US 10,478,745 B2 · System and method to vaporize a process stream by mixing the stream with a heating medium

Abstract

A system and method to vaporize a process or 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 process 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 process stream is vaporized, any solids present in the process stream come out of the process stream and move into the heating medium. These solids may be further removed from the heating medium in the pool or in the pump-around loop. The vaporized process stream can be further condensed. Any heat recovered can be used to pre-heat the process stream or used in the pump around loop's heater in case of mechanical vapor recovery.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A method to vaporize a process stream, the method comprising:

routing the process 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 process stream and maintained at an operating temperature determined by vaporization requirements;
pre-mixing the process stream and the heating medium outside of the liquid pool zone of the vessel;
vaporizing volatile components of the process stream due to contact with the heating medium in the liquid pool zone;
removing a vaporized portion of the process stream from a vapor separation zone of the vessel as a vaporized process stream;
and
removing solids from the liquid pool zone of the vessel.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method to vaporize a process stream by mixing the stream with a heating medium

Life of this patent

System and method to vaporize a process stream by mixing the stream with a heating medium

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23