Separation systems

Claim 1

A METHOD OF SEPARATING A SOLVENT FROM A SOLUTION IN AN APPARATUS INCLUDING A REFRIGERANT EVAPORATOR, A HIGH TEMPERATURE EVAPORATOR HAVING A CONDENSING SECTION AND AN EVAPORATING SECTION, A LOW TEMPERATURE EVAPORATOR HAVING A CONDENSING SECTION AND AN EVAPORATING SECTION, A REFRIGERANT COMPRESSOR DRIVEN BY A PRIME MOVER, A POWER CYCLE HEAT EXCHANGER, AND A REFRIGERANT CONDENSER; WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF: (A) HEATING SOLUTION BY PASSING IT IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATION WITH SOLVENT VAPOR IN THE CONDENSING SECTION OF SAID LOW TEMPERATURE EVAPORATOR, THEREBY CONDENSING SOLVENT; (B) SPLITTING SOLUTION FROM SAID LOW TEMPERATURE EVAPORATOR INTO TWO PORTIONS; (C) FURTHER HEATING ONE PORTION OF SAID SOLUTION FROM SAID LOW TEMPERATURE EVAPORATOR BY PASSING SAID ONE PORTION OF IT IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATION WITH SOLVENT VAPOR IN THE CONDENSING SECTION OF SAID HIGH TEMPERATURE EVAPORATOR, THEREBY CONDENSING ADDITIONAL SOLVENT; (D) FURTHER HEATING SAID ONE PORTION OF SOLUTION BY SUBSEQUENTLY PASSING IT FROM SAID LOW TEMPERATURE EVAPORATOR INTO HEAT EXCHANGE RELATION WITH HEAT REJECTED FROM SAID PRIME MOVER IN THE POWER CYCLE HEAT EXCHANGER; (E) EVAPORATING SOLVENT FROM SAID ONE PORTION OF SOLUTION IN THE EVAPORATING SECTION OF SAID HIGH TEMPERATURE EVAPORATOR; (F) FURTHER HEATING THE OTHER PORTION OF SAID SOLUTION FROM SAID LOW TEMPERATURE EVAPORATOR BY PASSING IT IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATION WITH REFRIGERANT VAPOR IN SAID REFRIGERANT CONDENSER, THEREBY CONDENSING REFRIGERANT AND HEATING SAID OTHER PORTION OF SOLUTION TO A TEMPERATURE LOWER THAN THAT OF THE SOLUTION LEAVING SAID POWER CYCLE HEAT EXCHANGER; (G) EVAPORATING SOLVENT FROM BOTH OF SAID PORTIONS OF SOLUTION IN THE EVAPORATING SECTION OF SAID LOW TEMPERATURE EVAPORATOR; (H) EVAPORATING REFRIGERANT BY PASSING IT IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATION WITH A SUITABLE SOURCE OF HEAT; (I) WITHDRAWING EVAPORATED REFRIGERANT FROM THE CONDENSING SECTION OF SAID REFRIGERANT EVAPORATOR, COMPRESSING SAID REFRIGERANT IN SAID COMPRESSOR, PASSING COMPRESSED REFRIGERANT TO SAID REFRIGERANT CONDENSER, AND PASSING CONDENSED REFRIGERANT TO SAID REFRIGERANT EVAPORATOR; AND (J) COLLECTING CONDENSED SOLVENT FROM THE CONDENSING SECTIONS OF SAID EVAPORATORS, AND WITHDRAWING AND DISCHARGING SOLUTION FROM THE EVAPORATING SECTION OF SAID LOW TEMPERATURE EVAPORATOR.