Co-generation power system for supplying electricity to an air-water recovery system

Abstract

A mobile, self-propelled platform, which includes an enclosed trailer containing a portable air-water recovery system, is disclosed. This trailer includes a wind turbine mounted outside of the closed trailer environment, and adapted for recovery of energy from an exhaust air stream that is vented from within the enclosed trailer environment. The energy generated from such exhaust air stream is used to supplement traditional power sources associated with the operation of water generation process. The energy recovered from the exhaust air stream is projected to reduce the overall operating cost of the air-water recovery system by least 25%, based upon its current energy consumption needs. This system has application to other environments in which a force air stream is produce incident to operation of a primary process, as for example, where a high pressure, air dryer is used to remove moisture from a product, or to accelerate a curing operation.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] This invention relates to an energy recovery system for use in conjunction with a portable water recovery facility. More specifically, the invention is directed to the use of a dry air exhaust from an air-water recovery facility to propel at least one air turbine powered electrical generator associated with such facility. [0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art [0004] The use of air turbine powered electrical generators for harnessing wind energy and conversion thereof to electrical power is well-known. Typically, such air turbines are mounted on a post at a fixed location, and further provided with a vane to position the blades of the turbine into the wind or air stream, U.S. Pat. No. 6,800,965 (to Bartlett, issued Oct. 5, 2005) being representative of this class of device. [0005] Air turbine powered generators have also been adapted to mobile platforms, and the turbine blades propelled by an air stream created by t...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0017] In either case, a substantial amount of energy is produced / co-generated, which materially reduces the overall consumption of diesel fuel, and consequently the cost of operation of the system, relative to the volume of water recovered per unit of energy consumed.

Problems solved by technology

The electrical power needs in developing countries are often inadequate to supply basic services required to both sustain life and for sanitation purposes.

Solar power, although becoming increasing more cost effective, is still inadequate to provide substantial energy demands in industrial and military environments, particularly, where the environment may shift from one remote location to another.

Thus, fixed power generating devices, e.g. solar panels, wind turbines, are impractical and otherwise inadequate because of the obvious dependency upon the natural cycles of the sun and the wind.

This shortcoming in power delivery is also problematic for portable air-water recovery systems, such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,989 (to Reidy, issued Apr. 20, 1993.

This arrangement obviously requires continuous operation of the diesel powered electrical generator for each of the distinct modules of the recovery system to operate, and consequently requires substantial fossil fuel consumption.

Accordingly, both cost and logistical requirements of these systems has limited their application to emergency environments and military applications, where cost and fuel supplies are subordinate to the necessity of having an adequate supply of potable water.

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