Evaporator sump and process for separating contaminants resulting in high quality steam
AssigneePrivate Equity Oak LP
InventorsKenneth James, Bob Nabata
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A horizontal sump for producing high quality steam, includes at least one inlet, for connection to an evaporator, for receiving steam and contaminated water from the evaporator, the evaporator having a tube side and a shell side. The horizontal sump further includes at least one steam outlet for feeding steam to an evaporator compressor. The at least one steam outlet further includes at least one wash tray, for washing any entrained brine from the steam prior to introduction of the steam to the evaporator compressor, wherein the horizontal sump increases residence time of water and steam in the sump resulting in a steam of quality greater than that of the steam from the steam and contaminated water from the evaporator.
Claims20
An evaporator system for producing a cleaned steam, comprising:
- a horizontal sump including a first end, a second end, a top and a bottom;
- a first inlet located on the top of the sump for receiving steam and contaminated water;
- a steam outlet located on the top of the sump and horizontally spaced from the inlet for feeding steam to a compressor;
- a wash tray located on the top of the sump and positioned above the steam outlet for washing entrained brine from the steam prior to a flow of the steam to the compressor;
- and
- a falling film evaporator mounted to the sump at the first inlet.
A mechanical vapor compression evaporator system for producing cleaned steam, comprising:
- a horizontal sump including a first inlet, a steam outlet horizontally spaced from the first inlet, a brine outlet and a blowdown outlet wherein the brine outlet and blowdown outlet are horizontally spaced from each other and wherein the brine outlet and blowdown outlet are vertically spaced from the first inlet and the steam outlet;
- a wash tray positioned adjacent the steam outlet;
- a weir located in the sump and positioned between the brine outlet and the blowdown outlet;
- a compressor located downstream from and fluidly connected to the steam outlet;
- a wash water supply fluidly connected to the wash tray for cleaning the wash tray;
- the wash water supply being located downstream from the wash tray and upstream from the compressor;
- and
- wherein the steam outlet is located upstream from the weir.
The evaporator system further comprising a falling film evaporator mounted to the sump at the first inlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.