Centrifugal falling film evaporator

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR EVAPORATING AND CONCENTRATING LIQUIDS COMPRISING A CHAMBER HAIVN G A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL CYLINDRICAL WALL UPON WHICH THE LIQUID TO BE CONCENTRATED FLOWS DOWNWARDLY, CLOSURE MEANS AT THE TOP OF SAID CHAMBER, MEANS ADJACENT THE CLOSURE MEANS FOR INTRODUCING LIQUID TO BE CONCENTRATED, MEANS FOR HEATING THE VERTICAL WALL OF SAID CHAMBER, A ROTOR ROTATABLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID CHAMBER COAXIALLY WIT SAID WALL, IMPERFORATE VANES BEING CONTINUOUSLY CONNECTED ALONG ONE EDGE TO SAID ROTOR AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUSLY RADIALLY AND LONGITUDINALLY THROUGHOUT THE HEATED REGION OF SAID CYLINDER, MEANS FOR ROTATING THE ROTOR WHEREBY LIQUID IS SPREAD IN A THIN FILM ON THE WALL OF THE CHAMBER FOR DOWNWARD FLOW, THE TIPS OF THE VANES PROJECTING INTO THE LIQUID FLOWING DOWN THE CYLINDRICAL WALL, THEREBY FORMING VAPOR-TIGHT COMPARTMENT IN THE TRANSVERSE SENSE AS DEFINED BY ADJACENT BANES, THE ROTOR AND THE LIQUID FLOWING DOWN THE CYLINDRICAL WALL, COLLECTING MEANS SECURED TO THE LOWER END OF THE CHAMBER, SAID COLLECTING MEANS HAVING AN OPEN COMPARTMENT FOR RECEIVING THE CONCENTRATED LIQUID AND THE VAPOR, A PORITON OF THE COMPARTMENT BEING LATERALLY OFFSET FROM THE CHAMBER, AN OUTLET CONNECTED TO THE COLLECTING COMPARTMENT FOR EXHAUSTING CONCENTRATED LIQUID THEREFROM, AND A SEPARATE OUTLET CONNECTED TO THE COLLECTING COMPARTMENT IN TBE LATERALLY OFFSET PORTION FOR EXHAUSTING THE VAPOR REMOVED FROM THE LIQUID, WHEREBY THE LIQUID AND VAPOR FLOW IN THE SAME HELICAL DIRECTION DOWNWARDLY THROUGH THE HEATED REGION OF THE CHAMBER THEREBY INCREASING THE VELOCITY OF THE LIQUID CONCENTRATE, THE LIQUID AND A PORTION OF THE VAPOR BEING MIXED TO A TURBULENT THIN FILM WHILE PASSING DOWNWARDLY OVER THE CHAMBER WALL THEREBY INCREASING THE FLUIDITY OF THE LIQUID CONCENTRATE, THE VANES AND THE VAPOR CONTAINED WITHIN THE VAPOR-TIGHT COMPARTMENTS FORCING ALL THE ENTRAINED LIQUID DROPLETS OUTWARDLY INTO THE LIQUID CONCENTRATE FLOWING DOWNWARDLY ON THE CHAMBER WALL AND WHEREBY THE DIRECTION OF FLOW OF THE VAPOR IS CHANBED BY THE COLLECTING COMPARTMENT TO A DIRECTION TRANSVERSE OF THE CHAMBER TOWARD SAID VAPOR OUTLET IN THE OFFSET PORTION OF THE COLLECTING COMPARTMENT.