Heat exchangers

Claim 1

A FREE RECIRCULATION HEAT EXCHANGER COMPRISING A HOLLOW VERTICAL HEAT TRANSFER COLUMN IN WHICH A FLUENT MATERIAL AND A GASEOUS PHASE UNDERGO TREATMENT AND ARE SUBJECT TO HEAT TRANSFER, SAID COLUMN HAVING AN INLET FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF GASEOUS PHASE THEREINTO TO REDUCE THE DENSITY OF THE MATERIAL IN THE COLUMN, MEANS IN SAID COLUMN ASSOCIATED WITH THE LATTER INLET FOR DISTRIBUTING THE GASEOUS PHASE WITHIN THE COLUMN, FIRST CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID COLUMN FOR THE RECIRCULATION OF FLUENT MATERIAL THEREIN, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING FRESH FLUENT MATERIAL THEREIN, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING THE COLUMN AND THE FIRST CONDUIT MEANS, SAID COLUMN INCLUDING A SUCCESSION OF CHAMBERS WHICH FROM BOTTOM TO TOP INCLUDE A BASE CHAMBER TO WHICH THE LOWER END OF THE FIRST CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTS, A HEAT TRANSFER CHAMBER OF THE INDIRECT HEAT TRANSFER TYPE, SAID HEAT TRANSFER CHAMBER HAVING INLET AND OUTLET CONNECTIONS FOR A HEAT TRANSFER FLUID, AN EMULSIFYING AND ANTICOALESCING CHAMBER INCLUDING AT THE UPPER PORTION THEREOF A MULTIPLICITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL PARTITION PLATES FOR EMULSIFYING THE GASEOUS PHASE AND THE FLUENT MATERIAL, AND A SEPARATION CHAMBER FOR SEPARATING SAID GASEOUS PHASE AND SAID FLUENT MATERIAL, SAID SEPARATION CHAMBER HAVING A GASEOUS PHASE OUTLET AND A FLUENT MATERIAL OUTLET, SAID FIRST CONDUIT MEANS BEING CONNECTED AT ITS UPPER END TO SAID FLUENT MATERIAL OUTLET.