IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,330,086
Granted Patent B2
US 12,330,086 · App. 17/912,752 · Granted Jun 17, 2025

Separation tower and method for treating condensed water

Inventors: Xu Zhao (Gansu, CN); Tao Zhou (Gansu, CN); Yuanrui Lu (Gansu, CN); Xiangnan Zhai (Gansu, CN); Yongpeng Tan (Gansu, CN); Yan Gao (Gansu, CN); Yipeng Zhang (Gansu, CN); Kaixuan Ma (Gansu, CN); Xiaoling Xie (Gansu, CN)
Assignee: TIANHUA INSTITUTE OF CHEMICAL MACHINERY AND AUTOMATION CO., LTD
B01D1/26B01D1/305B01D3/10B01D3/324
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,330,086
App. No.
17/912,752
Granted
Jun 17, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided are a separation tower and method for treating condensed water. In order to overcome the defects that an apparatus has high investment and energy consumption and requires high safety due to the need to use an organic phase as an extractant, the present disclosure provides a separation tower for treating condensed water. The water separation tower includes a tower body. Evaporation units for purifying the condensed water are disposed in the tower body. A final-effect condensation unit is disposed below the evaporation units and connected with a vacuum pump. The present disclosure has the following beneficial effects: 1) the gravity is used, thereby omitting an intermediate pump and saving the power cost and a matching control system; 2) a pressure difference between every two effect evaporation units is designed, and heat energy provided by a first-effect evaporation unit is continuously evaporated to achieve separation, so that subsequent effect evaporation units do not require external heat sources; and 3) the degree of integration is high, the sealing property is good, a vacuum is easy to realize, a subsequent vacuum system is small, the energy consumption is low, a device is small in occupied area, the construction and installation cost is low, and the operation is simple.

Claims (16)

1. A separation tower for treating condensed water, the water separation tower comprising a tower body, wherein evaporation units for purifying the condensed water are disposed in the tower body, and a final-effect condensation unit is disposed below the evaporation units and connected with a vacuum pump;

the evaporation units comprise a first-effect evaporation unit and a second-effect evaporation unit; the first-effect evaporation unit comprises a condensed water inlet and a first heat exchange chamber, the condensed water inlet is disposed at a bottom portion of the first-effect evaporation unit, an upper portion of the first heat exchange chamber is connected with a first vapor passage for a vapor phase to enter a next effect evaporation unit and a first downcomer for a liquid phase to flow to the next effect evaporation unit, and a bottom of the first downcomer is provided with a first loop-shaped apparatus;

the second-effect evaporation unit comprises a second heat exchange chamber, an upper portion of the second heat exchange chamber is provided with a second vapor passage for a vapor phase to pass through after heat exchange of the condensed water and a second downcomer for a liquid phase to pass through, and a bottom of the second downcomer is provided with a second loop-shaped apparatus;

a lower portion of the second heat exchange chamber is provided with a first condensed liquid channel for a condensed liquid after heat exchange to flow to the next effect evaporation unit, and the bottom of the first condensed liquid channel is provided with a first U-shaped tube; and

the first loop-shaped apparatus is located between the second heat exchange chamber and a second demister.

2. The separation tower for treating condensed water according to claim 1 , wherein a purified water storage area is further disposed below the final-effect condensation unit.

3. The separation tower for treating condensed water according to claim 1 , wherein a third-effect evaporation unit is further disposed below the second-effect condensation unit.

4. The separation tower for treating condensed water according to claim 3 , wherein a fourth-effect evaporation unit is further disposed below the third-effect condensation unit.

5. The separation tower for treating condensed water according to claim 1 , wherein the condensed water inlet is formed in a lower portion of the first-effect condensation unit.

6. The separation tower for treating condensed water according to claim 1 , wherein an external heat source is provided by hot vapor outside a heat exchange pipeline leading into the first heat exchange chamber.

7. The separation tower for treating condensed water according to claim 1 , wherein demisters for demisting the vapor phases generated after heat exchange of the condensed water are further disposed between the upper portions of the heat exchange chambers and the vapor passages.

8. A method for treating condensed water, comprising the following steps:

1) turning on a vacuum pump, injecting condensed water into a first-effect evaporation unit through a condensed water inlet, and introducing a heat source for heat exchange into the outside of a pipeline in a first heat exchange chamber, wherein the condensed water inlet is disposed at a bottom portion of the first-effect evaporation unit;

2) enabling the condensed water and the heat source to exchange heat in the first heat exchange chamber, dividing the condensed water into a first vapor phase and a first liquid phase, enabling the first vapor phase to enter a first vapor passage after the first vapor phase passes through a first demister and to enter a next effect evaporation unit through the first vapor passage, and enabling the first liquid phase to flow from a first downcomer to the next effect evaporation unit through a first loop-shaped apparatus to become a first concentrated liquid phase or to be spontaneously evaporated in the first loop-shaped apparatus;

3) enabling the first vapor phase to enter the outside of a pipeline in a second heat exchange chamber through the first vapor passage to exchange heat with the first concentrated liquid phase as a heat source for second heat exchange, after heat exchange, condensing the first vapor phase into a condensed liquid and enabling the condensed liquid to flow downwards from a first condensed liquid channel into a first U-shaped tube, performing second heat exchange on the first concentrated liquid to obtain a second vapor phase and a second liquid phase, enabling the second vapor phase to enter a second vapor passage upwards through a second demister and then enter the next effect evaporation unit or a final-effect condensation unit, and enabling the second liquid phase to enter a second apparatus through a second downcomer and flow to the next effect evaporation unit or to be spontaneously evaporated; and

enabling the vapor phase to enter the final-effect condensation unit to be condensed and mixed with the condensed liquid to become pure water to be discharged, while discharging concentrated water left after multi-effect evaporation.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 19, 2022
From: ZHAO, XU; ZHOU, TAO; LU, YUANRUI; ZHAI, XIANGNAN; TAN, YONGPENG; GAO, YAN; ZHANG, YIPENG; MA, KAIXUAN; XIE, XIAOLING
To: TIANHUA INSTITUTE OF CHEMICAL MACHINERY AND AUTOMATION CO.,LTD
Reel/Frame 061475/0130 →
Priority Claims (1)
CN 20111482856.3 · Dec 7, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230398466A1 · Dec 14, 2023
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