Abstract Process and apparatus for recovering clean water and essentially dry solids from dilute aqueous solids. A dilute stream of aqueous solids is concentrated by heat evaporation and the evaporated water is condensed and recovered. The concentrated aqueous solids are mixed with relatively non-volatile fluidizing oil and subjected to dehydration by heat evaporation. The steam formed in the dehydration step is used to supply heat for the concentration step. The solids are separated from the fluidizing oil and recovered in an essentially dry state while the fluidizing oil is recycled. If desired, a light, relatively volatile oil may be mixed with the dilute aqueous solids to prevent scaling and fouling in the concentration evaporator. The instant invention is thus characterized in that at least a portion of the heat energy of the steam formed by evaporation in the dehydration step is recovered as useful heat within the system.
A PROCESS FOR RECOVERING CLEAN WATER FROM DILUTE AQUEOUS SOLIDS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF (2) CONCENTRATING SAID DILUTE AQUEOUS SOLIDS BY HEAT EVAPORATION TO YIELD CONCENTRATED AQUEOUS SOILDS AND STREAM (2) CONDENSING SAID STREAM TO RECOVER PRODUCT WATER (3) ADMIXING SAID CONCENTRATING AQUEOUS SOLIDS WITH A RELATIVELY NON-VOLATILE FLUIDIZING OIL TO OBTAIN A MIXTURE WHICH WILL REMAIN FLUID AND PUMPABLE AFTER THE REMOVAL OF THE WATER CONTENT THEREFROM (4) SUBJECTING THE RESULTANT OIL-CONTAINING MIXTURE TO DEHYDRATION BY HEAT EVAPORATION TO YEILD STREAM AND A SUBSTANTIALLY ANHYDROUS SOLIDS IN OIL SLURRY AND (5) USING SAID STREAM FROM DEHYDRATION STEP (4) AS A SOURCE OF HEAT IN CONCENATION STEP (2)9
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
108 words
A PROCESS FOR RECOVERING CLEAN WATER FROM DILUTE AQUEOUS SOLIDS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF (2) CONCENTRATING SAID DILUTE AQUEOUS SOLIDS BY HEAT EVAPORATION TO YIELD CONCENTRATED AQUEOUS SOILDS AND STREAM (2) CONDENSING SAID STREAM TO RECOVER PRODUCT WATER (3) ADMIXING SAID CONCENTRATING AQUEOUS SOLIDS WITH A RELATIVELY NON-VOLATILE FLUIDIZING OIL TO OBTAIN A MIXTURE WHICH WILL REMAIN FLUID AND PUMPABLE AFTER THE REMOVAL OF THE WATER CONTENT THEREFROM (4) SUBJECTING THE RESULTANT OIL-CONTAINING MIXTURE TO DEHYDRATION BY HEAT EVAPORATION TO YEILD STREAM AND A SUBSTANTIALLY ANHYDROUS SOLIDS IN OIL SLURRY AND (5) USING SAID STREAM FROM DEHYDRATION STEP (4) AS A SOURCE OF HEAT IN CONCENATION STEP (2)9
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
The process of claim 1 wherein concentration step (1) is carried out at temperatures in the range of from about 70*F to about 250*F and dehydration step (4) is carried out at temperatures in the range of from about 160*F to about 400*F.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
The process of claim 2 which further comprises the step of separating said anhydrous solids in oil slurry to give a dry and substantially oil-free solids product and an oil.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
48 words
The process of claim 3 which further comprises the step of utilizing at least part of the oil resulting from the separation of said anhydrous solids in oil slurry as at least part of the oil admixed in step (3) with said concentrated aqueous solids from step (1).