Steam compressor and process for producing steam

• Main Authors: TORBEN BOCH ANDERSEN, RALF MATTHIAS SCHOTH, FLEMMING HANSEN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 02.08.2006
• Subjects: BLASTING; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ENGINES USING SPECIAL WORKING FLUIDS OR CYCLES; HEATING; LIGHTING; MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; METHODS OF STEAM GENERATION; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; SEPARATION; STEAM ACCUMULATORS; STEAM BOILERS; STEAM ENGINE PLANTS; STEAM ENGINES; STEAM GENERATION; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING; WEAPONS

The steam compressor 20 includes a first container 1 which contains zeolite 2 that is capable of adsorbing vacuum water vapour 5. A second container 3, wherein water 4 can be fed during the adsorption and high pressure steam 15 can be fed during regeneration, includes at least one common surface 19 with the first container. Heat can be transferred by heat conduction between the two containers via the common surface. A tube 11 allows both the vacuum water vapour 5 in and steam 7 out. The water 4 is fed to the second container via inlet tube 9 and discharged through an outlet tube 10. The high pressure steam 15 is also fed via tubes 9 and 10. The compressor is used in an industrial process for producing live steam from vacuum water vapour that includes bringing the water vapour into contact with zeolite in the first container, wherein water is adsorbed to the zeolite, transmitting the heat produced to liquid water in the second container, and regenerating the zeolite by heating it in order to desorb the adsorbed water as live steam from the zeolite.