Mechanical vapor recompression separation process

A method of removing liquid and solid contaminants from a fluid feed stream containing said contaminants, comprising the steps of:

• contacting a feed stream containing water with a nonaqueous liquid with a heat capacity and boiling point greater than said water directly in a heated separator;
• heating said feed stream and said liquid in said heated separator to generate a vapor fraction substantially devoid of contaminants and a concentrate contaminant fraction containing solid nonevaporated contaminants;
• precipitating said solid nonevaporated contaminants in said nonaqueous liquid prior to contact with a heat exchanger;
• contacting said vapor fraction with said heat exchanger to form a distillate;
• compressing said vapor fraction to generate a temperature differential in a reboiler exchanger;
• passing said vapor fraction into contact with said reboiler exchanger to produce a distillate from said reboiler;
• circulating at least a portion of said concentrate contaminant fraction through said reboiler exchanger and said heated separator;
• maintaining a ratio of circulating mass to vapor mass of between 300 and 2 to maintain wetted surfaces or heated surfaces of said heated separator and said reboiler for reducing scale formation and fouling;
• and
• collecting said distillate substantially devoid of contaminants.