Process vessel with integral evaporator

Abstract

A process vessel containing both an evaporation zone for evaporating a liquid feed and a treatment zone for treating the resulting vapor comprises an injector having an orifice, the orifice being in the evaporation zone, at least one evaporation surface for evaporating feed and generating vapor, the evaporation surface being located in the evaporation zone, wherein the injector orifice and the evaporation surface are positioned to prevent the formation of a drop at the orifice, a treatment zone for treating the vapor and at least one heater associated with at least a portion of the process vessel.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A process vessel for evaporating a liquid feed and treating the resulting vapor comprising: 
 an evaporation zone;    an injector having an orifice where said orifice is in the evaporation zone;    at least one evaporation surface for evaporating feed and generating vapor, said evaporation surface located in the evaporation zone;    the injector orifice and the evaporation surface positioned to prevent the formation of a drop at the orifice;    a treatment zone; and    at least one heater associated with at least a portion of the process vessel.    
     
     
         2 . A process vessel according to  claim 1 , wherein the evaporation surface is selected from the group consisting of a porous monolith, a plate, a cone, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         3 . A process vessel according to  claim 1 , wherein the evaporation surface is a bed containing packing.  
     
     
         4 . A process vessel according to  claim 3 , wherein the evaporation zone has an inside diameter, the packing has a diameter, and the diameter of the packing is less than or equal to about 10% of the inside diameter of the evaporation zone.  
     
     
         5 . A process vessel according to  claim 3 , wherein the packing has a diameter that is between about 0.21 mm and about 0.42 mm  
     
     
         6 . A process vessel according to  claim 3 , wherein the orifice has a diameter, the packing has a minimum diameter and the diameter of the orifice is smaller than the minimum diameter of the packing.  
     
     
         7 . A process vessel according to  claim 1 , wherein a gap formed between the orifice and the evaporation surface is smaller than a predicted diameter of a droplet forming at the orifice.  
     
     
         8 . A process vessel according to  claim 1 , wherein a gap formed between the orifice and the evaporation surface is smaller than a diameter of a droplet forming at the orifice as predicted by the Young-LaPlace equation.  
     
     
         9 . A process vessel according to  claim 1 , wherein the evaporation surface is inert.  
     
     
         10 . A process vessel for evaporating a liquid feed and treating the resulting vapor comprising: 
 an evaporation zone;    a treatment zone;    an insert containing at least one evaporation surface for evaporating feed and generating vapor, said insert positioned within the process vessel so that the evaporation surface is within the evaporation zone;    a solids receptacle containing solid particles for treating the vapor, said solids receptacle positioned within the process vessel so that the solid particles are within the treatment zone;    a housing having an inlet and an outlet and having the solids receptacle nested within the housing and the insert nested within the solids receptacle; and    at least one heater associated with at least a portion of the process vessel.    
     
     
         11 . A process vessel according to  claim 10 , wherein the evaporation surface is selected from the group consisting of a bed containing packing, a porous monolith, a plate, a cone, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         12 . A process vessel according to  claim 10 , wherein the insert is removable.  
     
     
         13 . A process vessel according to  claim 10 , wherein the solids receptacle is removable.  
     
     
         14 . A process vessel according to  claim 10 , further comprising a fluid permeable member attached to the receptacle to retain the solids but allow fluid to pass.  
     
     
         15 . A process vessel according to  claim 10 , further comprising a fluid permeable member attached to the insert to retain the evaporation surface but allow fluid to pass.  
     
     
         16 . A process vessel according to  claim 10 , further comprising an injector having an orifice, wherein said orifice is in the evaporation zone and the injector orifice and the evaporation surface are positioned relative to each other so as to prevent the formation of a drop at the orifice.  
     
     
         17 . A process vessel according to  claim 10 , further comprising an analyzer in fluid communication with the outlet of the housing.  
     
     
         18 . A process vessel according to  claim 10 , wherein the heater is associated primarily with the evaporation zone and further comprising a second heater associated primarily with the treatment zone.  
     
     
         19 . A process vessel according to  claim 10 , wherein said housing and said solids receptacle define a diluent inlet.  
     
     
         20 . An array of process vessels for evaporating a liquid feed and treating the resulting vapor in combinatorial processes comprising a plurality of process vessels and a heater associated with a portion of the process vessels, each process vessel having: 
 an evaporation zone;    a treatment zone;    an insert containing at least one evaporation surface, the insert being positioned within the process vessel so that the evaporation surface is within the evaporation zone;    a solids receptacle containing solid particles for treating vapor, the solids receptacle being positioned within the process vessel so that the solid particles are within the treatment zone; and    a housing having at least one inlet and at least one outlet and having the solids receptacle nested within the housing and the insert nested within the solids receptacle.    
     
     
         21 . An array according to  claim 20 , wherein the inserts are removable.  
     
     
         22 . An array according to  claim 20 , wherein the receptacles are removable.  
     
     
         23 . An array according to  claim 20 , wherein the evaporation surfaces are selected from the group consisting of a bed containing packing, a porous monolith, a plate, a cone, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         24 . An array according to  claim 20 , wherein the housings and the solids receptacles define diluent inlets.  
     
     
         25 . A process for vaporizing a liquid feed and treating the resulting vapor comprising: 
 providing a process vessel having a housing encasing an evaporation zone and a treatment zone;    nesting an insert having at least one evaporation surface within the housing so that the evaporation surface is within the evaporation zone;    providing an injector having an orifice;    positioning the injector orifice and the evaporation surface to provide a predetermined gap therebetween to prevent the formation of a liquid drop at the orifice;    injecting the liquid feed into the insert through the injector orifice;    heating the liquid feed so that it will be at least at its bubble point while it is in contact with the evaporation surface to generate a vapor;    flowing the vapor to the treatment zone; and    treating the vapor within the treatment zone to generate an effluent.    
     
     
         26 . A process according to  claim 25 , further comprising analyzing the effluent.  
     
     
         27 . A process according to  claim 25 , further comprising diluting the effluent.  
     
     
         28 . A process for evaporating a liquid feed and treating the resulting vapor comprising: 
 providing a process vessel having a housing encasing an evaporation zone and a treatment zone;    providing packing in the evaporation zone;    providing an injector having an orifice;    positioning the orifice and the packing so that there is a predetermined gap therebetween to interfere with the formation of a liquid drop at the orifice;    injecting the liquid feed into the evaporation zone through the injector orifice;    heating the liquid feed so that it will be at least at its bubble point within the evaporation zone to generate a vapor;    flowing the vapor to the treatment zone; and    treating the vapor within the treatment zone to generate an effluent.    
     
     
         29 . A process according to  claim 28 , further comprising analyzing the effluent.  
     
     
         30 . A process according to  claim 28 , further comprising diluting the effluent.  
     
     
         31 . A process according to  claim 28 , further comprising forming a thin liquid film of the liquid feed on the packing.  
     
     
         32 . A process according to  claim 28 , further comprising mixing the vapor with a gas feed within the evaporation zone.  
     
     
         33 . A process according to  claim 28 , further comprising positioning the orifice and the packing so that the gap is smaller than a predicted diameter of a liquid droplet forming at the injector orifice.  
     
     
         34 . A process according to  claim 28 , further comprising positioning the orifice and the packing so that the gap is smaller than a diameter of a liquid droplet forming at the injector orifice predicted by the Young-LaPlace equation.  
     
     
         35 . A combinatorial process for evaporating a set of liquid feeds and treating the resulting vapors comprising: 
 providing an array of process vessels, each vessel havinging both an evaporation zone and a treatment zone;    providing packing in the evaporation zones, the packing forming beds;    providing injectors having orifices;    positioning the orifices and the packing so that there is a predetermined gap therebetween within each process vessel to interfere with the formation of a liquid drop at the orifices;    injecting the liquid feeds into the evaporation zones through injector orifices;    heating the liquid feeds so that they will be at least at their bubble points within the beds of packing to generate vapors;    flowing the vapors to the treatment zones;    treating the vapors within the treatment zones to generate effluents.    
     
     
         36 . A process for evaporating a liquid feed and treating the resultant vapors comprising: 
 providing process a vessel having an evaporation zone and a treatment zone;    placing an insert having at least one evaporation surface for evaporating feed positioned within the process vessel so that the evaporation surface is within the evaporation zone;    injecting the liquid feed into the evaporation zone;    heating the liquid feed so that it will be at least at its bubble point while in contact with the evaporation surface generate a vapor;    flowing the vapor to the treatment zone; and    treating the vapor in the treatment zone to generate an effluent.    
     
     
         37 . A process according to  claim 36 , further comprising providing an evaporation surface that is selected from the group consisting of a bed containing packing, a porous monolith, a plate, a cone, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         38 . A process according to  claim 36 , further comprising diluting the effluent.  
     
     
         39 . A process according to  claim 36 , further comprising analyzing the effluent.