Mechanical vapor recompression apparatus

An apparatus for heating or removing a water phase from material, the apparatus comprising:

• a chamber (1),
• an inlet (2),
• an outlet (3),
• where the chamber has a lower portion (4) with a cylindrical or semi-cylindrical shape and an upper portion (5) closing the chamber and where the chamber is divided into at least a first (6) and a second (7) section, said chamber having,
• wherein the first section (6) and the second section (7) each comprise a set of heat exchange elements, said set of heat exchange elements comprising:
• a first (8) and second jacket (9) arranged around their corresponding section, and
• a plurality of cylindrical or semi-cylindrical disc-shaped hollow compartments (10), arranged parallel with space between them in the lower portion of the chamber, each cylindrical or semi-cylindrical disc-shaped hollow compartment comprising hollow protrusions (22) connecting the disc-shaped hollow compartments to the corresponding jacket through connection openings (20),
• wherein the device further comprises:
• an axis (11) arranged centrally within the container, and
• scrapers (12) attached to, and rotating on the centrally arranged axis (11) between the cylindrical or semi-cylindrical disc-shaped hollow compartments (10),
• wherein the apparatus further comprises
• a first duct (13) leading to the first jacket of the first section (6) for feeding steam under pressure from an external source into the heat exchange elements of the first section (6),
• a second duct (14) leading from the upper portion (5) of the chamber (1) to the second jacket (9) of the second section (7) for feeding steam generated in the chamber into the heat exchange elements of the second section, and
• one or more high pressure fans (15) in the duct (14) between the upper steam portion (5) and the second jacket (9) for increasing the pressure and the temperature of the steam before injecting it into the second jacket (9) and its corresponding disc-shaped hollow compartments (10).