Multi-stage flash evaporator with heat recovery

Claim 1

A MULTI-STAGE FLASH TYPE EVAPORATOR COMRISING A FIRST GROUP OF FLASH CHAMBERS AND ASSOCIATED HEAT EXCHANGERS ACTING AS HEATERS, AND LIQUID CONVEYING CONDUITS FOR LIQUID TO BE HEATED, SAID HEATERS BEING ARRANGED IN AT LEAST TWO SERIES, THERE BEING A PLURALITY OF HEATERS IN EACH SERIES, THE HEATERS IN EACH SERIES BEING SERIALLY CONNECTED FOR THE FLOW OF CONDENSATE FROM THE HEATER AT ONE END OF SAID SERIES THROUGH THE INTERMEDIATE HEATERS, TO THE HEATER AT THE OTHER END OF SAID SERIES, SAID ONE END CORRESPONDING TO THAT END WHERE LIQUID HEATNG IS TERMINATED AND FLASH VAPORIZATION BEGINS AND SAID OTHER END CORRESPONDING TO THAT END WHERE HEATING BEGINS AND FLASH VAPORIZATION TERMINATES, A CONDENSATE OUTLET FROM EACH HEATER DISCHARGING INTO THE NEXT UPSTREAM HEATER WITH REGARD TO FEED FLOW AND DISCHARGING AT SAID OTHER END OF EACH SERIES SAID FLASH CHAMBERS BEING EQUAL IN NUMBER TO SAID HEATERS, ALTERNATE ONES OF SAID FLASH CHAMBERS BEING CONNECTED FOR THE FLOW OF VAPOR TO SEPARATE AND CORRESPONDING HEATERS OF ONE SERIES OF SAID HEATERS IN DEGRADING THERMAL RELATION AND THE REMAINING ALTERNATE FLASH CHAMBERS BEING SIMILARLY CONNECTED TO THE OTHER SERIES OF HEATERS, SAID FLASH CHAMBERS BEING ALL SERIALLY ARRANGED AND CONNECTED FOR THE FLOW OF LIQUID TO BE EVAPORATED AND UNEVAPORATED LIQUID FROM THE FLASH CHAMBER AT SAID ONE END OF SAID SERIES THROUGH THE INTERMEDIATE FLASH CHAMBERS TO THE FLASH CHAMBER AT SAID OTHER END OF SAID SERIES, A DISCHARGE OUTLET FOR UNEVAPORATED LIQUID FROM THE FLASH CHAMBER AT SAID OTHER END OF SAID SERIES, SAID LIQUID CONVEYING CONDUITS, ONE FOR EACH SERIES, FOR LIQUID TO BE HEATED EACH EXTENDING THROUGH A SEPARATE SERIES OF HEATERS FROM A COMMON INLET ADJACENT SAID OTHER END THEREOF AT WHICH CONDENSATE IS DISCHARGED TO SAID ONE END THEREOF, A COMMON CONDUIT CONNECTING SAID LIQUID CONVEYING CONDUITS ADJACENT SAID ONE END OF SAID SERIES OF HEATERS, SAID COMMON CONDUIT DISCHARGING INTO THE FLASH CHAMBER AT SAID ONE END OF THE SERIES, A HEATER POSITIONED TO SUPPLY HEAT TO THE LIQUID FLOWING IN SAID COMMON CONDUIT AND A SECOND GROUP OF FLASH CHAMBERS AND CONDUITS FOR LIQUID TO BE TREATED AND ASSOCIATED HEAT EXCHANGERS ACTING AS CONDENSERS SIMILAR TO SAID FIRST GROUP AND CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST GROUP SUCH THAT LIQUID CONDUITS OF SAID SECOND GROUP CONNECTED TO A SOURCE OF COOLING LIQUID AND THE FLASH CHAMBERS OF THE SECOND GROUP RECEIVE THE UNEVAPORATED LIQUID FROM THE FIRST GROUP WHEREBY SAID SECOND GROUP OPERATES AS A HEAT REMOVAL SECTION.