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

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- Number: US 10,478,745 B2
- Document ID: US10478745B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/193,723
- Filed: 2016-06-27
- Published: 2017-12-28
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2016-06-27
- Assignees: Cameron Solutions, Inc.
- Applicants: Cameron Solutions, Inc.
- Inventors: Z. Frank Zheng; Christopher Stephen King; Harihara V. Nemmara; Brian Edward Messenger
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10478745B2

## CPC

- B01D 1/0041: {Use of fluids}
- B01D 1/0052: {Use of a liquid transfer medium or intermediate fluid, e.g. bain-marie}
- B01D 1/0064: {Feeding of liquid into an evaporator}
- B01D 1/0094: {with forced circulation}
- B01D 1/28: with vapour compression
- B01D 1/2856: {The compressed vapour is used for heating a reboiler or a heat exchanger outside an evaporator}
- B01D 3/007: {Energy recuperation; Heat pumps}
- B01D 5/006: {with evaporation or distillation}
- C02F 1/10: by direct contact with a particulate solid or with a fluid, as a heat transfer medium
- C02F 2103/08: Seawater, e.g. for desalination
- Y02P 70/10: Greenhouse gas [GHG] capture, material saving, heat recovery or other energy efficient measures, e.g. motor control, characterised by manufacturing processes, e.g. for rolling metal or metal working
- 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)
- 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)
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## 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.

## Claims

### Claim 1

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.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1 wherein during pre-mixing no vaporization of the volatile components of the process stream occurs.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1 wherein during pre-mixing no more than about 90% of the volatile components of the process stream vaporize.

### Claim 4 (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 containing the at least some of the solids.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1 further comprising:
removing a portion of the heating medium residing in the liquid pool zone of the vessel;
raising a temperature of the removed portion to produce a heated recycle stream; and
routing the heated recycle stream back to the liquid pool zone.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

A method according to claim 5 wherein the removed portion of the heating medium is a mixture of heating medium and at least some of solids of the process stream.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

A method according to claim 6 further comprising separating and removing at least some of the solids prior to raising the temperature.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1 further comprising condensing at least a portion of the vaporized process stream.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1 further comprising compressing at least a portion of the vaporized process stream.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1 further comprising raising a temperature of at least a portion of the process stream prior to the process stream directly entering the liquid pool zone of the vessel.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1 wherein the process stream is homogenously dispersed in the heating medium.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1 wherein a density of the heating medium is greater than that of the process stream.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1 wherein the process stream includes water.

### Claim 14

A system to vaporize a process stream, the system comprising:
a vessel arranged to contact the process stream and route the process stream into a liquid pool zone of the vessel, the liquid pool zone including a heating medium less volatile than the process stream and maintained at an operating temperature determined by vaporization requirements;
a mixer located outside of the liquid pool zone of the vessel and arranged to mix the process stream and the portion of the heating medium being returned to the vessel; and
a pump-around loop arranged to receive a portion of the heating medium residing in the liquid pool zone and return the portion back to the liquid pool zone;
wherein when the process stream is contacted by the heating medium in the liquid pool zone volatile components of the process 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 15 (depends on 14)

A system according to claim 14 wherein the mixer is arranged so no vaporization of the volatile components of the process stream occurs in the mixer.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

A system according to claim 14 wherein the mixer is arranged so no more than about 90% of the volatile components of the process stream vaporize in the mixer.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

A system according to claim 14 wherein the vessel includes internals arranged to separate at least a portion of nonvolatile components of the process stream from the heating medium.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

A system according to claim 14 further comprising the pump-around loop including a heater.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

A system according to claim 14 further comprising the pump-around loop including a separation device.

### Claim 20 (depends on 14)

A system according to claim 14 further comprising a condenser arranged to receive at least a portion of a vaporized process stream exiting the vapor separation zone of the vessel.

### Claim 21 (depends on 14)

A system according to claim 14 further comprising a compressor arranged to receive at least a portion of a vaporized process stream exiting the vapor separation zone of the vessel and produce a pressurized vaporized process stream.

### Claim 22 (depends on 14)

A system according to claim 14 further comprising a pre-heater arranged to raise a temperature of the process stream prior to the process stream entering the liquid pool zone of the vessel.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

A system according to claim 22 wherein the pre-heater is arranged to recover heat from a condenser arranged to receive at least a portion of the vaporized process stream.