Thermal diffusion method and apparatus

Claim 1

THERMAL DIFFUSILON METHOD WHICH COMPRISES CONFINING A FLUID MIXTURE IN A VERTICAL THERMAL DIFFUSION SEPARATION CHAMBER COMPRISING OPPOSED WALLS AND TERMINATING IN RESERVOIRS AT ITS UPPER AND LOWER ENDS, SAID RESERVOIRS HAVING A WILDTH AND HEIGHT GREATER THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID OPPOSED WALLS, IMPOSING A TEMPERATURE GRADIENT ACROSS THE FLUID IN THE CHAMBER, WHEREBY DISSIMILAR FRACTIONS ARE FORMED, ONE OF WHICH CONTAINS A HIGHER THAN INITIAL CONCENTRATION OF ONE COMPONENT AND ASCENDS, TO ENTER THE UPPER RESERVOIR AND ANOTHER OF WHICH CONTAINS A HIGHER THAN INITIAL CONCENTRATION OF ANOTHER COMPONENT AND DESCENDS TO ENTER THE LOWER RESERVOIR, CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING FRESH FLUID INTO THE UPPER AND LOWER RESERVOIRS FOR ADMIXTURE WITH THE DISSIMILAR FRACTIONS FROM SAID THERMAL DIFFUSION SEPARATION CHAMBER, DIRECTING PORTIONS OF THE ADMIXED FLUID IN THE RESPECTIVE RESERVOIRS INTO THE UPPER AND LOWER ENDS OF THE THERMAL DIFFUSION SEPARATION CHAMBER, AND CONTINUOUSLY AND SEPARATELY WITHDRAWING DISSIMILAR FRACTIONS FROM THE UPPER AND LOWER RESERVOIRS.