Distillation apparatus utilizing thermocompressor principles

Claim 1

In distilling apparatus for operation according to the thermocompressor principle including a housing, a boiling chamber at least partially defined by a wall situated within the housing and adapted to contain the liquid to be distilled, means for heating the liquid to be distilled contained in the boiling chamber to produce a vapor, feed line means for conducting liquid to be distilled into the boiling chamber, means for imparting additional energy to the vapor produced in the boiling chamber having an inlet side to which the vapor formed in the boiling chamber is directed and an outlet side from which the vapor is discharged at an increased temperature, and distillate removal line means for withdrawing distillate from the distilling apparatus, the improvement comprising: at least one heat exchange tube provided within the housing of the distilling apparatus and arranged such that a mixture composed of liquid to be distilled and a vapor flows therethrough; droplet separation means provided within said housing, said droplet separation means being situated so as to define a gap between it and a wall defining the boiling chamber, and through which gap the mixture of liquid to be distilled and vapor discharging from said at least one heat exchange tube is adapted to flow; said droplet separation means being arranged such that after the mixture of liquid to be distilled and vapor flows through said gap, the vapor flows through said droplet separator into said means for imparting additional energy to the vapor; and wherein said means for imparting additional energy to the vapor is constituted by blower means situated within said distillation apparatus.