Apparatus and methods for separating liquid from a binary phase liquid-gas mixture

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR EXTRACTING AND SEPARATING LIQUID FROM A GAS PHASE WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING WITH THE GAS PHASE ONE REGION OF A POROUS, SOLID MATRIX OF MATERIAL WETTABLE BY THE LIQUID AND HAVING PORES OF CAPILLARY DEMENSIONS, MAINTAINING SAID FIRST MENTIONED REGION OF SAID MATRIX AT A TEMPERATE LOW ENOUGH TO PRODUCE CONDENSATION AT SAID FIRST MENTIONED REGION OF LIQUID FROM SAID GAS PHASE SO THAT SAID FIRST MENTIONED REGION IS EXPOSED IN CONTACT WITH A BINARY PHASE MIXTURE OF SAID GAS PHASE WITH SALT LIQUID CONDENSED FROM SAID GAS PHASE; AND MAINTAINING A PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN SAID FIRST MENTIONED REGION OF SAID POROUS MATRIX AND A SECOND REGION OF SAID MATRIX NOT IN CONTACT WITH SAID BINARY PHASE MIXTURE, THE HIGHER OF THE TWO PRESSURES CONSTITUTING THE PRESSURE DIFFEREENTIAL BEING MAINTAINED AT SAID FIRST MENTIONED REGION; SAID PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL NOT EXCEEDING THE CRITICAL PHASE PARTITION PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL BUT BEING SUFFICIENTLY GREAT TO CAUSE LIQUED DEPOSITED OM THE SURFACE OF SAID MATRIX AT SAID FIRST MENTIONED REGION TO TRAVEL INTO SAID MATRIX AWAY FROM SAID SURFACE TO THE EXTENT THAT SAID SURFACE BECOMES DRY IN THE EVENT THAT SAID LIQUID DEPOSITED ON SAID SURFACE IS NOT CONTINOUSLY REPLACED WITH OTHER LIQUID; SAID PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL BEING MAINTAINED DURING BOTH THE PRESENCE AND ABSENCE OF CONTINOUS DEPOSITION OF LIQUID AGAINST THE HIGH-PRESSURE REGION OF SAID MATRIX AND INSURING MAINTENANCE OF SAID MATRIX IMPERVIOUS TO THE PASSAGE OF GAS DURING BOTH THE SAID PRESENCE AND ABSENCE OF CONTINOUS DEPOSITION OF LIQUID AGAINST THE HIGHPRESSURE REGION OF SAID MATRIX.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR EXTRACTING AND SEPARATING LIQUID FROM A GAS PHASE WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING WITH THE GAS PHASE ONE REGION OF A POROUS, SOLID MATRIX OF MATERIAL WETTABLE BY THE LIQUID AND HAVING PORES OF CAPILLARY DEMENSIONS, MAINTAINING SAID FIRST MENTIONED REGION OF SAID MATRIX AT A TEMPERATE LOW ENOUGH TO PRODUCE CONDENSATION AT SAID FIRST MENTIONED REGION OF LIQUID FROM SAID GAS PHASE SO THAT SAID FIRST MENTIONED REGION IS EXPOSED IN CONTACT WITH A BINARY PHASE MIXTURE OF SAID GAS PHASE WITH SALT LIQUID CONDENSED FROM SAID GAS PHASE; AND MAINTAINING A PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN SAID FIRST MENTIONED REGION OF SAID POROUS MATRIX AND A SECOND REGION OF SAID MATRIX NOT IN CONTACT WITH SAID BINARY PHASE MIXTURE, THE HIGHER OF THE TWO PRESSURES CONSTITUTING THE PRESSURE DIFFEREENTIAL BEING MAINTAINED AT SAID FIRST MENTIONED REGION; SAID PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL NOT EXCEEDING THE CRITICAL PHASE PARTITION PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL BUT BEING SUFFICIENTLY GREAT TO CAUSE LIQUED DEPOSITED OM THE SURFACE OF SAID MATRIX AT SAID FIRST MENTIONED REGION TO TRAVEL INTO SAID MATRIX AWAY FROM SAID SURFACE TO THE EXTENT THAT SAID SURFACE BECOMES DRY IN THE EVENT THAT SAID LIQUID DEPOSITED ON SAID SURFACE IS NOT CONTINOUSLY REPLACED WITH OTHER LIQUID; SAID PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL BEING MAINTAINED DURING BOTH THE PRESENCE AND ABSENCE OF CONTINOUS DEPOSITION OF LIQUID AGAINST THE HIGH-PRESSURE REGION OF SAID MATRIX AND INSURING MAINTENANCE OF SAID MATRIX IMPERVIOUS TO THE PASSAGE OF GAS DURING BOTH THE SAID PRESENCE AND ABSENCE OF CONTINOUS DEPOSITION OF LIQUID AGAINST THE HIGHPRESSURE REGION OF SAID MATRIX.