Flash distillation apparatus with direct contact heat exchange

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR CONCENTRATING AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION AND SIMULTANEOUSLY CONDENSING FRESH WATER FROM THE SOLUTION COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF CHAMBERS MOUNTED ONE ABOVE THE OTHER, A HELICAL CONDUIT WITHIN EACH CHAMBER FOR CONDUCTING THE SOLUTION DOWNWARDLY THROUGH EACH CHAMBER, SAID SOLUTION CONDUITS EACH HAVING A DOWNWARDLY SLOPING BOTTOM WALL AND SIDE WALLS, SAID SOLUTION CONDUIT BEING OPEN AT THE TOP FOR RELEASING WATER VAPOR, MEANS FOR ADMITTING THE SOLUTION TO THE UPPER END OF THE SOLUTION CONDUIT IN THE FIRST OF SAID CHAMBERS AT A TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE DEW POINT TEMPERATURE IN THE CHAMBER, THROTTLED PIPE MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING THE SOLUTION FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE SOLUTION CONDUIT IN SAID FIRST CHAMBER TO THE UPPER END OF THE SOLUTION CONDUIT OF THE NEXT CHAMBER, AND SO ON TO THE UPPER END OF THE SOLUTION CONDUIT OF THE BOTTOMMOST CHAMBER, MEANS FOR PUMPING OUT CONCENTRATED SOLUTION FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE SOLUTION OF THE LAST CHAMBER, A HELICAL CONDUIT TELESCOPED WITH THE SOLUTION CONDUIT IN EACH CHAMBER FOR CONDUCTING FRESH WATER DOWNWARDLY THROUGH EACH CHAMBER, SAID FRESH WATER CONDUITS EACH HAVING A DOWNWARDLY SLOPING BOTTOM WALL AND SIDE WALLS, SAID FRESH WATER CONDUIT BEING OPEN AT THE TOP FOR RECEIVING WATER VAPOR, MEANS FOR ADMITTING FRESH WATER TO THE UPPER END OF TEH FRESH WATER CONDUIT IN THE BOTTOM-MOST CHAMBER AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW THE DEW POINT TEMPERATURE IN THE CHAMBER, MEANS FOR PUMPING FRESH WATER FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE FRESH WATER CONDUIT OF THE LAST CHAMBER TO THE UPPER END OF THE FRESH WATER CONDUIT OF THE SECOND LAST CHAMBER, AND SO ON TO THE UPPER END OF THE FRESH WATER CONDUIT OF SAID FIRST CHAMBER, AND MEANS FOR PUMPING FRESH WATER OUT FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE FRESH WATER CONDUIT IN SAID FIRST CHAMBER, SAID CHAMBERS EACH PROVIDING A SUBSTANTIALLY UNOBSTRUCTED PATH FOR THE FLOW OF WATER VAPOR FROM THEIR SOLUTION CONDUIT TO THEIR FRESH WATER CONDUIT.