Patent US3856632A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3856632A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method and apparatus for producing a distillate
Assignee: Fried Krupp AG
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Filing: 1973-07-17
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Granted: 1974-12-24
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Expires: 1993-07-17
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for distilling raw water, especially sea water or brackish water employing a combination of a multi-stage flash evaporator and a vertical tube evaporator. The water is preheated by passing it through condensers of the flash evaporator and is subsequently conducted through the flash evaporator stages to be partially evaporated and to have its resulting vapor condensed in the flash evaporator condensers. The raw water which has been preheated while passing through the condensers is delivered to a vertical tube evaporator where it is heated by steam. The vapor produced in the vertical tube evaporator is compressed by a hot water ejector and together with the excess vapor from the hot water ejector is used as heating steam. Part of the condensed heating steam is fed to the first distillate trough of the flash evaporator, the remaining part being returned to the water jet ejector motive stream. The unevaporated raw water from the vertical tube evaporator is delivered to the multi-stage flash evaporator to be partially evaporated.
Inventors
- 👤 K Peter
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 18:18
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01D; B01D3/00; B01D3/06; B01D3/065; B01D1/00; B01D1/28; B01D1/289; Y; Y02; Y02A; Y02A20/00; Y02A20/124; Y10; Y10S; Y10S159/00; Y10S159/08; Y10S159/16; Y10S159/22; Y10S159/40
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
425 words
IN A METHOD FOR PRODUCING A DISTILLATE FROM RAW WAER BY THE USE OF A MULTI-STAGE FLASH EVAPORATE EACH STAGE OF WHICH INCLUDES AN EVAPORATION ZONE, A CONDENSATION ZONE AND A DISTILLATE COLLECTION ZONE, THE METHOD INCLUDING PREHEATING RAW WATER BY PASSING IT THROUGH THE CONDENSATION ZONES OF A PLURALITY OF THE FLASH EVAPORATE STAGES, PARTIALLY EVAPORATING THE UNTREATED WATER IN THE EVAPORATION ZONES OF THE FLASH EVAPORATOR STAGES, CONDENSING THE EVAPORATED WATER IN THE CONDENSATION ZONES OF THE FLASH EVAPORATOR STAGES, COLLECTING THE CONDENSED WATER AT THE DISTILLATE COLLECTION ZONES OF THE FLASH EVAPORATOR STAGES, REMOVING INERT GASES FROM THE EVAPORATION ZONES, AND ADDING ADDITIONAL HEAT ENERGY TO THE EVAPORATION SYSTEM, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: CONVEYING THE PREHEATED RAW WATER FROM THE LAST OF THE CONDENSATION ZONES THROUGH WHICH IT PASSES TO A VERTICAL TUBE EVAPORATOR; PASSING SUCH WATER THROUGH THE VERTICAL TUBE EVAPORATOR; EVAPORATING A PORTION OF THE WATER PASSING THROUGH THE VERTICAL TUBE EVAPORATOR BY BRINGING IT INTO HEAT-EXCHANGE COMMUNICATION WITH A HEATING MEDIUM; REMOVING THE RESULTING VAPOR FROM THE VERTICAL TUBE EVAPORATOR; COMPRESSING THE REMOVED VAPOR TO A HIGHER SATURATION TEMPERATURE BY MEANS OF A HEAT PUMP COMPRISING A HOT WATER EJECTOR WHICH RECEIVES SAID REMOVED VAPOR AND AN EJECTOR MOTIVE WATER PUMP CONNECTED TO SAID HOT WATER EJECTOR FOR SUPPLYING HOT WATER TO SAID HOT WATER EJECTOR AND RETURNING THE VAPOR TO THE VERTICAL TUBE EVAPORATOR AS THE HEATING MEDIUM, THE TRANSFER OF HEAT FROM SUCH HEATING MEDIUM TO THE WATER PASSING THROUGH THE VERTICAL TUBE EVAPORATOR CAUSING THE VAPOR CONSTITUTING THE HEATING MEDIUM TO CONDENSE; CONVEYING A FIRST PORTION OF THE CONDENSED HEATING MEDIUM, AS A DISTILLATE, FROM THE VERTICAL TUBE EVAPORATOR TO THE FLASH EVAPORATOR DISTILLATE COLLECTION ZONES TO TRANSFER PART OF THE HEAT CONTAINED IN THE CONDENSED MEDIUM, BY STEPWISE EVAPORATOR, TO THE RAW WATER PASSING THROUGH THE CONDENSATION ZONES; CONVEYING A SECOND PORTION OF THE CONDENSED HEATING MEDIUM TO THE EJECTOR MOTIVE WATER PUMP; CONVEYING THE PORTION OF THE WATER WHICH PASSED THROUGH THE VERTICAL TUBE EVAPORATOR WITHOUT EVAPORATION THROUGH THE EVAPORATION ZONES OF THE FLASH EVAPORATOR STAGES IN SUCCESSION FOR CAUSING SUCH WATER TO PARTIALLY EVAPORATE IN A STEPWISE MANNER IN THE STAGES, TO TRANSFER HEAT TO THE RAW WATER PASSING THROUGH THE FLASH EVAPORATOR ZONES, AND TO CONDENSE AS A RESULT OF SUCH HEAT TRANSFER; AND COLLECTING THE DISTILLATE FROM THE RESPECTIVE DISTILLATE COLLECTION ZONE OF THE FLASH EVAPORATION ZONE AND FROM THE VERTICAL TUBE EVAPORATOR, AND HAVING THE DISTILLATE PRODUCTION IN THE FLASH EVAPORATOR HIGHER THAN THE DISTILLATE PRODUCTION IN THE VERTICAL TUBE EVAPORATOR.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
425 words
IN A METHOD FOR PRODUCING A DISTILLATE FROM RAW WAER BY THE USE OF A MULTI-STAGE FLASH EVAPORATE EACH STAGE OF WHICH INCLUDES AN EVAPORATION ZONE, A CONDENSATION ZONE AND A DISTILLATE COLLECTION ZONE, THE METHOD INCLUDING PREHEATING RAW WATER BY PASSING IT THROUGH THE CONDENSATION ZONES OF A PLURALITY OF THE FLASH EVAPORATE STAGES, PARTIALLY EVAPORATING THE UNTREATED WATER IN THE EVAPORATION ZONES OF THE FLASH EVAPORATOR STAGES, CONDENSING THE EVAPORATED WATER IN THE CONDENSATION ZONES OF THE FLASH EVAPORATOR STAGES, COLLECTING THE CONDENSED WATER AT THE DISTILLATE COLLECTION ZONES OF THE FLASH EVAPORATOR STAGES, REMOVING INERT GASES FROM THE EVAPORATION ZONES, AND ADDING ADDITIONAL HEAT ENERGY TO THE EVAPORATION SYSTEM, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: CONVEYING THE PREHEATED RAW WATER FROM THE LAST OF THE CONDENSATION ZONES THROUGH WHICH IT PASSES TO A VERTICAL TUBE EVAPORATOR; PASSING SUCH WATER THROUGH THE VERTICAL TUBE EVAPORATOR; EVAPORATING A PORTION OF THE WATER PASSING THROUGH THE VERTICAL TUBE EVAPORATOR BY BRINGING IT INTO HEAT-EXCHANGE COMMUNICATION WITH A HEATING MEDIUM; REMOVING THE RESULTING VAPOR FROM THE VERTICAL TUBE EVAPORATOR; COMPRESSING THE REMOVED VAPOR TO A HIGHER SATURATION TEMPERATURE BY MEANS OF A HEAT PUMP COMPRISING A HOT WATER EJECTOR WHICH RECEIVES SAID REMOVED VAPOR AND AN EJECTOR MOTIVE WATER PUMP CONNECTED TO SAID HOT WATER EJECTOR FOR SUPPLYING HOT WATER TO SAID HOT WATER EJECTOR AND RETURNING THE VAPOR TO THE VERTICAL TUBE EVAPORATOR AS THE HEATING MEDIUM, THE TRANSFER OF HEAT FROM SUCH HEATING MEDIUM TO THE WATER PASSING THROUGH THE VERTICAL TUBE EVAPORATOR CAUSING THE VAPOR CONSTITUTING THE HEATING MEDIUM TO CONDENSE; CONVEYING A FIRST PORTION OF THE CONDENSED HEATING MEDIUM, AS A DISTILLATE, FROM THE VERTICAL TUBE EVAPORATOR TO THE FLASH EVAPORATOR DISTILLATE COLLECTION ZONES TO TRANSFER PART OF THE HEAT CONTAINED IN THE CONDENSED MEDIUM, BY STEPWISE EVAPORATOR, TO THE RAW WATER PASSING THROUGH THE CONDENSATION ZONES; CONVEYING A SECOND PORTION OF THE CONDENSED HEATING MEDIUM TO THE EJECTOR MOTIVE WATER PUMP; CONVEYING THE PORTION OF THE WATER WHICH PASSED THROUGH THE VERTICAL TUBE EVAPORATOR WITHOUT EVAPORATION THROUGH THE EVAPORATION ZONES OF THE FLASH EVAPORATOR STAGES IN SUCCESSION FOR CAUSING SUCH WATER TO PARTIALLY EVAPORATE IN A STEPWISE MANNER IN THE STAGES, TO TRANSFER HEAT TO THE RAW WATER PASSING THROUGH THE FLASH EVAPORATOR ZONES, AND TO CONDENSE AS A RESULT OF SUCH HEAT TRANSFER; AND COLLECTING THE DISTILLATE FROM THE RESPECTIVE DISTILLATE COLLECTION ZONE OF THE FLASH EVAPORATION ZONE AND FROM THE VERTICAL TUBE EVAPORATOR, AND HAVING THE DISTILLATE PRODUCTION IN THE FLASH EVAPORATOR HIGHER THAN THE DISTILLATE PRODUCTION IN THE VERTICAL TUBE EVAPORATOR.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method as defined in claim 1 wherein a mixture of motive water and steam emerges from the hot water ejector, this mixture is conveyed to a separator to separate the water and steam, and the separated steam is conveyed into the vertical tube evaporator as the heating medium.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the hot water leaving the ejector motive water pump is heated by a heat exchanger before it enters the hot water ejector.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method as defined in claim 3, wherein the preheated raw water leaving the last of the condensation zones of the multi-stage flash evaporator is heated by a heat exchanger before it enters the vertical tube evaporator.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the pre-heated raw water leaving the last of the condensation zones of the multi-stage flash evaporator is passed through a plurality of vertical tube evaporators.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
348 words
Apparatus for distilling raw water, comprising in combination: a flash evaporator having a plurality of flash stages each constituted by an upper chamber defining a condensation zone, a lower chamber defining an evaporation zone, and a distillate collection trough positioned at the bottom of said condensation zone, said troughs in said stages being connected together; first conduit means for conveying untreated water through said condensation zones of a plurality of said stages for preheating such water; a vertical tube evaporator connected to said first conduit means for receiving the preheated raw water therefrom, said vertical tube evaporator including an evaporation zone and a vapor condensation zone separated from said evaporation zone and in heat-exchange communication therewith, said first conduit means being in liquid flow communication with said evaporation zone; heat pump means connected to said vertical tube evaporator to receive the vapor produced in said evaporation zone thereof for compressing such vapor to a higher saturation temperatuRe, the outlet of said heat pump means being connected to said vapor condensation zone of said vertical tube evaporator for supplying heated vapor thereto, said heat pump means comprising a hot water ejector which receives the vapor produced in the evaporation zone of the vertical tube evaporator and an ejector motive water pump connected to the hot water ejector for supplying hot motive to the hot water ejector, said ejector motive water pump also being connected to the vapor condensation zone of the vertical tube evaporator for receiving hot water therefrom; second conduit means connected between said evaporation zone of said vertical tube evaporator and said lower chamber of one of said flash evaporator stages for conveying water which has passed through said evaporation zone of said vertical tube evaporator without evaporating; and third conduit means connected between said vapor condensation zone and said collection trough of one of said flash evaporation stages for conveying vapor condensate formed in said vapor condensation zone of said vertical tube evaporator, said apparatus being constructed to have the distillate production in the flash evaporator higher than the distillate production in the vertical tube evaporator.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
348 words
Apparatus for distilling raw water, comprising in combination: a flash evaporator having a plurality of flash stages each constituted by an upper chamber defining a condensation zone, a lower chamber defining an evaporation zone, and a distillate collection trough positioned at the bottom of said condensation zone, said troughs in said stages being connected together; first conduit means for conveying untreated water through said condensation zones of a plurality of said stages for preheating such water; a vertical tube evaporator connected to said first conduit means for receiving the preheated raw water therefrom, said vertical tube evaporator including an evaporation zone and a vapor condensation zone separated from said evaporation zone and in heat-exchange communication therewith, said first conduit means being in liquid flow communication with said evaporation zone; heat pump means connected to said vertical tube evaporator to receive the vapor produced in said evaporation zone thereof for compressing such vapor to a higher saturation temperatuRe, the outlet of said heat pump means being connected to said vapor condensation zone of said vertical tube evaporator for supplying heated vapor thereto, said heat pump means comprising a hot water ejector which receives the vapor produced in the evaporation zone of the vertical tube evaporator and an ejector motive water pump connected to the hot water ejector for supplying hot motive to the hot water ejector, said ejector motive water pump also being connected to the vapor condensation zone of the vertical tube evaporator for receiving hot water therefrom; second conduit means connected between said evaporation zone of said vertical tube evaporator and said lower chamber of one of said flash evaporator stages for conveying water which has passed through said evaporation zone of said vertical tube evaporator without evaporating; and third conduit means connected between said vapor condensation zone and said collection trough of one of said flash evaporation stages for conveying vapor condensate formed in said vapor condensation zone of said vertical tube evaporator, said apparatus being constructed to have the distillate production in the flash evaporator higher than the distillate production in the vertical tube evaporator.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said first conduit means comprises a recirculation pump having its input connected to the last stage of said flash evaporator.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 6 further comprising a heat exchanger connected between the outlet of said ejector motive water pump and the hot water input of said ejector.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
35 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 8, further comprising a second heat exchanger connected in said first conduit means between said flash evaporator and the inlet of said evaporation zone of said vertical tube evaporator.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 6 including a plurality of vertical tube evaporators connected together in series.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-12-23 | 1978-06-24 | 1978-12-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-12-23 | 1982-06-24 | 1982-12-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-12-23 | 1986-06-24 | 1986-12-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |