System and method to vaporize a process stream by mixing the stream with a heating medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10918966-B2
Application number	US-201916413670-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2019
Priority date	Jun 27, 2016
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

A system and method to vaporize a process or feed water stream does so in a liquid pool zone of a vessel as the stream comes into contact with a heating medium that is less volatile than the process stream. To keep the pool hot, the heating medium can be recirculated through a heater of a pump-around loop or a heater can be placed in the liquid pool. As the process stream is vaporized, any solids present in the process stream come out of the process stream and move into the heating medium. These solids may be further removed from the heating medium in the pool or in the pump-around loop. The vaporized process stream can be further condensed. Any heat recovered can be used to pre-heat the process stream or used in the pump around loop's heater in case of mechanical vapor recovery.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method, comprising:
routing a process stream into a liquid zone of a vessel, the liquid zone including a heating medium that is less volatile than the process stream and maintained at a vaporization operating temperature;
providing a mixture of the process stream and a portion of the heating medium to the liquid zone of the vessel;
vaporizing volatile components of the process stream by thermal exchange with the heating medium in the liquid zone;
removing a vaporized portion of the process stream from a vapor zone of the vessel; and
removing solids from the heating medium.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein providing the mixture of the process stream and the portion of the heating medium to the liquid zone of the vessel comprises mixing the process stream and the portion of the heating medium wherein no vaporization of the volatile components of the process stream occurs.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein providing the mixture of the process stream and the portion of the heating medium to the liquid zone of the vessel comprises mixing the process stream and the portion of the heating medium wherein no more than about 90% of the volatile components of the process stream vaporize.

4. A method according to claim 1 further comprising separating and removing at least some of the solids from the heating medium directly as blowdown containing the at least some of the solids.

5. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:
removing a portion of the heating medium;
raising a temperature of the removed portion to produce a heated recycle stream; and
routing the heated recycle stream back to the liquid zone.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the removed portion of the heating medium is a mixture of heating medium and at least some of solids of the process stream.

7. A method according to claim 6 further comprising separating and removing at least some of the solids from the heating medium prior to raising the temperature.

8. A method according to claim 1 further comprising condensing at least a portion of the vaporized process stream.

9. A method according to claim 1 further comprising compressing at least a portion of the vaporized process stream.

10. A method according to claim 1 further comprising raising a temperature of at least a portion of the process stream prior to the process stream directly entering the liquid zone of the vessel.

11. A method according to claim 1 wherein the process stream is homogenously dispersed in the heating medium.

12. A method according to claim 1 wherein a density of the heating medium is greater than that of the process stream.

13. A method according to claim 1 wherein the process stream includes water.

14. A system, comprising:
a vessel arranged to receive a process stream into a liquid zone of the vessel, the liquid zone to include a heating medium less volatile than the process stream and maintained at a vaporization operating temperature;
a mixer fluidly coupled to the liquid zone of the vessel and arranged to mix the process stream and a portion of the heating medium; and
a pump-around loop arranged to remove a portion of the heating medium from the liquid zone at a first location and return the portion back to the liquid zone at a second location above the first location; wherein the pump-around loop includes a separation device; and
wherein volatile components of the process stream vaporize by thermal exchange with the heating medium and migrate to a vapor zone of the vessel for removal, and solids collect in the liquid zone of the vessel for removal.

15. A system according to claim 14 wherein the mixer is arranged so no more than about 90% of the volatile components of the process stream vaporize in the mixer.

16. A system according to claim 14 wherein the vessel includes internals arranged to separate at least a portion of nonvolatile components of the process stream from the heating medium.

17. A system according to claim 14 wherein the pump-around loop includes a heater.

18. A system according to claim 14 further comprising a condenser arranged to receive at least a portion of a vaporized process stream exiting the vapor zone of the vessel.

Assignees

• Cameron Solutions Inc
• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Zheng Z Frank
• King Christopher Stephen
• Nemmara Harihara V
• Messenger Brian Edward

Classifications

• B01D1/0094 Primary

  with forced circulation · CPC title

• B01D1/0052

  Use of a liquid transfer medium or intermediate fluid, e.g. bain-marie · CPC title

• Y02P70/10

  Greenhouse gas [GHG] capture, material saving, heat recovery or other energy efficient measures, e.g. motor control, characterised by manufacturing processes, e.g. for rolling metal or metal working · CPC title

• B01D5/006

  with evaporation or distillation · CPC title

• C02F1/10

  by direct contact with a particulate solid or with a fluid, as a heat transfer medium · CPC title