Distillation system pressure control system and method

A distillation system pressure control system, comprising:

• a tank having a first end wall, a second end wall, a front wall, a back wall, a top wall, and a bottom wall that together define an inner volume, a divider wall disposed within the tank and dividing the inner volume into a main chamber and a settling chamber, the main chamber having at least a fluid inlet port and an exhaust gas inlet port, the settling chamber having at least an exhaust gas outlet port, the divider wall having an opening formed therein that provides fluid communication between the main chamber and the settling chamber;
• a diffuser disposed within the main chamber and coupled to the exhaust gas inlet port;
• a gas turbine engine in fluid communication with the exhaust gas inlet port, the gas turbine engine configured, during operation thereof, to discharge exhaust gas into the main chamber via the diffuser;
• a valve mounted on the exhaust gas outlet port and configured, in response to valve commands, to move between (i) a closed position, in which the settling chamber is isolated from an ambient environment external to the tank, and (ii) a plurality of open positions, in which the settling chamber is in fluid communication with the ambient environment;
• a pressure sensor coupled to the tank, the pressure sensor configured to sense pressure within the inner volume and supply a pressure sensor signal representative thereof;
• a temperature sensor coupled to the tank, the temperature sensor configured to sense temperature within the inner volume and supply a temperature sensor signal representative thereof;
• and
• a valve control in operable communication with the pressure sensor, the temperature sensor, and the valve, the valve control coupled to receive the pressure sensor signal from the pressure sensor and the temperature sensor signal from the temperature sensor and configured to supply the valve commands to the valve based at least in part on the pressure sensor signal and the temperature sensor signal, to thereby control the pressure within the inner volume.

A method of controlling pressure in a distillation system that comprises a tank, a diffuser, a gas turbine engine, and a valve, wherein (i) the tank has a first end wall, a second end wall, a front wall, a back wall, a top wall, and a bottom wall that together define an inner volume, a divider wall disposed within the tank and dividing the inner volume into a main chamber and a settling chamber, the main chamber having at least a fluid inlet port and an exhaust gas inlet port, the settling chamber having at least an exhaust gas outlet port, the divider wall having an opening formed therein that provides fluid communication between the main chamber and the settling chamber, (ii) the diffuser is disposed within the main chamber and is coupled to the exhaust gas inlet port, (iii) the gas turbine engine is in fluid communication with the exhaust gas inlet port and is configured, during operation thereof, to discharge exhaust gas into the main chamber via the diffuser, and (iv) the valve is mounted on the exhaust gas outlet port and movable to a valve position, and wherein the method comprises the steps of:

• sensing pressure within the inner volume of the tank via a pressure sensor that is coupled to the tank;
• and
• controlling, via a valve control in operable communication with the pressure sensor and the valve, the position of the valve based at least in part on the pressure sensor signal, to thereby control the pressure within the inner volume.