Distillation process and apparatus

Claim 1

FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION APPARATUS COMPRISING A GENERALLY VERTICAL TUBULAR MEMBER OF SUBSTANTIALY UNIFORM CROSS SECTION, A ROTATABLE MEMBER CENTRALLY POSITIONED WITHIN SAID TUBULAR MEMBER AND GENERALLY COAXIAL WITH SAID TUBULAR MEMBER, SAID ROTATABLE MEMBER BEING LONGITUDINALLY SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE WITH SAID TUBULAR MEMBER, MEANS, OTHER THAN REFLUXING VAPORS IN SAID TUBULAR MEMBER, FOR COOLING THE EXTENT OF SAID ROTATABLE MEMBER COEXTENSIVE WITH SAID TUBULAR MEMBER, A PLURALITY OF BRISTLE-LIKE ELEMENTS OF HEAT-CONDUCTING MATERIAL SECURED TO SAID ROTATABLE MEMBER AT A MULTIPLICITY OF VERTICALLY SPACED POSITIONS ALONG SAID ROTATABLE MEMBER, SAID ELEMENTS EXTENDING RADICALLY OUTWARDLY FROM SAID ROTATABLE MEMBER TO THE INNER, SURFACE OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER FOR PROGRESSIVELY CONDENSING VAPORS PASSING UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID TUBULAR MEMBER, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID ROTATABLE MEMBER WITH SAID BRISTLE-LIKE ELEMENTS SECURED TO SAID ROTATABLE MEMBER FOR CENTRIFUGALLY CONVEYING CONDENSATE TO THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER, SAID BRISTLE-LIKE ELEMENTS BEING OF SUFFICIENT LENGTH TO MAINTAIN THE UNSECURED ENDS OF SAID ELEMENTS IN SWEEPING CONTACT WITH SAID INNER SURFACE OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER FOR MECHANICALLY SPREADING CONDENSATE ON SAID INNER SURFACE, AND MEANS, OTHER THAN REFLUXING VAPORS, FOR HEATING SAID TUBULAR MEMBER TO A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT TO AT LEAST PARTIALLY RE-EVAPORATE SAID CONDENSATE.