Parallel Fluid Flow Patents (Class 159/17.2)
  • Patent number: 10683214
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a multi-effect desalination apparatus by partially dosing acids into only evaporators corresponding to a relatively high temperature part, while dosing a polymer-based anti-scalant into all the evaporators, to minimize a risk of a scale and corrosion with maximizing a top brine temperature of desalination facility, and a desalination method using the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Doosan Heavy Industries Construction Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Hyun Chul Chung, Amr Mohamed Mahmoud Sayed Ahmed, Seung Won Ihm, Muhammad Adnan Saroosh
  • Patent number: 10634433
    Abstract: A distillation plant comprises an elongated vessel extending along a longitudinal axis and defining an inner space, and a plurality of plate heat exchangers, which in an operating position are arranged after each other along the longitudinal axis in the vessel. Each plate heat exchanger comprises a plurality of heat exchanger plates, each defining an extension plane. The heat exchanger plates form first plate interspaces and second plate interspaces. The first and second plate interspaces are arranged in an alternating order in the plate heat exchanger. At least one of the plate heat exchangers is associated with a respective opening through the vessel, and is removable from the operating position out of the vessel through the associated opening by being moved in a displacement direction, which is perpendicular to the extension plane of the heat exchanger plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: ALFA LAVAL CORPORATE AB
    Inventors: Bo Juul Andersen, Peter Valbjorn
  • Patent number: 10315128
    Abstract: A dephlegmator is provided comprising two stages connected in series wherein a first stage includes an air-cooled reflux condenser and a second stage includes a generally horizontal tube bundle of smooth or finned tubes that can be operated selectively in either an air-cooled (dry) mode under selected ambient conditions or in a wet evaporatively cooled mode under other selected ambient conditions including that of elevated ambient temperature. Spray nozzles may be installed above the tube bundle whereby water can be sprayed onto the tube bundle. One or more collection troughs are preferably provided beneath the tube bundle for collecting run-off water and enabling recycling of excess deluge water. Preferably, the tube bundle comprises at least two, and preferably three groups of tubes communicating with each other wherein the second group of tubes has appreciably fewer tubes in it than the first group of tubes and any third group of tubes has appreciably fewer tubes in it than the second group of tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Stellenbosch University
    Inventors: Hanno Carl Rudolf Reuter, Detlev G. Kröger
  • Patent number: 9908061
    Abstract: A method for recovering heat available at low temperature in a process and its use in order to reduce the energy consumption of the said process, and application of this method to an aromatics complex in which the low-temperature heat is recovered at the head of distillation columns in the form of low-pressure steam and is reused to reboil other distillation columns in which the operating pressure has possibly been lowered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: AXENS
    Inventors: Alain Dunet, Isabelle Prevost, Thierry Leflour
  • Patent number: 9739532
    Abstract: Systems and methods for freeze drying botanical or herb items or products using a modular vacuum chamber configuration are provided. Such configurations can reduce or prevent the evaporative loss of volatile compounds while reducing the temperature and removing air to prevent oxidation of the product. The freeze drying systems and methods of the present invention can improve organoleptic characteristics, shelf life, and extractions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Inventors: Steven F. Baugh, Michael S. Turcotte
  • Patent number: 9574829
    Abstract: Provided is a system for recovering waste heat discharged from distillation columns, incinerators, blast columns, smelting columns, and the like at relatively low temperatures to produce hot water in high efficiency, which can be used in various industrial fields. The investment and operating costs of the waste heat recovery system are relatively low as compared with the conventional systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: SKC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hojin Yang, Kidon Won, Juntae Kim, Doojin Lee, Soo Hyun Park
  • Patent number: 8986508
    Abstract: A thermal desalination system adapted to produce distilled water from feed water which may be sea water, based on a forward feed evaporator made up of a main water feed line, a vapor feed line, a distilled water main line and any number of effect groups. The effect groups include any number of effects which in turn include vapor inlets, water inflow lines, concentrate outflow lines that drain into a common concentrate drainage line, a vapor and water outlet in fluid communication with the distilled water main line, and heat transfer means that condense part of an inlet vapor to produce the distilled water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: I.D.E. Technologies Ltd.
    Inventors: Avraham Ophir, Joseph Weinberg
  • Patent number: 8906204
    Abstract: Systems and methods for separating an alcohol, and in particular butanol, from a fermented feed and concentrating thin stillage into syrup includes operation of one or more alcohol recovery distillation columns using the heat supplied by steam generated from concentration of the thin stillage in a multi-train, multi-effect evaporation system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC
    Inventor: Yihui Tom Xu
  • Patent number: 8691054
    Abstract: The present invention provides a configuration of a multi stage flash cross tube evaporator wherein flash stages are arranged in a plurality of at least two tiers with a first flash stage to which a heated solution is fed, a plurality of intermediate flash stages and a last flash stage from which the concentrated solution is discharged in each tier, wherein the flash stages in each tier are in a serial flow communication and the flash stages of each tier are in parallel flow communication to the flash stages in the other tier(s). Such configuration allows to minimize the size of the tube bundles, flash stages and evaporator shell and consequently minimizing evaporator weight and cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Inventor: Friedrich Alt
  • Patent number: 8591705
    Abstract: A multi-effect evaporator, having an upstream and a downstream end, adapted for distillation of water. It includes a plurality of effects connected in a series manner and arranged into groups. Each group has a common parallel water feed inlet adapted to supply all effects in the group with feed water. The evaporator further includes a main feed water line in fluid communication with the most upstream group. An array of heaters is disposed along the line, adapted for heating the feed water before its entry into the effects of the latter group. Each effect includes means for forwarding the second outlet vapor into one of the heaters for heating the feed water. Each group includes a pump adapted to extract the concentrate from the effects of the group and pump it into the common parallel water feed of an adjacent downstream group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: I.D.E. Technologies Ltd.
    Inventors: Joseph Weinberg, Avraham Ophir
  • Patent number: 8328995
    Abstract: A method and a system to produce a distillate stream from an aqueous stream containing at least one dissolved solid by a thermal distillation process using at least one of a heated aqueous stream from a turbine system intercooler and a stack heater as a heat source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Black & Veatch Holding Company
    Inventor: Michael J. Eddington
  • Publication number: 20120228116
    Abstract: An evaporator or distillation apparatus includes an inlet supply line for supplying an influent liquid, a heater configured to heat the influent liquid supplied by the inlet supply line, and a plurality of cells. Each cell includes an outer surface defining an interior chamber, an inlet, a vapor outlet, a concentrate outlet, and an inner conduit in fluid communication with the inlet. At least a portion of the inner conduit is positioned within the interior chamber. The vapor outlets of the plurality of cells are connected to each other in a parallel configuration and the inlet supply line is connected to the inlet of each cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2011
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS SOLUTIONS LLC
    Inventor: Michael Presutti
  • Patent number: 7922874
    Abstract: A multi-effect evaporator, having an upstream and a downstream end, adapted for distillation of water. It comprises a plurality of effects serially connected and arranged into groups. Each group has a common parallel water feed inlet adapted to supply all effects in the group with feed water. The evaporator further includes a main feed water line in fluid communication with the most upstream group. An array of heaters is disposed along the line, adapted for heating the feed water before its entry into the effects of the latter group. Each effect comprises means for forwarding the second outlet vapor into one of the heaters for heating the feed water. Each group comprises a pump adapted to extract the concentrate from the effects of the group and pump it into the common parallel water feed of an adjacent downstream group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: I.D.E. Technologies Ltd.
    Inventors: Avraham Ophir, Joseph Weinberg
  • Patent number: 7910689
    Abstract: Provided for separating polymer from a slurry comprising polymer and unreacted carrier fluid is (a) a method comprising supplying slurry to a first heating means to increase the temperature of the slurry, using a first separator means to extract a portion of unreacted carrier fluid from the slurry to obtain a slurry enriched in polymer, supplying the enriched slurry to a second heating means to increase the temperature of the enriched slurry, and using a second separator means to extract an additional portion of unreacted carrier fluid from the enriched slurry to obtain a further enriched slurry, and (b) an apparatus comprising a first heating means, a first separator means, a second heating means and a second separator means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventor: Lawrence C. Smith
  • Patent number: 7001575
    Abstract: A device feeds educts to parallel spaces separated from one another by way of a distributor unit. Outlets of the distributor unit are assigned to the spaces, and evaporator structures for the evaporation of liquid media are provided in the spaces. Each outlet of the distributor unit project into a space. The boiling point of the medium in the distributor unit is maintained above the temperature of the medium in the distributor unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: NuCellSys GmbH
    Inventors: Roland Cwik, Andreas Ebert, Oskar Lamla, Bruno Motzet, Martin Schuessler, Tomas Stefanovski, Alois Tischler, Marc Weisser
  • Patent number: 6635150
    Abstract: A method for distilling a fluid which is useful, for instance, in eliminating salt from brackish and/or sea water includes percolating films on plates with multiple effects having several evaporating zones and condensation zones. The evaporation zones (EVAP) and the condensation zones (COND) are vertically arranged. The liquid to be distilled emerges in the top part of the evaporation zone (EVAP). The vapors produced in the evaporation zone (EVAP) are horizontally transferred into the condensation zone (COND) through a communicating connection. The condensed liquid percolates vertically along the walls of the condensation zone and is evacuated from the lower part of the condensation zone. A distilling plant is also provided for implementing the distilling method, and includes plural cascades made up of elementary cells alternatingly assembled in thermal series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Centre International de l'Eau de Nancy - Nancie
    Inventors: Pierre Le Goff, Jean-Marie Hornut, Viviane Renaudin