Apparatus for concentrating liquids

Claim 1

IN A CONCENTRATOR HAVING (A) A SHELL, (B) AN UPPER TUBE SHEET ACROSS THE INTERIOR OF SAID SHELL AND FORMING A TRANSFER CHAMBER BETWEEN IT AND THE UPPER END OF SAID SHELL, (C) A BUNDLE OF VERTICAL UPTAKE TUBES DEPENDING FROM SAID UPPER TUBE SHEET AND DISCHARGING INTO THE CENTER OF SAID TRANSFER CHAMBER, (D) AN ANNULAR SERIES OF DOWNTAKE TUBES DEPENDING FROM SAID UPPER TUBE SHEET AND SURROUNDING SAID BUNDLE OF VERTICAL TUBES AND OPENING INTO SAID TRANSFER CHAMBER, (E) MEANS PROVIDING LOWER TUBE SHEETS AT THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID TUBES AND AN INLET FLASH CHAMBER IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID UPTAKE TUBES AND AN OUTLET CHAMBER IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID DOWNTAKE TUBES, AND (F) MEANS INTRODUCING A HEATING MEDIUM INTO THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID UPPER AND LOWER TUBE SHEETS TO HEAT SAID TUBES; THE COMBUSTION THEREWITH OF MEANS DISTRIBUTING THE VAPOR AND LIQUID DISCHARGED UPWARDLY INTO SAID TRANSFER CHAMBER BY SAID INTAKE TUBES UNIFORMLY TO THE SURROUNDING DOWNTAKE TUBES, COMPRISING (G) A SUBSTANTIALLY IMPERFORATE HORIZONTAL BAFFLE PLATE IN SAID TRANSFER CHAMBER IN VERTICALLY SPACED RELATION TO SAID UPPER TUBE SHEET DIRECTLY ABOVE AND WITH ITS MARGIN EXTENDING BEYOND THE HORIZONTAL LIMITS OF SAID BUNDLE OF UPTAKE TUBES AND SHORT OF THE SIDE WALLS OF SAID TRANSFER CHAMBER, SAID SPACED RELATION BEING SUCH AS TO PROVIDE A VELOCITY OF FROM 30 TO 150 FEET PER SECOND OF THE VAPOR LEAVING RADIALLY FROM UNDER THE MARGIN OF SAID BAFFLE PLATE, AND (H) MEANS ADJUSTING THE ELEVATION OF SAID BAFFLE PLATE WITH REFERENCE TO SAID UPPER TUBE SHEET TO ADJUST SAID VELOCITY WITHIN SAID RANGE.