A two-stage crystallization process built around internal energy reuse.
Slipstream’s X-Series is a compact zero liquid discharge architecture that combines falling film evaporation, mechanical vapor recompression, condensation, and closed-vessel crystallization to separate industrial wastewater into recovered distillate and a dewatered solids stream—with energy reuse carried through the crystallization process.
Slipstream integrates the thermal stages that carry wastewater from concentration toward solids.
Zero liquid discharge is a treatment objective in which water is recovered and the remaining contaminants leave the process as a concentrated or crystallized solids stream. Within that broader treatment train, the X-Series performs the evaporation, vapor-recompression, condensation, and crystallization steps that address the most concentrated portion of the wastewater.
- Upstream treatment: Feed conditioning, solids removal, chemistry adjustment, or membrane concentration may occur before the X-Series.
- Stage I: Falling film evaporation and MVR recover water and reduce wastewater volume.
- Stage II: Closed-vessel crystallization further dewaters the concentrate and prepares solids for discharge.
- Outputs: Recovered distillate and a concentrated or crystallized solids stream.
Energy reuse carried beyond evaporation and into crystallization.
The X-Series is a complete wastewater crystallization system designed to perform the thermal concentration and crystallization stages of a zero liquid discharge process. Stage I recovers water and concentrates the feed. Stage II further dewaters the concentrated slurry and prepares the resulting solids for controlled discharge. Vapor from both stages is incorporated into the system’s energy-reuse strategy.
The defining feature of the architecture is the integration of primary evaporation, vapor recompression, condensation, and secondary crystallization within one automated zero liquid discharge platform.
Five linked steps from feedwater to final outputs.
The treatment sequence operates continuously through Stage I, with concentrated material periodically transferred to Stage II for further dewatering.
Feed
Wastewater enters from a facility holding tank through the integrated feed system.
Evaporate
Stage I recirculates the wastewater across the heat-transfer surface and produces vapor.
Recompress
The MVR compressor increases the vapor’s temperature and pressure for reuse.
Condense
Reused vapor transfers heat and condenses into recovered distilled water.
Crystallize
Stage II further dewaters the concentrate and supports solids discharge.
Primary evaporation, concentration, and distillate recovery.
Stage I receives the wastewater, recirculates it through the reactor, and uses low-pressure steam and recompressed vapor to raise the liquid to its boiling point. The reactor operates at low pressure, with a documented maximum operating pressure of approximately 5 psig.
- Integrated wastewater feed and recirculation
- Falling film heat-transfer architecture
- Typical wastewater temperature controlled below approximately 235°F
- Low-pressure Stage I operation at approximately 5 psig or less
- Automatic distillate transfer to storage or a process reuse point
- Automatic concentrate transfer to Stage II at the control setpoint
Capturing vapor and returning it to the process as useful heat.
The MVR compressor received low-pressure vapor from the evaporation process and compressed it, raising its pressure and temperature. The compressed vapor could then be routed back into the Stage I heat-transfer cycle rather than being discarded.
Scale control supported efficiency; maintainability protected it.
Scaling is the principal technical challenge because deposits on heat-transfer surfaces reduce the efficiency of thermal energy transfer. The X-Series addresses that condition through prevention, management, cleaning access, and application engineering rather than excluding difficult wastewater chemistry from the application landscape.
Anti-scaling chemical injection and upstream solids removal protected performance. Accessible heat-transfer surfaces made cleaning and scale removal practical when fouling occurred.
- Application-specific anti-scaling chemical injection
- Upstream solids separation when particulate loading warranted it
- Accessible wetted and heat-transfer surfaces
- Replaceable heat-transfer components rather than a disposable system architecture
- Maintenance strategy designed around restoring efficient energy transfer
Further dewatering with monitored solids handling.
Once Stage I reached its concentration setpoint, the reactor automatically transferred its contents to the Stage II crystallization chamber. Low-pressure steam then continued the evaporation process while an internal rake kept the solids moving.
- Closed-vessel evaporative crystallization chamber
- Low-pressure steam supplied to the heat-transfer surfaces
- Integrated gear motor and 316 stainless rake assembly
- Weight and process monitoring to determine dewatering progress
- Controlled solids discharge into a drum, roll-off, supersack, or similar container
- Stage II vapor returned to Stage I for additional energy reuse
Documented Stage II Operating Logic
Two manageable product streams instead of one liquid waste stream.
The X-Series separates incoming wastewater into recovered distillate and a concentrated or crystallized solids stream, supporting the thermal end stages of a complete zero liquid discharge process. Output quality and solids consistency vary with operating conditions, while the core architecture remains broadly applicable across difficult wastewater chemistry.
Recovered Distillate
Condensed process vapor is automatically transferred to a holding tank or directly to a facility reuse point. Historical documents describe typical distillate quality below 30 mg/L TDS in one source and below 50 mg/L TDS in another.
Dewatered Solids
The Stage II chamber reduced the residual liquid volume and discharged crystallized or semi-dry solids into a customer-selected container for disposal, recycling, or potential material recovery.
Sequenced operation with continuous process monitoring.
The X-Series control architecture verifies system readiness, regulates operating parameters, sequences transfers, and notifies the operator when intervention is required.
PLC and HMI
Allen-Bradley PLC and touchscreen HMI for system operation, setpoints, alarms, and operator interaction.
Pressure, Flow, and Level
Pressure regulation, continuous level indication, and flow monitoring with analog instrumentation.
Weight and Solids Readiness
Integrated strain-gauge monitoring supported Stage II dewatering control and discharge readiness.
Pressure, access, thermal, and electrical safeguards.
Historical process documentation identified multiple mechanical and controls-based safety measures incorporated into the equipment.
The descriptions and values on this page reflect historical Slipstream engineering and marketing documents. Distillate quality, recovery, energy use, operating cost, solids dryness, anti-scaling chemistry, upstream solids management, cleaning frequency, and final materials selection require current engineering review.
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