Method for continuous thermal separation of a multi-component substance

A method for thermal separation of a substance flowing into a treatment chamber by use of a separation apparatus,

• wherein the separation apparatus comprises:
• a vessel having vessel wall with an inner surface enclosing a treatment chamber of a length lc, a height H and a width W, the vessel comprising at least one substance inlet and at least one first outlet and at least one second outlet for non-evaporable and evaporable parts, respectively,
• a heating device arranged outside the treatment chamber, and
• a rotary mechanism comprising a rotatable axle arranged within the treatment chamber directed along the treatment chamber's length lc and a mixing device of radial diameter dmd and axial length lmd fixed to the rotatable axle and extending perpendicular to the rotatable axle,
• wherein the method comprises:
• A. heating the inner surface by use of the heating device to transfer thermal energy to a minimum peripheral volume (Vp) of the treatment chamber confined between the mixing device and the inner surface,
• B. rotating the rotary mechanism by use of a rotary drive operably fixed to the rotatable axle to a peripheral rotation velocity (vp) measured at a radial outer boundary of the mixing device's which exceeds a minimum peripheral rotation velocity (vp,min) of 5 meters per second and equals to or is smaller than 40 meters per second,
• C. feeding the substance into the treatment chamber through the at least one substance inlet using a feeding device, wherein the substance comprises two or more components, where at least one of the components is evaporable at an evaporation temperature (Te), and
• D. adjusting at least one of:
• an input power of the heating device,
• the flow of the substance fed into at least one of the at least one substance inlet,
• an input power of the rotary drive, and
• an output flow of a non-evaporated part of the substance released from the at least one first outlet,
• such that a total thermal energy transferred into at least part of the minimum peripheral volume (Vp) results in an operational temperature (Top) that exceeds the evaporation temperature (Te) during operation, and wherein the amount of thermal energy transferred into the part of the minimum peripheral volume (Vp) by the heating device constitutes more than 60% of the total thermal energy transferred,
• wherein the total transferred thermal energy, combined with rotation of the rotary mechanism, creates a vapor cloud comprising a mixture of the non-evaporable and evaporable parts, resulting in a near instantaneous heating and evaporation within the minimum peripheral volume (Vp),
• wherein an outermost radial part of the mixing device comprises a plurality of radially separated mixing protrusions, and
• wherein the peripheral rotation velocity (vp) of the rotary mechanism is regulated such that an evaporated part of the substance present within the minimum peripheral volume (Vp) acquires a turbulent flow characteristic, the turbulent flow characteristic being detected by measuring a drop of a temperature difference ΔT between the vessel wall and the vapor cloud and/or a minimum of the temperature difference ΔT.