Separation of components from a fluid by solids production

A method for separating components from a fluid comprising:

• providing a cooling element, one or more resistive heating elements, a fluid inlet, one or more thermally-conductive surfaces, a fluid outlet, and a solids outlet, wherein the one or more thermally conductive surfaces comprise a cylindrical surface of a cylindrical cooling heat exchanger;
• providing the cooling element disposed in contact with a distal side of the one or more thermally-conductive surfaces, the cooling element cooling the one or more thermally-conductive surfaces;
• providing the one or more resistive heating elements disposed in contact with or embedded in a proximal side of the one or more thermally-conductive surfaces;
• providing a fluid comprising one or more secondary components dissolved, entrained, suspended, absorbed, condensed, or combinations thereof, wherein the fluid freezes at a lower temperature than the one or more secondary components, wherein the fluid is passed across the one or more thermally conductive surfaces, at least a portion of the one or more secondary components freezing, crystalizing, desublimating, depositing, condensing, or combinations thereof, out of the fluid as one or more solid secondary components, while the fluid passes out the fluid outlet;
• engaging the one or more resistive heating elements such that the one or more solid secondary components detach from the one or more thermally-conductive surfaces and pass out the solids outlet;
• and,
• disengaging the one or more resistive heating elements, restarting production of the one or more solid secondary components;
• wherein the one or more resistive heating elements comprise a ring of a conductive material, the ring embedded in an end of a piston which descends when the heating element is engaged, warming the one or more solid secondary components and slicing the one or more solid secondary components off the cylindrical surface, and returns to a top portion when the heating element is disengaged.