Patent ID: 6846390

Claim:
A method for using a hydrophobic liquid to remove water soluble material from an aqueous solution, comprising: (a) providing said aqueous solution containing said water soluble material; (b) providing said hydrophobic liquid; (c) providing a system for removing said water soluble material from said aqueous solution, said system including: an evaporator for receiving said aqueous solution, said evaporator having an aqueous solution input, a steam output, and a concentrated aqueous solution output; a heat exchanger which transfers heat to said evaporator, said heat exchanger having a compressed steam and hydrophobic liquid input and a water and hydrophobic liquid output; a water from hydrophobic liquid separator having a water and hydrophobic liquid input, a hydrophobic liquid output, and a water condensate output; a compressor having a steam input, a hydrophobic liquid input, and a compressed steam and hydrophobic liquid output, said steam input of said compressor connected to said steam output of said evaporator, said hydrophobic liquid input of said compressor connected to said hydrophobic liquid output of said water from hydrophobic liquid separator, and said compressed steam and hydrophobic liquid output of said compressor connected to said compressed steam and hydrophobic liquid input of said heat exchanger; and, said water and hydrophobic liquid input of said water from hydrophobic liquid separator connected to said water and hydrophobic liquid output of said heat exchanger; (d) delivering said aqueous solution to said aqueous solution input of said evaporator; (e) said compressor compressing a mixture of steam from said evaporator and said hydrophobic liquid, thereby increasing the temperature of said mixture; (f) routing said mixture from said compressed steam and hydrophobic liquid output of said compressor to said compressed steam and hydrophobic liquid input of said heat exchanger and thence through said heat exchanger, thereby evaporating said aqueous solution and causing said steam to be routed from said steam output of said evaporator to said steam input of said compressor; (g) routing water and said hydrophobic liquid from said water and hydrophobic liquid output of said heat exchanger to said water and hydrophobic liquid input of said water from hydrophobic liquid separator; (h) routing said hydrophobic liquid from said hydrophobic liquid output of said water from hydrophobic liquid separator to said hydrophobic liquid input of said compressor; and, (i) removing a concentrated aqueous solution containing water soluble material from said concentrated aqueous solution output of said evaporator.