Apparatus for intimate contacting of two fluid media having different specific weight

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR THE COUNTERCURRENT CONTACT OF TWO FLUIDS HAVING DIFFERENT SPECIFIC GRAVITIES, WHICH COMPRISES, A STATIONARY ROTOR HOUSING FORMING AN ENCLOSED FLUID COMPARTMENT, A ROTOR MOUNTED WITHIN SAID COMPARTMENT FOR ROTATION ABOUT A CENTRAL LONGITUDINAL AXIS, SAID ROTOR COMPRISING A PAIR OF RADIALLY EXTENDING WALLS IN AXIALLY SPACED RELATIONSHIP DEFINING ANNULAR FLUID DISTRIBUTION AND FLUID CONTACT CHAMBERS THEREBETWEEN CONCENTRICALLY DISPOSED WITH RESPECT TO SAID CENTRAL AXIS, SAID FLUID CONTACT CHAMBER BEING DISPOSED ABOUT THE PERIPHERY OF SAID FLUID DISTRIBUTION CHAMBER, ONE OF SAID WALLS BEING FORMED WITH AN OUTLET THERETHROUGH SUBSTANTIALLY CONCENTRIC WITH RESPECT TO THE AXIS OF SAID ROTOR, SAID OUTLET COMMUNICATING WITH SAID DISTRIBUTION CHAMBER, SEALING MEANS SURROUNDING SAID OUTLET AND DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID HOUSING AND SAID ONE WALL FOR PREVENTING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID DISTRIBUTION CHAMBER AND THE ADJACENT PORTION OF SAID COMPARTMENT, FLUID INTRODUCING MEANS FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF THE HEAVIER OF THE TWO FLUIDS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID DISTRIBUTION CHAMBER ADJACENT SAID ROTOR AXIS, MEANS FOR DISTRIBUTING SAID HEAVIER FLUID FROM SAID INTRODUCING MEANS OUTWARDLY THROUGH SAID DISTRIBUTION CHAMBER IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID FLUID CONTACT CHAMBER AND NARROW PASSAGE FORMING MEANS POSITIONED IN SAID FLUID CONTACT CHAMBER AND EXTENDING FROM SAID DISTRIBUTION CHAMBER TO THE PERIPHERY OF SAID ROTOR, SAID PASSAGE MEANS PROVIDING FLUID CONTACT MEANS FOR RECEIVING THE OUTWARDLY DISTRIBUTED HEAVIER FLUID, DISCHARGE OUTLET MEANS FORMED IN SAID ROTOR HOUSING FOR REMOVING SAID HEAVIER FLUID AFTER IT HAS BEEN PERIPHERALLY DISCHARGED FROM SAID CONTACT CHAMBER, INLET MEANS FORMED IN THE WALL OF SAID HOUSING FOR PERIPHERALLY SUPPLYING A LIGHTER FLUID TO SAID CONTACT CHAMBER AND OUTLET MEANS FORMED IN SAID HOUSING ADJACENT THE CENTRAL AXIAL OUTLET OF SAID DISTRIBUTION CHAMBER FOR REMOVING THE LIGHTER FLUID FROM SAID APPARATUS AND MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID ROTOR BODY TO MOVE THE HEAVIER FLUID CENTRIFUGALLY IN COUNTERCURRENT TO THE LIGHTER FLUID MOVING CENTRIPETALLY THROUGHOUT SAID CONTACT CHAMBER.