Abstract: The treatment of dilute solutions and freeze concentrations thereof by means of steam jet refrigeration pre-cooling of a feed solution sprayed into an absorber-freezer means in which heat is absorbed from the jet refrigeration and from which ice slurry is charged into a melter-worker means discharging product melt and concentrated by-product, and super-cooled by vapor compression refrigeration wherein the refrigerant is simultaneously condensed and chilled by the steam jet refrigeration for pre-cooling the feed solution, steam power therefor being supplied by the Peltier effect in a diffusion still separating water and concentrated refrigerant.

Abstract: A hollow, rotating drum is horizontally supported in a vessel or crystallizer containing a brine such as sea water and has a plurality of nozzles projecting radially outwardly therefrom and having orifices having a smaller diameter than the nozzles. A liquified refrigerant is introduced through a conduit and a hollow shaft into the drum and is discharged as droplets into the brine while the drum is being rotated at high speeds in the brine. Upon getting into the brine, the refrigerant is vaporized and takes away heat of the brine, which is then refrigerated to form small crystals of ice.

Abstract: A gas recovery method and apparatus for the recovery and storage of a gas from a gas enclosure or circuit particularly for the recovery of sulphur hexafluoride (SF.sub.6) from the arc chamber of a high voltage/current circuit breaker. A gas bottle is connected via quick connect coupling and a non-return valve to the gas circuit or enclosure. The gas bottle is immersed in a liquid nitrogen environment in a Dewar flask thereby generating a self pumping action as the sulphur hexafluoride liquifies (or solidifies) within the gas bottle due to the temperature of the liquid nitrogen (-196.degree. C.) being well below the phase change temperature of the sulphur hexafluoride over the range of encountered vapor pressures. When the gas has been recovered, it is stored in the gas bottle which is returned to ambient temperature by removal from the liquid nitrogen and/or by immersion in a heated bath. The gas bottle is reconnected to the gas circuit when recharging of the circuit with the recovered SF.sub.6 is required.

Abstract: A cooling arrangement to be used in liquefying natural gas and in similar applications and having an incorporated cascade circuit with a fractional condensation of a cooling medium and with separation of the phases of the cooling medium, has such a lay-out and is so operated that the warming-up of the expanded cooling medium in a countercurrent evaporative heat exchange and the warming-up of the expanded cooling medium in a countercurrent supercooling heat exchange are in parallel to one another. The separated gaseous phase of the cooling medium is cooled in the countercurrent evaporative heat exchange to be at least partially condensed. The countercurrent supercooling heat exchange and the countercurrent evaporative heat exchange are thermally segregated from one another.

Abstract: A nozzle for a carbon dioxide snow cyclone separator shapes the swirling discharge from the separator to form a unidirectional downwardly directed flow. The nozzle passage is defined by an annular series of transversely concave, juxtaposed, elongate surfaces formed in the body of the nozzle, whereby the passage is scalloped in transverse cross-section. In preferred forms, there are four identical, laterally contiguous, surfaces in the annular series defining the nozzle passage, each of which extends through an arc of .pi. radians.

Abstract: In an air separation apparatus for separating air by cryogenic process, thereby recovering oxygen and nitrogen, pressure of nitrogen gas withdrawn from an upper column of duplex type rectification tower is increased through an ejector utilizing liquid nitrogen to be introduced into the upper column as a reflux from lower column of duplex type rectification tower, and then the nitrogen gas is separated from the liquid nitrogen, and recovered under a desired pressure, while supplying the liquid nitrogen to the upper column. Product nitrogen is recovered under high pressure.

Abstract: In a vessel (1), several mutually parallel evaporator tubes (2) are arranged which, on their outside, are surrounded by heating steam introduced into the interior (1a) of the vessel. A coaxial displacement body (3) is arranged in the interior of the evaporator tubes (2). A gap (5) is formed between the displacement body (103) and the surrounding evaporator tube (2). The displacement bodies (3) are fixed to a bottom (6) which is demountably joined to the vessel (1). The displacement bodies (3) can be removed by removing the bottom (6). The pre-evaporated product, introduced from below and leaving the evaporator tubes (2) at the top, is passed to a vapor-release vessel (11) in which a separation of vapors and concentrate takes place. Each displacement body (3) is formed by a rifled tube which has been provided by deformation with at least one spirally running recess (4). The product flows through both the gap (5) and this recess (4).

Abstract: An apparatus for the regenerating of absorbent is disclosed wherein the apparatus comprises a regenerating column provided with mass transfer-promoting elements. The regenerating column comprises an upper regenerating zone which can be shut down and is provided with at least one shutoff valve-controlled inlet for laden absorbent and a lower second regenerating zone provided with a second shutoff valve-controlled inlet for the same laden absorbent, the volume ratio of the second regenerating zone to the upper regenerating zone being at least about 1.5:1. A process for regenerating laden absorbent is also disclosed.

Abstract: Liquid compositions containing solid or semi-solid constituents are resolved by atomizing the liquid to droplets of approximately 0.5 to 6 microns diameter, projecting the droplets at speed of 600 feet per second to sonic velocities into an ambient air entrainment zone wherein the droplets lose water rapidly by evaporation within a short distance, e.g., 30 cm. from their point of ejection, and recovering solids and liquids from the entrainment zone. The entire process is conducted at ambient temperature in the absence of any added heat.

Abstract: In a process for the rectification of a raw gaseous mixture under superatmospheric pressure and containing at least three components, e.g. natural gas wherein the gaseous mixture is fractionated in a first rectifying column into a head product largely freed of at least one higher-boiling component and into a bottoms product largely freed of at least one lower-boiling component, the improvement which comprises compressing the liquid bottoms product of the first rectifying column; passing resultant compressed bottoms product in indirect heat exchange relationship with the gaseous mixture to at least partially vaporize said bottoms product; engine-expanding resultant vaporized compressed bottoms product to form a liquid which is then passed as reflux into a second rectifying column; and fractionating resultant expanded bottoms product in said second rectifying column to form a top product containing lower-boiling components and into a sump product containing higher-boiling components.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for purifying or reclaiming liquid desiccant comprising heating a water rich desiccant to form dilute desiccant vapor; partially condensing said vapor to produce a purified desiccant equal in strength to the feed stream, reintroducing a first stream of said vapor by sparging into the means of heating said desiccant and cooling a second stream of said vapor thereby refluxing condensible desiccant and venting non-condensible gases, and recovering condensed vapor for use elsewhere.

Abstract: A method of thermally treating flowable material by spreading the material mechanically on a wall of a treatment chamber, wherein resulting vapors are passed co-currently with the material in a first upstream section of the treatment zone, and counter-currently in an adjoining second, downstream, section of the treatment zone and removed from the treatment zone through an inlet to a discharge tube which inlet is generally in a transverse plane between the sections.

Abstract: A process is provided for separating gaseous phosphorus trichloride from a gas stream. The process comprises contacting the gas stream with a condensing amount of liquid phosphorus trichloride to c ondense a portion of the gaseous phosphorus trichloride to liquid phosphorus trichloride. The liquid phsphorus trichloride is then separated from the gas stream. A process apparatus is also provided. The process is particularly useful in preventing or reducing the discharge of gaseous phosphorus trichloride to the atmosphere due to the accidental discharge of a high volume gas stream from a phosphorus trichloride reaction vessel.

Abstract: An apparatus for purifying and liquifying an input gas containing natural gas and air. The apparatus comprises a plurality of molecular sieve assemblies operatable to clean the gas on a gas cleaning mode and to be regenerated on a heating mode and a cooling mode. A first assembly cleans the gas while a second sieve assembly is being regenerated. A three position valve associated with each molecular sieve assembly changes the modes of the sieve assemblies. A two position valve supplies hot air for heating the sieve assemblies during the heating mode, supplies cool air for cooling the sieve assemblies when the sieve assemblies are at a temperature above 400.degree. F. and supplies cool gas for cooling the sieve assemblies when the sieve assemblies are at a temperature below 400.degree. F.

Abstract: A container constructed to cool the contents of the container by releasing a refrigerant from a pressure vessel within the container to chill the contents of the container by an endothermic expansion process of the refrigerant as a gas to the outside of the container. The pressure vessel within the container is conically formed at one end of the container as an integral part of the end wall structure of the container. The refrigerant gas is released by breaking a frangible end off a valve.

Abstract: A device for the formation of a granulated substance. The device has a container which is open at the bottom and can be closed off by a movable bottom member of solid construction. Additionally, two other bottom members, which have lattices with different mesh widths or openings, can be optionally moved under the container instead of the solid member, which bottom member does not have openings. A stirrer is arranged in the container, which has a top container section that contains a filter connected to a suction fan. In order to form a granulated substance, the container is first closed off by the solid bottom member and a powdery material and a liquid are introduced into the container for mixing with each other by means of a stirrer. Subsequently, the solid bottom member is replaced by one of the lattice bottom members and warm air is drawn into the container. In this way, the humid mixed material is whirled about, dried and granulated.

Abstract: Liquid solutions are evaporated to their setting points and the set material so formed is crushed in a screw machine. The phase conversion from the still viscous state to the flowable crushed solid state is carried out in a single closed housing zone of the screw machine and comprises simultaneous evaporation, setting, crushing and further concentration.

Abstract: The invention is method and apparatus for removing dissolved solids from water by creating a condition of super-saturation of the solids material within a confined water circuit, propagating the formation of solids by a process of crystal nucleation and crystal growth and separating the crystallized solids. The invention also involves the apparatus for carrying out the process including a continuous process circuit for circulating a super-saturated liquor, which circuit comprises a source of heat energy for propelling the process and a cooling tower to provide evaporation and super-saturation, and further including a separator to remove crystallized solids from the liquor.

Abstract: A method of eliminating solids formation in a cryogenic distillative separation of acid gases from methane is disclosed. This method comprises adding a solids-preventing agent to the solids potential zone of the distillation column. Typical solids-preventing agents are one or more C.sub.2 -C.sub.5 alkanes, or other nonpolar liquids which are miscible with methane at the column conditions. The elimination of solids formation permits a more complete separation to be achieved.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for concentrating aqueous urea solutions in which an aqueous urea solution is allowed to flow as a falling film in countercurrent contact with a stream of hot inert gas to concentrate it to 95-99% by weight and the aqueous urea solution so concentrated is then passed through a packed zone in cocurrent contact with a stream of hot inert gas to concentrate it to not less than 99.5% by weight.