Heat Recovery Or Regeneration Patents (Class 159/24.2)
  • Patent number: 11834350
    Abstract: A water treatment system includes a primary evaporator and a secondary evaporator that is also a primary condenser. The primary evaporator relies on imparting rotational motion to the fluid to atomize it. The secondary evaporator may be a tube and shell heat exchanger. Embodiments include heat exchangers for using waste heat of various components. In an embodiment, concentrated effluent is recirculated and combined with influent to improve efficiency of the system to achieve zero liquid discharge and aid in continuous cleaning of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: MICRONIC TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Kelly Rock
  • Patent number: 11607622
    Abstract: A system to treat and desalinate wastewater using a low energy ejector desalination system (LEEDS), which employs a static liquid-gas ejector and maximum heat integration in the water treatment system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: BECHTEL ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES & SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Jorge T. Aguinaldo, Joseph P. Kanzleiter, Saurabh Tonapi, Mukesh K. Shah
  • Patent number: 11287183
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved method for removing contaminants from a gaseous stream substantially comprising carbon dioxide. More specifically, the method comprises the step of subjecting the gaseous stream to an absorption step in which the absorbent is liquid carbon dioxide wherein the waste of carbon dioxide is minimized by utilizing a compressing means for generating a pressure difference between two streams in a reboiler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: UNION ENGINEEERING A/S
    Inventor: Rasmus Find
  • Patent number: 10081780
    Abstract: A system can be used for extracting essential oils from plant matter. The system includes an extraction vessel that is configured to hold the plant matter from which the essential oil is extracted. A separation vessel is connected to the extraction vessel and configured to separate the essential oil from the plant matter. A compressor is connected to the extraction vessel and the separation vessel with a fluid system and configured to use super critical carbon dioxide to push the essential oil from the extraction vessel to the separation vessel separating the essential oil from the plant matter. A heat exchanger is attached to the fluid system and configured to cool the carbon dioxide released from the compressor. A control system is connected to the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Inventor: Kenneth Colin Baker, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9771278
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for the distillation of ocean and brackish water that includes a means for using the ambient temperatures of seawater and air to continually transfer the heat energy, from the outer perimeters of the system, back into the, centrally located, evaporation chamber and insulation for preventing heat from escaping to the atmosphere. The insulation comprises a first and second wall surrounding the basic assemblies of a desalination system in which the space between the first and second wall is under low partial vacuum and is partially filled with an insulation material for structural support. The system provides a feed through means that prevent heat transfer through the structural connections between the first and second walls. The system provides an evaporation system for flash evaporation by atomizing the input contaminated water, preheated by the heat of condensation into very small liquid droplets, which are then sprayed into a stream of hot dry air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: H2O GLOBAL LLC
    Inventor: Joel Haynes
  • Patent number: 9772141
    Abstract: A system capable of providing a liquid purification process using heat regenerating or recovering via heat exchangers (“HEs”). The system, in one embodiment, includes a first set of thermal conductive channels (“TCC”), a second set of TCC, and a third set of TCC. The first set of TCC configured in a first HE is arranged in cylindrical shape which is able to surround or enclose a boiler. A function of TCC is to guide a liquid flow traveling through an HE. The second set of TCC configured in a second HE guides a second liquid flow traveling through the second HE. The third liquid flow such as a cold water stream, for example, flows through the third set of TCC adjacent to the first set of TCC and extracts heat from the first liquid flow such as hot purified water via TCC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Waterpointe-Global
    Inventors: Joseph W Kaminski, Charles J. Borg, Dariush Golpira
  • Patent number: 9770676
    Abstract: A distiller including an evaporator having at least one evaporation surface for evaporating liquid into vapor. At least one movable liquid applicator assembly has a wiper applicator which can move over the at least one evaporation surface, for wiping and applying a thin even film of the liquid on the at least one evaporation surface for evaporation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Aquaback Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: William H. Zebuhr
  • Patent number: 9713665
    Abstract: The degassing system can include a degassing vessel and can utilize a vacuum pump and a fluid pump located downstream of the degassing vessel to control the pressure within the degassing vessel in order to control the concentration of gases in fluid exiting the degassing system. The degassing system can further comprise sensors in communication with the pumps to control the rate of flow and pressure through the degassing system. The degassing system may be placed in a dialysate flow path to remove dissolved gases including carbon dioxide from the dialysate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas E. Meyer, William P. Hajko, Daniel Jordan Bloomberg
  • Patent number: 9028654
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system comprising an evaporation unit comprising a first heat exchanger in fluid communication with a second heat exchanger; where the first heat exchanger is operative to heat an effluent stream comprising an amine solvent and/or amine byproducts and water and to discharge the effluent stream to the second heat exchanger; where the second heat exchanger is operative to convert the effluent stream into a distillate stream and a concentrate stream; and a reverse osmosis unit in fluid communication with the evaporation unit; where the reverse osmosis unit comprises a first reverse osmosis unit that is operative to receive the distillate stream and to separate water from byproducts of the amine solvent such that the water has a purity of greater than 95%, based on the weight of the distillate stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Bjoern Ungerer, Christoph Weingaertner, Hans-Peter Dornik
  • Patent number: 8828192
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed toward a novel pressurized vapor cycle for distilling liquids. In an embodiment of the invention, a liquid purification system is revealed, including the elements of an input for receiving untreated liquid, a vaporizer coupled to the input for transforming the liquid to vapor, a head chamber for collecting the vapor, a vapor pump with an internal drive shaft and an eccentric rotor with a rotatable housing for compressing vapor, a condenser in communication with the vapor pump for transforming the compressed vapor into a distilled product, and an electric motor with motor rotor and magnets hermetically sealed within the fluid pressure boundary of the distillation system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: DEKA Products Limited Partnership
    Inventors: Jason A. Demers, Scott A. Leonard, Kingston Owens
  • Patent number: 8771478
    Abstract: A modular distillation apparatus including at least one heat exchanger that preheats contaminated liquids: a heater that heats the contaminated liquid from the heat exchanger; an evaporator condenser adapted o boil the contaminated liquid coming out of the heater to produce water vapor and contaminant concentrate, and condenser the water vapor into distilled water; a vacuum chamber capable of operating at below atmospheric pressure, the vacuum chamber housing the evaporator condenser and including at least one partition to separate the distilled water from the contaminate concentrate; a vapor compressor operably associated with the vacuum chamber to receive water vapor from the evaporator condenser in the vacuum chamber and pump the water vapor at pressure back through the evaporator condenser, wherein the heat exchanger recovers sensible heat from outgoing condensed distilled water and contaminant concentrate recycled from the vacuum chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Equus Environmental Ltd.
    Inventor: Dudley Edgar James Ward
  • Patent number: 8545681
    Abstract: Disclosed is a process for improving the efficiency of a combined-cycle power generation plant and desalination unit. The process includes supplying exhaust gases from a gas turbine set used to generate electrical power to a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) and then directing the steam from the HRSG to a steam turbine set. Salinous water is supplied into an effect of the desalination unit. Steam exhausted from the steam turbine set is utilized in the effect of the desalination unit to produce a distillate vapor and brine from the effect by heat exchange. Additionally, steam is introduced steam from at least one additional heat source from the combined-cycle power generation plant to the effect to increase the mass flow rate of steam into the effect. In one embodiment, the additional heat source is an intercooler heat exchanger. Heated water from the intercooler heat exchanger is provided to a reduced atmosphere flash tank, and the steam flashed in the flash tank is provided to the effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Andrew Philip Shapiro, Nishith Vora, Ching-Jen Tang, AliciA Jillian Jackson Hardy, Douglas Westerkamp
  • Patent number: 8496787
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for eliminating brine effluent from desalination plants by distillation, is disclosed. To eliminate the brine the salt is converted into a solid and all of the water in the brine is converted to distilled water. The key to achieving this is reducing or eliminating the scale formation in the heating chamber. In one embodiment the process can be used to reduce or eliminate scale formation in a vapor compression sea water desalinization system and there-by use this system to produce drinking water. This process requires no chemical additives but relies entirely upon separation of the process of vaporization of the fluid involved, from the process of heating of the fluid. In one embodiment of this apparatus sea water can be desalinated and the resulting products can be dry salt and pure water leaving no brine return to the ocean.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Inventor: Michael John Lord
  • Patent number: 8444830
    Abstract: A desalination process including heating brine in a preheating chamber and transferring the brine to a rotary kiln to be sprayed against the wall structure of the rotary kiln to boil to steam and a residue of salt/impurities, the exiting steam being pressurized in a compressor and passed to an externally powered heater to be heated and then fed to a hollow wall structure of the rotating kiln in which the steam condenses to pure water to be transferred to the preheating chamber to preheat the incoming brine, the rotating kiln being arranged to rotate past a scraper to remove salt/impurities from the wall structure for collection at the base of the kiln.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Inventor: Garth Davey
  • Patent number: 8366883
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed toward a novel pressurized vapor cycle for distilling liquids. In some embodiments of the invention, a liquid purification system is revealed, including the elements of an input for receiving untreated liquid, a vaporizer coupled to the input for transforming the liquid to vapor, a head chamber for collecting the vapor, a vapor pump with an internal drive shaft and an eccentric rotor with a rotatable housing for compressing vapor, and a condenser in communication with the vapor pump for transforming the compressed vapor into a distilled product. Other embodiments of the invention are directed toward heat management, and other process enhancements for making the system especially efficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: DEKA Products Limited Partnership
    Inventors: David F. Bednarek, Robert Andrew Charles, Andrew Coll, Jason A. Demers, Timothy P. Duggan, Gustav Heinzmann, Joseph A. Hoell, Jr., James L. Jackson, Scott A. Leonard, David W. McGill, Kingston Owens
  • Patent number: 8317982
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a process and apparatus for utilization of waste heat of flue gas liberated from different heat sources to provide high quality water from sea/brackish.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Inventor: Subrahmanyam Kumar
  • Patent number: 8273219
    Abstract: A distillation column is disclosed. The column includes a plurality of rectification zones and corresponding stripping zones. Each rectification zone is linked to a heat pump or a stage of a heat pump. Overhead material from the top rectification zone is compressed and used to heat bottoms liquid from the bottom stripping zone. Similarly, overhead material from a lower rectification zone is compressed and used to heat liquid taken from the uppermost or top stripping zone. Optionally, overhead material from a middle rectification zone is compressed and used to heat liquid from a middle stripping zone. A single multiple stage heat pump compressor may be utilized as opposed to a plurality of heat pumps. Because the heat exchanger from each rectification-stripping zone pair has a lower duty, economical stab-in heat exchangers may be utilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventor: Paul A. Sechrist
  • Patent number: 8226799
    Abstract: An embodiment of a distillation system is disclosed having an influent column with an influent column first end and an influent column second end and having therein, a gas deflector. The influent column may contain at least an influent liquid and vapor from the influent liquid. The influent column first end may be in fluid communication with an influent liquid source. A distillation system is disclosed as having at least one effluent column having an effluent column first end and an effluent column second end and further comprising a condensation chamber adjacent the effluent second end. The effluent column may be positioned within the influent column and may contain at least an effluent liquid and vapor. A primary vacuum source may be in fluid communication with an influent column and positioned at an influent second end. A blower may be provided and connected to the condensation chamber. The influent column may have at least one vertically positioned influent conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Inventor: Anthony D. Young
  • Patent number: 8075740
    Abstract: A system for treating feedwater includes a fluidized bed heat exchanger unit connected to receive feedwater and a flash concentrator column connected to receive feedwater discharged from the fluidized bed heat exchanger unit. A spray dryer is provided to receive a solids/liquid slurry discharged from the flash concentrator column. Feedwater can be treated by converting dissolved solids in the feedwater to suspended solids, vaporizing a portion of the feedwater to produce a solids/liquid slurry, and separating solids from the solids/liquid slurry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignees: AHT Solutions, LLC, Watervap, LLC
    Inventors: Robert E. Bailie, Robert R. Wright
  • Publication number: 20110297331
    Abstract: This invention relates to a continuous vacuum pan for use in the sugar processing industry, and more particularly but not exclusively, to a vertical, double calandria, continuous vacuum pan. The vacuum pan includes a vessel having a first enclosed chamber and a second enclosed chamber. A first heat exchanger is located in the first chamber, with a first vapour space defined in the first chamber above the first heat exchanger. A second heat exchanger located in the second chamber, with a second vapour space defined in the second chamber above the second heat exchanger. The first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger both have heat transfer medium inlets, and the vacuum pan is characterized therein that the heat transfer medium inlet of the second heat exchanger is in flow communication with the first vapour space, in order for vapour contained in the first vapour space to be conveyed through the second heat exchanger as heat transfer medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2009
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: Tongaat Hulett Limited
    Inventors: David J. Love, Stephen D. Peacock
  • Patent number: 8002952
    Abstract: A distillation column is disclosed with a folded design. The column includes a plurality of rectification zones and corresponding stripping zones Each rectification zone is linked to a heat pump or a stage of a heat pump. Overhead vapor from the top rectification zone is compressed and used to heat bottoms liquid from the bottom stripping zone. Similarly, overhead vapor from the middle rectification zone is compressed and used to heat liquid from a middle stripping zone and overhead from a lower rectification zone is compressed and used to heat liquid taken from the uppermost or top stripping zone. A single multiple stage heat pump compressor may be utilized as opposed to a plurality of heat pumps Because the heat exchanger from each rectification-stripping zone pair has a lower duty, economical stab-in heat exchangers may be utilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventor: Paul A. Sechrist
  • Patent number: 7927464
    Abstract: A vapor compression distillation system (10) is provided and includes a fluid inlet (12) for receiving a fluid, a fluid outlet (14) for a distillate that has been distilled from the fluid, a heat exchanger (16) connected to the fluid inlet (12) and the fluid outlet (14) to transfer heat from the distillate to the fluid; and an integrated motor/compressor unit (18) connected to the heat exchanger (16) to receive vaporized distillate therefrom and to supply pressurized distillate thereto. The system 10 may further include a coolant system (20) connected to the integrated motor/compressor (18) to supply a coolant flow thereto. The system (10) may also include an air oil mist system (22) that is connected to the integrated motor/compressor unit (18) to supply an air oil mist thereto for bearing lubrication and cooling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Mechanical Equipment Company, Inc.
    Inventors: George V. Gsell, Kim C. Klein
  • Patent number: 7785448
    Abstract: A method of operating an evaporator is described. In evaporator feed water, a Taylor bubble is developed which has an outer surface including a thin film in contact with an inner surface of an outer wall of an evaporator tube. The Taylor bubble is heated as it rises within the evaporator tube so that liquid in the thin film transitions into vapor within the bubble.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: DEKA Products Limited Partnership
    Inventor: Kingston Owens
  • Patent number: 6906234
    Abstract: A continuous method and a heat pump device for enrichment of low-concentrated reaction mixtures resulting from the production of cycloalkanedienes by means of catalytic metathesis of cyclic aliphatic alkenes and cyclooligomers in organic reaction media with reduced energy consumption. Using the heat pump principle, liquid reaction mixtures with a content of at least 0.1 w/w % are enriched in an organic reaction medium to 30 to 50 w/w %. The organic reaction medium at temperature T1 is evaporated in an evaporator, the vapor is withdrawn and compressed to temperature T2 in a compressor, at a pressure difference of 0.25 to 1 bar. Compressed vapor of the reaction medium transfers heat energy obtained from electric energy in the heat exchanger of the evaporator to the organic reaction medium at temperature T1, and the temperature difference (T2?T1) does not exceed 12 K.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2005
    Assignee: Symrise GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Jürgen Braband, Peter Müller, Rüdiger Bernhardt, Andreas Otto
  • Patent number: 6846390
    Abstract: Methods for using a hydrophobic liquid, such as mineral oil, to compress steam include using a compressor to compress a mixture of steam and the hydrophobic liquid. One embodiment includes the steam to be compressed coming from a boiling aqueous solution in an evaporator. The steam compressed with a hydrophobic liquid is routed to a heat exchanger which thermally communicates with the evaporator to create more steam. The resulting mixture of condensed steam and hydrophobic liquid from the heat exchanger is routed to a water/hydrophobic liquid separator. The hydrophobic liquid is also recycled to the compressor from the water/hydrophobic liquid separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Inventor: David Bruce Bishkin
  • Patent number: 6805774
    Abstract: A continuous process and apparatus is provided for treating an impure liquid to produce purified liquid. The process includes electrically activating a thermoelectric module (24) to provide a first module heated surface (26) and a module cooler surface (28); feeding the impure liquid to the first module heated surface (26) to produce vapor of the liquid; and transferring the vapor to the module cooler surface (28), to effect heat transfer to the module cooler surface (28). The process further includes (a) directing a first portion of the vapor adjacent to or onto the module cooler surface (28) to effect heat transfer to the module cooler surface to produce a first condensed liquid; (b) directing a second portion of the vapor to condenser means (18) having a second cooler surface (46) remote from the module cooler surface (28) to effect heat transfer to the second cooler surface (46) to produce a second condensed liquid; and (c) collecting the first and second condensed liquids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Inventor: Youssef Hanna Dableh