Thermal diffusion apparatus

Claim 1

THERMAL DIFFUSION APPARATUS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY- VERTICAL TUBE SETS, EACH TUBE SET COMPRISING INNER AND OUTER CONCENTRIC TUBES FORMING BETWEEN THEM A NARROW ANNULAR THERMAL DIFFUSION SEPARATION CHAMBER HAVING UPPER AND LOWER ENDS, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE ENDS OF THE OUTER TUBES OF SAID SETS IN SPACED RELATION TO ONE ANOTHER, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE INNER TUBES OF SAID SETS CONCENTRICALLY WITHIN THEIR RESPECTIVE OUTER TUBES, FIRST AND SECOND HEADERS IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE UPPER AND LOWER ENDS RESPECTIVELY OF THE ANNULAR SEPARATION CHAMBERS FOR INTRODUCING LIQUID INTO AND REMOVING LIQUID FROM SAID CHAMBERS, MEANS FOR RELATIVELY HEATING ONE OF THE INNER AND OUTER TUBES OF SAID TUBE SETS AND RELATIVELY COOLING THE OTHER OF SAID INNER AND OUTER TUBES, AND MEANS COMPRISING TUBE SEGMENTS FITTING WITHIN AND EXTENDING BEYOND THE ENDS OF THE INNER TUBES, OPPOSED SUFACES OF THE TUBE SEGMENTS AND INNER TUBES BEING SPACED FROM EACH OTHER, AND SEALING GASKETS SEALING THE SPACES BETWEEN THE SURFACES, SAID TUBE SEGMENTS AND SEALING GASKETS COMPENSATING FOR DIFFERENTIAL LONGITUDINAL AND RADIAL EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION OF THE INNER AND OUTER TUBES AND THE TUBE SUPPORTING MEANS.