A system and method to partially 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 partially vaporized, any solids present in the process stream together with the unvaporized process or feed water stream move into the heating medium. These solids and unvaporized liquids 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 in the pump-around loop's heater in case of mechanical vapor recovery.

A system has a first plate heat exchanger at a first pressure to heat a fluid containing dissolved solids to form a heated fluid at a temperature below the boiling point of the fluid. A vaporization chamber is connected to the first plate heat exchanger. The vaporization chamber is at a second pressure below the first pressure. The vaporization chamber receives the heated fluid and produces a gaseous component substantially free of dissolved solids and a solids component. A compressor is connected to the vaporization chamber. The compressor receives the gaseous component and produces a fluidic output. The first plate heat exchanger has plates forming chambers. A manifold arrangement distributes an unprocessed fluid from the vaporization chamber to a first subset of the chambers and distributes the fluidic output from the compressor to a second subset of the chambers.

A system has a first plate heat exchanger at a first pressure to heat a fluid containing dissolved solids to form a heated fluid at a temperature below the boiling point of the fluid. A vaporization chamber is connected to the first plate heat exchanger. The vaporization chamber is at a second pressure below the first pressure. The vaporization chamber receives the heated fluid and produces a gaseous component substantially free of dissolved solids and a solids component. A compressor is connected to the vaporization chamber. The compressor receives the gaseous component and produces a fluidic output. The first plate heat exchanger has plates forming chambers. A manifold arrangement distributes an unprocessed fluid from the vaporization chamber to a first subset of the chambers and distributes the fluidic output from the compressor to a second subset of the chambers.

An apparatus and process are provided for concentrating oil and gas production brine. The apparatus comprises a brine feed system, a hot air generation system, a concentrated brine collection and recirculation system, and an evaporation tower. The evaporation tower includes a brine inlet coupled to the brine feed system, a hot air inlet coupled to the hot air generation system and positioned below the brine inlet, a steam discharge, a concentrated brine outlet, a plurality of distillation trays, and a concentrated brine reservoir in the lower portion of the tower. The evaporation tower also has a distributor at the brine inlet adapted to distribute brine onto the trays and may have a plurality of spray nozzles disposed above the hot air inlet to distribute a spray of recirculated concentrated brine. Water evaporates from the brine and the entering hot air temperature is modulated by evaporation.

An apparatus and process are provided for concentrating oil and gas production brine. The apparatus comprises a brine feed system, a hot air generation system, a concentrated brine collection and recirculation system, and an evaporation tower. The evaporation tower includes a brine inlet coupled to the brine feed system, a hot air inlet coupled to the hot air generation system and positioned below the brine inlet, a steam discharge, a concentrated brine outlet, a plurality of distillation trays, and a concentrated brine reservoir in the lower portion of the tower. The evaporation tower also has a distributor at the brine inlet adapted to distribute brine onto the trays and may have a plurality of spray nozzles disposed above the hot air inlet to distribute a spray of recirculated concentrated brine. Water evaporates from the brine and the entering hot air temperature is modulated by evaporation.

The present disclosure describes an apparatus that may be used to generate desalinated water from a supply of untreated water using a photovoltaic cell. The front surface of the photovoltaic cell is partially enclosed to form an evaporation chamber. The front surface of the photovoltaic cell is exposed to sunlight or another light source. This exposure results in power generation by the photovoltaic cell and also heats the air in the evaporation chamber. Untreated water is subsequently introduced into the evaporation chamber. Upon contacting the heated air and the front surface of the photovoltaic cell, a portion of the untreated water evaporates to generate water vapor. The water vapor is then removed from the evaporation chamber and transported to a condensation chamber. The water vapor is cooled in the condensation chamber to yield desalinated water.

The present disclosure describes an apparatus that may be used to generate desalinated water from a supply of untreated water using a photovoltaic cell. The front surface of the photovoltaic cell is partially enclosed to form an evaporation chamber. The front surface of the photovoltaic cell is exposed to sunlight or another light source. This exposure results in power generation by the photovoltaic cell and also heats the air in the evaporation chamber. Untreated water is subsequently introduced into the evaporation chamber. Upon contacting the heated air and the front surface of the photovoltaic cell, a portion of the untreated water evaporates to generate water vapor. The water vapor is then removed from the evaporation chamber and transported to a condensation chamber. The water vapor is cooled in the condensation chamber to yield desalinated water.

This disclosure concerns a system and a method for removing dissolved solids from liquids. Specific implementations concern desalinating water. The system may comprise a blower, such as a thermal fan/compressor, configured to atomize a solid-bearing liquid to produce a hot, humid gas containing dissolved solids; a gas-solid separator configured to receive hot, humid gas containing entrained dissolved solids from the blower to separate the solids from the humid gas and to transmit the humid gas with solids removed through an exit port; a heater configured to heat the hot, humid gas received from the exit port of the gas-solid separator; and a condenser configured to receive heated humid gas from the heater and to condense solids-free liquid therefrom. The thermal fan/compressor may comprise a plurality of nozzles with outlets positioned adjacent atomization apertures across which a solid-bearing liquid flows and through which gas exiting the nozzles passes.

This disclosure concerns a system and a method for removing dissolved solids from liquids. Specific implementations concern desalinating water. The system may comprise a blower, such as a thermal fan/compressor, configured to atomize a solid-bearing liquid to produce a hot, humid gas containing dissolved solids; a gas-solid separator configured to receive hot, humid gas containing entrained dissolved solids from the blower to separate the solids from the humid gas and to transmit the humid gas with solids removed through an exit port; a heater configured to heat the hot, humid gas received from the exit port of the gas-solid separator; and a condenser configured to receive heated humid gas from the heater and to condense solids-free liquid therefrom. The thermal fan/compressor may comprise a plurality of nozzles with outlets positioned adjacent atomization apertures across which a solid-bearing liquid flows and through which gas exiting the nozzles passes.

Embodiments described herein generally relate to humidification-dehumidification desalination systems, including apparatuses that include a vessel comprising a humidification region (e.g., a bubble column humidification region) and a dehumidification region (e.g., a bubble column dehumidification region), mobile humidification-dehumidification (HDH) desalination systems (e.g., systems having a relatively low height and/or a relatively small footprint), and associated systems and methods. Certain embodiments generally relate to methods of operating, controlling, and/or cleaning desalination systems comprising a plurality of desalination units (e.g., HDH desalination units).