Vaporization Pool Zone for Process Stream Heating Medium

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current vaporization and desalination processes are complex, costly, and require extensive pretreatment, with equipment prone to scaling and plugging, and safety concerns due to high recycle rates and immiscible heating mediums.

Innovation Solution

Vaporization occurs within the liquid pool zone of a vessel with a miscible or immiscible heating medium, eliminating the need for a mixing zone and stripping zone, and allowing for partial vaporization and solids removal within the vessel or pump-around loop, reducing equipment complexity and operational challenges.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If vaporization occurs in a mixing zone outside the liquid pool, then vaporization efficiency is improved, but equipment complexity increases and scaling/plugging problems occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevaporization efficiencyVSAvoidequipment complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the vaporization function with the liquid pool zone by introducing a heating medium directly into the liquid pool. This eliminates the need for a separate mixing zone, reducing equipment complexity while maintaining vaporization efficiency through direct contact between the process stream and heating medium.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Manufacturing precision

If a stripping zone is used for solids removal, then solids separation is improved, but corrosion and safety concerns increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesolids separationVSAvoidcorrosion and safety concerns

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the solids removal function from the traditional stripping zone configuration. By using a pump-around loop with a separator, the system removes solids without requiring a separate stripping zone, thereby eliminating corrosion and safety concerns associated with high-temperature oil-water contact while maintaining effective solids separation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If high recycle rate is used to limit temperature difference, then thermal degradation is avoided, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal degradation preventionVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary heating action by preheating the process stream using a heat exchanger before it enters the liquid pool zone. This preliminary action reduces the temperature difference requirement during vaporization, allowing for lower recycle rates and reduced energy consumption while still preventing thermal degradation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Reliability

If extensive pretreatment is applied, then process reliability is improved, but cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocess reliabilityVSAvoidcost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables the system to perform its own pretreatment function through the liquid pool zone configuration. The heating medium and pump-around loop system automatically handle solids removal and stream conditioning, eliminating the need for extensive external pretreatment processes while maintaining process reliability and reducing overall cost.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach simplifies the system, reduces costs, minimizes pretreatment, and eliminates scaling and fouling, while allowing for efficient vaporization and solids separation without high recycle rates or immiscible heating mediums.

Implementation Method 1

Vaporization occurs when the process stream contacts the heating medium in the liquid pool zone

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVaporization: Evaporation

Implementation Method 2

The heating medium is arranged to contact the process stream and vaporize a volatile components portion of the process stream

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS10918966B2System and method to vaporize a process stream by mixing the stream with a heating medium

Publication Date: 2021.02.16 SCHLUMBERGER TECH CORP

AI summary

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.