A PROCESS FOR OBTAINING WATER FROM SALINE WATER

摘要

A process and apparatus 10 for extracting water 26 from saline water 14 (including sea water) which recycles cooled water 26 and saline-rich solution 24 from a downstream part of the process to an upstream part of the process to reduce the work required of the refrigeration installation. The work required is further reduced by using a refrigerant 21 from a source independent of the freezer refrigerant 20 to lower the condensing temperature of refrigerant 20. With the apparatus described 32, the extra work of compression is less than the work reduction required to compress refrigerant 20. It is also shown how an absorption refrigeration cycle, utilising waste heat as an energy source, can be used to further reduce the overall work required for vapour compression. The ice 22, water 26 and saline-rich solution 24 are the only coolants required in the total process 10.