Methods and systems for treating an aqueous solution

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11261111-B2
Application number	US-201917040271-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2019
Priority date	Mar 30, 2018
Publication date	Mar 1, 2022
Grant date	Mar 1, 2022

Abstract

A method of treating an aqueous solution comprises forming a treatment stream comprising a condensable material. The treatment stream is introduced to an aqueous solution comprising water and a solute to fractionally precipitate the solute out of the aqueous solution and form a solids stream comprising the solute and an aqueous liquid stream comprising at least one solute-depleted solution of the water and the condensable material. The condensable material of at least a portion of the aqueous liquid stream is separated from the water of the at least a portion of the aqueous liquid stream to at least partially reform the treatment stream and form an aqueous liquid product stream depleted in the solute. Aqueous solution treatment systems and additional methods of treating an aqueous solution are also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of treating an aqueous solution, comprising:
forming a treatment stream comprising a condensable material;
introducing the treatment stream to a solution of water and a solute to fractionally precipitate the solute out of the solution and form a solids stream comprising the solute and an aqueous liquid stream comprising at least one solute-depleted solution of the water and the condensable material; and
separating the condensable material of at least one portion of the aqueous liquid stream from the water of the at least one portion of the aqueous liquid stream to at least partially reform the treatment stream and form an aqueous liquid product stream depleted in the solute.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous liquid stream comprises an aqueous liquid phase comprising a solute-depleted solution rich in the water and an organic-dominant liquid phase comprising another solute-depleted solution rich in the condensable material, and wherein separating the condensable material of the at least one aqueous liquid stream from the water of the aqueous liquid stream comprises one or more of:
separating the water of the solute-depleted solution of the aqueous liquid phase from the condensable material of the solute-depleted solution of the aqueous liquid phase; and
separating the water of the another solute-depleted solution of the organic-dominant liquid phase from the condensable material of the another solute-depleted solution of the organic-dominant liquid phase.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming a treatment stream comprising a condensable material comprises forming the treatment stream to comprise one or more of a gas phase and a liquid phase of a hydrophilic condensable material.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein forming the treatment stream to comprise one or more of a gas phase and a liquid phase of a hydrophilic condensable material comprises forming the treatment stream to comprise one or more of gaseous dimethyl ether and liquid dimethyl ether.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein separating the condensable material of at least a portion of the aqueous liquid stream from the water of the at least a portion of the aqueous liquid stream comprises heating the at least a portion of the aqueous liquid stream to remove the hydrophilic condensable material as a gas from the water.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising introducing the aqueous liquid stream to an additional amount of the solution to extract water from the additional amount of the solution and form a water-enriched stream comprising the condensable material from the aqueous liquid stream and water from the aqueous liquid stream and the additional amount of the solution, the aqueous liquid stream introduced to the additional amount of the solution prior to introducing the additional amount of the solution to an additional amount of the treatment stream.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising separating the condensable material of at least a portion of the water-enriched stream from the water of the at least one portion of the aqueous liquid stream.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
forming an additional treatment stream comprising additional condensable material;
introducing the additional treatment stream to another solution comprising the water of the solution, the solute of the solution, and at least one organic liquid to extract the organic liquid and form the another solution and form an organic-liquid-enriched stream comprising the additional condensable material and the organic liquid; and
separating the additional condensable material of at least one portion of the organic-liquid-enriched stream from the organic liquid of the at least one portion of the organic-liquid-enriched stream to at least partially reform the additional treatment stream and form an organic liquid product stream comprising the organic liquid.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein forming an additional treatment stream comprising additional condensable material comprises forming the additional treatment stream to consist essentially of a liquid phase of the additional condensable material.

10. An aqueous solution treatment system, comprising:
a source of an aqueous solution comprising water and a solute;
a condensable material separation apparatus configured to produce a treatment stream comprising a condensable material; and
a contactor apparatus in fluid communication with the source of the aqueous solution and the condensable material separation apparatus and configured to interact the aqueous solution and the treatment stream with one another to fractionally precipitate the solute out of the aqueous solution and form a solids stream comprising the solute and one or more solute-depleted aqueous liquid streams comprising at least one solution of the water and the condensable material.

11. The aqueous solution treatment system of claim 10 , wherein the condensable material separation apparatus is configured and positioned to receive the one or more solute-depleted aqueous liquid streams from the contactor apparatus and modify one or more of a temperature, pressure, and material exposure of the one or more solute-depleted aqueous liquid streams to at least partially reform the treatment stream.

12. The aqueous solution treatment system of claim 11 , wherein the condensable material separation apparatus comprises one or more of at least one heat energy recovery device and at least one pressure energy recovery device.

13. The aqueous solution treatment system of claim 10 , further comprising a fluid interaction apparatus configured and positioned to receive and interact one or more portions of the aqueous solution and at least one of the one or more solute-depleted, aqueous liquid streams to remove water from the one or more portions of the aqueous solution through liquid extraction driven by the condensable material.

14. The aqueous solution treatment system of claim 10 , further comprising:
another condensable material separation apparatus configured to produce another treatment stream comprising an additional condensable material; and
an interaction apparatus configured and positioned to receive and interact the additional condensable material and the aqueous solution to remove an organic liquid from the aqueous solution through liquid extraction driven by the additional condensable material.

15. A method of treating an aqueous solution, comprising:
forming a first treatment stream comprising condensable material;
forming a second treatment stream comprising additional condensable material;
introducing the first treatment stream to an aqueous solution comprising water, an organic liquid, and a dissolved solid to form a first liquid stream comprising the organic liquid and the condensable material and a second liquid stream comprising the water and the dissolved solid;
separating the condensable material of the first liquid stream from the organic liquid of the first liquid stream to at least partially reform the first treatment stream and form a first liquid product stream comprising the organic liquid;
introducing the second treatment stream to the second liquid stream to fractionally precipitate the dissolved solid out of solution and form a solids stream comprising precipitated solid and a third liquid stream comprising the water and the additional condensable material; and
separating the additional condensable material of the third liquid stream from the water of the third liquid stream to at least partially reform the second treatment stream and form a second liquid product stream comprising

Assignees

• Battelle Energy Alliance Llc

Inventors

• Wilson Aaron D
• Wendt Daniel S
• Orme Christopher J
• Adhikari Birendra
• Ginosar Daniel M

Classifications

• C02F2103/18

  from the purification of gaseous effluents · CPC title

• Y02W10/37

  using solar energy · CPC title

• C02F1/5272 Primary

  using specific organic precipitants · CPC title

• C02F1/20

  by degassing, i.e. liberation of dissolved gases (degasification of liquids in general B01D19/00; arrangement of degassing apparatus in boiler feed supply F22D) · CPC title

• C02F2303/10

  Energy recovery · CPC title