Apparatus and method for vapor compression distillation

A vapor compression distiller, comprising:

• a primary heat exchanger having a first side thereof which facilitates heat flow to a second side thereof;
• an evaporation vessel for boiling a liquid and collecting the vapor of said liquid in an upper portion of said evaporation vessel;
• a vapor compressor communicating with said upper portion of said evaporation vessel and with an inlet to said first side of said primary heat exchanger;
• a recirculation pump;
• an evaporation loop providing fluid communication from the evaporation vessel through the recirculation pump and through said second side of said primary heat exchanger and back to said evaporation vessel;
• means for boiling the liquid within the evaporation loop;
• a transfer line for supplying the liquid to the evaporation loop at a feed rate;
• wherein said recirculation pump circulates the liquid at a recirculation rate 25 to 200 times the feed rate;
• a secondary heat exchanger having a first side thereof which facilitates heat flow to a second side thereof;
• a condensate line for providing fluid communication between an outlet of said first side of said primary heat exchanger and an inlet of said first side of said secondary heat exchanger;
• a feed pump;
• a feed loop providing fluid communication from the feed pump through said second side of said secondary heat exchanger to said transfer line and back to the feed pump through a feed tank;
• a feed line for supplying said liquid at the feed rate to the feed loop;
• and
• a control means for setting the feed rate so as to maintain the same volume of liquid in the evaporation vessel.