A process to remove transition metals from waste water. The process includes the steps of passing waste water to a first pH resin bed, monitoring the effluent from the first resin bed, and adjusting pH to greater than 4. The effluent is passed to a first stage liquid tank and to a first brackish water membrane to filter out complex metals. Rejected effluent from the first brackish water membrane is passed to a second stage liquid tank and thereafter to a second brackish water membrane. The permeate from the second brackish water membrane is passed back to the first stage liquid tank. The rejected effluent from the second brackish water membrane is heated and evaporated. The evaporated effluent is condensed so that metal crystals are gathered for disposal. The permeate through the first brackish membrane is passed to an EDTA resin bed to sequester metal ions. The pH of the discharge from the second pH resin bed is adjusted to between 7 and 11.

The present invention relates to a method for producing purified phosgene vapor, comprising the following steps: 1) providing a gas flow obtainable from the reaction of chlorine with carbon monoxide and comprising phosgene and carbon monoxide; 2) one-stage or multi-stage condensation of the gas flow and separation of non-condensable residue gases; 3) one-stage or multi-stage evaporation of the liquid phosgene obtained in step 2) and optional overheating of the produced phosgene vapour, wherein there is an energy integration between one or more of the condensation steps of step 2) and one or more of the evaporation steps in step 3) and the pressure in the last condensation step is between 0.2 and 6.0 bar higher than in the first evaporation step.

Vapor generation and distribution devices, systems, and methods. An exemplary system of the present disclosure comprises a vapor generation system configured to volatilize or vaporize liquid chemical within a tank as volatilized or vaporized chemical, and a vapor distribution system configured to receive the volatilized or vaporized chemical from the vapor generation system and distribute the volatilized or vaporized chemical through a distribution conduit coupled to the second air flow generator.

A method and an apparatus for isolating potentially harmful medical substances, such as antibiotics, is disclosed. An aqueous composition, such as blackwater, contains potentially harmful medical substances present in dissolved state in bodily waste. The aqueous composition is temporarily stored in a buffer tank and is then transferred in batches to a vaporization unit comprising one or more vaporization chambers for producing a water-reduced waste material containing said potentially harmful medical substances. The waste material is subjected to a destructive treatment, such as a high-temperature incineration process.

A system and method for thermal cracking of crude oil is provided. The system includes a plurality of communicatively coupled components configured to support thermal cracking of crude oil and performs a method including a continuous, industrial-sized thermal cracking process used to convert heavy crude oil or extra-heavy crude oil into lighter crude oil, using a liquid catalyst to prevent coke formation and promote alkylation reactions.

A flow-boiling canopy wick (FBCW) employing film (meniscus) evaporation and perforated distribution layer separating the liquid stream from the underlying vapor space is provided. The vapor vents continuously through periodic perforations, in contrast to plain surface which becomes completely covered by vapor at high heat flux. The FBCW allows streamwise liquid tracks on the distribution layer between perforations providing capillary liquid flow toward heated surface and evaporation on high-effective-conductivity monolayer wick. Under extreme heat flux, various hydrodynamic limits prevent liquid supply and vapor removal, i.e., the capillary-viscous, wick superheat, perforation pressure drop and chocking and liquid-vapor stability limits. The liquid and vapor inertia control the streamwise continuous liquid track (with isolated and/or merged vapor track) and, for saturated water at 1 atm CFD and wick pressure drop, predict heat flux up to 0.1qmax=20 MW/m.sup.2, an order-of-magnitude larger than the nucleate flow-boiling limit.

A distillation apparatus and method of more rapidly purifying water, potable spirits and essential oils and more specifically to a unique heat distribution device referred to herein as the flame flow that provides for the contents of the apparatus to reach evaporation temperatures more quickly and maintain temperature to provide better control and more evenly heat the contents of a distillation apparatus.

Methods and Apparatus for Rejecting Moisture from a Desiccant Solution A method of rejecting moisture from a working desiccant solution and regenerating the working desiccant solution comprises receiving a stream of desiccant solution containing moisture to be rejected (12), and diluting at least a portion of the stream of desiccant solution containing moisture to be rejected, to form a diluted stream (38). The method further comprises passing the diluted stream (38) through an evaporator (24) for evaporating the moisture from the diluted stream; concentrating the desiccant solution, thereby to regenerate the desiccant solution; and outputting a regenerated stream of desiccant solution (14).

A refiner device for refining of a liquid, wherein the refiner device includes a housing provided with a liquid inlet for unrefined oil or fuel, a liquid outlet for refined oil or fuel, an air inlet for supplying a flow of air into the housing, and an air outlet for discharging air and contaminants removed from the liquid. The refiner device further includes a liquid receiving plate arranged inside the housing, the refiner device arranged such that when liquid has passed through the liquid inlet during operation of the device, the liquid is contacted with an upper surface of the liquid receiving plate before it reaches the liquid outlet, and at least one heating element arranged to directly or indirectly heat the liquid while the liquid is in contact with the liquid receiving plate. The refiner device further includes a hollow air-guiding member arranged at the liquid receiving plate.

Various techniques are described for enhanced combustion of hot water extraction (HWE) derived liquor. For example, the HWE derived liquor can be pre-treated prior to introduction into a combustion chamber. The pre-treatment can include subjecting HWE derived liquor to filtration to remove suspended solids, evaporation to produce a first stage concentrated HWE liquor; additional concentration to produce a second stage concentrated HWE liquor; additional filtration to remove additional suspended solids; and pre-heating to produce a preheated HWE liquor. The preheated HWE liquor can be atomized and combined with pre-heated combustion air supplied into a combustion chamber to effect combustion of the HWE derived liquor.