Compact mechanical vapor recompression evaporator system
AssigneeCaloris Engineering, LLC
InventorArtur G. Zimmer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A compact mechanical vapor recompression evaporator system and method for operating is provided. The system may include a vapor separator, a falling film evaporator, and a mechanical vapor recompression device. The system may also include a spin vane positioned at the inlet to the vapor separator. The falling film evaporator may surround an outer wall of the vapor separator, defining a common vessel.
Claims20
A compact mechanical vapor recompression evaporator system comprising:
- a vapor separator;
- a falling film evaporator;
- a mechanical vapor recompression device;
- and
- a spin vane positioned at the inlet to the vapor separator;
- wherein the falling film evaporator is configured to surround an outer wall of the vapor separator, defining a common vessel.
A compact mechanical vapor recompression evaporator system comprising:
- a vapor separator that defines a chamber and a spin vane;
- a falling film evaporator comprising a vertical tube and shell heat exchanger configured to surround the outer wall of the vapor separator forming a common vessel;
- a mechanical vapor recompression device located above the vapor separator in fluid communication with the chamber and the shell of the heat exchanger and configured to induce a draft within the tubes of the heat exchanger through the spin vane and the chamber to the mechanical vapor recompression device;
- wherein the draft causes a vapor formed in the tubes of the heat exchanger as a result of evaporation to flow down through the tubes to the bottom of the heat exchanger, through the spin vane, into the chamber of the vapor separator, and into the mechanical vapor recompression device where it is compressed, increasing its temperature, and discharged into the shell of the heat exchanger to contact the outer walls of the tubes and form a condensate.
A method of separating a fluid using a compact mechanical vapor recompression evaporator system, comprising:
- supplying a liquid stream to a falling film evaporator and heating the liquid stream to facilitate evaporation of a portion of the liquid producing a vapor stream and a concentrated liquid stream;
- drawing the vapor stream from the evaporator through a spin vane into a vapor separator chamber using a mechanical vapor recompression device, wherein the spin vane causes swirling of the vapor stream within the vapor separator promoting coalescing of a plurality of liquid droplets entrained in the vapor stream;
- compressing the vapor stream from the vapor separator chamber using the mechanical vapor recompression device and discharging the compressed vapor stream into a shell of the evaporator so that the vapor stream can condense while heating the liquid stream passing through the evaporator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.