摘要 |
A submerged Bladder with a floor level fixed to a height the same as or just below the lowest low tide level has flexible side-walls and a ceiling which is fixed to a floating Buoy. The Bladder flexible walls have a height that is slightly over the length of the lowest low tide level and the highest high tide level. Seawater desalination membranes are fixed under the floor or integrated into the floor. As the tide rises, the Buoy rises with it. The rising Buoy causes the Bladder to open up. As the Bladder opens up, seawater is pulled into the Bladder to fill the new space available inside the Bladder. The seawater is desalinated as it travels through the membranes, and enters the Bladder as desalinated potable water. At peak high tide mark, the Bladder outlet pipe is opened to drain the contents of the Bladder to an on-shore Reservoir. During the draining process, an air-lock valve on top of the Bladder is opened to aid drainage of water. This operation takes place twice a day consistent with tidal flow, every day, for any volume of water, with no cost for external power source. |