Methods and systems for heating and manipulating fluids

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for heating and manipulating a fluid to heat the fluid, evaporate water from the fluid, concentrate the fluid, separate the fluid into fractions; and/or pasteurize the fluid, comprising a closed-loop heating subsystem coupled to a primary fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger, and one or more fluid manipulation subsystems also coupled to the primary fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of evaporating water, comprising:
 providing a closed-loop heating subsystem comprising a hydrocarbon-fueled heater, a fluid pump, a fluid reservoir and a first path through a fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger, all configured to heat a first fluid to less than an atmospheric boiling point of the first fluid;   providing an evaporation subsystem comprising a flash tank, a second path through the fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger and a condensing heat exchanger;   pumping a second fluid through the fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger;   transferring heat from the first fluid to the second fluid in the fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger;   flashing the second fluid into its liquid and vapor phases in the flash tank to evaporate at least a portion of water from the second fluid;   drawing the second fluid vapor from the flash tank into the condensing heat exchanger to condense the vapor to liquid by transferring heat from the vapor; and   utilizing at least a portion of the heat removed by condensing the vapor to evaporate additional water from the second fluid liquid.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 operating the flash tank at less than atmospheric pressure.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 pumping a portion of the second fluid liquid in the flash tank to an evaporation chamber;   spraying the portion of second fluid liquid into the evaporation chamber; and   blowing air heated from condensing the second fluid vapor into the evaporation tower to evaporate a portion of water from the portion of second fluid liquid sprayed into the evaporation chamber.   
     
     
         4 . A method of evaporating water, comprising:
 providing a closed-loop heating subsystem comprising a hydrocarbon-fueled heater, a fluid pump, a fluid expansion tank and a first path through a primary fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger, all configured to heat a first fluid to less than an atmospheric boiling point of the first fluid;   providing an evaporation subsystem comprising a second path through the primary fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger, a plurality of flash tanks, and a condensing heat exchanger;   pumping a first portion of the second fluid through the primary fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger;   transferring heat from the first fluid to the second fluid in the primary fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger;   flashing the first portion of the second fluid into its liquid and vapor phases in a first flash tank operating at a first pressure to evaporate a portion of water from the first portion;   drawing the fluid vapor from the first flash tank into a secondary fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger;   pumping a second portion of the second fluid through the secondary fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger;   transferring heat from the first portion of the second fluid to the second portion of the second fluid in the secondary fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger;   flashing the second portion of the second fluid into its liquid and vapor phases in a second flash tank operating at a second pressure less than the first pressure to evaporate a portion of water from the second portion of the second fluid;   drawing the vapor from the second flash tank into the condensing heat exchanger to condense the vapor to liquid by transferring heat from the vapor.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 operating the first flash tank at less than atmospheric pressure.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the condensing heat exchanger is a third fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger; and further comprising:
 pumping a third portion of the first fluid through the third heat exchanger to transfer heat from the second flash tank vapor to the third portion of the second fluid;   exposing the third portion of first fluid to atmosphere to evaporate a portion of water from the third portion of the second fluid; and   returning the remainder of the third portion of the second fluid to a storage facility from which the first, second and third portions of the second fluid are drawn.