Patent ID: 8328995

Claim:
In a method for producing a distillate stream from a first aqueous stream containing at least one dissolved solid by a multi-effect distillation process by heating at least a portion of the first aqueous stream by a heat source and passing the portion of the first aqueous stream to a multi-effect distillation process, the multi-effect distillation process comprising a plurality of vessels, the improvement comprising; heating the portion of the first aqueous stream by heat exchange with a heat source comprising a compressor intercooler or a stack heater to produce a first heated aqueous stream and passing the first heated aqueous stream to the multi-effect distillation process as at least one of a heat supply and a feed water stream to produce the distillate stream, wherein a second aqueous stream containing at least one dissolved solid is withdrawn from the multi-effect distillation process at a selected temperature and passed to heat exchange with an exhaust gas stream in a heat recovery system to produce a second heated aqueous stream containing at least one dissolved solid at an increased temperature and returned to the multi-effect distillation process and wherein the first heated aqueous stream is passed to the multiple effect distillation process via a flash box.