1. A vapor-compression evaporation system, comprising:
a plurality of vessels in series each containing a feed having a nonvolatile component, a first set of the plurality of vessels comprising vapor-compression evaporators and a second set of the plurality of vessels comprising multi-effect evaporators;
a mechanical compressor coupled to the last vessel in the series of vapor-compression evaporators and operable to receive a vapor therefrom;
a turbine coupled to, and operable to drive, the mechanical compressor;
a pump operable to deliver a cooling liquid to the mechanical compressor;
a tank coupled to the mechanical compressor and operable to separate liquid and vapor received from the mechanical compressor;
a plurality of heat exchangers coupled inside respective ones of the vessels, the heat exchanger in the first vessel in the first set operable to receive the vapor from the tank, at least some of the vapor condensing therein, whereby the heat of condensation provides the heat of evaporation to the first vessel in the first set; and
wherein at least some of the vapor inside the first vessel in the first set is delivered to the heat exchanger in the next vessel in the first set, whereby the condensing, evaporating, and delivering steps continue until the last vessel in the second set is reached.
2. The vapor-compression evaporation system of claim 1, wherein the nonvolatile component is selected from the group consisting of salt and sugar.
3. The vapor-compression evaporation system of claim 1, wherein the feed is degassed feed.
4. The vapor-compression evaporation system of claim 1, wherein the turbine comprises a gas turbine.
5. The vapor-compression evaporation system of claim 1, wherein the turbine comprises a gas turbine and a steam turbine.
6. The vapor-compression evaporation system of claim 1, further comprising a condenser coupled to the last vessel in the second set for removing energy from the last vessel in the second set.
7. The vapor-compression evaporation system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of devices coupled to respective ones of the vessels for removing concentrated feed from respective ones of the vessels.
8. The vapor-compression evaporation system of claim 1, wherein the cooling liquid comprises saltwater or freshwater.
9. The vapor-compression evaporation system of claim 1, wherein the mechanical compressor comprises first and second mechanical compressors in series, the first mechanical compressor driven by one of a steam turbine and a gas turbine, the second mechanical compressor driven by the other of the steam turbine and the gas turbine.
10. The vapor-compression evaporation system of claim 9, further comprising an intercooler coupled between the first and second mechanical compressors, the intercooler operable to receive the cooling liquid from the pump.
11. The vapor-compression evaporation system of claim 8, wherein the intercooler comprises a demister operable to prevent liquid droplets from entering the second mechanical compressor.
12. The vapor-compression evaporation system of claim 1, wherein the mechanical compressor comprises first and second mechanical compressors in parallel, the first mechanical compressor driven by one of a steam turbine and a gas turbine, the second mechanical compressor driven by the other of the steam turbine and the gas turbine.
13. A vapor-compression evaporation system, comprising:
a plurality of vessels in series each containing a feed having a nonvolatile component, a first set of the plurality of vessels comprising vapor-compression evaporators and a second set of the plurality of vessels comprising multi-effect evaporators;
a mechanical compressor coupled to the last vessel in the series of vapor-compression evaporators and operable to receive a vapor therefrom;
an internal combustion engine coupled to the mechanical compressor and operable to drive the mechanical compressor;
a pump operable to deliver a cooling liquid to the mechanical compressor;
a tank coupled to the mechanical compressor and operable to separate liquid and vapor received from the mechanical compressor;
a plurality of heat exchangers coupled inside respective ones of the vessels, the heat exchanger in the first vessel in the first set operable to receive the vapor from the tank, at least some of the vapor condensing therein, whereby the heat of condensation provides the heat of evaporation to the first vessel in the first set; and
wherein at least some of the vapor inside the first vessel in the first set is delivered to the heat exchanger in the next vessel in the first set, whereby the condensing, evaporating, and delivering steps continue until the last vessel in the second set is reached.
14. The vapor-compression evaporation system of claim 13, wherein the nonvolatile component is selected from the group consisting of salt and sugar.
15. The vapor-compression evaporation system of claim 13, wherein the internal combustion engine comprises a Diesel engine or an Otto cycle engine.
16. The vapor-compression evaporation system of claim 13, further comprising a condenser coupled to the last vessel in the second set for removing energy from the last vessel in the second set.
17. The vapor-compression evaporation system of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of devices coupled to respective ones of the vessels for removing concentrated feed from respective ones of the vessels.
18. The vapor-compression evaporation system of claim 13, wherein the cooling liquid comprises saltwater or freshwater.
19. The vapor-compression evaporation system of claim 13, further comprising a packed column coupled to the internal combustion engine, the packed column operable to receive an exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine.
20. A vapor-compression evaporation system, comprising:
a plurality of vessels in series each containing a feed having a nonvolatile component, a first set of the plurality of vessels comprising vapor-compression evaporators and a second set of the plurality of vessels comprising membrane evaporators;
a mechanical compressor coupled to the last vessel in the series of vapor-compression evaporators and operable to receive a vapor therefrom;
an internal combustion engine coupled to the mechanical compressor and operable to drive the mechanical compressor;
a pump operable to deliver a cooling liquid to the mechanical compressor;
a tank coupled to the mechanical compressor and operable to separate liquid and vapor received from the mechanical compressor;
a plurality of heat exchangers coupled inside respective ones of the vapor-compression evaporators, the heat exchanger in the first vessel in the first set operable to receive the vapor from the tank, at least some of the vapor condensing therein, whereby the heat of condensation provides the heat of evaporation to the first vessel in the first set; and
wherein at least some of the vapor inside the first vessel in the first set is delivered to the heat exchanger in the next vessel in the first set, whereby the condensing, evaporating, and delivering steps continue until the last vessel in the first set is reached.
21. The vapor-compression evaporation system of claim 20, wherein the nonvolatile component is selected from the group consisting of salt and sugar.
22. The vapor-compression evaporation system of claim 20, wherein the internal combustion engine comprises a Diesel engine or an Otto cycle engine.
23. The vapor-compression evaporation system of claim 20, further comprising a condenser coupled to the last vessel in the second set for removing energy from the last vessel in the second set.
24. The vapor-compression evaporation system of claim 20, further comprising a plurality of devices coupled to respective ones of the vessels for removing concentrated feed from respective ones of the vessels.
25. The vapor-compression evaporation system of claim 20, wherein the cooling liquid comprises saltwater or freshwater.
26. The vapor-compression evaporation system of claim 20, wherein each membrane evaporator comprises an inner chamber and two outer chambers defined by an impermeable membrane and a hydrophobic vapor-permeable membrane.
27. The vapor-compression evaporation system of claim 26, wherein the two outer chambers have saltwater flowing therethrough and the inner chamber has freshwater flowing therethrough.
28. The vapor-compression evaporation system of claim 26, wherein an exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine is operable to create steam that is fed into the heat exchanger in the first vessel in the first set.
29. A vapor-compression evaporation method, comprising:
delivering a feed having a nonvolatile component to a plurality of vessels in series;
coupling a mechanical compressor to the last vessel in the series;
receiving, by the mechanical compressor, a vapor from the last vessel in the series;
driving the mechanical compressor with a turbine;
delivering a cooling liquid to the mechanical compressor;
separating liquid and vapor received from the mechanical compressor;
receiving, by a heat exchanger coupled to the first vessel in the series, the separated vapor, at least some of the vapor condensing therein, whereby the heat of condensation provides the heat of evaporation to the first vessel in the series; and
delivering at least some of the vapor inside the first vessel in the series to a heat exchanger coupled to the next vessel in the series, whereby the condensing, evaporating, and delivering steps continue until the last vessel in the series is reached.
30. The vapor-compression evaporation method of claim 29, further comprising degassing the feed.
31. The vapor-compression evaporation method of claim 29, wherein driving the mechanical compressor with a turbine comprises driving the mechanical compressor with a gas turbine.
32. The vapor-compression evaporation method of claim 29, wherein driving the mechanical compressor with a turbine comprises driving the mechanical compressor with a gas turbine and a steam turbine.
33. The vapor-compression evaporation method of claim 29, further comprising removing energy from the last vessel in the series.
34. The vapor-compression evaporation method of claim 29, further comprising removing concentrated feed from respective ones of the vessels.
35. The vapor-compression evaporation method of claim 29, wherein the mechanical compressor comprises first and second mechanical compressors in series, the method further comprising driving the first mechanical compressor by a steam turbine and driving the second mechanical compressor by a gas turbine.
36. The vapor-compression evaporation method of claim 29, further comprising coupling an intercooler between the first and second mechanical compressors, the intercooler operable to receive the cooling liquid from the pump.
37. The vapor-compression evaporation method of claim 29, further comprising preventing liquid droplets from entering the second mechanical compressor.
38. The vapor-compression evaporation method of claim 29, wherein the mechanical compressor comprises first and second mechanical compressors in parallel, the method further comprising driving the first mechanical compressor by a steam turbine and driving the second mechanical compressor by a gas turbine.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1.-272. (canceled)
273. A computer-readable storage medium including executable instructions for monitoring medication events, the computer-readable storage medium comprising:
instructions for associating a time interval with a first medication event for an individual;
instructions for identifying a start of the time interval associated with the first medication event;
instructions for activating an indicator in response to the identification of the start of the time interval associated with the first medication event;
instructions for activating at least one camera unit associated with the individual, the activating in response to the identification of the start of the time interval associated with the first medication event;
instructions for identifying an end of the time interval associated with the first medication event;
instructions for accepting data relating to the time interval associated with the first medication event from the at least one camera unit; and
instructions for deactivating the at least one camera unit in response to the identification of the end of the time interval associated with the first medication event.
274.-284. (canceled)
285. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 273, wherein the instructions for activating the at least one camera unit associated with the individual, the activating in response to the identification of the start of the time interval associated with the first medication event comprises:
instructions for activating the at least one camera unit including activating non-visual components of the at least one camera unit.
286. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 273, wherein the instructions for activating the at least one camera unit associated with the individual, the activating in response to the identification of the start of the time interval associated with the first medication event comprises:
instructions for activating at least one camera unit including a microphone.
287. (canceled)
288. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 273, wherein the instructions for activating the at least one camera unit associated with the individual, the activating in response to the identification of the start of the time interval associated with the first medication event comprises:
instructions for activating the at least one camera unit for video data acquisition.
289. (canceled)
290. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 273, wherein the instructions for activating the at least one camera unit associated with the individual, the activating in response to the identification of the start of the time interval associated with the first medication event comprises:
instructions for activating the at least one camera unit for data acquisition including near-infrared (IR) data.
291. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 273, wherein the instructions for activating the at least one camera unit associated with the individual, the activating in response to the identification of the start of the time interval associated with the first medication event comprises:
instructions for activating the at least one camera unit for data acquisition including thermal data.
292.-304. (canceled)
305. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 273, comprising:
instructions for retrieving at least one attribute of the individual from memory;
instructions for examining the accepted data for the at least one attribute of the individual;
instructions for forming an identification result for the individual from the examination; and
instructions for transmitting the identification result for the individual.
306. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 273, comprising:
instructions for retrieving at least one attribute of the medication from memory;
instructions for examining the accepted data for the at least one attribute of the medication;
instructions for forming an identification result for the medication from the examination; and
instructions for transmitting the identification result for the medication.
307.-309. (canceled)
310. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 273, comprising:
instructions for comparing the accepted data relating to the time interval associated with the first medication event with a set of standard medication event parameters;
instructions for comparing the accepted data relating to the second time interval associated with the second medication event with the set of standard medication event parameters; and
instructions for activating an indicator if either the accepted data relating to the time interval associated with the first medication event or the accepted data relating to the second time interval associated with the second medication event are distinct from the set of standard medication event parameters.
311.-426. (canceled)
427. A method for monitoring medication events, comprising:
identifying a start of a time interval associated with a first medication event for an individual;
activating at least one camera unit associated with the individual, the activating in response to the identification of the start of the time interval;
accepting data from the at least one camera unit, the data including both visual and non-visual data;
providing at least one sufficiency parameter for visual data from the first medication event;
providing at least one sufficiency parameter for non-visual data from the first medication event;
comparing the accepted data from the at least one camera unit with the provided at least one sufficiency parameter for visual data and with the provided at least one sufficiency parameter for non-visual data;
determining, from the comparison, if the accepted data from the at least one camera unit is sufficient;
activating an indicator in response to the determined sufficiency,
identifying an end of the time interval associated with the first medication event; and
deactivating the at least one camera unit in response to the identification of the end of the time interval associated with the first medication event.
428.-429. (canceled)
430. The method of claim 427, wherein the activating at least one camera unit associated with the individual, the activating in response to the identification of the start of the time interval, comprises:
activating at least one camera unit within a mobile device associated with the individual.
431.-432. (canceled)
433. The method of claim 427, wherein the accepting data from the at least one camera unit, the data including both visual and non-visual data comprises:
accepting data including video data.
434. The method of claim 427, wherein the accepting data from the at least one camera unit, the data including both visual and non-visual data comprises:
accepting data including near-infrared (IR) data.
435. The method of claim 427, wherein the accepting data from the at least one camera unit, the data including both visual and non-visual data comprises:
accepting data including thermal data.
436. The method of claim 427, wherein the accepting data from the at least one camera unit, the data including both visual and non-visual data comprises:
accepting data including audio data.
437.-444. (canceled)
445. The method of claim 427, wherein the comparing the accepted data from the at least one camera unit with the provided at least one sufficiency parameter for visual data and with the provided at least one sufficiency parameter for non-visual data comprises:
comparing the accepted data from the at least one camera unit with at least one minimum value for visual data and at least one minimum value for non-visual data.
446. The method of claim 427, wherein the comparing the accepted data from the at least one camera unit with the provided at least one sufficiency parameter for visual data and with the provided at least one sufficiency parameter for non-visual data comprises:
comparing the accepted data from the at least one camera unit with at least one range of values for visual data and at least one range of values for non-visual data.
447. The method of claim 427, wherein the comparing the accepted data from the at least one camera unit with the provided at least one sufficiency parameter for visual data and with the provided at least one sufficiency parameter for non-visual data comprises:
comparing the accepted data from the at least one camera unit with at least one sufficiency parameter for visual data specific to the individual and at least one sufficiency parameter for non-visual data specific to the individual.
448.-458. (canceled)
459. The method of claim 427, comprising:
identifying, in response to the determined sufficiency, a start of a time interval associated with a supplementary medication event for the individual.
460.-462. (canceled)
463. The method of claim 427, comprising:
processing the accepted data from the at least one camera unit into a medication record for the individual; and
transmitting the medication record.
464.-780. (canceled)
781. A system for monitoring medication events relating to an individual, comprising:
circuitry for determining a start of a medication event interval for an individual;
circuitry for receiving data from at least one camera unit associated with the individual, the data including both visual data and non-visual data;
circuitry for presenting a set of parameters for determining a first medication event for an individual, the set of parameters including at least one visual parameter and at least one non-visual parameter;
circuitry for comparing the received data with the set of parameters for determining the first medication event for the individual;
circuitry for determining a compliance likelihood for the first medication event based on the comparison; and
circuitry for indicating the determined compliance likelihood for the first medication event.
782. A computer-readable storage medium including executable instructions for monitoring medication events relating to an individual, the computer-readable storage medium comprising:
instructions for determining a start of a medication event interval for an individual;
instructions for receiving data from at least one camera unit associated with the individual, the data including both visual data and non-visual data;
instructions for presenting a set of parameters for determining a first medication event for an individual, the set of parameters including at least one visual parameter and at least one non-visual parameter;
instructions for comparing the received data with the set of parameters for determining the first medication event for the individual;
instructions for determining a compliance likelihood for the first medication event based on the comparison; and
instructions for indicating the determined compliance likelihood for the first medication event.
783. A method for monitoring medication events relating to an individual, comprising:
determining a start of a medication event interval for an individual;
receiving data from at least one camera unit associated with the individual, the data including both visual data and non-visual data;
presenting a set of parameters for determining a first medication event for an individual, the set of parameters including at least one visual parameter and at least one non-visual parameter;
comparing the received data with the set of parameters for determining the first medication event for the individual;
determining a compliance likelihood for the first medication event based on the comparison; and
indicating the determined compliance likelihood for the first medication event.
784. A system for monitoring medication events, comprising:
circuitry for providing a set of attributes for an individual, the set of attributes identifiable in camera unit data;
circuitry for providing a medication regimen for the individual, the medication regimen including a set of medication intervention parameters;
circuitry for accepting first data from at least one camera unit;
circuitry for comparing the accepted first data with the provided set of attributes for the individual and with the medication regimen for the individual;
circuitry for determining, from the comparison, if the accepted first data includes attributes of the individual and includes at least one event within the medication regimen;
circuitry for initiating a first medication intervention event, dependent on the determination from the comparison;
circuitry for accepting second data from the at least one camera unit;
circuitry for comparing the accepted second data with the provided set of attributes for the individual and with the provided set of medication intervention parameters;
circuitry for determining, from the comparison, if the accepted second data includes attributes of the individual and meets the provided set of medication intervention parameters; and
circuitry for activating at least one indicator in response to the second determination.
785. The system of claim 784, wherein the medication regimen comprises:
use of an inhaler by the individual.
786. The system of claim 784, wherein the first medication intervention event comprises:
use of an inhaler by the individual.
787. The system of claim 784, wherein the set of medication intervention parameters comprises:
a set of parameters that indicate a specific physiologic condition of the individual.
788. The system of claim 784, wherein the set of medication intervention parameters comprises:
a set of parameters that indicate at least one specific physical indicator for the individual.