Apparatus, systems and methods for management of raw water and emissions utilizing heat and/or pressure energy within combustion gas sources

Abstract

The invention relates to methods, systems and apparatus for distributed management of raw water and internal combustion engine (ICE) gas emissions generated during industrial operations. One aspect of the invention at least partially utilizes a hot gas air knife to increase or partially increase surface area between a raw water and a hot gas in order to vaporize a proportion of the aqueous phase of the raw water and concentrate contaminants within a residual raw water concentrate. The water vapor generated by the vaporization process may be demisted, discharged directly to the atmosphere or alternatively condensed and captured for use. Another aspect relates to how the liquids and gasses interact to continuously flush the surfaces of the system which may help mitigate scaling issues. The invention may help facilitate rapid transfer of ICE combustion gas particulate and ICE combustion gas chemicals onto and into the raw water as it concentrates.

1 - 121 . (canceled) 
     
     
         122 . An adaptor for connecting a gas source from an associated gas source to a raw water vaporization system, the adaptor comprising:
 a gas conduit having a gas connector at an inlet orifice for connecting the conduit to gas source piping;   an air knife at an outflow end of the gas conduit, the gas conduit having an outflow orifice for connection to a shearing chamber of a raw water vaporization system and configured to direct at least a section of the gas within the gas conduit to within the shearing chamber to effect raw water shearing.   
     
     
         123 . The adaptor as in  claim 122 , wherein the adaptor is configured to constrict gas flow enabling an increase in gas velocity at the outflow orifice in relation to the velocity of the inlet orifice of the adaptor. 
     
     
         124 . The adaptor as in  claim 122 , wherein the gas source is one or more of: an engine exhaust; an internal combustion engine exhaust; a turbine engine exhaust; and a combustion gas from a flame. 
     
     
         125 . The adaptor as in  claim 122 , wherein the adaptor is configured to connect to a gas piping configuration, including a Y or Tee shaped pipe, and the gas conduit comprises:
 a release valve, the release valve configured when open to allow gas from the gas source to be vented into atmosphere either directly or through an adjacent muffler and when released allows the valve to close or partially close and to direct at least a portion of gas towards the air knife adaptor; and   a control valve configured when open to allow gas to be directed through the air knife and when closed to prevent gas being directed through the air knife.   
     
     
         126 . The adaptor as in  claim 122 , wherein the air knife is a gas diverter and/or includes a gas diverter within or adjacent to the outflow orifice. 
     
     
         127 . The adaptor as in  claim 126 , wherein the diverter is adjustable and can be acted on by any one or combination of manual setting, spring, pneumatics, hydraulics, air pressure, backpressure, electric or other programmable logic control controlled device to increase or decrease gas velocity within the outflow orifice in relation to the inlet orifice. 
     
     
         128 . The adaptor as in  claim 126 , wherein the air knife is an air channel containing a series of holes or continuous slots configured such that pressurized gas exits in a laminar flow pattern. 
     
     
         129 . A raw water vaporization system comprising:
 a shearing chamber;   a raw water nozzle configured to introduce a raw water flow in the shearing chamber;   a hot gas conduit having an air knife at an outflow end of the hot gas conduit, the air knife configured to direct at least a portion of the hot gas into the raw water flow inside the shearing chamber to effect raw water vaporization and shearing.   
     
     
         130 . The apparatus of  claim 129 , wherein the air knife is configured to induce a hot gas speed within the shearing chamber of:
 between 40 m/s and 150 m/s when water inlet pressure is 2-100 psi or when fine to very course droplet sizes are introduced into the gas velocity; or   between 1 m/s and 60 m/s when water inlet pressure is 10-500 psi or when fog droplets to course droplet sizes are introduced into the gas velocity.   
     
     
         131 . The apparatus of  claim 129 , wherein the air knife configured to distribute hot gas in a hollow cone distribution profile. 
     
     
         132 . The apparatus of  claim 129 , wherein the air knife is adjustable and wherein the raw water vaporization system is configured to actively or passively control the air knife to maintain gas flow velocity from the air knife within a threshold range. 
     
     
         133 . A raw water vaporization system comprising:
 a vaporization chamber comprising interior walls;   a raw water nozzle configured to introduce raw water into the vaporization chamber;   a hot gas conduit at a first end of the vaporization chamber and the hot gas conduit having a directed outflow orifice configured to direct hot gas into the raw water ejected from the raw water nozzle so as to vaporize a portion of the raw water and to drive a remaining raw water portion against the interior walls, wherein the vaporization chamber and directed outflow orifice of the hot gas conduit are substantially circularly symmetric such that a geometry of the interior walls, the hot gas being delivered and spray nozzle are concentrically aligned in a manner that allows substantially all of surfaces to be wetted and self-washing when raw water is being injected into the vaporization chamber.   
     
     
         134 . The raw water vaporization system of  claim 133 , further comprising a deflector plate configured to deflect at least a portion of a raw water flow from the deflector plate towards the interior walls of the chamber. 
     
     
         135 . The raw water vaporization system of  claim 133 , wherein the vaporization chamber includes a second end configured to allow at least a portion of the remaining raw water portion to drain from the vaporization chamber. 
     
     
         136 . The raw water vaporization system of  claim 133 , wherein the hot gas outflow orifice is configured to introduce hot gas into a top of the chamber. 
     
     
         137 . The raw water vaporization system of  claim 133 , wherein the chamber is a cylinder. 
     
     
         138 . The raw water vaporization system of  claim 133 , wherein the raw water nozzle forms a hollow cone of raw water as the raw water leaves the nozzle. 
     
     
         139 . The raw water vaporization system of  claim 133 , wherein raw water flow within the vaporization chamber from the first end to a second end is substantially in a form of a toroid along the interior walls of the vaporization chamber. 
     
     
         140 . The raw water vaporization system of  claim 133 , wherein the raw water vaporization system comprises a rotational-flow inducer positioned below or adjacent the deflector to induce an axially rotational motion to gas flow exiting from the shearing chamber. 
     
     
         141 . The raw water vaporization system of  claim 140 , wherein the rotational-flow inducer comprises a stator. 
     
     
         142 . The raw water vaporization system of  claim 140 , wherein the rotational-flow inducer comprises an actively or passively driven rotor. 
     
     
         143 . The raw water vaporization system of  claim 133 , wherein the vaporization chamber, the raw water nozzle, and the hot gas conduit are configured such that, in use, substantially all of the interior walls of the vaporization chamber is flushed by the remaining raw water portion. 
     
     
         144 . A method of assembling a raw water vaporization system at a remote site having a gas source and gas piping, the method comprising the steps of:
 configuring an adaptor to the gas source, the adaptor comprising a gas conduit having a gas connector at an inlet orifice for connecting the gas conduit to the gas piping, the adaptor further comprising an air knife at an outflow end of the gas conduit, the gas conduit having an outflow orifice for connection to a shearing chamber of a raw water vaporization system and configured to direct at least a section of the gas within the gas conduit to within the shearing chamber to effect raw water shearing;   attaching a vaporization chamber to the adaptor;   attaching a raw water supply to the vaporization chamber.