Method of and apparatus for evaporation process control

Claim 1

IN A STRIPPING PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING A LIQUID HYDROCARBON CONTAINING A CONSTITUENT OF INTEREST WITH WATER AND A STRIPPING VAPOR IN A CONTACT ZONE, WITHDRAWING FROM SAID CONTRACT ZONE WATER CONTAINING SAID CONSTITUENT OF INTEREST, AND WITHDRAWING FROM SAID CONTACT ZONE A VAPOROUS MIXTURE COMPRISING HYDROCARBON VAPORS AND SAID STRIPPING VAPOR PASSED TO SAI CONTACT ZONE; A METHOD OF CONTROL WHICH COMPRISES MEASURING AT LEAST A PROPERTY OF SAID LIQUID HYDROCARBON REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CONCENTRATION OF SAID CONSTITUENT OF INTEREST CONTAINED TO SAID LIQUID HYDROCARBON PASSING TO SAID CONTACT ZONE, PASSING A FIRST SIGNAL REPRESENTATIVE OF SAID MEASUREMENT TO A COMPUTING ZONE, MEASURING A PROPERTY OF SAID LIQUID HYDROCARBON CONTAINING SAID CONSTITUENT OF INTEREST REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MASS RATE OF FLOW OF SAID LIQUID HYDROCARBON TO SAID CONTACT ZONE, PASSING A SECOND SIGNAL REPRESENATIVE OF SAID LIQUID HYDROCARBON MASS RATE OF FLOW MEASUREMENT TO SAID COMPUTING ZONE, PASSING A THIRD SIGNAL FROM SAID COMPUTING ZONE TO A CONTROL ZONE REPRESENATATIVE OF THE REQUIRED WITHDRAWAL MASS RATE OF FLOW OF SAID WATER CONTAINING SAID CONSTITUENT OF INTEREST WITHDRAWN FROM SAID CONTACT ZONE, PASSING A FOURTH SIGNAL TO SAID CONTROL ZONE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MASS RATE OF FLOW OF SAID WATER CONTAINING SAID CONSTITUENT OF INTEREST WITHDRAWN FROM SAID CONTACT ZONE, AND PASSING A FIFTH SIGNAL FROM SAID CONTROL ZONE TO A MEANS FOR MANIPULATING A PROCESS VARAIBLE OF SAID STRIPPING PROCESS SAID FIFTH SIGNAL BEING REPONSIVE TO SAID THIRD AND FOURTH SIGNALS, SAID PROCESS VARIABLE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF THE RATE OF FLOW OF SAID LIQUID HYDROCARBON TO SAID CONTACT ZONE AND THE RATE OF FLOW OF SAID WATER TO SAID CONTACT ZONES.