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US 10,478,746 B2Granted
Process and plant for producing a solid product
AssigneeAlfa Laval Corporate AB
InventorNiels Aunbirk
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention concerns a process for producing a solid product and a liquid product, comprising the steps of a. heating by direct steam injection a finely divided starting material, b. separating the heated starting material in the solid product and an aqueous liquid, c. heating and pressurizing the aqueous liquid, and d. reducing the pressure of the aqueous liquid thereby generating steam and the liquid product, wherein the steam generated in step d is returned to step a for injection into the finely divided starting material. The process suggests a solution for extracting the additional water appearing in the aqueous liquid due to condensed steam.
Claims23
A process for producing a solid product and a liquid product, comprising
- a. conveying an optionally pre-treated finely divided starting material to a heating unit,
- b. heating by direct steam injection the starting material to obtain a heated starting material, the heating by direct steam injection occurring while the finely divided starting material is located in the heating unit,
- c. conveying the heated starting material directly, and in the absence of heat transfer from heat exchanger surfaces to the starting material, from the heating unit to a separation unit,
- d. separating the heated starting material into the solid product and an aqueous liquid through operation of the separation unit,
- e. heating and pressurizing the aqueous liquid after the separating of the heated starting material into the solid product and the aqueous liquid, and
- f. reducing the pressure of the aqueous liquid thereby generating steam and the liquid product, the reducing of the pressure of the aqueous liquid occurring immediately after the heating and the pressurizing of the aqueous liquid,
- wherein the steam generated in step f is returned to step b and is directly injected into the finely divided starting material to perform the heating by the direct steam injection.
4 more elements
A process for producing a solid product and a liquid product, comprising:
- heating a finely divided starting material by direct steam injection to produce a heated starting material, the finely divided starting material that is heated by direct steam injection being:
- i) vegetable source material;
- ii) marine source material;
- iii) animal source material;
- iv) or a mixture of the vegetable source material, the marine source material and the animal source material, the heating of the finely divided starting material by direct steam injection occurring while the finely divided starting material is located in a heating unit;
- conveying the heated starting material directly, and in the absence of heat transfer from heat exchanger surfaces to the starting material, from the heating unit to a separation unit,
- operating the separation unit to separate the heated starting material into the solid product and an aqueous liquid;
- heating and pressurizing the aqueous liquid after the separating of the heated starting material into the solid product and an aqueous liquid;
- reducing the pressure of the aqueous liquid that has been heated and pressurized to produce steam and the liquid product, the reducing of the pressure of the aqueous liquid occurring immediately after the heating and the pressurizing of the aqueous liquid and occurring in a flash evaporator;
- and
- directly injecting the steam produced by reducing the pressure of the aqueous liquid into the finely divided starting material to perform the heating of the finely divided starting material by the direct steam injection.
8 more elements
A process for producing a solid product and a liquid product, comprising:
- heating a finely divided starting material by direct steam injection to produce a heated starting material, the finely divided starting material that is heated by direct steam injection being:
- i) vegetable source material;
- ii) marine source material;
- iii) animal source material;
- iv) or a mixture of the vegetable source material, the marine source material and the animal source material, the heating of the finely divided starting material by direct steam injection occurring while the finely divided starting material is located in a heating unit;
- conveying the heated starting material directly, and in the absence of heat transfer from heat exchanger surfaces to the starting material, from the heating unit to a holding tank at which the temperature of the heated starting material is maintained or increased;
- conveying the heated starting material directly, and in the absence of heat transfer from heat exchanger surfaces to the starting material, from the holding tank to a separation unit,
- operating the separation unit to separate the heated starting material into the solid product and an aqueous liquid;
- heating and pressurizing the aqueous liquid after the separating of the heated starting material into the solid product and an aqueous liquid;
- reducing the pressure of the aqueous liquid that has been heated and pressurized to produce steam and the liquid product, the reducing of the pressure of the aqueous liquid occurring immediately after the heating and the pressurizing of the aqueous liquid;
- and
- directly injecting the steam produced by the reducing of the pressure of the aqueous liquid into the finely divided starting material to perform the heating of the finely divided starting material by the direct steam injection.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.