A method of recovering heat from a Natural Gas Liquid (NGL) fractionation plant for production of potable water. The method includes heating a buffer fluid via a heat exchanger in to transfer heat from the NGL fractionation plant to the buffer fluid. The method includes heating water with the buffer fluid discharged from the heat exchanger to produce potable water via train distillation effects.

Multi-chamber Compressor (6, 206, 506) of Mechanical Vapor re-Compression (MVC) and water treatment methods, the compressor bearing independent compression chambers of positive displacement, for heat-pumps, of two main variants: a) reciprocating-rotary motion (6, 206) wherein the compression chambers (7V) are radially arranged cylindrical sectors based on concentric circular sectors of the same angle, with, pistons of radially arranged vanes (20, 220) of respective surface and with the plane of the vanes passing through the axis of the common rotor (14) and the shaft (16) and b) reciprocating-linear motion (506) wherein the compression chambers (52v) are in series arranged cylinders with pistons/vanes (50v) of corresponding circular surfaces and with the plane of the vanes perpendicular to the common shaft (51). In both cases, the shaft (16, 51) and the motor are common to all the vanes (20v, 50v), which follow identical strokes. The surfaces of the vanes (20v, 50v), as well as of the compression chambers (7V, 52v), differ from each other, since each compression chamber (7V, 52v) has its own and independent pair of evaporation (ev, dv, Lv, by) and heat-exchanger chambers/areas (Cv/eCv, 32v/33v, 132v, 54v/53v), said compression chamber exclusively sucks from, compresses and discharges to, and the fluids/vapors being dispensed, are under different thermodynamic state conditions. The stages are independent from each other, the medium-vapor providing the energy of evaporation is produced in the stage itself, and flow rate and compression ratio CR are independently controlled and adjusted in each stage.

The present invention relates to the waste water treatment field, and discloses apparatus and method for treating waste water containing ammonium salts, which contains NH.sub.4.sup.+, SO.sub.4.sup.2, Cl.sup., and Na.sup.+. In the method of the present invention, the pH value of the waste water to be treated is adjusted to a specific range in advance; sodium sulfate crystal and relatively concentrated ammonia are obtained by first evaporation, and then sodium chloride crystal and relatively dilute ammonia is obtained by second evaporation; alternatively, sodium chloride crystal and relatively concentrated ammonia is obtained by third evaporation, and then sodium sulfate crystal and relatively dilute ammonia are obtained by fourth evaporation. The method of the present invention can recover ammonia, sodium sulfate, and sodium chloride from the waste water respectively, so that the resources in the waste water can be reused as far as possible.

Method for concentrating components through a distillation column are disclosed. A process stream is provided containing hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, and water. The process stream is passed into the distillation column at a bottom portion of the distillation column. The process stream is fractionally distilled in the distillation column, forming an overhead vapor stream, a middle fluid stream, and a bottoms liquid stream. The middle fluid stream is removed from a middle location of the distillation column. The bottoms liquid stream is removed from the distillation column. The overhead vapor stream is removed from the distillation column. The middle fluid stream consists of a first portion of the carbon dioxide and a first portion of the hydrocarbons. The bottoms liquid stream consists of a second portion of the hydrocarbons as a first phase and substantially all the water as a second phase.

A method of distilling a liquid containing dimethyl sulfoxide using a distillation system, including mixing sodium carbonate with a liquid containing dimethyl sulfoxide at a bottom of the distillation system such that sodium carbonate accounts for 0.005% to 25% by weight relative to 100% by weight of the liquid containing dimethyl sulfoxide and sodium carbonate in total at the bottom of the distillation system and heating the bottom; and obtaining a distillate containing dimethyl sulfoxide at a position lower than a position at which the liquid containing dimethyl sulfoxide is introduced and higher than a position of the heating portion.

A compound multi effect distillation (MED) system of integrated backward and forward fed MED systems. Heated concentrate from the hottest effect of the backward fed MED system is delivered as feed to the hottest effect in the forward fed MED system, to generate a more concentrated brine than possible using any of the systems alone. Furthermore, coupling the systems creates additional operational advantages and increases distillation efficiency.

A multi-stage evaporation system enhanced by a gravity-reduced field consists of evaporation structures of multiple stages. There are three different operation modes, namely, a serial-connected air and parallel-connected solution mode, a serial-connected air and serial-connected solution mode, and a parallel-connected air and serial-connected solution mode. In the evaporation chambers, the solution directly contacts the air to transfer the heat and mass. The solution is sprayed on the rotating filling material, and is uniformly distributed under the action of the gravity-reduced field, which enhances the heat and mass transfer. The solution is gasified by absorbing the heat energy thereof. Meanwhile, the air can carry more water vapor after being heated by the solution and thus having an increased temperature, and take away the gasified solution, thereby achieving the purpose of evaporation.

Certain aspects of a natural gas liquid fractionation plant waste heat conversion to power using Organic Rankine Cycle can be implemented as a system. The system includes a heating fluid circuit thermally coupled to multiple heat sources of a natural gas liquid (NGL) fractionation plant. The system includes a power generation system that includes an organic Rankine cycle (ORC), which includes (i) a working fluid that is thermally coupled to the heating fluid circuit to heat the working fluid, and (ii) an expander configured to generate electrical power from the heated working fluid. The system includes a control system configured to actuate a set of control valves to selectively thermally couple the heating fluid circuit to at least a portion of the multiple heat sources of the NGL fractionation plant.

A process of purifying acetic acid is provided. The process includes feeding a stream of acetic acid into a distillation column and distilling acetic acid in the presence of an oxidizing agent in the distillation column, to oxidize oxidizable impurities in the acetic acid, wherein the oxidizing agent is an oxidant capable of cleaving CC bonds. The process further includes removing a distilled acetic acid stream from the distillation column. Further processes for purifying acetic acid and systems for purifying acetic acid are also provided.

Certain aspects of natural gas liquid fractionation plant waste heat conversion to simultaneous power, cooling and potable water using integrated mono-refrigerant triple cycle and modified MED system can be implemented as a system that includes two heating fluid circuits thermally coupled to multiple heat sources of a NGL fractionation plant. An integrated triple cycle system, which includes an organic Rankine cycle (ORC), a refrigeration cycle and an ejector refrigeration cycle, is thermally coupled to the first heating fluid circuit. A MED system, configured to produce potable water, thermally coupled to the second heating fluid circuit. The system includes a control system configured to actuate control valves to selectively thermally couple the heating fluid circuits to portions of the heat sources of the NGL fractionation plant.