Method of fractionally crystallizing solutions with an immiscible liquid coolant

Claim 1

A METHOD OF OBTAINING RELATIVELY PURE WATER FROM AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION COMPRISING COUNTERCURRENTLY CONTACTING SAID AQUEOUS SOLUTION WITH A CONTINUOUS PHASE IMMISCIBLE LIQUID COOLANT OF DIFFERENT DENSITY THAN SAID SOLUTION, SAID COOLANT BEING INTRODUCED AT A TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THE FREEZING POINT OF THE WATER FEED, THE FEED BEING INTRODUCED AT A TEMPERATURE ABOVE ITS FREEZING POINT, IN A TOWER BY SPRAYING SAID FEED INTO THE TOWER IN THE FORM OF A DENSE DISPERSION MADE UP OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM DIAMETER DROPLETS WHICH MOVE AS A MOVING BED OF SPHERES PROVIDING MAXIMUM CONTACT AND EFFICIENT HEAT TRANSFER BETWEEN THE COOLANT AND THE DROPLETS, WHEREIN ICE CRYSTALS ARE GROWN AT A CONTROLLED RATE WITHIN EACH OF THE SPRAYED DROPLETS AND WITHDRAWING SAID COOLANT FROM SAID TOWER IN THE LIQUID PHASE.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF OBTAINING RELATIVELY PURE WATER FROM AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION COMPRISING COUNTERCURRENTLY CONTACTING SAID AQUEOUS SOLUTION WITH A CONTINUOUS PHASE IMMISCIBLE LIQUID COOLANT OF DIFFERENT DENSITY THAN SAID SOLUTION, SAID COOLANT BEING INTRODUCED AT A TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THE FREEZING POINT OF THE WATER FEED, THE FEED BEING INTRODUCED AT A TEMPERATURE ABOVE ITS FREEZING POINT, IN A TOWER BY SPRAYING SAID FEED INTO THE TOWER IN THE FORM OF A DENSE DISPERSION MADE UP OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM DIAMETER DROPLETS WHICH MOVE AS A MOVING BED OF SPHERES PROVIDING MAXIMUM CONTACT AND EFFICIENT HEAT TRANSFER BETWEEN THE COOLANT AND THE DROPLETS, WHEREIN ICE CRYSTALS ARE GROWN AT A CONTROLLED RATE WITHIN EACH OF THE SPRAYED DROPLETS AND WITHDRAWING SAID COOLANT FROM SAID TOWER IN THE LIQUID PHASE.