DISTILLATION PROCESS WITH REDUCED FOULING

摘要

There is disclosed a method and apparatus for removing a contaminant from a fluid feed stream containing the contaminant. The method includes comprising the steps of providing a feed stream (10) and heating it in a first step (18) to at least partially remove some of the contaminants and recover energy from a concentrate and distillate generate. Further heating the feed stream in a second heating step (20) in a heated separator generates a saturated vapour fraction (30) and a concentrate liquid contaminant fraction. The vapour fraction may be compressed (32) to generate a temperature differential in the reboiler exchanger (34) with the vapour fraction being passed into contact with a reboiler exchanger to provide a stream of condensed vapour from the reboiler. The stream may be circulated through the reboiler exchanger and the heated separator to maintain from about 1 % to about 50 % by mass vapour in the stream. The apparatus includes a unique configuration of a vapour compressor, heated separator in combination with a forced circulation (42, 44, 38) circuit to generate the decontamination result.