Method and apparatus for flash vaporization of vapors from liquids

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR THE SEPARATION OF A VAPOR FROM ITS RESIDUAL LIQUID BY FLASH VAPORIZATIN WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF SUCCESSIVELY SUBJECTING TO STEP-WISE LOWERED FLASHING PRESSURES THE SAID LIQUID BY PASSING THE SAID LIQUID SEPARATELY INTO ZONES OF INCREASINGLY LOWER FLASH PRESSURES WHILE SEPARATELY PASSING IN THE SAME DIRECTIN AS THE LIQUID VAPORS AS GENERATED THROUGH SAID ZONES OF INCREASINGLY LOWERED FLASH PRESSURES.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS ESPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE SEPARATION OF VAPORS FROM LIQUIDS WHICH COMPRISES A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED ELONGATED SHELL, AT ONE END OF SAID SHELL A FEED INLET CONDUIT, A PLURALITY OF SPACED BAFFLE SEPARATOR ARRANGED ACROSS THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF SAID SHELL INTERMEDIATE SAID INLET CONDUIT AND THE OTHER END OF SAID SHELL, EACH OF SAID BAFFLE SEPARATORS BEING SO CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED AS TO ALLOW VAPOR FLOW THROUGH THE UPPER PORTIONS THEREOF AND TO ALLOW LIQUID FLOW THROUGH THE BOTTOM PORTIONS THEREOF, A LIQUID DAMMING MEANS ALONG THE BOTTOM OF SAID SHELL INTERMEDIATE SAID PLURALITY OF BAFFLE SEPARATORS AND SAID OTHER END OF SAID SHELL, A VAPOR CONDENSING SECTION INTERMEDIATE SAID DAMMING MEANS AND SAID OTHER END OF SAID SHELL, A LIQUID WITHDRAWAL MEANS INTERMEDIATE SAID BAFFLE SEPARATORS AND SAID DAMMING MEANS, AND A LIQUID WITHDRAWAL MEANS INTERMEDIATE SAID DAMMING MEANS AND SAID OTHER END OF SAID SHEEL.