Centrifugal film evaporating apparatus and method

Claim 1

APPARATUS SUITABLE FOR USE IN EVAPORATIONS INVOLVING HEAT SENSITIVE LIQUIDS COMPRISING A CENTRAL SHAFT, MEANS FOR ROTATING THE SHAFT, A PLURALITY OF ROTORS FASTENED TO THE SHAFT ONE ABOVE THE OTHER, EACH OF SAID ROTORS BEING IN THE FORM OF A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT PLATE SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE AXIS OF THE SHAFT AND HAVING A SERRATED OUTER EDGE THEREBY DEFINING A PLURALITY OF PORTIONS ALONG SAID OUTER EDGE, EACH OF SAID PORTIONS BEING DISPOSED ANGULARLY WITH RESPECT TO THE PLANE OF THE ROTOR, MENS FOR FEEDING LIQUID TO THE TOP ROTOR, COLLECTING MEANS FOR COLLECTING LIQUID PROJECTED FROM A ROTOR AND FEEDING TI TO THE ROTORY DIRECTLY BELOW IT, SAID COLLECTING MEANS COMPRISING THE INTERIOR WALL OF AN EXTERNAL INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGER, AND BAFFLING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE COLLECTING MEANS ADAPTED TO ARREST THE ROTARY COMPONENT OF MOTION OF THE LIQUID AFTER IT HAS BEEN PROJECTED FROM THE ROTOR.