# US 10,370,264 B2 · System and method to desalinate a feed water stream by mixing the feed water stream with a heating medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,370,264 B2 - Document ID: US10370264B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/193,771 - Filed: 2016-06-27 - Published: 2017-12-28 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-06-27 - Assignees: Cameron Solutions, Inc. - Applicants: Cameron Solutions, Inc. - Inventors: Z. Frank Zheng; Christopher Stephen King; Harihara V. Nemmara - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10370264B2 ## CPC - C02F 1/10: by direct contact with a particulate solid or with a fluid, as a heat transfer medium - B01D 1/0064: {Feeding of liquid into an evaporator} - B01D 1/0094: {with forced circulation} - B01D 1/14: with heated gases or vapours {or liquids} in contact with the liquid - B01D 1/2856: {The compressed vapour is used for heating a reboiler or a heat exchanger outside an evaporator} - B01D 5/006: {with evaporation or distillation} - C02F 1/041: {by means of vapour compression} - C02F 2103/08: Seawater, e.g. for desalination - Y02A 20/124: Water desalination - C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes) - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE ## Abstract A system and method to desalinate a feed water stream does so in a liquid pool zone of a vessel as the stream comes into contact with a heating medium that is less volatile than the feed water stream. To keep the pool hot, the heating medium can be recirculated through a heater of a pump-around loop or a heater can be placed in the liquid pool. As the feed water stream is vaporized or partially vaporized, any solids and unvaporized water present in the feed water stream come out of the stream and move into the heating medium. These solids and unvaporized water may be further removed from the heating medium in the pool or in the pump-around loop. The heat exchange surface does not contact the feed water. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method to desalinate a feed water stream, the method comprising: routing the feed water stream into a liquid pool zone of a vessel, the liquid pool zone including a heating medium, the heating medium being less volatile than the feed water stream and maintained at an operating temperature determined by vaporization requirements; routing a portion of the heating medium from the liquid pool zone of the vessel to a heater; raising a temperature of the removed portion in the heater to produce a heated recycle stream; routing the heated recycle stream back to the liquid pool zone; vaporizing at least a portion of volatile components of the feed water stream due to contact with the heating medium in the liquid pool zone; and removing a vaporized portion of the feed water stream from a vapor separation zone of the vessel as steam; compressing the steam; condensing at least a portion of the steam; and removing solids from the portion of the heating medium. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 further comprising pre-mixing the feed water stream and the heating medium outside of the liquid pool zone of the vessel. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A method according to claim 2 wherein during pre-mixing no vaporization of the volatile components of the feed water stream occurs. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) A method according to claim 2 wherein during pre-mixing no more than about 90% of the volatile components of the feed water stream vaporize. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 further comprising separating and removing at least some of the solids from the vessel directly as blowdown. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein the removed portion of the heating medium is a mixture of heating medium and at least some of the solids of the feed water stream. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A method according to claim 6 further comprising separating and removing at least some of the solids from the mixture prior to raising the temperature of the removed portion. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein a density of the heating medium is greater than that of the feed water stream. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein the heating medium is immiscible with the feed water stream. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein there is no pre-treatment of the feed water stream prior to entering the liquid pool zone of the vessel. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 further comprising filtering the feed water stream by straining prior to the feed water stream entering the liquid pool zone of the vessel. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 further comprising recovering residual heat in the condensed steam. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 further comprising preheating the feed water stream. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the steam is condensed using the heater. ### Claim 15 A system to desalinate a feed water stream, the system comprising: a vessel arranged to contact the feed water stream and route the feed water stream into a liquid pool zone of the vessel, the liquid pool zone including a heating medium less volatile than the feed water stream and maintained at an operating temperature determined by vaporization requirements; a pump-around loop arranged to route a portion of the heating medium residing in the liquid pool zone to a condenser to heat the portion to the operating temperature and return the portion back to the liquid pool zone; and a compressor arranged to receive at least a portion of the steam exiting the vapor separation zone of the vessel and produce a pressurized steam, wherein the condenser is arranged to receive at least a portion of the pressurized steam wherein when the feed water stream is contacted by the heating medium in the liquid pool zone at least a portion of volatile components of the feed water stream vaporize and migrate to a vapor separation zone of the vessel for removal and solids form in the liquid pool zone of the vessel for removal. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) A system according to claim 15 further comprising a mixer located outside of the liquid pool zone of the vessel and arranged to mix the feed water stream and the portion of the heating medium being returned to the vessel. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) A system according to claim 16 wherein the mixer is arranged so no vaporization of the volatile components of the feed water stream occurs in the mixer. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) A system according to claim 16 wherein the mixer is arranged so no more than about 90% of the volatile components of the feed water stream vaporize in the mixer. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) A system according to claim 15 wherein the vessel includes internals arranged to separate at least a portion of the solids from the heating medium. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) A system according to claim 15 further comprising the pump-around loop including a separation device. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) A system according to claim 15 further comprising a preheater to heat the feed water stream. ### Claim 22 A method to desalinate a feed water stream, the method comprising: routing the feed water stream into a liquid pool zone of a vessel, the liquid pool zone including a heating medium, the heating medium being less volatile than the feed water stream and maintained at an operating temperature determined by vaporization requirements; routing a portion of the heating medium from the liquid pool zone of the vessel to a first heater; routing the portion of the heating medium from the first heater to a second heater; raising a temperature of the removed portion in the first and second heaters to produce a heated recycle stream; routing the heated recycle stream back to the liquid pool zone; vaporizing at least a portion of volatile components of the feed water stream due to contact with the heating medium in the liquid pool zone; and removing a vaporized portion of the feed water stream from a vapor separation zone of the vessel as steam; compressing at least a portion of the steam; condensing at least a portion of the steam; and removing solids from the portion of the heating medium. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein the condensing at least a portion of the steam is performed using the first heater.