Process and apparatus for separating water from an aqueous system

Claim 1

A METHOD OF SEPARATING WATER FROM AN AQUEOUS SYSTEM COMPRISING DIRECTLY CONTACTING THE AQUEOUS SYSTEM WITH A HYDRATE FORMNG SUBSTANCE IN THE LIQUID STATE, THE RESULTING MEDIUM INITALLY BEING AT A TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE HYDRATE FORMING TEMPERATURE, MAINTAINING THE PRESSURE ON THE MEDIUM AT SOME HYDRATE FORMING PRESSURE BELOW THE VAPOR PRESSURE OF SAID HYDRATE FORMING SUBSTANCE WHEREBY LIQUID HYDRATE FORMING SUBSTANCE CONTINUOUSLY EVAPORATES TO COOL THE MEDIUM LOWERING THE TEMPERATURE THEREOF BELOW THE HYDRATE FORMING TEMPERATURE TO ENABLE FORMATION OF SOLID HYDRATE, AGITATING THE MEDIUM TO THOROUGHLY MIX THE LIQUID HYDRATE FORMING SUBSTANCE AND THE AQUEOUS SYSTEM THEREBY ACHIEVING MAXIMUM HEAT TRANSFER THEREBETWEEN, REMOVING FROM THE MEDIUM SOLID HYDRATE FORMED THEREIN, DISPLACING FROM THE REMOVED SOLID HYDRATE SUBSTANITALLY ALL AQUEOUS SYSTEM ENTRAINED THEREWITH, DIRECTLY CONTACTING THE CLEANED SOLID HYDRATE AT A PRESSURE IN EXCESS OF THE VAPOR PRESSURE OF SAID HYDRATE FORMING SUBSTANCE WITH GASEOUS HYDRATE FORMING SUBSTANCE REMOVED FROM ABOVE THE MEDIUM THEREBY DECOMPOSING THE SOLID HYDRATE AND CONDENSING THE GASEOUS HYDRATE FORMING SUBSTANCE, REMOVING THE WATER PRODUCED, SEPARATELY REMOVING THE LIQUID HYDRATE FORMING SUBSTANCE PRODUCED, AND RECIRCULATING THE LIQUID HYDRATE FORMING SUBSTANCE INTO DIRECT CONTACT WITH MORE OF THE AQUEOUS SYSTEM.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF SEPARATING WATER FROM AN AQUEOUS SYSTEM COMPRISING DIRECTLY CONTACTING THE AQUEOUS SYSTEM WITH A HYDRATE FORMNG SUBSTANCE IN THE LIQUID STATE, THE RESULTING MEDIUM INITALLY BEING AT A TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE HYDRATE FORMING TEMPERATURE, MAINTAINING THE PRESSURE ON THE MEDIUM AT SOME HYDRATE FORMING PRESSURE BELOW THE VAPOR PRESSURE OF SAID HYDRATE FORMING SUBSTANCE WHEREBY LIQUID HYDRATE FORMING SUBSTANCE CONTINUOUSLY EVAPORATES TO COOL THE MEDIUM LOWERING THE TEMPERATURE THEREOF BELOW THE HYDRATE FORMING TEMPERATURE TO ENABLE FORMATION OF SOLID HYDRATE, AGITATING THE MEDIUM TO THOROUGHLY MIX THE LIQUID HYDRATE FORMING SUBSTANCE AND THE AQUEOUS SYSTEM THEREBY ACHIEVING MAXIMUM HEAT TRANSFER THEREBETWEEN, REMOVING FROM THE MEDIUM SOLID HYDRATE FORMED THEREIN, DISPLACING FROM THE REMOVED SOLID HYDRATE SUBSTANITALLY ALL AQUEOUS SYSTEM ENTRAINED THEREWITH, DIRECTLY CONTACTING THE CLEANED SOLID HYDRATE AT A PRESSURE IN EXCESS OF THE VAPOR PRESSURE OF SAID HYDRATE FORMING SUBSTANCE WITH GASEOUS HYDRATE FORMING SUBSTANCE REMOVED FROM ABOVE THE MEDIUM THEREBY DECOMPOSING THE SOLID HYDRATE AND CONDENSING THE GASEOUS HYDRATE FORMING SUBSTANCE, REMOVING THE WATER PRODUCED, SEPARATELY REMOVING THE LIQUID HYDRATE FORMING SUBSTANCE PRODUCED, AND RECIRCULATING THE LIQUID HYDRATE FORMING SUBSTANCE INTO DIRECT CONTACT WITH MORE OF THE AQUEOUS SYSTEM.