Embodiments of the invention are directed toward a novel pressurized vapor cycle for distilling liquids. In some embodiments of the invention, a liquid purification system is revealed, including the elements of an input for receiving untreated liquid, a vaporizer coupled to the input for transforming the liquid to vapor, a head chamber for collecting the vapor, a vapor pump with an internal drive shaft and an eccentric rotor with a rotatable housing for compressing vapor, and a condenser in communication with the vapor pump for transforming the compressed vapor into a distilled product. Other embodiments of the invention are directed toward heat management, and other process enhancements for making the system especially efficient.

Systems, apparatuses, and methods for microfluidic fluid evaporation using femtosecond laser-patterned surfaces are disclosed. A microfluidic device may comprise a femtosecond laser-patterned substrate having at least one input path and at least one output path. The femtosecond laser-patterned substrate may comprise both superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic sections. Fluid deposited at an input path may be wicked to an output path due to the surface pattern. A heating device may be provided to heat the fluid to evaporate volatiles therefrom. Vacuums and gas streams may be used to aid in volatile removal. Gas streams may add gas to the microfluidic device to react with the fluid.

Systems, apparatuses, and methods for microfluidic fluid evaporation using femtosecond laser-patterned surfaces are disclosed. A microfluidic device may comprise a femtosecond laser-patterned substrate having at least one input path and at least one output path. The femtosecond laser-patterned substrate may comprise both superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic sections. Fluid deposited at an input path may be wicked to an output path due to the surface pattern. A heating device may be provided to heat the fluid to evaporate volatiles therefrom. Vacuums and gas streams may be used to aid in volatile removal. Gas streams may add gas to the microfluidic device to react with the fluid.

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.

Evaporation panel securing system can include first and second evaporation panels, and a security fastener to secure a male connector (first evaporation panel) within a female-receiving opening (second evaporation panel) in an orthogonally joined orientation, for example. The evaporation panels can include a plurality of evaporation shelves that are laterally elongated, vertically stacked, spaced apart from one another, and horizontally oriented; a plurality of vertical support columns positioned laterally along the plurality of evaporation shelves to provide support and separation to the plurality of evaporation shelves; a plurality of female-receiving openings individually bordered by two evaporation shelves and two support columns; and a plurality of male connectors positioned laterally at ends of the plurality of evaporation panels, wherein the male connectors of the first evaporation panel are releasably joinable with female-receiving openings of the second evaporation panel.

In at least one embodiment, a devolatilization vessel includes a first set of one or more devolatilization plates and a second set of one or more devolatilization plates. A first distributor is above the first set of one or more devolatilization plates and the second set of one or more devolatilization plates. A second distributor is above the second set of one or more devolatilization plates. In at least one embodiment, a process of forming a polymer includes forming a first polymer solution having a first viscosity and forming a second polymer solution having a second viscosity. The process includes flowing the first polymer solution and the second polymer solution to a devolatilization vessel. The process includes removing volatiles from the first polymer solution and the second polymer solution in the devolatilization vessel to form a devolatilized first polymer melt and a devolatilized second polymer melt.

An evaporator for an absorption heat pump or a single coolant cooling process comprises a number of stacked plates provided with a pressed pattern to hold the plates on a distance from one another to form a heat exchanging strip, vapor leading spaces and outer walls, the heat exchanging strip being designed such that flow channels are formed by internal surfaces of the strip, said flow channels connecting a heat carrier inlet and a heat carrier outlet, wherein a coolant forms a falling film on external surfaces of the heat carrier channels by being provided above the heat carrier channels by a coolant inlet, wherein coolant being vaporized from the external surfaces by heat from a heat carrier flowing from the inlet to the outlet rapidly enters the vapor leading spaces. The vapor leading spaces are provided between the heat exchanging strip and the outer walls.

A printed circuit-type heat exchanger includes a vaporizer having a structure in which one or more A-channel plates and one or more B-channel plates are sequentially stacked, to vaporize a fluid A with heat exchange through the A-fluid channels. A gas-liquid separator separates the fluid A into a vaporized gas and a non-vaporized liquid and includes a gas outlet for the vaporized gas and a liquid outlet for non-vaporized liquid. A super heater, having the same structure as the vaporizer, super heats the vaporized gas with heat exchange through the A-fluid channels and discharges the superheated gas through a gas outlet communicating with the outside. A first intermediate plate is disposed between the vaporizer and the gas-liquid separator to separate the vaporizer from the gas-liquid separator, and a second intermediate plate is disposed between the gas-liquid separator and the super heater to separate the super heater from the gas-liquid separator.

A device for desalinating seawater comprises at least three plates (20, 21, 22), at least two evaporation chambers, each of them delimited by two consecutive plates, and entrance means (24) to feed the evaporation chambers with seawater to be desalinated, said entrance means being suitable to feed all the evaporation chambers with seawater from a common source, so that at least one plate is suitable to operate as a condensation surface in one chamber and as an evaporation surface in the next chamber. The device may be arranged in any coastal system that requires a heat flux of low thermal intensity between a hot source (60) and a cold sink (70). The device guarantees said heat flux by means of vapour generation, transportation and condensation, whereby condensed water is collected as a valuable by-product. A method of desalinating seawater comprises the steps of deaerating the seawater to be desalinated and feeding all the evaporation chambers with said deaerated seawater.

A method for improving heat transfer during distillation and concentration of extract with solvent includes providing a distillation vessel having a heat transfer surface and preparing the heat transfer surface with a plurality of surface features. A distillation and concentration system includes a distillation vessel having a heat transfer surface prepared with a plurality of surface features in accordance with the method.