>arid lands.
>>
>>Subjecting seawater to a low vacuum is then a simple thing. A household
>vacuum cleaner, is capable of producing the pressure differentials that are
>then needed to lower the vaporization point of this preheated water. I use
>the term "Vaporization Point" specifically here to raise an issue. Boiling
>points of all materials is factored at average "means" of all of the
>variables involved, namely presser and temperature. The standards stases
>are sea level, (14.7psi) and (72` F.) for most natural states of materials.
> The "Vaporization Point", of any material is effected, by altering any of
>the variables. Liquid Nitrogen, as we remember it from lab class, is very
>cold, but it was open to the air. Liquid Nitrogen, can be stored at room
>temperature as long as it is under great pressure. With sufficient vacuum
>you can vaporize water seawater at room temperature. The key is to find the
>best economic means to accomplish this.
>>
>>In the case of desert regions that border oceans, the work can mostly done
>by nature, by the use solar power. A friend asked me once, "But gee! This
>would take fields of solar panels covering many acres to do this on a large
>scale, that would cost so much!". Often the obvious is so hard to see. He
>had one of the best solar collectors of all times right before his eyes,
>but could not see it. The dessert itself sits there soaking up
>temperatures that the unshod human foot can not stand. A simple array of
>tubing paced on or near the surface of a graded and prepared section of
>desert, could easily reach temperatures of 160 to 180` F. during the day.
>More than enough thermal potential, to heat vast amounts of sea water.
>What about the roofs of the buildings in the towns and cities, or any
>concrete parking garage, all sustaining vast solar potential? How many of
>us have been scalded on a summer day, by the water coming out the end of a
>garden hose?
>>This need not be a highly engineered system, just a bunch of pipes,
>manifold and laid out in a pattern in the desert sand.
>>
>>Well, why not just boil the water, using an insolating cover, like two
>layers of glass, to intensify the effect?
>>
>>Side note;
>>
>>This is a solution, if low power steam is what you desire, say, to power
>high efficiency steam turbine generators. Once again, not as a total
>replacement of electrical power for a city, but it sure would be nice to
>help with peek demand, middle of day loads. If this is what is desired,
>than I suggest a reflective parabolic trough, but if seawater is used
>directly, this would present a set of new problems, in that the pipes would
>quickly become clogged with salt. This type of steam heat sourcing of
>electricity was very successfully Proofed by Southern California Edison,
>Electric Company, in the 80s, near Daget, California, but this once again,
>was a temporal, a day time solution. Here again is a situation of a
>technology that can benefit from the use of the Knudtson Power cell, to
>extend the use of the electricity by storing the potential as a gas, Hydroxy.
>>
>>The other part of this desalination process is the consideration of
>balance, in the economics of this system. Condensation is accomplished
>quite easily, by re-subjecting the 160` F. Vapor to atmospheric pressure.
>Further cooling of the condensed water can be accommodated by chiller coils
>of recirculating seawater, sourced from below the prime thermal cline of
>the near by sea or ocean.
>>
>>A critical component of this process, still remains, that of the
>vaporization section of this system.
>>
>>I suggest series of long, well insolated, rectangular tanks, with
>perpendicular slots in the top of the tanks. These slots are for the
>insertion of racks of wicks, waited at the bottom and lowered into the hot
>saltwater, coming from the solar array. The water level is designed to
>lower at a metered pace throughout the day, allowing for salt crystal
>formation on the descending wicks. Refilled at the beginning of each
>production cycle, the salt deposits will not re-dissolve into the brine of
>the evaporative solution, because of the progressively higher concentration
>of minerals in the evaporative section tank. The descending wicks just give
>the chrysalis, a place to form. A gasket seal of the lids supporting each
>wick rack, insures that the quality of vacuum in the evaporator section
>remains high.
>>
>>Fresh air flow, in the evaporative section, can be maintained by a series
>of metered pinholes, in each of the wick rack covers. After just a few days
>the wicks will be ready for harvesting as the second product, salt also, is
>a valued commodity, will have collected on the wicks..
>>
>>Replaced with new wick racks, the collected salt laden wicks are then sent
>to a mechanical harvester, where the salt is simply cracked off the wicks,
>in a roller press type of system. I suggest that the wicks be made of 1/2"
>thick acrylic, much like yarn, as it is very durable and could sustain many
>cycles of use. The evaporative section is not directly filled or circulated
>from the solar field, except to replace the quantity of solution that has
>been vaporized in the dry-down cycle. Heat exchanger pipes are channeled
>through the tank, thermostatically controlled, to maintain the optimum
>temperature of the evaporative sections.
>>
>>For those of you who recognize this system, it is the way we used to make
>rock candy, as children.
>>
>>For those of you who are jumping at the issue of the pumps and drive
>motors involved, I might point out that this system is only designed to
>operate 8 hours per day, during times of peek efficiencies. Direct solar
>powered motors are my suggestion, as the sun will be up when the plant goes
>into prime production anyway. DC motors are available in a wide range of
>powers, up to 2000 HP, and in many RPM ratings. I might also point out.
>that a 1 HP motor, can efficiently run a 300 ft. evaporator section. The
>redundancy of evaporators, allows for the system to be shut down, section
>by section, for maintenance or salt harvesting. For those, who would like
>an optimally efficient operation; the maintenance and harvesting, can be
>done by the night crew.
>>
>>
>>As I have said, salt water is an excellent electrolyte, but the byproduct
>of electrolyses, Sodium Chloride is Chlorine gas, and Hydrochloric acid. In
>this way, these negatives are eliminated. By removing the salt from the
>mineral rich sea water. The concentrations of minerals in the evaporative
>sections then leaves a rich, cost free, source of the earth's resources,
>there for the asking. The process of extraction is financed by the
>lucrative products of salt, and fresh water. If you live by a clean river,
>this may not sound like much, but to those countries that geographically
>need this type of technology, this simple cost effective solution is of
>great value, if for only in its' two, prime, products, Fresh Water, and Salt.
>>
>>As far as the extraction of minerals from the residuals of the evaporative
>section, see my posts on ore concentration using, Hydroxy technologies.
>>
>>Can the expensive reverse osmoses, or membrane systems of desalinization
>be replaced by a solar panel, an evaporator tank, and a vacuum cleaner?
>>
>>Yes, but this type of system, anyone can maintain, so in addition to the
>loss of a juicy prime engineering contract, the managing of the system can
>be done by a school boy.
>>
>>Just because something makes sense dose not mean it can be sold.
>>
>>All the best
>>
>>TR Knudtson
>>
>>>==========================================================================
>====
>>>
>>>If you have any knowledge and or experience you are willing to share about
>>>efficient ways of plating metals out of solution with electrolysis I would
>>>be grateful. I have base metals (iron, copper, etc.) along with platinum
>>>group metals in solution in extremely concentrated salt water with a PH of
>>>about 2. I have been precipitating the metals out chemically but am
>>>interested in trying to separate them out electrically. The amount of
>>>metals in solution is also very concentrated. I have plenty of DC power
>>>supplies and plating tanks but very little experience. I would appreciate
>>>any information or advice you might be willing to offer.
>>>
>>>Thanks,
>>>
>>>Dan York
>>>danyork@lyghtforce.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>