Apparatus for dual temperature exchange

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A FLUID CONTAINING A FIRST MATERIAL CONCENTRATED THEREIN BY EXCHANGING, AT TWO DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES, SAID FIRST MATERIAL WITH A SECOND MATERIAL BETWEEN CHEMICALLY DIFFERENT FLUIDS WHICH ARE PHYSICALLY SEPARABLE FROM EACH OTHER AND WHICH ARE EACH CAPABLE OF CONTAINING EACH OF SAID MATERIALS, WHICH APPARATUS COMPRISES (A) A SERIES OF AT LEAST TWO PAIRS OF EXCHANGE UNITS EACH OF WHICH HAS FIRST FLUID AND SECOND FLUID INGRESS AND EGRESS MEANS FOR COUNTER-CURRENT FLOW OF THE TWO FLUIDS THERETHROUGH; (B) MEANS IN EACH OF SAID UNITS FOR MIXING SAID TWO FLUIDS THEREIN TO CAUSE AN EXCHANGE OF THE SAID MATERIALS BETWEEN THE TWO FLUIDS; (C) MEANS FOR MAINTAINING A FIRST UNIT OF EACH PAIR AT A TEMPERATURE TO CAUSE THE FIRST FLUID FLOWING THERETHROUGH TO BECOME ENRICHED AND THE SECOND FLUID FLOWING THERETHROUGH TO BECOME IMPROVERISHED WITH RESPECT TO SAID FIRST MATERIAL; (D) MEANS FOR MAINTAINING THE SECOND UNIT OF EACH PAIR AT A TEMPERATURE TO CAUSE THE SECOND FLUID FLOWING THERETHROUGH TO BECOME ENRICHED AND THE FIRST FLUID FLOWING THERETHROUGH TO BECOME IMPROVERISHED WITH RESPECT TO SAID FIRST MATERIAL; (E) MEANS CONNECTED TO THE FIRST FLUID EGRESS MEANS OF THE FIRST UNIT OF EACH PAIR AND TO THE FIRST FLUID INGRESS MEANS OF THE SECOND UNIT OF SAID PAIR FOR TRANSFERRING A FIRST PART OF THE ENRICHED FIRST FLUID FROM THE FIRST UNIT OF EACH PAIR TO THE SECOND UNIT OF SAID PAIR; (F) MEANS CONNECTED TO THE FIRST FLUID EGRESS MEANS OF THE FIRST UNIT OF EACH PAIR EXCEPT THE LAST PAIR OF THE SERIES AND TO THE FIRST FLUID INGRESS MEANS OF THE FIRST UNIT OF THE NEXT SUCCEEDING PAIR FOR TRANSFERRING A SECOND PART OF THE ENRICHED FIRST FLUID FROM THE FIRST UNIT OF EACH PAIR EXCEPT THE LAST OF SAID PAIRS TO THE FIRST UNIT OF THE NEXT SUCCEEDING PAIR; (G) MEANS CONNECTED TO THE SECOND FLUID EGRESS MEANS OF THE SECOND UNIT OF EACH PAIR AND TO THE SECOND FLUID INGRESS MEANS OF THE FIRST UNIT OF SAID PAIR FOR TRANSFERRING A FIRST PART OF THE ENRICHED SECOND FLUID FROM THE SECOND UNIT OF EACH PAIR TO THE FIRST UNIT OF SAID PAIR; (H) MEANS CONNECTED TO THE SECOND FLUID EGRESS MEANS OF THE SECOND UNIT OF EACH PAIR EXCEPT THE LAST PAIR OF THE SERIES AND TO THE SECOND FLUID INGRESS MEANS OF THE SECOND UNIT OF THE NEXT SUCCEEDING PAIR FOR TRANSFERRING A SECOND PART OF SAID ENRICHED SECOND FLUID FROM THE SECOND UNIT OF EACH PAIR EXCEPT THE LAST TO THE SECOND UNIT OF THE NEXT SUCCEEDING PAIR OF UNITS; (I) MEANS CONNECTED TO THE FIRST FLUID EGRESS MEANS OF THE SECOND UNIT OF EACH PAIR EXCEPT THE FIRST PAIR OF THE SERIES AND TO THE FIRST FLUID INGRESS MEANS OF THE SECOND UNIT OF THE NEXT PRECEDING PAIR FOR TRANSFERRING IMPROVERISHED FIRST FLUID FROM THE SECOND UNIT OF EACH PAIR OF UNITS EXCEPT THE FIRST PAIR TO THE SECOND UNIT OF THE NEXT PRECEDING PAIR OF UNITS; (J) MEANS CONNECTED TO THE SECOND FLUID EGRESS MEANS OF THE FIRST UNIT OF EACH PAIR EXCEPT THE FIRST PAIR OF THE SERIES AND TO THE SECOND FLUID INGRESS MEANS OF THE FIRST UNIT OF THE NEXT PRECEDING PAIR FOR TRANSFERRING IMPROVERISHED SECOND FLUID FROM THE FIRST UNIT OF EACH PAIR OF UNITS EXCEPT THE FIRST PAIR TO THE FIRST UNIT OF THE NEXT PRECEDING PAIR OF UNITS; AND (K) MEANS CONNECTED TO AN ENRICHED FLUID EGRESS MEANS OF THE LAST PAIR OF UNITS FOR REMOVING ENRICHED FLUID FROM THE LAST PAIR OF EXCHANGE UNITS OF SAID SERIES.