A system and a method for separating water and salt by sequential evaporation of multiple groups of heat collecting devices. The system comprises heat collectors, a light-gathering heat collector, a heating chamber, an evaporation chamber, a condenser, a buffer chamber and a vacuum pump; a saline water stock solution is rapidly heated by multiple series-connected-multiple groups of parallel solar heat collecting devices and series-connected light-gathering heat collectors with decreasing water levels, and the water levels control water inlet and the temperature controls water outlet; several groups are started up in turn to perform micro-negative pressure evaporation, while other groups provide phase change heat energy, and the buffer chamber collects concentrated saline water; natural convection heat exchange occurs between the saline water stock solution and a vapor manifold, vapor heat energy is recovered and condensed fresh water is produced.

The present invention relates to evaporation apparatus (100) comprising manifolds provided with at least one nozzle (102), a tank unit (103) for a liquid, and a sample holder configured to be inserted into the tank unit. The sample holder is configured to hold at least sample in a defined position relative the at least one nozzle a control unit (104) an inlet port (105) configured to be connected to a gas supply, a pressure regulator (106) arranged downstream the inlet port (105). A set value of the pressure regulator (106) is controlled by the control unit (104), a control valve (107) arranged downstream the pressure regulator (106), wherein each of the at least one manifold (101a-d) is connected to a corresponding output port of the control valve. The control valve is controlled by the control unit (104), and the control unit is configured to set the set value of the pressure regulator to a value that causes a predetermined gas flow from each of the at least one nozzle.

A system and method for decontaminating a fluid like a non-azeotrope solvent such as water, wherein a transport gas is maintained at a temperature between the freezing point and boiling point at atmospheric pressure of the solvent and continuously circulated between an evaporation chamber and a condensation chamber, a contaminated solvent is introduced into the transport gas in the evaporation chamber under process heat and contaminant precipitates out, and the cleaned solvent cools in the condensation chamber releasing heat to be used in the evaporation chamber. A heat pump is used to promote evaporation and condensation within the system.

A process of isolating 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BDO) from a fermentation broth includes separating a liquid fraction enriched in 1,4-BDO from a solid fraction comprising cells, removing water from said liquid fraction, removing salts from said liquid fraction, and purifying 1,4-BDO. A process for producing 1,4-BDO includes culturing a 1,4-BDO-producing microorganism in a fermentor for a sufficient period of time to produce 1,4-BDO. The 1,4-BDO-producing microorganism includes a microorganism having a 1,4-BDO pathway having one or more exogenous genes encoding a 1,4-BDO pathway enzyme and/or one or more gene disruptions. The process for producing 1,4-BDO further includes isolating 1,4-BDO.

A mobile mechanical vapor recompression evaporator system including a horizontal vapor separator and a horizontal forced circulation heat exchanger. The horizontal vapor separator can include a generally cylindrical housing configured in a generally horizontal orientation. The housing can include at least one product chamber having at least one product passage configured to receive at least one product. The housing further includes at least one vapor chamber having at least one vapor passage and at least one vapor window located between the at least one product chamber and the at least one vapor chamber, wherein a portion of the at least one product evaporates in the product chamber to produce a vapor that passes through the at least one vapor window into the at least one vapor chamber, and is discharged through the at least one vapor passage.

A levulinic acid composition A having: a. at least 95 wt. % of levulinic acid; b. between 5 wppm and 5000 wppm of formic acid; and c. less than 1000 wppm of angelica lactone, based on the total weight of the composition. A process for the isolation of a levulinic acid composition, having the following steps: a. performing acid catalyzed hydrolysis of a C6 carbohydrate-containing feedstock to obtain reaction product X, b. subjecting of reaction product X to solid-liquid separation to provide a composition 1, c. feeding composition 1 to at least two purification steps to treat composition 1 to obtain a levulinic acid composition, wherein a second or a further purification step is a melt crystallization step.

A system and method for decontaminating a fluid like a non-azeotrope solvent such as water, wherein a transport gas is maintained at a temperature between the freezing point and boiling point at atmospheric pressure of the solvent and continuously circulated between an evaporation chamber and a condensation chamber, a contaminated solvent is introduced into the transport gas in the evaporation chamber under process heat and contaminant precipitates out, and the cleaned solvent cools in the condensation chamber releasing heat to be used in the evaporation chamber. A heat pump is used to promote evaporation and condensation within the system.

A unique adaptive method of Mechanical Vapor Re-compression (MVR) to dehydrate abrasive sludge to a dry, sterile state that is nearly moisture free while maintaining extremely high process efficiencies by adaptively tuning the system parameters related to the varying specific plus latent heats of the input feedstream. This Adaptive MVR (AMVR) process is supported by the effective use of a unique method and apparatus for the optimization of the conductive heating process as applied to a range of sludge consistencies.

Systems and methods related to desalination systems are described herein. According to some embodiments, the desalination systems are transiently operated and/or configured to facilitate transient operation. In some embodiments, a liquid stream comprising water and at least one dissolved salt is circulated through a fluidic circuit comprising a desalination system. In some embodiments, a portion of the desalination system (e.g., a humidifier) is configured to remove at least a portion of the water from the liquid stream to produce a concentrated brine stream enriched in the dissolved salt. In certain cases, the concentrated brine stream is recirculated through the fluidic circuit until the concentrated brine stream reaches a relatively high density (e.g., at least about 10 pounds per gallon) and/or a relatively high salinity (e.g., a total dissolved salt concentration of at least about 25 wt %). In certain embodiments, additional salt is added to the concentrated brine stream to produce an ultra-high-density brine stream (e.g., a brine stream having a density of at least about 11.7 pounds per gallon). Some aspects relate to a system that is configured to promote energy efficiency by recovering heat from the recirculated concentrated brine stream upon discharge from the fluidic circuit.

A process to prevent fouling using a desublimating heat exchanger is disclosed. An outlet stream from the desublimating heat exchanger may be split into a plurality of parallel streams. The parallel streams may be sent through other devices for performing a unit operation, and the devices for performing a unit operation may change the temperature of at least one of the parallel streams. Parallel streams of differing temperature may emerge from the devices for performing a unit operation. The parallel streams of differing temperature may be sent to a mixing chamber. A mixed stream of uniform temperature may emerge from the mixing chamber, and the mixed stream may be recycled back to the desublimating heat exchanger. The mixing chamber may be separate from the desublimating heat exchanger, or the parallel streams of differing temperature may be mixed in the desublimating heat exchanger.