Distillation system
Examples relates to a distillation system for concentrating a feed liquid, the system including a condensation unit and an adjacent evaporation unit, each unit being provided by a frame element assembled together to form a stack of frame elements, wherein the condensation unit includes a first steam space and a condensation wall at least partly bordering the first steam space, and a second steam space, wherein a feeding area between the condensation unit and the evaporation unit, the feeding area being bordered by the condensation wall, the system being configured such that the condensation wall is heated by a first steam in the first steam space, the feed liquid flows on the condensation wall in the feeding area, a second steam arising from the feed liquid moves into the second steam space, wherein the feeding area is open towards the second steam space.
1 . A distillation system for concentrating a feed liquid, comprising:
at least one condensation unit and at least one adjacent evaporation unit, each unit being provided by a frame element assembled together to form a stack of frame elements, wherein
the condensation unit comprises a first steam space and a condensation wall at least partly bordering the first steam space, and
the evaporation unit comprises a second steam space,
wherein a feeding area is provided between the condensation unit and the evaporation unit, the feeding area being bordered by the condensation wall, the system being configured such that:
the condensation wall is heated by a first steam in the first steam space the feed liquid flows on the condensation wall in the feeding area,
a second steam arising from the feed liquid moves into the second steam space,
wherein the feeding area is open towards the second steam space;
wherein the second steam space comprises a grid-formed spacer element that is thinner than the thickness of the frame element in a lateral view of the frame element.
2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the condensation wall is flexible, wherein at least one of:
the condensation wall comprises a foil, and
the condensation wall is moveable within the feeding area.
3 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system is configured such that at least one of:
the condensation wall is deformed by the first steam into or towards the second steam space and
the condensation wall moves back to an initial position thereof when the first steam is stopped to enter the first steam space or in case of a pressure balance between the first and the second steam space.
4 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein
the system is configured such that the condensation wall is deformed by the first steam to get into contact with the grid-formed spacer element.
5 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein a drain passage is arranged below at least one of the second steam space and the feeding area, the drain passage being configured such that the feed liquid leaves the feeding area via the drain passage, together with the second steam.
6 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises at least one droplet elimination device consisting of at least one further frame element or a set of stacked frame elements.
7 . The system according to claim 6 , wherein at least one of:
the droplet elimination device comprises a third steam space connected to two vapor channels, such that the second steam flows from the second steam space via a vapor channel into the third steam space and leaves the third steam space via a further vapor channels, and
the droplet elimination device forms a set of stacked frame elements which is at least one of separate and adjacent to the stack of frame elements forming the at least one condensation unit and at least one adjacent evaporation unit.
8 . The system according to claim 6 , wherein at least one of:
the droplet elimination device comprises a third steam space connected via the drain passage to the second steam space, such that the second steam flows from the second steam space via the drain passage into the third steam space, and
the third steam space is connected to a vapor channel, such that the second steam leaves the third steam space via the vapor channel.
9 . The system according to claim 8 , wherein one of:
the droplet elimination device forms a set of stacked frame elements which is at least one of separate and adjacent to the stack of frame elements forming the at least one condensation unit and at least one adjacent evaporation unit, wherein the vapor channel is closed between both stacks, and
the droplet elimination device forms at least one frame element which is integrated into the stack of frame elements forming the at least one condensation unit and at least one adjacent evaporation unit, such that the at least one frame element of the droplet elimination device is neighbored by two frame elements of respective evaporation units.
10 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein each frame element includes at least one of:
an outer frame and an inner frame, the inner frame encasing a central inner region and being surrounded by the outer frame,
at least one passage opening, a drain passage and at least one vapor channel arranged between the outer frame and the inner frame, wherein
the central inner region provides a steam space, and
the inner frame comprises a surface which defines a plane, to which the condensation wall is attached for separating the first steam space from the second steam space.
11 . The system according to claim 10 , wherein the first steam space is connected to at least one of:
a vapor channel by at least one vapor channel opening constituting a through hole in the inner frame of the condensation unit, and
a condensate collection passage arranged below the first steam space by at least one condensate channel opening constituting a through hole in the inner frame of the condensation unit, and
the second steam space is connected to at least one of:
the vapor channel by at least one vapor channel opening constituting a through hole in the inner frame of the evaporation unit and/or a connecting notch provided on a front side of said inner frame, and
the drain passage by at least one vapor channel opening constituting a through hole in the inner frame of the evaporation unit and/or a connecting notch provided on a front side of said inner frame.
12 . The system according to claim 9 , wherein at least one passage opening is arranged above the central inner region and separated from the central inner region by a frame wall of the inner frame, wherein
at least one liquid passage is provided by the frame wall and configured to distribute a liquid from the first passage opening to the feeding area.
13 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system is a multistage distillation apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of serial sets, each set comprising a stage and a droplet elimination device, each stage comprising at least one condensation unit and at least one evaporation unit, wherein at least one of:
a first set is configured to generate steam and feed the steam to a second set, the first and the second set being arranged on a similar height, and
the first set and a third set are configured to be flowed through in series by the feed liquid, the first set being above the third set.
14 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system comprises a mechanical vapor compression (MVC) device, such that the second steam is compressed by the MVC device and fed back as first steam to the first steam space.
15 . The system according to claim 5 , wherein the feed liquid leaves the feeding area via the drain passage together with the second steam.
16 . The system according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one frame element of the droplet elimination device is between the two frame elements of the respective evaporation units.