Apparatus for concentrating aqueous solutions of hygroscopic organic substances

Claim 1

IN A CONCENTRATOR FOR CONCENTRATING AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS OF HYGROSCOPIC ORGANIC SUBSTANCES HAVING BOILING POINTS HIGHER THAN THE NORMAL BOILING POINT OF WATER WITHOUT SUBSTANTIALLY LOSS OF THE SUBSTANCE, AND HAVING A CASING THROUGH WHICH A STREAM OF GAS IS ADAPTED TO BE PROPELLED, MEANS ARRANGED TO CONTACT AN EXTENDED SURFACE OF A STREAM OF SAID SOLUTION INTO THE STREAM OF GAS PASSING THROUGH SAID CASING FOR EVAPORATION INTO SAID STREAM OF GAS, A HEATER ARRANGED TO HEAT AT LEAST ONE OF SAID STREAMS AT OR PRIOR TO SAID CONTACT WITH THE OTHER STREAM TO A TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE INITIAL DEWPOINT TEMPERATURE OF SAID STREAM OF GAS WHEREBY SAID STREAM OF SOLUTION TRANSFERS BY EVAPORATIOIN TO SAID STREAM OF GAS MIXED VAPORS OF WATER AND SAID ORGANIC SUBSTANCE AND THEREBY CONCENTRATES, WITH RESPECT TO SAID ORGANIC SUBSTANCE, THE PORTION OF SAID STREAM OF SOLUTION NOT EVAPORATING, SAID CONTACT MEANS ALSO GENERATING MINUTE PARTICLES OF SAID SOLUTION IN SAID STREAM OF GAS, THE COMBINATION THEREWITH OF MEANS FOR RECOVERING SAID MINUTE PARTICLES OF SOLUTION ENTRAINED IN THE STREAM OF GAS LEAVING SAID CONTACT MEANS TOGETHER WITH A PART OF ANY HYGROSCOPIC ORGANIC SUBSTANCE THEN REMAINING IN SAID STREAM OF GAS IN VAPOR FORM, COMPRISING MEANS PROVIDING A CHAMBER ENCLOSED BY A VERTICAL WALL OF MATTED, CLOSELY SPACED, HAIR-LIKE FIBERS AND HAVING GENERALLY PARALLEL VERTICAL ENTERING AND LEAVING FACES, THE CROSS SECTIONAL AREA OF SAID WALL IN ANY PLANE NORMAL TO ITS SAID FACES BEING VERY SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE AREA OF EITHER OF SAID FACES, MEANS ARRANGED TO CONDUCT THE STREAM OF GAS LEAVING SAID CONTACT MEANS INTO SAID CHAMBER TO ESCAPE HORIZONTALLY THROUGH SAID WALL, AND MEANS AT THE BASE OF SAID WALL ARRANGED TO RECOVER THE LIQUID TRAPPED BY AND FLOWING DOWN SAID WALL.