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 . A raw water vaporization system (RWVS) comprising:
 an engine exhaust conduit configured to an exhaust gas source to convey exhaust gas;   a shearing chamber having an exhaust gas inlet connected to the engine exhaust conduit, the shearing chamber having:
 a raw water inlet operatively positioned adjacent the exhaust gas inlet to enable rapid interaction between input raw water and exhaust gas; 
 a concentrated water outlet; and, 
 an exhaust outlet; and, 
   a concentrator tank having:
 a concentrated water inlet for introducing concentrated water from the shearing chamber into the concentrator tank; 
 a second raw water inlet for introducing raw water into the concentrator tank from a source; 
 a raw water outlet for introducing raw water from the concentrator tank to the shearing chamber; and, 
 a brine outlet for removing a concentrated brine solution from the concentrator tank. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system as in  claim 1  further comprising a control system for controlling flow of raw water to the concentrator tank and flow of raw water from the concentrator tank to the shearing chamber. 
     
     
         3 . The system as in  claim 2  wherein the control system further controls flow of the concentrated brine solution from the concentrator tank to a bulk concentrate storage tank. 
     
     
         4 . The system as in  claim 1  wherein the concentrator tank further includes a connected condensate tank configured to collect floating components from the concentrator tank. 
     
     
         5 . The system as in  claim 2  wherein the control system further controls flow of concentrate from the condensate tank to a bulk condensate recovery tank. 
     
     
         6 . The system as in  claim 2  wherein the control system includes a pump configured to the raw water inlet and the flow of raw water into the shearing chamber is and the controller is configured to prevent scale buildup in the shearing chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The system as in  claim 1  where the exhaust gas inlet includes a compression diverter configured to accelerate exhaust gas on entry to the shearing chamber. 
     
     
         8 . The system as in  claim 1  where the exhaust conduit includes an air inlet to introduce additional air into the exhaust conduit. 
     
     
         9 . The system as in  claim 1  where the exhaust conduit includes a blower to divert exhaust gas from the exhaust gas source to the shearing chamber. 
     
     
         10 . The system as in  claim 1  wherein the concentrator tank includes a skid. 
     
     
         11 . The system as in  claim 2  wherein the control system is configured with at least one exhaust gas pressure transmitter operatively connected upstream of the shearing chamber for monitoring pressure of gases being delivered to the shearing chamber. 
     
     
         12 . The system as in  claim 1 , wherein the raw water inlet includes nozzles configured to distribute raw water in a hollow cone distribution profile in the shearing chamber. 
     
     
         13 . A raw water vaporization system (RWVS) comprising:
 a vaporization chamber comprising interior walls;   a raw water nozzle configured to introduce raw water into the chamber;   a hot gas conduit at a first end of the vaporization chamber and 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 chamber and directed outflow orifice of the hot gas conduit are substantially circularly symmetric such that the geometry of the interior walls, the hot gas being delivered and the spray nozzle are concentrically aligned in a manner that allows substantially all of the surfaces to be wetted and self-washing when raw water is being injected into the chamber.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13  further comprising a deflector plate and wherein the deflector plate is configured to deflect at least a portion of the raw water flow from the deflector plate towards the interior walls of the chamber. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , 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 chamber. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the RWVS 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. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the rotational-flow inducer comprises a stator. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the rotational-flow inducer comprises an actively or passively driven rotor. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the vaporization chamber, raw water nozzle, and 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. 
     
     
         20 . A raw water vaporization system (RWVS) comprising:
 a vaporization chamber comprising interior walls;   a raw water nozzle configured to introduce raw water into the chamber;   a 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;   a centripetal demisting chamber operatively connected to the vaporization chamber; and,   a rotational-flow inducer configured to induce an axially rotational motion to gas, at least a portion of the vaporized raw water and gas entrained vaporized water exiting from the vaporization chamber into the centripetal demisting chamber such that rotational motion about the axis is induced which separates at least a portion of the un-vaporized water and gas entrained raw water droplets from the hot gas and water vapor.