Flue gas chilling

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESS OF SEPARATING WAX FROM A CHILLED MIXTURE OF WAX, OIL, AND SOLVENT BY FILTRATION OF SAID MIXTURE IN AN ATMOSPHERE OF CHILLED FLUE GAS TO PRODUCE A SEPARATED WAX AND A FILTRATE CONTAINING SAID FLUE GAS, WHEREIN SAID FLUEGAS IS SEPARATED FROM SAID FILTRATE IN A GAS-LIQUID SEPARATING OPERATION, AND WHEREIN MAKE-UP GAS IS INTRODUCED TO SAID SEPARATED FLUE GAS THEREBY FORMING A COMBINED GAS, THE IMPROVED METHOD OF COOLING AND DRYING SAID COMBINED GAS IN A MULTI-STAGE GAS-LIQUID CONTACTING OPERATION WHICH COMPRISES FORMING IN EACH OF SAID STAGES A VORTICAL PATH OF SAID COMBINED GAS IN A RESTRICTED ZONE IN SAID STAGE, WITHDRAWING LIQUID FROM SAID GAS-LIQUID SEPARATING OPERATION, DIVIDING SAID LIQUID INTO A PLURALITY OF STREAMS CORRESPONDING TO SAID PLURALITY OF STAGES, DIRECTING EACH OF SAID STREAMS TO THE INITIAL PART OF SAID VORTICAL PATH IN EACH OF SAID STAGES, MAINTAINING SAID LIQUID AND SAID COMBINED GAS IN SASID VORTICAL PATH WHEREBY SAID GAS IS COOLED AND DRIED, RELEASING SAID LIQUID FROM SAID GAS UPON DISCHARGE FROM SAID VORTICAL PATH, WITHDRAWING SAID DRIED AND COOLED GAS FROM SAID VORTICAL PATH, AND PASSING SAID LAST-MENTIONED GAS TO SUBSEQUENT STAGES WHEREIN SAID GAS IS CONTACTED WITH FRESH FEED IN A MANNER SIMILAR TO THAT IN SAID FIRST STAGE, SAID GAS PASSING THROUGH SAID PLURALITY OF STAGES IN SERIES WHEREAS SAID LIQUID PASSES THERETHROUGH IN PARALLEL, WHEREBY SAID COOLING OPERATION IS EFFECTED WITH A HIGH EFFICIENY AND A LOW TOTAL PRESSURE DROP THROUGH SAID PLURALITY OF STAGES.