A process system comprising a mechanical vapor compression (MVC/MVR) subsystem and a method for operating a process system

Abstract

A process system comprising a mechanical vapor compression (MVC/MVR) subsystem arranged to receive a liquid and arranged to produce compressed vapor from the liquid and to heat the liquid being received is disclosed. The MVR-subsystem is arranged as a closed loop vapor MVR-subsystem arranged to reuse the produced vapor. The process system comprises a process subsystem connected to the MVC/MVR-subsystem and arranged to receive a branched portion of the compressed vapor, wherein the process subsystem is arranged to use the branched portion of the compressed vapor during operation of the process subsystem. A method for operating a process system is also disclosed.

Claims

1-13. (canceled)

14. A process system comprising a mechanical vapor compression (MVC/MVR) subsystem arranged to receive a liquid and arranged to produce compressed vapor from said liquid and to heat the liquid being received, wherein the MVR-subsystem is arranged as a closed loop vapor MVR-subsystem arranged to reuse the produced vapor, wherein: the process system comprises a process subsystem connected to said MVC/MVR-subsystem and arranged to receive a branched portion of said compressed vapor, wherein the process subsystem is arranged to use said branched portion of the compressed vapor during operation of the process subsystem.

15. The process system according to claim 14, wherein said process subsystem is a production subsystem configured to produce a product, wherein the branched portion of the compressed vapor is used to product the product.

16. The process system according to claim 15, wherein the production subsystem is an industrial production subsystem and the product is an industrial product.

17. The process system according to claim 14, wherein said process subsystem is a service subsystem configured to perform a service using said branched portion of the compressed vapor, such as a cleaning procedure.

18. The process system according to claim 14, wherein said process subsystem is a work generating subsystem.

19. The process system according to claim 18, wherein the work generating subsystem is a transport subsystem configured for freight- and/or public-transport.

20. The process system according to claim 14, wherein the MVC/MVR-subsystem is a MVC/MVR liquid purification subsystem.

21. The process system according to claim 20, wherein the MVC/MVR liquid purification subsystem is a MVC/MVR water desalination subsystem.

22. The process system according to claim 14, wherein the liquid is water.

23. A method for operating a process system comprising a mechanical vapor compression (MVC/MVR) subsystem arranged to receive a liquid and arranged to produce compressed vapor from said liquid and to heat the liquid being received, wherein the MVR-subsystem is arranged as a closed loop vapor MVR-subsystem arranged to reuse the produced vapor, wherein, the method comprises: connecting a process subsystem to said MVC/MVR-subsystem and providing a branched portion of said compressed vapor produced by the MVC/MVR-subsystem to said process subsystem, wherein said branched portion of the compressed vapor is to be used during operation of the process subsystem.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the process subsystem is a production subsystem configured to produce a product, wherein the method comprises to produce the product by the production subsystem.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein the process subsystem is a service subsystem configured to perform a service using said branched portion of the compressed vapor, wherein the method comprises to provide a service by the service subsystem, such as a cleaning procedure.

26. The method according to claim 23, wherein the process subsystem is a work generating subsystem, wherein the method comprises to provide work by the work generating subsystem, such as for freight- and/or public-transport.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a process system according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] A process system with a MVC/MVR-subsystem will now be described in details with references to the appended figures. Throughout the figures the same, or similar, items have the same reference signs. Moreover, the items and the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.

[0038] With reference to FIG. 1, a process system 1 comprising a mechanical vapor compression (MVC) or also called mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) subsystem 3 is illustrated according to some embodiments.

[0039] The MVR-subsystem 3 is arranged as a closed loop vapor MVR-subsystem arranged to reuse the produced vapor. The MVR-subsystem 3 is a subsystem arranged to operate according to MVR-principle known in the art where compressed vapor is reused. The MVR-subsystem 3 is arranged in a specific way characteristic for MVR technology. The MVC/MVR-subsystem 3 is a common knowledge in the art and is therefore not described herein in more details.

[0040] The process system 1 comprises a mechanical vapor compression (MVC/MVR) subsystem 3. arranged to receive a liquid and arranged to produce compressed vapor from the liquid and to heat the liquid being received. The liquid is supplied to the MVC/MVR-subsystem 3 through a liquid supply line 2. The compressed vapor are transported through a compressed vapor line 4. The heated liquid is transported through a heated liquid line 6.

[0041] The liquid may be water or the liquid may be any other liquid or mixture of liquids and/or other materials e.g. solids, polymers, fatty alcohols, oils, additives, soluble or insoluble particles and molecular systems including ionic fluids. The heated liquid may then be a heated cleaned water. Thus, the MVC/MVR-subsystem 3 may be a MVC/MVR liquid purification subsystem, particularly a MVC/MVR water desalination subsystem.

[0042] According to the embodiments illustrated in FIG. 1, the process system 1 comprises a process subsystem 5 connected to the MVC/MVR-subsystem 3 by means a compressed vapor portion line 7 illustrated with dashed line. Thus, the process subsystem 5 can utilize a portion of energy produced by the MVC/MVR-subsystem 3 by using directly a portion of the compressed vapor. Thus, the process subsystem 5 can be directly connected to the MVC/MVR-subsystem 3 by means of the compressed vapor portion line 7 supplying the portion of the compressed vapor to the process subsystem 5. The portion of the compressed vapor is branched from the compressed vapor line 4 to the compressed vapor portion line 7.

[0043] Consequently, a portion of energy produced by the MVC/MVR-subsystem 3 can be used by direct connection of the process subsystem 5 to the MVC/MVR-subsystem 3.

[0044] The process subsystem 5 may be a production subsystem configured to produce a product, wherein the portion of the compressed vapor can be used to product the product. Thus, the aim/purpose of the process subsystem 5 can be production of a product, such as manufacturing of a product where compressed vapor are needed during manufacturing of the product. The aim/purpose of the process subsystem 5 can also be preparation of a substance. Further, the product may be an industrial product. Thus, the production subsystem 5 can be, for example, a subsystem in a paper industry process, a food industry process or a steel industry process where compressed vapor is needed for the mentioned processes. In the case of preparation of a substance, the production subsystem can be, for example, a subsystem in a petroleum industry process where compressed vapor is needed during processing of oil.

[0045] According to some embodiments, the process subsystem 5 is a service subsystem configured to perform a service using the portion of the compressed vapor such as a cleaning procedure. Thus, the portion of the compressed vapor can be used, for example, to clean a fa?ade of a building, for cleaning cloths or for sterilization purposes in hospitals or in laboratories. The compressed vapor can then be supplied through suitable conduits and nozzles of the process subsystem 5.

[0046] According to some further embodiments, the process subsystem 5 is a work generating subsystem. Thus, the portion of the compressed vapor can be used to generate work by the work generation subsystem. Consequently, the work generating subsystem can be a machine arranged to use compressed vapor to generate work. The work generating subsystem may be a transport subsystem configured for freight- and/or public-transport, such as a steam locomotive.

[0047] Through the application the arrows illustrate the flow direction in the respective line.