to remove salt from the sea water, said method including the step of accumulating the at least partially desalinated sea water forced through each of the membranes.
- 6. Apparatus for removing salt from sea water in a body of sea water having a surface and for producing at least partially desalinated sea water comprising, in combination:
- a filter connected to separator means for filtering sea water and separating salt from the filtered sea water at a first predetermined location at a substantial distance below the surface of said body of sea water, said filter and separator means including a housing defining a fluid flow path, an inlet to said fluid flow path, an exit from said fluid flow path and a desalinated sea water outlet located between said inlet and said exit, said inlet, said exit and said desalinated sea water outlet being in communication with said fluid flow path, said separator means further including at least one membrane for separating salt from the sea water, said inlet and said exit in communication with said body of water while said filter and said separator means are in said first predetermined location at a substantial distance below the surface of said body of water to pressurize said fluid flow path with the head pressure of said body of sea water and employ the head pressure of said body of sea water to force sea water through at least one membrane and through said desalinated sea water outlet, said separator means operable to remove salt from the sea water forced through said at least one membrane and through the desalinated sea water outlet to produce an least partially desalinated sea water at said desalinated sea water outlet, means for promoting a controlled flow of sea waters through said housing along said fluid flow path between said inlet and said exit, and maintaining the flow of sea water at least at the head pressure of said body of sea water at said first predetermined location, means for maintaining a pressure at said desalinated sea water outlet which is less than the head pressure of said body of sea water at said first predetermined location to promote flow of sea water through said outlet and said at least one membrane, and for transporting the at least partially desalinated sea water from said desalinated sea water outlet to a predetermined discharge location, including conduit means extending between the first predetermined location and the predetermined discharge location and pump means for pumping the at least partially desalinated sea water from the first predetermined location to said predetermined discharge location through said conduit means.
- 7. The apparatus according to claim 6 additionally comprising means defining a chamber for receiving a quantity of the at least partially desalinated sea water connected to said desalinated sea water outlet and to said pump means for pumping said at least partially desalinated sea water from said chamber and applying a vacuum at the desalinated sea water outlet.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation, of application Ser. No. 07/982,593 filed Nov. 27, 1992, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (18)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
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1414138 |
Jul 1967 |
GBX |
2068774 |
Aug 1981 |
GBX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
982593 |
Nov 1992 |
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