APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR THE RECOVERY AND PURIFICATION OF WATER FROM THE EXHAUST GASES OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES

摘要

An apparatus and method of use with internal combustion engines, such as used for land vehicles, for the on-board recovery and purification of water. The source of water is from the vehicle's exhaust, where it is collected by condensation. The water recovery system consists of a device for cooling the exhaust so as to condense out the water, such as a counter-current flow heat exchanger in combination with a chiller (a refrigerant-cooled heat exchanger), which cools the exhaust below its dew point. Exhaust condensate is collected at the outlet of the chiller. These cooling devices may be coupled with the vehicle's air conditioning system. The condensed water then flows through the water purification portion of the present invention. The water purification system can rely upon solids filtration and different forms of activated carbons and activated carbon fiber composite materials which can be used in combination with ion exchange resins to provide a water purification train which is integrated with the water recover unit on board the vehicle. The water can be purified to have a TOC of less than 2 ppm to meet EPA drinking water standards, as well as Department of Defense tri-service requirements for long-term consumption as specified in TB Med 577. Potable water can be produced at a rate of approximately up to 0.7 gallons/gallon fuel utilizing a HMMWV diesel engine. This allows production of about 15 gallons per day of potable water on-board the HMMWV (based on consumption of about 30 gallons of fuel per day).