Method and apparatus for removal of silica vapor from steam

Claim 1

IN COMBINATIN WITH A VAPOR AND LIQUID DRUM HAVING AN INLET FOR INTRODUCING A VAPOR AND LIQUID MIXTURE THERETO AND A VAPOR OUTLET OPENING POSITIONED IN THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID DRUM INCLUDING A SCREEN DRIER POSITIONED CLOSELY ADJACENT TO AND EXTENDING ACROSS SAID VAPOR OUTLET OPENING, VAPOR PURIFYING APPARATUS COMPRISING SEPARATOR MEANS INCLUDING A MIXTURE INLET COMMUNICATING WITH THE DRUM INLET AND A VAPOR OUTLET ADAPTED TO REMOVE LIQUID PARTICLES FROM SAID MIXTURE, A VAPOR WASHER INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID SEPARATOR MEANS AND SAID SCREEN DRIER, MEANS FORMING AN EXPANSION SPACE PROVIDING A LOW VELOCITY VAPOR SPACE BETWEEN SAID WASHER AND SAID SCREEN DRIER, SAID VAPOR WASHER COMPRISING AN INLET IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID SEPARATOR MEANS VAPOR OUTLE,T A VAPOR WASHER OUTLET POSITIONED BELOW SAID VAPOR WASHER INLET, MEANS FOR EFFECTING THE INTIMATE CONTACT OF VAPOR AND WASH WATER POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID WASHER INLET AND OUTLET, MEANS POSITIONED ABOVE SAID INLET FOR GRAVITATIONALLY SUPPLYING WASH WATER TO SAID CONTACT-EFFECTING MEANS IN A DIRECTION COCURRENT WITH DOWNWARDLY FLOWING VAPOR THROUGH SAID WASHER AND IN CONTACT THEREWITH, SAID SCREEN DRIER BEING POSITIONED ABOVE SAID WASHER OUTLET WHEREBY SAID WASHER OUTLET COMMUNICATES WITH SAID LOW VELOCITY VAPOR SPACE IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID SCREEN DRIER THEREBY CAUSING THE VAPOR DISCHARGE FROM SAID WASHER OUTLET TO UNDERGO AN ABRUPT CHANGE OF DIRECTION IN SAID LOW VELOCITY VAPOR SPACE AHEAD OF SAID SCREEN DRIER.