Abstract 1. A METHOD FOR INCREASING THE INTERFACIAL SURFACE BETWEEN A LIQUID PHASE AND A VAPOR PHASE, AND THE RATE OF EVAPORATION OF SAID LIQUID PHASE, TO ENCHANCE HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER THEREBETWEEN, COMPRISING: SELECTING A LIQUID TO BE EVAPORATED; INCORPORATING A SURFACTANT INTO SAID LIQUID, WHEREIN SAID SURFACTANT, HAVING WITHIN THE MOLECULE A LYOPHILIC AND LYOPHOBIC GROUPING IS A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP COMPRISING SYNTHETIC ANIONIC, CATIONIC AND NONIONIC SURFACTANTS CONSISTING OF SULPHONATED ETHOXYLATED LINEAR ALCOHOLS, QUATERNARY AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS, AND POLYVINYL ALCOHOLS; PASSING SAID SURFACTANT-CONTAINING LIQUID SUBSTANTIALLY AS A SINGLE PHASE INTO A FLOW CHANNEL WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY REDUCING THE PRESSURE ON SAID LIQUID BY AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO THEREBY CONVERT A PORTION OF SAID SURFACTANT-CONTAINING LIQUID TO A FOAMY MIXTURE CONSISTING SUBSTANTIALLY OF LIQUID PHASE AND VAPOR PHASE; PARTIALLY VAPORIZING SAID LIQUID PHASE WHILE FLOWING SAID LIQUID AND VAPOR PHASES AND THROUGH SAID FLOW CHANNEL; AND THEREAFTER SEPARATING AND CONDENSING SAID PARTIALLY VAPORIZED LIQUID PHASE.
A METHOD FOR INCREASING THE INTERFACIAL SURFACE BETWEEN A LIQUID PHASE AND A VAPOR PHASE, AND THE RATE OF EVAPORATION OF SAID LIQUID PHASE, TO ENCHANCE HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER THEREBETWEEN, COMPRISING: SELECTING A LIQUID TO BE EVAPORATED; INCORPORATING A SURFACTANT INTO SAID LIQUID, WHEREIN SAID SURFACTANT, HAVING WITHIN THE MOLECULE A LYOPHILIC AND LYOPHOBIC GROUPING IS A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP COMPRISING SYNTHETIC ANIONIC, CATIONIC AND NONIONIC SURFACTANTS CONSISTING OF SULPHONATED ETHOXYLATED LINEAR ALCOHOLS, QUATERNARY AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS, AND POLYVINYL ALCOHOLS; PASSING SAID SURFACTANT-CONTAINING LIQUID SUBSTANTIALLY AS A SINGLE PHASE INTO A FLOW CHANNEL WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY REDUCING THE PRESSURE ON SAID LIQUID BY AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO THEREBY CONVERT A PORTION OF SAID SURFACTANT-CONTAINING LIQUID TO A FOAMY MIXTURE CONSISTING SUBSTANTIALLY OF LIQUID PHASE AND VAPOR PHASE; PARTIALLY VAPORIZING SAID LIQUID PHASE WHILE FLOWING SAID LIQUID AND VAPOR PHASES AND THROUGH SAID FLOW CHANNEL; AND THEREAFTER SEPARATING AND CONDENSING SAID PARTIALLY VAPORIZED LIQUID PHASE.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
155 words
A METHOD FOR INCREASING THE INTERFACIAL SURFACE BETWEEN A LIQUID PHASE AND A VAPOR PHASE, AND THE RATE OF EVAPORATION OF SAID LIQUID PHASE, TO ENCHANCE HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER THEREBETWEEN, COMPRISING: SELECTING A LIQUID TO BE EVAPORATED; INCORPORATING A SURFACTANT INTO SAID LIQUID, WHEREIN SAID SURFACTANT, HAVING WITHIN THE MOLECULE A LYOPHILIC AND LYOPHOBIC GROUPING IS A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP COMPRISING SYNTHETIC ANIONIC, CATIONIC AND NONIONIC SURFACTANTS CONSISTING OF SULPHONATED ETHOXYLATED LINEAR ALCOHOLS, QUATERNARY AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS, AND POLYVINYL ALCOHOLS; PASSING SAID SURFACTANT-CONTAINING LIQUID SUBSTANTIALLY AS A SINGLE PHASE INTO A FLOW CHANNEL WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY REDUCING THE PRESSURE ON SAID LIQUID BY AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO THEREBY CONVERT A PORTION OF SAID SURFACTANT-CONTAINING LIQUID TO A FOAMY MIXTURE CONSISTING SUBSTANTIALLY OF LIQUID PHASE AND VAPOR PHASE; PARTIALLY VAPORIZING SAID LIQUID PHASE WHILE FLOWING SAID LIQUID AND VAPOR PHASES AND THROUGH SAID FLOW CHANNEL; AND THEREAFTER SEPARATING AND CONDENSING SAID PARTIALLY VAPORIZED LIQUID PHASE.