US3856630A — Evaporator fabricated from pre-formed sheets

Claim 1

Independent Claim 377 words

In a multi-stage flash evaporator that includes a longitudinal succession of hollow rectangular prisms forming successive continuous flash chambers, the combination comprising a pre-formed L-shaped elongated continuous sheet of material extending longitudinally throughout a plurality of said stages and having a first small-radius substantially right angle bend throughout its longitudinal extent to connect first and second angularly disposed planar arm portions, said bent continuous sheet being arranged with its first planar arm portion disposed horizontally to form floors for adjacent ones of successive flash chambers and having its second planar arm portion extending vertically and longitudinally to form side walls for adjacent ones of successive flash chambers, a plurality of first pre-formed substantially L-shaped members each formed of a unitary sheet of material having a smallradius substantially right angle bend across its width dimension to provide an angled edge portion between two angularly disposed planar leg portions, said first L-shaped members being successively arranged so as said radius bend is substantially vertical and the bottom edge of the first leg portion of each first member is aligned along and welded to the outermost longitudinal edge of the first planar arm portion of said elongated sheet and with the bottom edge of its second leg portion extending transversely across and also welded to said first planar arm portion and said second leg portion terminating at its outermost edge in a weLded joint with the interior face of said vertically disposed second arm portion, the vertical edge of the first leg portion of each of said first L-shaped members being welded along its outermost edge to the angled edge portion of the immediately adjacent L-shaped member, whereby the second leg portions of said L-shaped members form transverse vertical back and front walls, respectively, of adjacent flash chambers, liquid input means in the lower part of each of said front walls for permitting liquid flow from flash chamber to flash chamber, declined plate flashing means associated with the downstream side of each input means for flashing into vapor at least a portion of the liquid entering each flash chamber, a roof disposed across each flash chamber, separator means in the roof and top portion of each flash chamber for separating vapor and entrained mist produced in the respective flash chamber.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 377 words

In a multi-stage flash evaporator that includes a longitudinal succession of hollow rectangular prisms forming successive continuous flash chambers, the combination comprising a pre-formed L-shaped elongated continuous sheet of material extending longitudinally throughout a plurality of said stages and having a first small-radius substantially right angle bend throughout its longitudinal extent to connect first and second angularly disposed planar arm portions, said bent continuous sheet being arranged with its first planar arm portion disposed horizontally to form floors for adjacent ones of successive flash chambers and having its second planar arm portion extending vertically and longitudinally to form side walls for adjacent ones of successive flash chambers, a plurality of first pre-formed substantially L-shaped members each formed of a unitary sheet of material having a smallradius substantially right angle bend across its width dimension to provide an angled edge portion between two angularly disposed planar leg portions, said first L-shaped members being successively arranged so as said radius bend is substantially vertical and the bottom edge of the first leg portion of each first member is aligned along and welded to the outermost longitudinal edge of the first planar arm portion of said elongated sheet and with the bottom edge of its second leg portion extending transversely across and also welded to said first planar arm portion and said second leg portion terminating at its outermost edge in a weLded joint with the interior face of said vertically disposed second arm portion, the vertical edge of the first leg portion of each of said first L-shaped members being welded along its outermost edge to the angled edge portion of the immediately adjacent L-shaped member, whereby the second leg portions of said L-shaped members form transverse vertical back and front walls, respectively, of adjacent flash chambers, liquid input means in the lower part of each of said front walls for permitting liquid flow from flash chamber to flash chamber, declined plate flashing means associated with the downstream side of each input means for flashing into vapor at least a portion of the liquid entering each flash chamber, a roof disposed across each flash chamber, separator means in the roof and top portion of each flash chamber for separating vapor and entrained mist produced in the respective flash chamber.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 68 words

The combination claimed in claim 1 wherein the endmost L-shaped member which does not enclose a chamber is pre-formed to have a second small-radius right angle bend across its width dimension to provide a third leg portion that is parallel to the transverse leg portion of that member thus providing a U-shaped member, whereby said endmost member provides both front and back walls of an end flash chamber.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 250 words

The combination claimed in claim 2 and further including a plurality of pre-formed second L-shaped members each formed of a unitary sheet of material having a small-radius right angle bend across its width dimension to provide short transverse and longitudinal leg portions, said second L-shaped members being disposed longitudinally in succession on the side of the second arm of the elongated continuous member opposite said first L-shaped members and arranged with their width dimensions extending vertically and of the same height as said first L-shaped members but higher than said second arm of the elongated continuous member, the transverse leg portions of the second L-shaped members being aligned and coplanar with the transversely extending legs of the first L-shaped members and the innermost vertical edge of each transverse leg portion of a second L-shaped member being welded to said second arm of the elongated continuous member, the outermost vertical edge of the longitudinal arm of each of the second L-shaped members except the end one opposite the U-shaped member being welded along lthe radius angle bend of an adjacent second L-shaped member said end second L-shaped member being formed with a second radius bend to provide another short transverse leg portion parallel to said first mentioned short transverse leg portion and thus forming said end second L-shaped member as U-shaped, thereby to form a vertically disposed vapor passageway for each stage of said multi-stage evaporator said second L-shaped member extending below said second planar arm portion of said continuous sheet.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 124 words

The combination claimed in claim 3 wherein said separator means is disposed in the roof of each flash chamber, whereby vapor produced in each chamber passes through said separator, and wherein said roof across each flash chamber is horizontally disposed at the top edge of said vertical second planar arm of the elongated continuous sheet and is welded to same as wall as to the separator, said combination further including a longitudinally extending unitary flat cover sheet disposed horizontally across the top edges of the first and second L-shaped members of each stage of the evaporator, thereby to form in each stage a horizontal vapor passage between said roof and cover plate, said horizontal vapor passage being in communication with said vertical vapor passage.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 310 words

The combination claimed in claim 4 and further including, a plurality of condenser means containing chambers each respectively disposed continuously below a respective one of said flash chambers and in communication wIth the vertical vapor passage of its respective stage, said condenser means comprising, a plurality of pre-formed third L-shaped members each formed of a unitary sheet of material having a small-radius substantially right angle bend across one dimension, of greater length than the transverse width of the continuous sheet, to form a long longitudinal floor portion and a shallow wide wall portion, said third L-shaped members being arranged in contiguous succession along the longitudinal extent of said evaporator with the side wall portions thereof being parallel to and coplanar with the second leg portion of said first mentioned L-shaped members and extending transversely to the direction of liquid flow in said flash chambers, the transversely directed outermost edge of each floor portion of the third L-shaped members being welded to the right angled bend of a next adjacent upstream third L-shaped member, and being also welded to the bottom edges of the second L-shaped members as well as to the free vertical edge of the transverse leg portion thereof and at least a portion of the top edge of each side wall portion of each third L-shaped member being welded to the bottom surface of the elongated continuous sheet that forms floors of the flash chambers, fourth L-shaped members arranged in contiguous juxtaposition with their horizontal legs welded to and forming the roofs of the excess lengths of the respective condensing means and their short vertical legs being welded to their corresponding longitudinally extending legs of the first mentioned L-shaped members, heat transfer means disposed within said third L-shaped members for condensing vapor passing through the respective condensing means, and means for collecting distillate formed in said condensing means.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 317 words

A flash evaporator chamber in the form of a hollow rectangular prism, comprising a first pre-formed continuous sheet of material having a small radius substantially right angle bend across one dimension thereof to provide first and second angularly disposed planar arm portions extending outwardly from said bend, the first planar arm portion of the continuous sheet being disposed horizontally to provide a floor for said chamber and the second planar arm portion being disposed vertically to provide a first side wall of the chamber, a second pre-formed L-shaped continuous sheet of material having a small radius substantially right angle bend across one dimension thereof to provide first and second angularly disposed planar leg portions which extend outwardly from said bend, said second L-shaped sheet being disposed on edge with the angled edge formed by said bend extending vertically, said second L-shaped sheet being arranged in contact with said first continuous sheet and with its first leg portion parallel to and spaced from first side wall, thereby to form a second side wall of said chamber, and with its second leg portion perpendicular to said two side walls and perpendicular to and extending across said floor, thereby to form a front or back wall of said chamber, j said first leg portion being welded along its bottom edge to the first planar arm portion of the first continuous sheet, said second leg portion being welded along at least a portion of its bottom edge and along its outermost edge, respectively, to said first and second arm portions of said first continuous sheet, means providing a roof at the level of the upper edge of the second arm of the first sheet and means providing the other of said front or back wall for completing the configuration of said hollow rectangular prism, and means in said front and back wall, respectively, for admitting and discharging liquid from said chamber.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 317 words

A flash evaporator chamber in the form of a hollow rectangular prism, comprising a first pre-formed continuous sheet of material having a small radius substantially right angle bend across one dimension thereof to provide first and second angularly disposed planar arm portions extending outwardly from said bend, the first planar arm portion of the continuous sheet being disposed horizontally to provide a floor for said chamber and the second planar arm portion being disposed vertically to provide a first side wall of the chamber, a second pre-formed L-shaped continuous sheet of material having a small radius substantially right angle bend across one dimension thereof to provide first and second angularly disposed planar leg portions which extend outwardly from said bend, said second L-shaped sheet being disposed on edge with the angled edge formed by said bend extending vertically, said second L-shaped sheet being arranged in contact with said first continuous sheet and with its first leg portion parallel to and spaced from first side wall, thereby to form a second side wall of said chamber, and with its second leg portion perpendicular to said two side walls and perpendicular to and extending across said floor, thereby to form a front or back wall of said chamber, j said first leg portion being welded along its bottom edge to the first planar arm portion of the first continuous sheet, said second leg portion being welded along at least a portion of its bottom edge and along its outermost edge, respectively, to said first and second arm portions of said first continuous sheet, means providing a roof at the level of the upper edge of the second arm of the first sheet and means providing the other of said front or back wall for completing the configuration of said hollow rectangular prism, and means in said front and back wall, respectively, for admitting and discharging liquid from said chamber.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 254 words

The flash evaporator chamber claimed in claim 6 and further including, a third pre-formed L-shaped continuous sheet of material having a small radius substantially right angle bend across one dimension thereoF to provide third and fourth angularly disposed planar leg portions which extend outwardly from said bend, said bend being oriented vertically, said third pre-formed L-shaped sheet being disposed on the outside surface of the second arm of the first continuous sheet with the innermost edge of the third leg extending vertically and being welded to said outside surface of said second arm but coplanar with the second leg portion of said second L-shaped sheet and with said fourth leg portion being disposed parallel to the second arm of the first pre-formed sheet, the topmost portions of the first and second pre-formed L-shaped sheets extending above the top of the second arm of the first pre-formed sheet, means forming a vertical transverse wall between said outside surface of the second arm of the first pre-formed continuous sheet and the outermost remaining vertical edge of the fourth leg on said third pre-formed L-shaped sheet, said wall being coplanar with the other front or back wall and welded to said second arm portion and said remaining vertical edge respectively, and means extending across the tops of the first and second pre-formed L-shaped sheets for providing a cover plate for said flash chamber and for providing a vapor passageway above said roof and in the space between the first pre-formed sheet and the second pre-formed L-shaped sheet.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 149 words

The combination claimed in claim 7 and further including, a fourth pre-formed L-shaped continuous sheet of material having horizontal and vertical legs and disposed below the first arm of the first pre-formed continuous sheet with the uppermost edge of its vertical leg welded to the bottom surface of said first arm of the first pre-formed continuous sheet, said vertical leg being coplanar with said second leg portion of said second pre-formed sheet and welded to said first arm portion, means providing a vertical transverse wall between the outermost end of the horizontal leg of the fourth pre-formed L-shaped sheet and said bottom surface of the first arm of the first pre-formed continuous sheet and being welded thereto, and transverse, horizontal, U-shaped heat exchange tubes disposed within the space bounded by said last named means, the fourth pre-formed L-shaped sheet and said bottom surface of the first pre-formed continuous sheet.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 65 words

The combination claimed in claim 8 and further including, a U-shaped water box pre-formed of a unitary sheet of material for receiving liquid to be passed to said heat exchange tubes, means for securing the U-shaped water box to the space occupied by the heat exchange tubes to pass said liquid to said tubes, and means for receiving condensate produced by said heat exchange means.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1977-12-23	1978-06-24	1978-12-24	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1981-12-23	1982-06-24	1982-12-24	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1985-12-23	1986-06-24	1986-12-24	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Evaporator fabricated from pre-formed sheets

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