GEINE will be the first to integrate renewable resources of water current to create a desalination/water purification system in a single unit. This unique concept and innovative approach combines energy produced by a water-current-generator and a submerged - water- filtration-system.

GEINE Desalination System (GDS)

The GEINE Desalination System operates in a seawater environment located on coastal areas with sufficient ocean currents. Desalinated water is produced in a submerged vessel located at approx 80ft (25m) under the ocean surface, secured by cables and anchors. Pumping energy is provided by a water-current-generator. Product water is pumped to shore through an underwater pipeline using the energy of the water-current-generator. Immersion and surfacing of a vessel is controlled by a proprietary hoisting system which doesn’t require disconnecting the pipelines. Production is therefore uninterrupted during the maintenance process.

One GDS vessel can desalinate up to 65,000 gallons per day (250 m3). An array of vessels can increase production at will. The minimum sea current velocity required is 0.5 mph, or approx 20 cm/s. Electricity is only required to run the solenoid controls and monitoring sensors. High quality product water is produced using the latest commercial reverse osmosis membrane technology. Depending on the selected membrane type, the GDS can operate under difficult feed water conditions, up to 20 SDI.

Energy costs for desalination are still high, and one of the main drawbacks to the use of reverse osmosis systems is the pumping energy required for raising the sea water to the pressures necessary for osmotic separation. These pressures are typically in the neighborhood of 800 to 1000psi. The problem is amplified by the increasing cost of energy and the ongoing decreasing supply of available energy resources.
Seawater desalination plants located onshore require numerous energy intensive pumping processes:

1) Pumping the feed water to the plant,
2) Pumping to pre-filtrate the feed water and raise the pressure to meet the minimal feed pressure required by the high pressure pumps.
3) Pumping to raise the feed water pressure to reverse osmosis operational pressure above 800 PSI,
4) Pumping the brine back to the ocean,
5) and pumping the product water to a storage tank and the distribution network.

The GDS eliminates the first two pumping processes by using the hydrostatic pressure of the ocean, and merges the remaining three processes into one, using exclusively renewable energy.

The GDS brine disposal is environmentally friendly, using an exclusive dispersion system. The brine is released in the middle of ocean currents at mid-depth, thus providing a rapid dispersion with minimum impact on the environment. The GDS also reduces the risk of sea life impingement through the feed water intake system. The modular configuration allows an efficient dispersion of the suction effect as the desalination vessels are kept at a specific distance from each other. Finally, no pretreatment chemicals are required in the desalination process.

Global Energies Inc.