Process and apparatus for melting

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR MELTING THE SOLID HYDRATE OF A HYDRATEFORMING MATERIAL GASEOUS AT ROOM TEMPERATURE AND ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AND VERY SLIGHTLY SOLUBLE IN WATER COMPRISING DISPERSING THE SOLID HYDRATE IN POTABLE WATER IN A FIRST VESSEL AT A TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE PROMOTING DECOMPOSITION OF THE HYDRATE INTO POTABLE WATER AND GASEOUS HYDRATE-FORMING MATERIAL, REMOVING POTABLE WATER FROM SAID FIRST VESSEL, CONDUCTING PART OF THE REMOVED POTABLE WATER INTO A SECOND VESSEL, DISPERSING THE WATER SO CONDUCTED IN FINE DROPLETS, REMOVING GASEOUS HYDRATE-FORMING MATERIAL FROM SAID FIRST VESSEL, INCREASING THE PRESSURE OF SAID GASEOUS HYDRATE-FORMING MATERIAL TO FORM COMPRESSED GAS, INTRODUCING SAID COMPRESSED GAS INTO SAID SECOND VESSEL, SAID COMPRESSED GAS AND FINE DROPLETS BEING IN INTIMATE CONTACT RESULTING IN CONDENSATION OF THE HYDRATE-FORMIANG MATERIAL AND IN AN INCREASE IN THE TEMPERATURE OF THE FINE DROPLETS AND RECIRCULATING THE WARMED POTABLE WATER TO SAID FIRST VESSEL FOR EFFECTING ADDITIONAL HYDRATE DECOMPOSITION.