Apparatus for evaporative stripping

Claim 1

An apparatus for removing volatile components from a heat sensitive liquid material having foaming characteristics, which comprises (a) a liquid product heating means operable to heat said liquid product in the absence of a stripping gas to a predetermined temperature, whereby the liquid product remains at preselected pressure and temperature levels to prevent any vaporization of the volatile components from occurring during the heating of the liquid material, (b) a volatile component evaporation section and (c) a restrictive orifice forming flow path providing direct fluid communication between said liquid product heating means and said volatile component evaporation section and forming a partial restriction to fluid flow therebetween, (d) said volatile component evaporation section and said restrictive orifice forming flow path being dimensioned relative to one another and in respect of the preselected pressure and temperature of the liquid product whereby the volatile components of the liquid material substantially instantaneously vaporize in a flashing action as the liquid material passes from the restrictive orifice forming flow path to the volatile component evaporization section, (e) said volatile component evaporization section being further dimensioned to form a fluid flow conduit whereby the vaporized volatile components continue to flow as a high velocity vapor continuum carrying said liquid material in atomized droplet form and subjecting said liquid droplets to a turbulent stripping action to remove the remaining volatile components therefrom.

Claim 2

An apparatus for removing volatile components from a heat sensitive liquid material having foaming characteristics, which comprises (a) a liquid product heating means operable to heat said liquid product in the absence of a stripping gas to a predetermined temperature, whereby the liquid product remains at preselected pressure and temperature levels to prevent any vaporization of the volatile components from occurring during the heating of the liquid material, (b) a volatile component evaporation section and (c) a restrictive orifice forming flow path providing direct fluid communication between said liquid product heating means and said volatile component evaporation section and forming a partial restriction to fluid flow therebetween, (d) said volatile component evaporation section and said restrictive orifice forming flow path being dimensioned relative to one another and in respect of the preselected pressure and temperature of the liquid product whereby the volatile components of the liquid material substantially instantaneously vaporize in a flashing action as the liquid material passes from the restrictive orifice forming flow path to the volatile component evaporization section, (e) said volatile component evaporization section being further dimensioned to form a fluid flow conduit whereby the vaporized volatile components continue to flow as a high velocity vapor continuum carrying said liquid material in atomized droplet form and subjecting said liquid droplets to a turbulent stripping action to remove the remaining volatile components therefrom.