Removal of water from aqueous solutions and recovery of fresh water

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING A SECOND LESS CONCENTRATED SOLUTION FROM A FIRST MORE CONCENTRATED SOLUTION WITH COMPRISES: (1) COOLING SAID FIRST SOLUTION TO NEAR ITS FREEZING POINT BY DIRECT CONTACT COUNTERCURRENT HEAT EXCHANGE WITH AN IMMISCIBLE LIQUID, (2) VAPORIZING A VAPORIZABLE LIQUID REFRIGERANT THROUGH CONTACT THEREOF WITH SAID COOLED FIRST SOLUTION, THUS FORMING (A) SOLIDS, (B) A THIRD RESIDUAL SOLUTION MORE CONCENTRATED THAN SAID FIRST SOLUTION, AND (C) REFRIGERANT VAPORS, (3) SEPARATING SAID SOLIDS FROM SAID THIRD SOLUTION, (4) COMPRESSING SAID REFRIGERANT VAPORS FORMED IN STEP (2), (5) CONTACTING SAID SOLIDS WITH COMPRESSED REFREGERANT VAPORS FORMED IN STEP (4) THUS CONDENSING SAID REFRIGERANT VAPORS TO A LIQUID FROM STEP (1) BY DITO SAID SECOND SOLUTION, AND (6) COOLING SAID IMMISCRIBED LIQUID STEP (1) BY DIRECT CONTACT COUNTERCURRENT HEAT EXCHANGE INDIVIDUALLY WITH SAID SECOND SOLUTION RESULTING FROM STEP (5) AND SAID THIRD SOLUTION RESULTING FROM STEP (2), THUS COOLING SAID IMMISCIBE LIQUID FOR REUSE IN STEP (1).