APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR LIQUID PURIFICATION

摘要

Apparatus, methods, and systems for separating a fluid mixture are provided which employ gas-handling equipment operable to introduce a gas into the liquid mixture prior to being dispersed within the apparatus, vacuum conditions, and internal condensing. The liquid mixture is dispersed within the separation apparatus as micro-sized droplets. A more volatile portion of the liquid mixture is vaporized when exposed to the vacuum conditions and separates from the non-vaporized liquid portion. The vaporized portion is directed to a condensing structure within the apparatus, which condenses the vaporized portion into a liquid product.

主权项

1. An apparatus for recovering a liquid product from a liquid mixture, said apparatus comprising:
a tubular outer housing defining a vacuum chamber located within said housing; a fluid-collection trough located within said housing and defining at least in part a vaporization zone of said vacuum chamber and a channel into which liquid may be collected, said trough further defining a vapor passage for a vapor product exiting said vaporization zone; one or more liquid mixture supply conduits located within said vaporization zone and extending along at least a portion of the length thereof, each of said conduits comprising one or more nozzles operable to introduce the liquid mixture into said vaporization zone as a plurality of finely dispersed droplets, at least a portion of the liquid mixture contained within said droplets being vaporized within said vaporization zone to form the vapor product, said channel being configured to collect any portion of the liquid mixture not vaporized in said vaporization zone and deliver the non-vaporized portion of the liquid mixture to a waste stream outlet configured to remove the non-vaporized portion from said trough and housing; a condensing structure located within said housing in disposition to contact and condense at least a portion of the vapor product exiting said vaporization zone through said vapor passage thereby forming the liquid product.