Method and device for the production of purified steam
AssigneeSteris Europe, Inc.
InventorsMauri Salmisuo, Ilkka Olavi Laitinen
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Abstract
The invention relates to a method and a device for the production of pure steam. A falling-film evaporator is used. Of the water-steam mixture leaving the evaporator unit, part of the water is collected at the bottom of the device, and a fraction mainly consisting of steam enters a rising spiral channel for the separation of impurities. In the periphery of the spiral channel apertures are provided for separating impurity-containing droplets, which condense on a surface outside the apertures. The liquid formed is removed from the device. The water phase collected at the bottom enters a recycle line connected to the feed end of the evaporator unit. Feed water is supplied to the recycle line to compensate for pure steam consumption.
Claims8
A method for producing purified steam using a falling film evaporation tube unit, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) introducing a feed stream of water to a falling film evaporation tube unit to produce a steam and a liquid;
- b) collecting the liquid below a lower end of the falling film evaporation tube unit to form a volume of liquid;
- c) circulating the steam upward in a spiraling rotational path;
- d) separating droplets from the steam to form a first reject stream;
- e) combining a portion of the volume of liquid with the feed stream to form a circulating liquid;
- and
- f) removing a second reject stream from the circulating liquid.
A device for producing purified steam, the device comprised of:
- a falling film evaporation tube unit;
- a separating unit for separating a steam and a liquid, the separating unit comprised of:
- a central downpipe for receiving an evaporation product from the falling film evaporation tube unit,
- an inner shell,
- an outer shell, wherein the inner shell provides for passage of a steam to the outer shell, and
- a set of fins forming a spiral path surrounding the central downpipe;
- a first exit tube connected to a bottom of a space between the inner shell and the outer shell, the first exit tube for flowing a reject stream from the space;
- a second exit tube connected to a space inside the inner shell, the second exit tube fluidly connected to the liquid in the inner shell;
- a recirculation tubing fluidly connecting the second exit tube to an inlet of the falling film evaporation tube unit;
- and
- a tube fluidly connected to the recirculation tubing for removing a reject stream therefrom.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.