Mechanical vapor recompression separation process

• Main Authors: RAZZAGHI MINOO, SPIERING ROBERT
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 23.04.2002
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: CHEMISTRY; CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION ORPROCESSING OF GOODS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; METALLURGY; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; SEPARATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ARTCOLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE; TRANSPORTING; TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE

A method and apparatus for removing a contaminant from a fluid feed stream containing the contaminant. The method includes the steps of providing a feed stream (10) and heating it in a first step (18) to at least partially remove some of the contaminants and recover energy from a concentrate and distillate generated. Further heating the feed stream in a second heating step (20) in a heated separator generates a saturated vapor fraction (30) and a concentrated liquid contaminant fraction. The vapor fraction (30) may be compressed (32) to generate a temperature differential in the reboiler exchanger (34) with the vapor fraction being passed into contact with a reboiler exchanger (34) to provide a stream of condensed vapor from the reboiler. The stream may be circulated through the reboiler exchanger (34) and the heated separator to maintain from about 1% to about 50% by mass vapor in the stream. The apparatus includes a unique configuration of a vapor compressor, heated separator in combination with a forced circulation (42,44,38) circuit to generate the decontamination result.