Method and means for heat exchange of gases

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESS OF PRODUCING WATER CONTAINING DEUTERIUM CONCENTRATED THEREIN BY EXCHANGING, AT TWO DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES, HYDROGEN WITH DEUTERIUM BETWEEN WATER AND HYDROGEN SULPHIDE, THE STEPS COMPRISING: ESTABLISHING A COUNTERCURREENT FLOW OF A FIRST STREAM OF WATER AND THE HYDROGEN SULPHIDE IN AN EXCHANGE UNIT COMPRISING AT BY INTRODUCING THE FIRST STREAM OF WATER INTO THE FIRST EXCHANGE VESSEL OF THE UNIT AND PASSING THE FIRST STREAM OF WATER THERETHROUGH, INTRODUCING A PORTION OF THE FIRST STREAM OF WATER PASSED THROUGH THE FIRST EXCHANGE VESSEL OF THE UNIT INTO THE SECOND EXCHANGE VESSEL OF THE UNIT AND PASSING SAID PORTION OF THE FIRST STREAM OF WATER THERETHROUGH, AND BY INTRODUCING THE HYDROGEN SUIPHIDE INTO THE SECOND EXCHANGE VESSEL OF THE UNIT AND PASSING THE HYDROGEN SULPHIDE THERETHROUGH, INTRODUCING THE HYDROGEN SULPHIDE PASSED THROUGH THE SECOND EXCHANGE VESSEL OF THE UNIT INTO THE FIRST EXCHANGE VESSEL OF THE UNIT AND PASSING THE HYDROGEN SULPHIDE THERETHROUGH, WHEREBY THE FIRST STREAM OF WATER AND THE HYDROGEN SULPHIDE ARE MIXED IN EACH OF SAID EXCHANGE VESSELS TO CAUSE AN EXCHANGE OF DEUTERIUM WITH HYDROGEN BETWEEN THEM; MAINTAINING THE FIRST EXCHANGE VESSEL OF THE UNIT AT A TEMPERATURE TO CAUSE THE FIRST STREAM OF WATER FLOWING THERETHROUGH TO BECOME ENRICHED AND THE HYDROGEEN SULPHIDE FLOWING THERETHROUGH TO BECOME IMPROVERISHED WITH RESPECT TO DEUTERIUM; MAINTAINING THE SECOND EXCHANGE VESSEL OF THE UNIT AT A TEMPERATURE TO CAUSE THE HYDROGEN SULPHIDE FLOWING THERETHROUGH TO BECOME ENRICHED AND THE FIRST STREAM OF WATER FLOWING THERETHROUGH TO BECOME IMPROVERISHED WITH RESPECT TO DEUTERIUM; WITHDRAWING AS PRODUCT A PORTION OF THE FIRST STREAM OF WATER PASSED THROUGH THE FIRST EXCHANGE VESSEL OF THE UNIT AND CONTAINING DEUTERIUM CONCENTRATED THEREIN BEFORE AT LEAST THE PRINCIPAL PART OF THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE FIRST STREAM OF WATER IS INTRODUCED INTO THE SECOND EXCHANGE VESSEL OF THE UNIT; HEATING THE HYDROGEN SULPHIDE BEFORE IT IS INTRODUCED INTO THE SECOND EXCHANGE VESSEL OF THE UNIT BY BRINGING IT IN COUNTERCURRENT DIRECT CONTACT WITH A SECOND STREAM OF WATER; COOLING THE HYDROGEN SULPHIDE BEFORE IT IS INTRODUCED INTO THE FIRST EXCHANGE VESSEL OF THE UNIT BY BRINGING IT IN COUNTERCURRENT DIRECT CONTACT WITH A THIRD STREAM OF COOLED WATER, AND INDIRECTLY EXCHANGING HEAT BETWEEN SAID SECOND AND THIRD STREAMS OF WATER.