A solid-liquid separation device performs dehydration or deoiling from a treated object using a substance A that is a gas at normal temperature and pressure and is capable of dissolving water and oil when liquefied. The separation device includes a substance B that circulates while generating phase change in a closed system, a compressor that compresses the substance B, a first heat exchanger that condenses substance B and evaporates of the substance A, an expansion valve that decompresses the condensed substance B, a second heat exchanger that evaporates substance B and condenses substance A, and a treatment tank wherein substance A is mixed with the treated object, substance A is evaporated while separated from the liquid in the first heat exchanger, and condensed in the second heat exchanger. The center of gravity of the first heat exchanger is lower than the second heat exchanger in a vertical direction.

A method is described herein, comprising vaporizing a glycol material by thermal contact with a heating medium to form a vaporized glycol stream, increasing a pressure of the vaporized glycol stream to form a pressurized glycol stream, and increasing a temperature of the heating medium by thermally contacting the heating medium with the pressurized glycol stream.

The present invention provides to a process for recovery of an organic compound (i.e. Ethanol, propanol, butanol, Acetone, iso-propyl alcohol) from a fermented broth which is produced from different fermentation technologies. The present invention particularly relates to an integrated process for ethanol separation from the fermentation broth using integrated vapor compressing unit (turbofans), evaporator (falling film) and a broth stripper column (vacuum distillation system). The process is operated under low temperature for the separation and recovery of the organic compound (particularly ethanol) from the fermented broth containing live microbes typically below or at 50° C. to ensure the activity of the microbes in the broth recycle. Again, the activity of the microbes is further ensured by maintaining the residence time of the microbe containing broth outside the Fermentor is less than or equal to 10 minutes.

A distillation and dehydration system is provided that produces an anhydrous organic solvent. The provided system includes vapor recompression (e.g., a mechanical or thermal vapor recompression unit) to recover heat from a rectification-distillation section (e.g., a rectifier/stripper column). The addition of vapor recompression enables further heat recovery within a stream by increasing the condensation temperature and pressure of that stream and later using its latent heat by condensing it.

An aqueous stream cleaning system including a circulation pump to receive a waste fluid and/or a concentrated liquid bottoms stream, and expel a circulation stream. The aqueous stream cleaning system can also include a primary heat exchanger to receive the circulation stream from the circulation pump. The primary heat exchanger can have a plurality of heat exchange plates that define an internal surface area for heat transfer from a distillate stream to the circulation stream to produce a cooled distillate stream and a heated circulation stream. The plurality of heat exchange plates can be spaced to facilitate free flow of solids in the circulation stream between the plurality of heat exchange plates. A mass flow rate and pressure of the circulation stream can be configured to minimize build-up of solids in the primary heat exchanger. The aqueous stream cleaning system can further include an evaporation unit to receive the heated circulation stream from the primary heat exchanger. The distillate stream is formed when steam in the heated circulation stream evaporates in the evaporation unit, and the concentrated liquid bottoms stream is formed from a portion of the heated circulation stream that does not evaporate.

A dividing wall column system is provided. The dividing wall column system comprises a dividing wall column, a first reboiler, a second reboiler, and a heat pump. The dividing wall column includes a dividing wall positioned in a bottom section of the dividing wall column to divide the bottom section of the dividing wall column into a first side and a second side. The first reboiler is outside of the dividing wall column and in fluid communication with the first side of the bottom section of the dividing wall column. The second reboiler is outside of the dividing wall column and in fluid communication with the second side of the bottom section of the dividing wall column. The heat pump is in fluid communication with the dividing wall column and the second reboiler and configured to compress a first portion of an overhead product from the dividing wall column.

A system and method to desalinate a 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 feed water 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 feed water stream is vaporized or partially vaporized, any solids and unvaporized water present in the feed water stream come out of the stream and move into the heating medium. These solids and unvaporized water may be further removed from the heating medium in the pool or in the pump-around loop. The heat exchange surface does not contact the feed water.

A mechanical vapor recompression evaporation system wherein a fluid stream from a fluid source is compressed in a compressor and used to transfer heat to an incoming stream of liquid, the system comprising a combustion engine mechanically coupled to the compressor to drive the compressor, and having a combustion exhaust gas conduit; and a mixing chamber or heat exchanger in fluid communication with the combustion exhaust gas conduit and the fluid to transfer heat from the hot exhaust gas to the fluid stream.

A system and method to 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 vaporized, any solids present in the process stream come out of the process stream and move into the heating medium. These solids 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 used in the pump around loop's heater in case of mechanical vapor recovery.

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.