Process and apparatus for heat and/or mass transfer by direct contact

Claim 2

Process for heat and/or mass interchange between a liquid and a gas by direct contact, comprising the steps of providing a continuous body of substantially horizontally flowing liquid, and causing a gas to flow in a multitude of discrete small transverse streams through the body of liquid at a pressure differential between the spaces above and below the body of liquid, such that the gas enters the body of liquid from below its surface and emerges above the surface of the liquid, the liquid being caused to flow along a plurality of superposed horizontal paths joined by one or more inclined paths, the gas being caused to flow through all of the horizontal paths in parallel.

Claim 3

Apparatus for heat and/or mass interchange between a liquid and a gas, comprising a plurality of substantially horizontal pans, each containing a large number of small perforations at the bottom thereof, means for depositing a continuous body of liquid onto said pans to cause the same to flow over the perforations therein, means for creating a sufficient pressure differential between the spaces below and above the pans to cause the gas to flow through said perforations and through the continuous body of flowing liquid overlying the same, so that the gas passes through the bodies of liquid in a multitude of discrete small streams which emerge at the surface of the liquid, means for collecting the gas-treated liquid flowing off said pans, said perforated pans being arranged one above the other, means for directing liquid discharging from an upper pan onto a lower pan, and means for directing separate currents of gas to each of the pans, so that each current of gas passes through only a single pan, and a manifold for receiving the currents of discharging gas.

Claim 4

Apparatus for heat and/or mass interchange between a liquid and a gas, comprising a plurality of substantially horizontal pans, each containing a large number of small perforations at the bottom thereof, means for depositing a continuous body of liquid onto said pans to cause the same to flow over the perforations therein, means for creating a sufficient pressure differential between the spaces below and above the pans to cause the gas to flow through said perforations and through the continuous body of flowing liquid overlying the same, so that the gas passes through the bodies of liquid in a multitude of discrete small streams which emerge at the surface of the liquid, means for collecting the gas-treated liquid flowing off said pans, said perforated pans being arranged one above the other, means for directing liquid discharging from an upper pan onto a lower pan, and means for directing separate currents of gas to each of the pans, so that each current of gas passes through only a single pan, and a manifold for receiving the currents of discharging gas.

Claim 5

Apparatus for heat and/or mass interchange between a liquid and a gas, comprising a plurality of substantially horizontal pans, each containing a large number of small perforations at the bottom thereof, means for depositing a continuous body of liquid onto said pans to cause the same to flow over the perforations therein, means for creating a sufficient pressure differential between the spaces below and above the pans to cause the gas to flow through said perforations and through the continuous body of flowing liquid overlying the same, so that the gas passes though the bodies of liquid in a multitude of discrete small streams which emerge at the surfaces of the liquid, means for collecting the gas-treated liquid flowing off said pans, said perforated pans being arranged one above the other, means for directing liquid discharging from an upper pan onto a lower pan, said last mentioned means comprising an inclined imperforate plate connecting the discharge end of an upper pan with the receiving end of a lower pan to direct the liquid to the lower pan, said apparatus including a cylindrical housing, the superposed pans being of annular shape, the inclined imperforate plate being in the form of a frusto-conical guide, said cylinder having a central space leading to a discharge opening for the gas, the space above each of said pans leading to said central space.

Claim 6

Apparatus for heat and/or mass interchange between a liquid and a gas, comprising a plurality of substantially horizontal pans, each containing a large number of small perforations at the bottom thereof, means for depositing a continuous body of liquid onto said pans to cause the same to flow over the perforations therein, means for creating a sufficient pressure differential between the spaces below and above the pans to cause the gas to flow through said perforations and through the continuous body of flowing liquid overlying the same, so that the gas passes though the bodies of liquid in a multitude of discrete small streams which emerge at the surfaces of the liquid, means for collecting the gas-treated liquid flowing off said pans, said perforated pans being arranged one above the other, means for directing liquid discharging from an upper pan onto a lower pan, said last mentioned means comprising an inclined imperforate plate connecting the discharge end of an upper pan with the receiving end of a lower pan to direct the liquid to the lower pan, said apparatus including a cylindrical housing, the superposed pans being of annular shape, the inclined imperforate plate being in the form of a frusto-conical guide, said cylinder having a central space leading to a discharge opening for the gas, the space above each of said pans leading to said central space.