Patent ID: 7251944

Claim:
A vapor-compression evaporation system, comprising: a plurality of vessels in series each containing a feed having a nonvolatile component, a first set of the plurality of vessels comprising vapor-compression evaporators and a second set of the plurality of vessels comprising multi-effect evaporators; a mechanical compressor coupled to the last vessel in the series of vapor-compression evaporators and operable to receive a vapor therefrom; a turbine coupled to, and operable to drive, the mechanical compressor; a pump operable to deliver a cooling liquid to the mechanical compressor; a tank coupled to the mechanical compressor and operable to separate liquid and vapor received from the mechanical compressor; a plurality of heat exchangers coupled inside respective ones of the vessels, the heat exchanger in the first vessel in the first set operable to receive the vapor from the tank, at least some of the vapor condensing therein, whereby the heat of condensation provides the heat of evaporation to the first vessel in the first set; and wherein at least some of the vapor inside the first vessel in the first set is delivered to the heat exchanger in the next vessel in the first set, whereby the condensing, evaporating, and delivering steps continue until the last vessel in the second set is reached.