The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 23, 2003
Filed:
Oct. 19, 1999
Charles J. Call, Pasco, WA (US);
Alireza Shekarriz, Columbia, MD (US);
Mike Powell, Kennewick, WA (US);
Seung-Ho Hong, Richland, WA (US);
Robert Beckius, Richland, WA (US);
Ezra Merrill, Albuquerque, NM (US);
MesoSystems Technology, Inc., Kennewick, WA (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for purifying water by using thermal and/or thermocatalytic processes. The method and apparatus are particularly useful for processing impure water to remove and/or deactivate toxic inorganic, organic, and/or biological species such as Sarin, mustard gas, phosgene, cyanogen chloride, anthrax, , Giardia cysts, salmonella, hepatitis, and Norwalk viruses. In the thermal process, contaminated water is heated (preferably superheated) forming steam, whereby a majority of inorganic and biological species are removed or deactivated from the water. The steam is then condensed, forming liquid purified water. In the thermocatalytic process, the steam is brought into contact with a hydrolysis catalyst, preferably in the form of a coated surface or replaceable catalyst element. The hydrolysis catalyst, which may be a metal oxide, thermocatalytically deactivates at least 90% of the organic or biological species in the water, converting them to less toxic organic species or non-viable biological species. Various embodiments of the apparatus are provided, including portable configurations. Each of the embodiments include at least one boiler, at least one condenser, and a water reservoir arranged in heat exchange relationship so as to improve an overall operating efficiency of the apparatus. The apparatus is heated using a portable stove or other heat source, and a counterflow heat exchanger preheats water that is to be vaporized and cools the purified liquid water formed in a condenser.